By Yohannes Kifle
For the past 13 years, the Woyanes have become so {www:predictable} when they are in a political quagmire. The recent political uprising in the Middle East and in the Northern part of Africa has Zenawi’s regime so concerned creating political diversion that is further from the reality was crucial in an attempt to {www:engross} mainly the people of Ethiopia and, if anyone is listening, the rest of the world.
Of course, Zenawi’s regime has no respect for what his own citizens think. The latest political stint is pretty much staged for the donors he can’t afford to upset since his survival is depending on what these donors think of him. One must keep in mind that the regime is so terrified of the potential up rise and measures to squash it must be justified ahead of time. One must also keep in mind that the regime is pretty good at taking survival measures since it has no principle of fundamental politics to lean on. It is that lack of core of principle the regime is suffering from that will ultimately facilitate its demise. The lack of principle of fundamental politics is a recipe for disaster as it has been witnessed in the past. The regime in Ethiopia is no different than the others with same deficiencies; however, what makes this regime unique is the fact that it receives unwavering support from the West for its unique ability of providing what the West needs. Perhaps, the West deserves share of the blame. In addition, the West needs to evaluate its policy towards the regime in Ethiopia and be on the right side of history, which ultimately benefits the West.
As mentioned above, the latest political stints by the regime were targeting two main elements: national security and economic growth. These two elements were brought to the surface with the assumption that they would create the type of political distraction the regime was hoping for. Unfortunately for the regime, any political stint comes with its own price.
National security:
In the name of national security, the regime was forced to bring Eritrea in this equation with the assumption that any mention of “a threat from Eritrea” will galvanize the nation. This may be true in 1998 -2000. Today, Ethiopians are more educated of what had transpired since the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea broke out. Moreover, Ethiopians are aware of the fact that legally, Eritrea had won the border issue fair and square. The 2002 decision by Hague took the air out of those who were beating the war drum to recover access to the sea. Though the regime in Ethiopia is not officially advocating the return of Assab, the thought process is that by creating the possibility of waging war with Eritrea, potential political capital could be gained, and will ultimately conciliate the anticipated potential threat from civil disobedience that is similar to what had transpired in the Middle East and North Africa. To the regime’s disappointment, the reaction from the vast majority of Ethiopians, including those in Diaspora was extremely negative of the war monger attitude of the regime.
Every time the regime in Ethiopia chooses to show its arrogance about its military superiority it admits its weakness ignorantly. Back in 2000 after the war was over and crowning itself as a winner, the regime couldn’t manage to hide how terrified it was of the strength of Eritrea’s military capacity. It was for that valid reason the regime asked guarantee from the West and the institutions that were involved in bringing peace between these two countries. The latest military bravado, from the regime’s Prime Minister, to invade Eritrea was also a message to the opposition groups who are currently waging internal war with the regime. This message was spawned out of fear.
The Grand Millennium Dam:
The regime’s infatuation to building a dam has been a discussion for quite a while. However, the magnitude of this project is so {www:humongous} some doubt the project would be feasible anytime soon due to financial reasons. The regime is banking on the west to assume the bulk of the financial responsibility. In addition, the regime is also taking advantage of this thrill-seeking project as way of communicating with the Diaspora and enticing them with potential investment opportunity hoping to gain political capital. Again, this also failed miserably as it became evident all over the United States where the regime tried to hold these meetings with the Diaspora this past weekend.
Given the regime’s past record, major projects such as the grand millennium dam were used to divert the political attention of the people of Ethiopia from war, economic and political crisis. In 1999, the regime boasted that “merkato” was supposedly to be bought by a Malaysian company for Six billion dollars. During that period of time, the regime also bragged about a 1.7 billion dollars investment on gas pipeline project connecting Ethiopia and Sudan. Of course, no one forgets the empty promises the regime was making about exporting power to Africa while the city of Addis Ababa was suffering from power shortage just about every other day.
