By Selam Beyene (PhD)
At a time when patriotic Ethiopians
like Eskinder Nega are languishing in Gulag-style prisons for
exercising their rights to express their opinions, those of us living beyond Woyane’s reach
are blessed with the freedom to read books that stimulate the mind, shed light
on our rich heritage, expose the treasonous policies of the Woyane regime
in power, and, above all, enlighten us on the triumphs of those luminous sons
and daughters of Ethiopia who built a country that was once Africa’s beacon of
hope but is now being torn asunder by the treacherous TPLF cadres.
One such book is “Republicans
on the Throne: A Personal Account of Ethiopia's Modernization and Painful
Quest for Democracy” by Tekalign Gedamu (Tsehai Publishers,
2011).
To read the book is to go on a journey through time filled with
traumatic events, dashed hopes, lost opportunities and excessive greed on one
side, and patriotism, optimism, Ethiopian ingenuity and love of country on the
other. The memoir, which has the mark of an unusual flare of literary
brilliance and unmatched elegance, is punctuated with ubiquitous gems of trivia
only an essayist of the author’s experience and intellect can muster and
encapsulate in mesmerizing prose. More importantly, it offers a pragmatic
roadmap for a democratic Ethiopia in which the philosophy of ethnocentrism will
have no place, individual rights will be respected, and lasting peace and
stability for the region will be secured.
As we read in this magnificently
written book the gripping account of the journey Ethiopia has undertaken over
the past several decades, we can’t help but wonder how from a land that had
once produced such great leaders as Aklilu Habte-Wold, Yilma Diressa, Ketema Yifru and
numerous others, including the author himself, could emerge tyrants and
traitors in the likes of Mengistu Haile-Mariam, MelesZenawi and
his TPLF cadres, whose deviant policies have led the country to a path of
destruction. Today’s Ethiopia is a country where ethnic politics is the
official ruling party platform; corruption, nepotism and greed are instruments
of anti-Ethiopianism; reading pro-democracy Websites is
criminalized; and speaking truth to power is a certain ticket to the country’s
Gulag. Nothing captures the sense of totalitarianism and hopelessness reigning
in the country today better than the recent posting by Eskinder Nega in The
New York Times (July 24, 2013):
‘I was arrested in
September 2011 and detained for nine months before I was found guilty in June
2012 under Ethiopia's overly broad Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, which
ostensibly covers the “planning, preparation, conspiracy, incitement and
attempt” of terrorist acts. In reality, the law has been used as a pretext to
detain journalists who criticize the government. Last July, I was sentenced to
18 years in prison. … all I did was report on the Arab
Spring and suggest that something similar might happen in Ethiopia if the
authoritarian regime didn’t reform. … I also dared to question the government’s ludicrous
claim that jailed journalists were terrorists.’
It is in the backdrop of
such a horrendous and uncertain condition in the country that we are presented
withRepublicans on the
Throne. This is a book
that will put to shame our generation for ignorance of our heritage, and
enlighten current and future generations about the heroic achievements of their
forefathers and their obligation to fight and die for their proud and precious
legacy.
In the early chapters of the memoir, the author reminiscences about his youth
in Gore, one of the remotest provincial cities during Emperor Haile Selassie’s
reign, and takes the reader back to an age of innocence when citizens were not
categorized by their ethnicity but by the social bond that tied them closely
together, and when leaders and followers revered the sanctity of our tricolor
and the inviolability of our sovereignty. In contrast, the treasonous tyrants
“on the throne” today denigrate the flag that countless generations protected
with blood and sweat, parcel out precious land to foreigners at dirt cheap
prices, aggressively promote inter-ethnic strives, and loot the cherished
wealth of the country.
The subsequent chapters that depict Gedamu’s early
life as a student in the US and the ensuing decades of career in the United
Nations, successive governments in Ethiopia and eventually the African
Development Bank, paint the picture of a man who epitomizes all the qualities
of that unique Ethiopian we all grew up to venerate -- one who values hard work
over leisure, esteems public service over personal wealth, relishes integrity
over treachery, and, above all, reveres love of country over caustic ethnic
politics. In due course, the memoir elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of
the Imperial system, the chaos that followed the 1974 revolution, and the
emergence of successive brutal dictatorships.
