By Kiflu Hussain
This is a letter hastily scribbled with reference to a latest gross miscarriage of justice meted out against Colonel Berhanemeskel Haile, Col. Girma Asfaw, Lt. Col. Solomon Kebede and Captain Kifle Woube, all former Ethiopian Air force pilots who’ve been languishing in the notorious Kaliti concentration camp for over 14 years.
In the name of “trying” others in absentia, TPLF’s Kangaroo court, driven by vengeance, didn’t even spare those ace pilots, such as Captain Alemayehu Esattu, who died in exile long ago from condemning him to death for “the second time.” As the ex-officer died of an aircraft crash while working as a charter pilot in Uganda, his untimely death at the time had been covered both by Ugandan and independent Ethiopian press. Unfortunately, getting one’s facts straight is anathema to Kangaroo courts. In any case, typical of a Kangaroo court, TPLF’s hirelings condemned the officers mentioned above from 19-25 years of imprisonment. It’s also highly unlikely that they would be granted parole, particularly, Colonel Berhanemeskel, who had been subjected to all kinds of humiliation and torture to break his invincible spirit and recalcitrant nature.
What TPLF’s strongmen and its hirelings should remember, though, is this: Their role in using civilians as shield, conscription of children for their treasonous war as Trojan horse for EPLF and destruction of infrastructures, will not be glossed over by farcical trials like this. Although there were some excesses, the war fought for the sovereignty of Ethiopia was holy and a just one. Had there been rule of law, the first people who would be held accountable for victims of Howzen and the like would have been Meles Zenawi & Company. Those who had been privy to TPLF’s devilish council and who now profess to have distanced themselves, have a moral obligation to tell the truth as to how they supplied the disinformation to Dergue to provoke it to the point of carpet bombing Howzen so that Tigrayans revolt against it and join TPLF en mass. Also, how was it possible to have it filmed footage by footage unless known beforehand that the bombing would take place and to use it for the consumption of mass hysteria.
At this juncture, it’s imperative to remind those tribalists who’ve been brainwashed by TPLF’s propaganda that TPLF is making suffer these officers not on account of Tigrayans or victims of Howzen. Had it not become awkward for Meles & Company due to the 1998 fallout with its erstwhile comrade-in-arms, EPLF, the fate of those pilots rounded up with Col. Berhanemeskel et al would have been the same on account of the battle taken place in Eritrea.
This is not the only treason that TPLF had committed against Ethiopia and Ethiopians. It had also incarcerated a brilliant infantry commanding officer, Brg. General Getaneh Haile, for about seven years, alleging he committed a crime of genocide against Ethiopian Somalis during the 1977 war whereby a decisive action was taken against fifth columnists (SERGO GEB) who committed unspeakable crime by even slicing open pregnant Ethiopian women with knives. The list can go on like this.
The bottom line is: that day will not be very far where all records will be straightened out and true sons and daughters of Ethiopia shall be exalted. I for one still regard these gallant officers as POWs to whom I will always be giving a smart salute.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]