Indeed, every body in a democratic country, but in Ethiopia, is entitled to his/her opinion; however, when someone’s opinion is totally wrong, one has to stand up and disprove that misleading opinion. For example, Mr. Sahle said: “There is no land transfer to Sudan….” In fact, there were some Ethiopian farmers who were taken by force to Sudan jail for resisting to giving up their farmlands to the Sudanese people. There have been demonstrations by many Ethiopians in the diaspora against this land deal by Meles Zenawi without informing the Ethiopian Parliament. Here Mr. Sahle, perhaps, representing the Meles corrupt regime defends the mendacity of his master Meles Zenawi. I wonder why you are defending such misleading opinions by Mr. Sahle.

Your propaganda is a total fiasco, and convinces not a single Ethiopian in the diaspora; we already know where you are coming from, and what your missions are.

The true Ethiopian, Mr. Abdisa, has vividly exposed to the world your propensity to destroy our country, Ethiopia, and your satanic mission authorized by your master, Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) and financed by your master’s master, Al Amoudi, will never work here in the United States or somewhere else because your propaganda is full of lies just like Meles’ propaganda to get some donation from the American people so that he could stay in power. You may have been paid millions of dollars to spread good news for the sake of the bloodsuckers – Azeb Mesfin and her second husband Meles Zenawi. It will not be for a long time that the bad news you are spreading all over the world will be turned against you; you are one of those people whom the Prophet Isaiah said: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (5:20). We know Meles is an evil person, but you are telling us he is an angel; we know the Ethiopian people are living in total darkness, but you are telling us they are living in a bright day light; we know millions of the Ethiopian children are getting hungry and sick, but you are telling us no Ethiopian child has ever been hungry and sick; you are telling us there is a free election in Ethiopia, but we know the opposition party has been bared even from registering people to vote.

Any way, thank you for telling us that you support the rotten regime of Meles Seitanawi, and you call it sweet while it is bitter as the Prophet says; it may be indeed sweet or sweeter than honey for you, but it is bitter than the Ethiopian Koso or Eriet for most of the Ethiopian people.

I can clearly see through you as a typical TPLF demagogue. And the arguments presented to be equally typical of TPLF operatives’ who run around cyberspace and in every corner of the Diaspora to dispel facts and spread falsehoods. Their MO is all the same. And that is, deny everything at all costs, make excuses, or rationalize with the hope anything written against the TPLF is somehow is ‘neutralized’. The good news is that no one in his/her right mind is going to buy these arguments anymore. No amount of lie and deception either by Meles or his henchmen is going to wipe out 17 years of blunder and mismanagement by a gang of bandits.

One could only jump into such conclusion when comes across with phrases like “EPRDF or TPLF is a party which has been working to weaken the rest of the country through various policies.” In my opinion, the rest implies Ethiopia minus Tigrai. Or statements like, “…only students from Tigray region can speak English to qualify for any type of scholarship or have an opportunity to work in foreign legions and they are the ones welding power in every region in the name of ‘federal officers assisting the regional government’”

Living in Ethiopia, it’s hardly possible to avoid time without taking part in political debates. Recently, I asked a friend what could possibly be missing in Ethiopia as regards to democracy. He said that there were not enough papers, enough private radio, tv. Etc. It was all about not having enough of them.

One can never dispute with this fact at all. I wish I could ask you the same question. We have a little of everything even our democracy. People from all walks of life in Ethiopia would tell you same thing. None is fully satisfied with that. On the other hand, except a handful, Ethiopians are satisfied as regards to peace, stability, the way things are moving in term of infrastructure, commerce, urban development and the likes. Nobody’s child is conscripted forcefully and thrown into war. As I said it above, we have very little of everything which needs to be multiplied and intensified through time by Ethiopians themselves. If people like you came and helped, it would make a dent. (I note that you came to help but left after you relinquished your money for bribery)

You have also talked lots about the education system. One of the things we have witnessed as a tremendous achievement in this country is education. The number of universities has reached 21. Unlike to what you described them as local universities, they are federal universities. They accept students from all over the country. They lack quality though. Same is true with the AAU, where I went. This is not to mention the private once.

With regard to the education in mother tongue at the primary level, it’s very technical and academic to dwell on. People have unequivocally agreed that this way of educating pupils is very successful. So, the government has preferred to pursue this. Even then, if the policy doesn’t work it can only be a mistake. It can, by no means, be bad intended; as you said, to intentionally weaken Ethiopia. This kind of statement can only emanate from those who spend their time declaring one is an Ethiopian and the other is not; those who grant and revoke citizenship.

By the way, that is why I like the programs of EPRDF. I see them philosophically. They say [EPRDF] how is it possible there could be a better and less Ethiopian? It’s impossible in the current and future Ethiopia. That is why some, I think including you, fear that the country would disintegrate some time in the future. I don’t think it would. But again it cannot be discounted at all this wouldn’t happen. It won’t happen as long as there is no as such assimilation in practice and God forbid it will definitely happen if otherwise.

Everyone’s language is fit enough to be medium of instruction. None is better than others. I say, if there is any practical attempt to reverse this, I can assure you doomsday of our beloved country becomes imminent. This is how the new Ethiopia is established.

Here, it come the myth that Tigrai as the most beneficiary. This never happened and no true Tigrean wishes to happen. The rural area of Tigrai has never been different from other rural areas of Ethiopia, if not worse. What happened was some urban towns including Mekele, registered a remarkable growth because of the relative peace and their proximity to the port. This continued up until the war with Eritrea. Eritreas used these towns as transit and as a result investment and commerce boomed. This very positive trend was seen by others as exploitation; but was a sheer misunderstanding. From 1998 onwards, the development has been not as fast as it was previously. Cities like Bahidar, Nazareth, Diredawa are, now a days, livelier and more developed as the main business route is via these areas to Djibouti.