Last,
As mentioned above, the political reverberation the regime in Ethiopia has created in the name of “national security” and “Economic growth” has produced no political dividend. Oddly, the regime bankrupted politically on both elements. The war drum against Eritrea was rejected by Ethiopians, which exposed the regime’s vulnerability should these two countries confront each other militarily. Furthermore, the regime credibility in front of the International community (those who matter) will further be damaged. The “economic growth” fiasco that was supposedly to be used as a conduit to establish a relationship with Diaspora with the hope to capitalize politically proved to be a disaster. If anything, this political miscalculation by the regime gives the Diaspora the energy it was looking for. One doesn’t anticipate the regime to try to coddling again with the Diaspora any time soon; however, one will not rule out this regime’s possible war adventure against Eritrea as desperate times call for desperate measures. The Weyanes are indeed desperate.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])
19 thoughts on “Woyanne Desperate Measures”
Dear Ato Yohannes,
Indeed a overall survey off the situation. This is the first time in his history, woyane annoyed the “diaspora”, by walking on a slippery ground instead of draggig it towards him. Now it´s a clear game, like woyane and his ethnicall thugs against the diaspora who satands just galvanized an united more than ever. They realy wouldn´t dare to do what they did. They clearly showed what kind of ppl they are and what they think of the diaspora, literarly, we are idiots that follows the stream of arogance. That´s that and I hope there will no come back to win the heart of the diaspora again. Now it´s obvious that it´s between we and ém, the woyane thugs and the power of the reformists. In this process they also knew the unity between ethiopians, what they were owrking 24 seven to desmantel, showed the opposit. Indeed i´t was a desperate measure and gonna be even more desperate. Good analysis Ato Yohannes!
The Woyane military crack has began in the south again lead by high officers.
Yohannes,
You state that “the regime couldn’t manage to hide how terrified it was of the strength of Eritrea’s military capacity. It was for that valid reason the regime asked guarantee from the West and the institutions that were involved in bringing peace between these two countries.”
When you write an article, at least have the decency to base it in some facts. After initially refusing to accept the US-Rwanda peace plan, Eritrea, due to the heavy losses to encountered (Ethiopian forces not only recaptured Bademe and Zalambessa, but they ended up controlling 25 percent of Eritrean land), Ertirea unexpectedly decided to accept the OAU peace plan. By the end of the war, and once Ethiopian forces had captured Barentu (which was announced on Eritrean TV), it had a devastating effect on the mood in the Eritrean capital (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/754078.stm). Even Eritrean presidential spokesman Yemane Ghebremeske admitted that Eritrean forces “were overpowered by the numbers” of Ethiopian soldiers and bitterly complained that the UN should have condemned Ethiopia for attacking Eritrea (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/753774.stm).
So no, the Ethiopian regime did not ask for a guarantee from the international committee (Eritrea did) nor was it “terrified” by the strength of Eritrea’s military. Let us try not to exaggerate.
Regardless this narrow minded clique need to be removed from power and once again both brotherly people of Ethiopia and Eritrea to live in peace sharing everything as before and breeze fresh air I don’t think Eritreans would mind If Ethiopia uses Asab or Massawa After all this long war this people are still Love each other it’s impossible for both people to see each other as a stranger.
[[…The regime’s infatuation to building a dam has been a discussion for quite a while. However, the magnitude of this project is so humongous some doubt the project would be feasible anytime soon due to financial reasons. … hoping to gain political capital. Again, this also failed miserably..]]
I think the Nile Dam is just a scale up from Gibe 1, 2, 3…. It is obviously feasible to build. I think Ethiopians can do it with or without Salini.
In fact any serious opposition, who don’t embrace this project quickly, will be highly marginalized.
“Failed miserably”? Are you kidding me? Think again.
No doubt the Regime is ripping “political capital” from it.
Idealy, a smart oppostion won’t allow that to happen.
The third point can also be mentioned Egypt.The regime likes to play that card.
There for three diversional fiasco the regime uses to lure Ethiopians re
1.Eritrea
2.Nile River and Egypt
3.Economic growth
No more games Weyane nazi regime
Your days are up.
Etiyopiawi
The reason why woyane managed to invade eritrea was, woyane came through unxpected and properly undefended part of eritrea and they broke the defence line.(Thttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/755624.stm)This clearly shows that woyane was helped by his western masters. Therefore the eritrean force had to retreat inorder regroup. After all the real battle was in Bure front, let alone to occupy assab, woyane couldn’t even move an inch.
