By: Dawit Fanta
/Deutschland/
Behind the Ballyhoo
Since March 31, 2012 Ethiopia was on big hoopla to celebrate the first year inaugural of the construction of Nile Dam. But the whole scenario was over exaggerated; and it was over trumpeted by the TPLF owned media as if something ground shattering event happened. Of course all the ballyhoo was to distract public attention from the current political crisis that the Zenawi regime faced.
Internal Crisis
a. Rampant Inflation Rate and Skyrocketed Price on Common Goods: On April 01, 2012 I have posted an article on www.ethiopianreview.com with a title “The Sugar Candy Mountain”; and there I have tried to explain how the severity of the inflation rate is in Ethiopia. And I think everything is coming out of control in this respect. Besides, the price of common Goods is skyrocketed which is unimaginable for majority of the people.
b. Teachers and University Students Strike: Most school teachers particularly those who are teaching in Government owned schools are striking because their wage is can’t cope up with the soaring inflation; in addition, the students of the Addis Ababa University Faculty of Veterinary are striking and they haven’t yet started their regular class.
c. Public Opposition following the Expulsion of Amharas and confiscation of their Property: many people are sharply criticizing TPLF’s act of ethnic cleansing on Amhara people. Many Amharas become disgruntled and they have concluded that the Zenawi regime can never represent them anymore.
d. Sharp Public Criticism following the Expropriation of Church’s Estate by TPLF for Sugar Development Industry: Waldiba Monastery is one of the ancient monastery in Ethiopia and most Christians make pilgrimage annually by going their. However, a month ago the TPLF kleptomaniacs have expropriated part of the monastery’s land for “Sugar Development Industry”. Consequently, on March 26, 2012 there was a demonstration in U.S.A; and many people in Ethiopia are complaining bitterly about such arrogance.
e. Public Resistance in Gambella Region following Forcible Displacement and land grabbing.
f. Public Opposition in Oromia Region Borena Zone following Forcible Displacement of the indigenous people without plebiscite and reparation to lease out their land to the Saudi Arabian Billionaire for Gold mining.
All the above are the major internal political crisis that the Zenawi regime faced and these things are looming beneath the surface that counts down like time bomb to goes off.
External Crisis
a. Tension with Neighbouring Eritrea: Three weeks ago the Zenawi regime had taken a pre-emptive strike on Eritrea crossing 10 miles into Eritrea boarder and no one is sure what consequences will come next and it has heightened the situation to stern.
b. The Revival of Somalia Faction Fighters: Although the “Ethiopian Defence Force” (aka: The military wing of TPLF) assaulted these faction fighters more than once crossing the boarder of Stateless Somalia; they have revived again and they have posed threat to the Zenawi regime.
So, as we have seen above TPLF has been strained in all direction then the ballyhoo and over-trumpet of the Nile-Dam hoopla is a means of distraction to distort public attention from the big picture.
The Legacy of Economic Genocide
Many people are impressed by the commencement of the Nile Dam project just by assuming that it will solve electric power shortage in the country; and they totter to count Zenawi as a national hero. But let’s see how this dam is the extension of TPLF’s Economic Genocide on the rest of Ethiopian people except Tigrian.
For the last twenty one years we have seen that every government auctions particularly those which are highly funded projects were contracted or subcontracted to those who have affiliation with TPLF. And such cronyism has exposed us for economic genocide like what happened on black South African by the Apartheid. That is why it becomes crystal clear that major capital equipment, Estates, and all means of wealth are dominated by the minority Tigrians.
In case of the Nile-Dam, it has been a year that every Ethiopians are contributing to fund the construction of the Nile Dam. But how many of us are awoken that “Defence Engineering” is awarded to supply 90% of structural steel without open bid? How many of us are well-informed that “Mesebo Cement Enterprise” (one of TPLF-owned Company) is awarded in supplying millions of tons of cement for the Nile Dam Project without open bid? How many of us do we really know how much part of the project will be subcontracted to “Sur Construction” (one of TPLF-owned Company)? By hook or by crook, every cent that the people of Ethiopia contribute to this dam is flowing to these armed minorities’ pocket. That is why I said the Nile Dam is the Legacy of the Economic Genocide that is painstakingly designed by TPLF to cast aside the rest Ethiopian people off the Economic arena on our soil. To put it in black and white it is a copycat ideology of Corporatocracy and an Economic Hit-man to transform a few armed minorities to filthy rich by using the majority as a stepping stone.
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