Tamrat Layne visits Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco

Tamrat Layne and family the notorious Alcatraz Prison in California – March 2009

It is interesting to see that former Woyanne Prime Minister Tamrat Layne has now joined the ranks of some of the people he chased out of their country. Tamrat, who threw distinguished Ethiopian surgeon Prof. Asrat Woldeyes in jail and eventual death, is back as new person — as a Pentecostal minster — right here in the U.S. among us. It is ironic that the guy who denied freedom to millions of Ethiopians and took away the lives of so many of our compatriots is here amongst us visiting American cities and historical places such as the notorious Alcatraz Prison in northern California.

Many of our brothers and sisters under Tamrat’s orders were thrown out into the Alcatrazs of Ethiopia, or their bodies thrown to the sides of the road. Amhara peasants were massacred by angry mobs who were agitated by his ‘Tut Koreta’ (breast-cutting) Memorial Day celebrations in such places as Bedeno. The memorials were imaginary celebrations that were held to enrage the local Oromo Ethiopians and rise up against the Amara peasants who were identified as perpetrators of the imagined crime that alleged to have had occurred over 100 years ago. The agitation had worked and resulted in the slayings of hundreds of Amharas in Arsi and Harrar regions. It is these massacres that forced Prof. Asrat Woldeyes to establish an organization that would speak out against the killings and sufferings of Amhara Ethiopians.

Tamrat Layne and family at Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco – March 2009

Now, as a “family-man,” Tamrat is walking happily on Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco, visiting the famous Golden Gate Bridge, as if he has not denied the happiness of many families and violently took away the lives of many innocent loved ones.

Although Tamrat himself may have been thrown in jail after disagreement with his puppet-master Meles Zenawi, he had equally participated with other Woyane officials in ordering killings and unleashing sufferings against countless innocent Ethiopians. He remains a criminal at large that many Ethiopians would like bring to justice — no matter how religious he looks and sounds now.