Etiyopiawi my friend, ayte meles chenawi asked for 25km buffer zone.
if he was’t terrified why does he needed the buffer zone? my friend tell ayte meles not to try to invade through the backdoor like last time, it will gonna be a disaster.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/755624.stm)
Thanks to the Ethio-Eritrea War the Weyane dream about building grater Tigrai was wounded but not killed but soon after the war weyane split in Two become half dead and with in the last twelve years the region Tigray was a military station with almost 100,000 military personal and most of them are from other ethnic groups and already have children from Tigray women based on that the Idea of having grater Tigray is completely Dead and buried.
Ethiopiawi, I don’t think yohannes exaggerate the fact because BBC never stand w/Ethiopians or Eritreans. BBC media known for its good bias service to dictators and puppet like woyane. Please don’t use BBC news as a fact. Second don’t even associate woyane war as if it is Ethiopian war. Third Woyane doesn’t have poletical or military skill, this is the fact everybody knows. Don’t wast your time on woyane wrong story. Focus on “BEKKA!!!”
Dear Yohannes Kifle,
You said:
“….the regime couldn’t manage to hide how terrified it was of
the strength of Eritrea’s military capacity. It was for that
valid reason the regime asked guarantee from the West and the
institutions that were involved in bringing peace between these
two countries.”
It seems you are trying to change the reality. You know it and also the world know it very well what happened 1998-2000 Ethio-Eritrea war. The reality is Meles , who himself is an Eritrean, saved Eritrea from being annexed by Ethiopian force.
You sound very much Eritrean! So please leave Ethiopian matter to Ethiopians. In fact, Ethiopians at home and in the Diaspora are determined more than any other times to completely abolish once and for all the Meles/Woyane regim.
Woyanes pull out from their intrigue drawers by the time they feel uncomfortable. When they imagine the clock is ticking against them, they create a mechanism that might enable them to stick on their power. So they arrange some kind of project to tantalize the heart of their adversaries. The Abai dam, the selling/buying of bonds from the government, etc were not in the agenda of TPLFs strategy. It is just a tactical maneuver to escape public disobedience.
No healthy person, be it Ethiopian or Non-Ethiopian is against the building of a dam and/or similar undertaking. BUT, Woyane leadership pretends to be the “Know all, smart, undeliverable, intelligent”, etc. They want to take money from the people by cheating and want to display that they had huge public support.
The whole clique of Woyane plus new comers from Eritrea are also collaborating with Woyane thugs.
By the way, those new comers of Eritreans who were chased of the country by the Woyane regime have come back in the country and perform ugly jobs currently in Ethiopia. I think, they are going blunder and did not learn from their past humiliation as well as mistake.
The people of Ethiopia have already decided since May, 2005 that Woyane and its lackeys should go. It is now about 8 years that they are misruling the country by the barrel of a gun. These guys could be evicted from power only by peoples’ Revolution.
A Revolution can only eradicate the whole mismatch of Woyane undertakings that caused unprecedented disaster among the Ethiopian people for the last twenty years.
Let us do towards the following actions:
– Let us first wipe out Woyane( Meles-regime) from power and send him to ICC.
Then let us setup a care-taker government comprised of many political, civil and religions institutions.
– Let the care-taker government encompass the Diaspora representatives
– Let the Security, Army and police be supervised by the care-taker government
– New military personnel should be appointed until the care-taker government relinquishes power to the elected government within 18 months.
If I may, expecting that few will read this one. What about talking this Grand Project in our hands, I mean what is the people of Ethiopia demand that this project is for us all thus we have to contribute, monitor and manage it. Only that way we can deny the ruling party gaining political capital out of this project.
I thank you Mr Yohannes for such learning articles you gived us in this troubl time.Woayne had never won war against all his enemy alone or with his capactiy “Karate” 100 Woyanowoch for one thank and 1000 Woyanowoch for 100 meter tactic in war time.
He losed just from Tigria over 40 000 war with Dergue and and more 50 000 Tigranis war with Eritrea 1998-2000.He lost the war and even lost his case in the Hage.Who is in the last list now under the no war,no peace 2003-2011.He did.