With regard to the accusations, I may say, most lack evidence and credibility. For instance there is no as such a loan officer in the National Bank; it’s a regulatory body. There is no land transfer to Sudan; no demarcation has been made yet to say anything of that sort. And lots of these kind.

Not to take lot of your time, I will conclude by saying, by any standard Ethiopia is now stronger than ever (at least in the last one hundred years). The way it’s set up is that there wouldn’t be any better or less Ethiopian, meaning, none grants or cancels citizenship of Tigreans, Afaris, Somalis, Oromos, including Meles Zenawi’s. He could be a bad person to some but none is entitled to revoke his citizenry. Had it been possible, there could have been people under scrutiny who fought along Shaebia against mother land.

Dear, Abdisa, I’d like to say that I dearly esteem our constitution and EPRDF’s program. I am by no mean a member of EPRDF. Just one question, what if EPRDF is ousted and Ethiopia becomes “very democratic”, would you allow me to run for office with the same EPRDF program?

Regards,

may God bless you and your family

I have been reading your article two times and in tears. I never knew I was so weak.

TPLF is the worst kind not only for Ethiopia but for the whole continent of Africa. We have to be aware of the true enemy as you said it.

The only thing I did not agree with you is on the assertion that they would become an Independent state. The Eritreans would never sleep to destroy them. They will be like the palastines in Africa, dispised and rejected. Amen to that to too. I do not understand why they pass this vengence to their children?

They are over appraised mediocre tyrants who can work on purposfuly destroying the fibric of society just for personal gain! you said it better.

Thank you Mr. Salvatore and may god help you in your endevours and thank you Elias for such a wonderful forum. Ameseginalehu.

D.

I see your burning Ethiopianess and the pride you have for that country as i have things in common with you coming from a half Ethiopian half Arabic heritage. My dissapointment with TPLF has long turned to Anger long time ago. God knows pretty soon, the anger i have will turn to revenge as the collateral damage created by TPLF towards the Ethiopian society could be irreversable. Thanks to people like you and Elias, most Ethiopians are being equiped with the fact they need that will help them to take the pill they don’t want to take. As you said it TPLF can only go by sword and wasting time to negotiate with it is the foolish of all thing one can expect.

Thanks again

Yes, that is what TPLF is doing and that is what we have to do.

I wish you success in your US visit.

This is very knowledgeable, wel-researched, and fact-based article. Again, I thank you so much for writing the facts, fears, that I and many Ethiopians have in mind.

Most of all, what grips my mind is the following statment:

“… President Mugabe’s party may collapse next month but Zimbabwe will be available for its citizens after the dust settles… .”

TPLF (Meles and company)are working in a way that the dust would never settle in Ethiopia again.

We have to act very quickly, systematically, in masses, and with no other priority. We have to save out country. We cant stay as a spectators. We have to act in every possible way to save our country.

Thank you Abdisa,

Thank you

Several people have extensively written interesting articles and comments on this well-respected ER, but I am witnessing that your article is the best in substance, facts, sincerity, and purity of language; as I was reading it, I was full of emotion and anger about the futurity of our country that your father fought hard for and saved it from being destroyed by Alberto Mussolini. In fact, Mussolini was much, much better than Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi), for Mussolini had done many good things for Ethiopia and never tried to divide the country on ethnic lines.

God saved Ethiopia from Fascist through your father’s heroic action, and who knows, through his son, Abdisa, God may save Ethiopia from Meles Seitanawi, the worst enemy of Ethiopia.

Thank you for your great effort to convince some, if not all, Italian Americans to understand the hidden problems from them that the Ethiopian people, your people and mine, are facing today under a Dictator Meles Seitanawi, who could have been left power long time ago if the West, particularly the United States, could have stopped helping him financially in the name of his support for the war against terrorism.

Please, also, continue tracking the wealth of your country, Ethiopia, stolen by Meles Seitanawi, his wife, Azeb Mesfin, and all his political gangs; these criminals have also stolen indispensable Church artifacts, and many historical documents. It has also been rumored that they have sold that famous Ethiopian Lucy or Dinkinesh to the West. You see, you have so many things to do ahead of you, and God willing, you can do it. I think, Salvatoe means salvation, and Ethiopia is expecting you to save her from her worst enemy – Meles Zenawi.

I lost you on the above paragraph. Your suggestion would have been timely if it were writen about 3 years ago, when the people you mentioned above were assumed to be Ethiopians for Ethiopians. Except Ato Seye Abrha.

And you said, “Seye Abraha would be the only chance for the Tigray population to live with the rest of Ethiopians in dignity”.

The main guy of TPLF who orders million dollars worth property moved from Bole Airport to Tigray where it is collecting dusts in the basement Mekelle Air port. How Ethiopian is that, not to mention the broad day light robbery and corruption. Knowing TPLF, and their mischievous nature, i don’t think Ato seye left TPLF, he is still TPLF. He didn’t go to jail defending Ethiopia.
Secondly, the people of Tigray know what they are doing. If they are suffering like the rest of Ethiopians, we would have seen it. They have the means in their hands to make it better, but they don’t care. Those who do care have picked up a gun to be by the side of Ethiopians . Thank you for your concern, but we are on different phase now.
Regards,