It was good news to hear Secretary of State, Hilary Ben, announcing from Addis Ababa, the withdrawal of direct budget support to the regime of Melese Zenawi. While appreciating this first step taken by the British Government, the campaign organized by Support Organizations of Kinijit, UEDF and the Consortium of Civic Organizations in the UK have continued with a candle light vigil yesterday and another one is planned for Friday, January 27.
Appealing to and lobbying the British Government shall continue until the Ethiopian people get respite from the indiscriminate killing, whole sale repression and violent human rights violation perpetrated by Melese Zenawi and his rouge regime. The killing machine of the TPLF/EPRDF is now turned against Christians. It is to be recalled that the regime had raided mosques and killed worshipers while in prayer in the past.
Britain along with the United States administration has played significant roles in the regime change that took place in Ethiopia in 1991. TPLF/EPRDF as a front and with Melese Zenawi as its leader came to power with the ‘blessings’ of Britain and the United States with the condition that human rights and democratization will be the guiding principles of government. After fifteen years of extensive and comprehensive support, consultation, and persuasion, Melese Zenawi has chosen to go his way, the way of revolutionary democracy, and in the event he is on the verge of loosing very useful allies, Britain and the United States. Melese has betrayed their trust.
“… the provision of budget support is based upon shared commitments between partners, one of which is upholding human rights. Recent political events have led to a breach of trust on this. [Letter to the Times, Hilary Benn, 19/01/06]”
Budget Support means “cash in hand on the level of government”. It is sheer arrogance if not naive on the part of Meles Zenawi to loose both a dependable alley like Britain and a vast amount of cash that is poured in annually into the coffers of TPLF/EPRDF via the conduit known as the treasury.
The British government had assumed that it had found a dependable African partner in the person of Melese Zenawi. Zenawi has rejected Britain and it mediation in the current crisis in Ethiopia and would have to pay a heavy price for it. Secretary of State for Development has started by turning off the tap for direct budget support but he may have to turn off more taps to bring Melese Zenawi and his regime to their senses.
The Ethiopian people must be pleased by the beginning of the end of British support for TPLF/EPRDF. Plaudits to Secretary of Overseas Development Hillary Ben. It is now most likely that the British government will work towards the implementation of the latest EU resolution, the publication of the final report of Ms. Anna Gomez, use its access through the Africa Commission to reach out to African governments to live up to the sprit of NEPAD and most important of all persuade the American administration to firmly back the campaign for human rights and democracy in Ethiopia.
The regime of Melese Zenawi may react to the cut in budget support by printing more paper money to pay wages of its ‘federal and Agazi’ killing divisions. This means the exponential rise of prizes of essential goods like bread, cooking oil, fuel, etc. which will spread and deepen the crisis to the extent that the privileged and protected sections in the TPLF/EPRDF camp also become engulfed in the crisis.
The crisis has deepened at the political level for some time now. It now appears that it is getting entrenched in the social and economic areas as well. TPLF/EPRDF shall reap the benefit of the leadership of Melese Zenawi that is leading it to the abyss.
Melese Zenawi and his comrades may be self-confessed atheists but they should not be allowed to desecrate the religious space of worshiping Christians and Muslims by gunning down believers on the act of worship. Violating the profane space of believers is transgression of the highest order. The international community should take notice of the vandalism and savage act by no less than a regime ruling over 70 million people. Melese Zenawi has to be stopped before it is too late. Failing to act now will lead to chaos and anarchy in Ethiopia that will in turn destabilize the entire region of north-east Africa. The way to fight international terror is to stop local tyranny and seek alliance for peace and stability with forces fighting for human rights and democracy and not the other way around. There will be no dependable alley in north-east Africa other than the Ethiopian nation and standing against the democratic aspirations of such a nation is a recipe for disaster.
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Support Groups for Kinijit, UEDF & Civic Organizations in the United Kingdom
FORUM
