Blog Archives

Ethiopia-visions of the final battle.

Ethiopia-visions of the final battle. By Yilma Bekele

We all should thank the Central Committee of Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front for making things a little clearer in our country. When election season is close the TPLF removes all pretenses and …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

The Audacity of Evil in Ethiopia

Reeyot Alemu Ethiopian Political PrisonerTriumph of Evil?

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, said Edmund Burke. But what happens when evil triumphs over a good young woman journalist named Reeyot Alemu in Ethiopia? Do good …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: The Prototype African Police State

ps2The sights and sounds of an African police state

When Erin Burnett of CNN visited Ethiopia in July 2012, she came face-to-face with the ugly face of an African police state:

We saw what an African police state looked like

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ode to timidity – the Ethiopian experience

By Yilma Bekele

I knew something was missing. It kept nagging at me, the little voice in side kept saying ‘you know you have been here before.’ I was driving south on the 580 Freeway when it hit me. It …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Reeyot Alemu: Young Heroine of Ethiopian Press Freedom

Alemayehu G Mariam

Reeyot pixReeyot Alemu

The past two weeks have been glorious days for Africans. Eskinder Nega, the heroic Ethiopian journalist was honored with Pen America’s Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. The award honors writers throughout the world who

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Kangaroo Justice for Two Swedish Journalists

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Kangaroo Court 

The old adage is that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Could it be said equally that arrogance excuses ignorance of the law? Dictator-in-chief Meles Zenawi recently proclaimed …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Dictatorship is State Terrorism

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Terrorism by “Anti-terrorism Law”

Lately, Meles Zenawi, the dictator in Ethiopia, has been rounding up dissidents, journalists, opposition party political leaders and members under a diktat known as “Anti-Terrorism Proclamation No. 652/2009”. This diktat approved …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

What Should Starving Ethiopians do to Help Themselves?

Alemayehu G. Mariam

In 1987 when Time Magazine featured a famine-stricken Ethiopian mother on its cover page, it failed to ask the most important question of all: What should Ethiopians do and not do to help themselves?

It is the …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Educating a Dictator

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Voice of America is the Voice of the Voiceless

The Voice of America’s (VOA) Journalist Standards & Practices (document 11-023 and 11-024), under the section captioned “WHAT DO VOA’S AUDIENCES HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT? Audiences ‘ …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia’s ruling junta ramps up the fear machine

By Yilma Bekele

… within an established totalitarian regime the purpose of propaganda is not to persuade, much less to inform, but to humiliate. From this point of view, propaganda should not approximate to the truth as closely as possible:

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Thugtatorship: The Highest Stage of African Dictatorship

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Thugogracy in Africa

If democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people, a thugogracy is a government of thieves, for thieves, by thieves. Simply stated, a thugtatorship is rule by a gang …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Out of Touch in the Horn of Africa?

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

The Berlin Conference of 2009

In 1884, the Berlin Conference was convened by the European imperial powers to carve out colonial territories in Africa. It was called the “Scramble for Africa”.

In 2009, another Berlin Conference …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

The Ghost and the Spirit

Alemayehu G. Mariam

After the Dust Settled

After the dust settled following Meles Zenawi’s speech at Columbia’s World Leaders Forum, a dark shadow and glowing light were visible on stage to behold. The dark shadow was cast by the …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Mr. Zenawi Goes to College!

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Zenawi’s Charm Offensive in America?

Fresh on the heels of shutting down all private distance education, including distance higher education, and “winning” the parliamentary election in May by 99.6 percent, dictator-in-chief Meles Zenawi is scheduled to speak …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Open Letter to President Lee C. Bollinger, Columbia University

Alemayehu G. Mariam

September 17, 2010

President Lee C. Bollinger
Office of the President
Columbia University
202 Low Library
535 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027

By Fax: (212) 854-9973 and
Email: [email protected]

Dear President Bollinger:
On September 22, …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Happy New Year Birtukan Invictus (Unconquered)!

Alemayehu G. Mariam

The great Nelson Mandela said, “In my country we go to prison first and then become President.” He assured the masters of the apartheid system, “You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Indoctri-Nation

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

The Ministry of Indoctrination

This past week Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education issued a “directive” effectively outlawing distance learning (or education programs that are not delivered in the traditional university classroom or campus) throughout the country. According …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Why Can’t We Just Get Along?

Alemayehu G. Mariam

A Comedy of Errors: (Act I)

Rodney King’s videotaped brutal beating by members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) eventually triggered the L.A. riots of 1992. Rodney made a public appearance on the third day of …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Steel Vises, Clenched Fists and Closing Walls, (Part II)

Note: This is the second installment in a series of commentaries I intend to offer on U.S. foreign policy (or lack thereof as some would argue) in Ethiopia. In this piece, I argue that the price of U.S. lip service

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Speaking Truth On Behalf of Ethiopia’s Youth

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Note: This is my fourth commentary on the theme, “Where do we go from here?” following the rigged elections in Ethiopia last month in which the ruling dictatorship won by 99.6 percent[1]. In this piece, I express

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopian and Californian elections

By Yilma Bekele

It is election season in California. Two positions are open. The governorship and Federal Senate positions are up for grabs. Both parties, that is the Democrats and Republicans are going thru the primary process to nominate their …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Happy Mother’s Day, Birtukan!

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Happy Mother’s Day, Birtukan (Invictus) Midekssa !

As Mother’s Day is celebrated in Ethiopia on the second Sunday in May, I feel privileged to share with my readers a testimonial tribute honoring Birtukan Midekssa, the first female …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: The Fire Next Time

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Encore performance!

It is the same two act play (farce) of May 2005. The stage is the same. The director is the same. The stagehands are the same. The script is the same. The players are the …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

The Raw Machismo of Dictatorship

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

It was a remarkable display of raw machismo: “My way or the highway… or jail!” It was a one-man political theatre, a monologue about absolute power, domination, toughness, brawn and pugnacity. It was a demonstration of …

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Posted in Ethiopia News