Yohannes,
Please don’t mix the facts with outrageous falacies and try to grab the attention of many. The people learnt a lot from Isayas and Meles. You seem to support Isayas but to me both Isayas and Meles are the same dictators. I do not want to see them in power for a day if it was upto me. Both of them are the reason for the people of the region to suffer a lot for long time. So, please don’t side with Isayas who is the hero of Meles.
May God bless Ethiopia!!!!!
Woyanes pull out from their intrigue drawers by the time they feel uncomfortable. When they imagine the clock is ticking against them, they create a mechanism that might enable them to stick on their power. So they arrange some kind of project to tantalize the heart of their adversaries. The Abai dam, the selling/buying of bonds from the government, etc were not in the agenda of TPLFs strategy. It is just a tactical maneuver to escape public disobedience.
No healthy person, be it Ethiopian or Non-Ethiopian is against the building of a dam and/or similar undertaking. BUT, Woyane leadership pretends to be the “Know all, smart, undeliverable, intelligent”, etc. They want to take money from the people by cheating and want to display that they had huge public support.
The whole clique of Woyane plus new comers from Eritrea are also collaborating with Woyane thugs.
By the way, those new comers of Eritreans who were chased of the country by the Woyane regime have come back in the country and perform ugly jobs currently in Ethiopia. I think, they are going blunder and did not learn from their past humiliation as well as mistake.
The people of Ethiopia have already decided since May, 2005 that Woyane and its lackeys should go. It is now about 8 years that they are misruling the country by the barrel of a gun. These guys could be evicted from power only by peoples’ Revolution.
A Revolution can only eradicate the whole mismatch of Woyane undertakings that caused unprecedented disaster among the Ethiopian people for the last twenty years.
Let us do towards the following actions:
– Let us first wipe out Woyane( Meles-regime) from power and send him to ICC.
Then let us setup a care-taker government comprised of many political, civil and religions institutions.
– Let the care-taker government encompass the Diaspora representatives
– Let the Security, Army and police be supervised by the care-taker government
– New military personnel should be appointed until the care-taker government relinquishes power to the elected government within 18 months.
Karamba,
You say that the “reason why woyane managed to invade Eritrea was, woyane came through unexpected and properly undefended part of Eritrea and they broke the defense line” and that Ethiopia should not have advanced through “the backdoor”. How about the recapture of Bademe by Ethiopian forces on February 26th, 1999 when they “broke through Eritrea’s fortified Badme front and were 10 kilometers (six miles) deep into Eritrean territory”? (http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9902/27/ethiopia.eritrea.01/index.html) How about the defeat, and yet another embarrassing retreat, of Eritrean forces from Zalambessa? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/764749.stm) Does that sound like it was through the “backdoor”? All the Eritreans could say after such a humiliating defeat was that it was a clever political and military manoeuvre which had been weeks in the planning”. When all was said and done, and after initially declining to accept the peace process, “Eritrea requested an urgent Security Council meeting Saturday to condemn Ethiopia’s territorial ambitions and aggression against Eritrea” (http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9902/27/ethiopia.eritrea.01/index.html) and Eritrea was “teetering on the edge of a humanitarian crisis” as the loss of Barentu amounted to losing “the whole western part of Eritrea” (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/500000-flee-as-ethiopian-troops-storm-eritrea-718957.html).
Getu,
I used ‘CNN’ and ‘The Independent’, are they bias too?
Elias,
Please allow this comment to be posted as my responses to previous comments are always removed. Thanks
Ethiopiawi,
War is about objective it is not about how far you cross the territory of your enemy.
If you want to know if Weyanes won the war or not, please answer the following questions:
What was Weyanes’ objective?
Did they accomplish their objective?
I am afriad you will not like the answers. Please go ahead and answer them – if you can!
Thank you!
Anonymous,
Your simple questions require simple answers.
“What was Weyanes’ objective?”
The objective was to remove Eritrean forces from land they had militarily taken over from Ethiopia in May 1998. In case you weren’t aware, it was Eritrea who attacked Ethiopia and provoked a two year war as has been established by an international commission in the Hague (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4548754.stm).
“Did they accomplish their objective?”
Not only did Ethiopian forces recapture all the land that had been annexed by Eritrea, but they also took over towns and villages within Eritrea to make sure Eritrean forces could not (and would not) be able to mount future attacks. So yes, they went above and beyond simply accomplishing their objective.