By Zeru Hagos
November 14, 2011
Despite the draught faced by pastoralist in the border area in Oromia and Somali regions, the Ethiopian economy is humming. Unhindered by the economic turbulence of Europe and political turbulence of North Africa and Middle East, the country has registered remarkable economic growth. The country’s new status has not been missed by foreign investors since many of them are flying in to the country to invest. Many foreign companies and potential investors from Germany, India and China, to mention few, have shown interest to invest. These being the reality EPRDF distracters from near and far have been trying to paint Ethiopia with a bleak image.
The running dogs of Shaibia-one man government in Eritrea have been trying everything in their means to topple the people’s government in Ethiopia for a while. The one man regime in Eritrea have tried to unseat EPRDF from power using Arbegonch Ginbar, TAND, OLF, ONLF and government less Somaila using Shebab in the past. Every one of them has failed miserably and in the case of Shebab in Somalia, its relationship with the organization may even cause its own downfall! Stay tune for UNSC’s latest decision in regard to the latest sanction proposed by IGAD and more or less supported by the UN Monitoring group on Somalia.
Hitting a dry wall with all the Ethiopian armed insurgent groups stationed in Asmara, Shaibia has started to use new breed of Diaspora extremists who happens to be members and supporters of Ginbot 7 to topple the Ethiopian government. The new trick that is being planned and executed in Asmara to topple EPRDF is to continuously write and make noise all over the world attacking key EPRDF figures, chief among them PM Meles Zenawi!
The propaganda is in full gear with the help of Dawit Woledegiworgis, Tesfaye Gebreab, Andargachew Tsige and the many small time characters who appear on the tube and internet every Monday or so. Almost all want us to believe that PM Meles is not a nationalist and MR X of EPRDF is really not MR X but MR Y! Will the current propaganda work or will it satisfy Shaibia? And why focus on individuals any ways?
PM Meles is a very smart leader and a very kind person. He is very smart because against all odds he has stirred the nation towards a bright future. His tenacity to convince the population and his comrades that Ethiopia has no better enemy to deal with other than poverty is amazing. He is kind because despite the immense power he holds, he has not used his power to kill, undermine and subjugate his opponents. I know some of the oppositions who were jailed and harassed due to election 2005 will argue otherwise but the fact is in today’s Ethiopia every one suspected of crime and unlawful act is entitled to a day in court. This is unlike the old days where political opponents who cross the line were summarily executed! In today’s Ethiopia even the Derg convicts were released! I shall return to the convicts another time with another topic.
The government of PM Meles has been a thorn in the flesh for Shaibia for quite some time. Eritrea under Isaias Afeworki has become a pariah state and there is no one more instrumental in unmasking Isaias Afeworki in the international arena than PM Meles Zenawi. Shaibia may summon Andargachew and other running dogs to Asmara every month but the facts is Shaibia is naked and let alone these running dogs who were squarely beaten by EPRDF time and time again in the past even his own soldiers are defecting by the hundreds every day to Ethiopia. In short nothing will come out of the current propaganda except anguish and despair for Shaibia and friends!
Some of the flimsy arguments I read as part of this propaganda on many of the extremist Ethiopian blogs is about how and when TPLF heroes like Hayelom, Kinfe and Iyasu were killed. I heard many times before that TPLF is blessed and PM Meles is one lucky person. The argument I heard for their blessing was that TPLF and PM Meles opponents are inept and dumb because most of their reasoning to hate PM Melees and TPLF does not hold water. How true! After spending a good part of their time in Asmara looking for ways to bring “Democracy and the port of Assab” to Ethiopia, these extremist are barking at the EPRDF government for dreaming big and starting the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP).
The other characters that pop up now and then and every Monday, asking for “unity”, all over the extremist blogs are another sad faces we the Diaspora have to deal with. These folks really need help and someone needs to tell them Ethiopia is more than ever united and that there is no Ethiopia that can be tailored based on articles on Face book or Google! “beqa” belachu neber eko! Beqachu!
The dogs of war are running around following the smell of EPRDF an organization that left them behind long time ago. Someone needs to tell them that EPRDF led Ethiopia has been transformed. Gone are the days where anyone can confuse an Ethiopian that PM Meles is this and that. Gone are the days where white lies and evil slogans like “eqa wede kebele Tigre wede Mekelle” will cause havoc and mayhem in Ethiopia. And, gone are the days where western institutions, hoodwinked by extremists, can impose sanctions against the people’s will. The hunting will stop once the smell is gone which it will once Ethiopia’s renaissance movement is in full gear for all to see. Then we shall see if the extremist will jump of the cliff like Kaddafi or coil back and live a happy life. I am hoping for the latter since I am trying hard to emulate PM kindness!
In the end, the latest campaign by the one man government of Eritrea, Ginbot 7- the messengers boys, and et-al, will fail miserably, mark my word!. The new Ethiopia shall prevail! (Aigaforum)