The book is also a
treasure trove of anecdotal accounts of important events and personalities that
shed further light on the modus operandi of the time and the lives and moral
fibers of some of the extraordinary leaders that ran the day-to-day business of
the nation. As one flips through the pages one is frequently reminded of how
little did most of us know about those leaders, not to mention the foibles of Aman Andom,
the remarkable professionalism of HaddisAlemayehu, the statesmanship of Aklilu Habte-Wold or
the gumption of Michael Imru.
As the writer transitions his focus
to the post-Derg era, he momentarily leaves the reader with a sense of
puzzlement as to why he would choose to return to Ethiopia and embark on major
entrepreneurial projects under the tyrannical rule of Zenawi. In light of
the stellar background of the author as an accomplished technocrat who had
served under or lived through disparate systems of government, the reason for
such seemingly foolhardy decision is hard to justify, and even more difficult
to attribute to a manifestation of plain naiveté. However, a perceptive reader
would soon be sympathetic on the knowledge that the sinister and elusive
propaganda Zenawi perfected has hoodwinked many seasoned technocrats
of Gedamu’s caliber and eventually landed them in prison. Even today,
it is with a sense of unfathomable astonishment and compunction that we witness
the tragic transfer of hard-earned Diaspora money into Woyane’s coffers,
in the name of investing in the home country, by credulous Ethiopian émigrés in
the West, who have yet to fully appreciate the true nature of the regime and the
cancerous ethnic agenda it has espoused to irreparably harm the long-term
viability of the nation.
While the book by and large abounds
with a wealth of information about the recent past and present history of the
country, some of the most significant contributions come in the last few
chapters, in which breaking from tradition, the author tackles head on Woyane’s totalitarianism
and duplicity, and masterfully analyzes the internal and external challenges
that must be confronted to build a “promising future”. Unlike most writers of
the same genre whose pens are woefully timid when it comes to underscoring the
true nature of Woyane, Gedamu boldly exposes the most dangerous
aspect of the regime, viz, its anti-Ethiopianism. “Closely wedded to
ideology, perhaps even its principalraison d'être, is TPLF’s
commitment to the politics of ethnic identity,” he affirms. He goes on to
caution: “A one-dimensional perception of identity puts greater emphasis on the
rights of groups and correspondingly less on the rights of the individuals that
make up these groups; and lesser still on those outside the group.” He then
reminds us of Amy Gutman’s wise words: “Subordinating individual
[rights] to group [rights] is another name for tyranny.”
In debunking the
anti-Ethiopia agenda that “extremist TPLF members” espouse, Gedamu warns
them of the “… tragic backlash that is bound to ensue if they persist in their
policy,” and notes:
“An independent Tigrai built
on assets plundered from Ethiopia is the surest prescription for a potent
reprisal that would be an unending source of conflict for the new state. More
menacingly, Tigreans living in Ethiopia would be exposed to vengeful
acts of violence too fearful to contemplate. The silent majority of Tigreans is
doubtless conscious of this and will hopefully prevail upon the party fanatics
to pursue a policy of multiethnic collaboration and accommodation.”
To those who try to find answers to
the present predicament of Ethiopia, where totalitarianism, corruption and
anti-Ethiopianism define the Woyane leadership, the author
candidly expounds Woyane’s barricade against the struggle for
democracy, fundamental freedoms, national cohesion and the fight against
poverty. He authoritatively declares that “[N]either Marxism nor identity
politics is likely to respond to the challenges facing Ethiopians today:
autocracy, poverty, and communal antagonisms,” and boldly charts a pragmatic
roadmap that can inform genuine dialogue to extricate the country from the
current quagmire of ethnocentric rule, naked tyranny and gloomy prospects of
national collapse.
Admittedly, Gedamu’s roadmap
is only one of many admirable ideas put forth by many genuine Ethiopians to
accelerate the victory for democracy and national salvation that has proved so
elusive so far. Such a victory, however, can only be possible through the
discreet activities of a strong organization that enjoys the participation of a
well-informed membership about their heritage and the true nature of the
regime. While the works of writers likeGedamu are a good start, it is the
responsibility of every legitimate Ethiopian to ensure the messages are spread
far and wide.
The enemy is well
armed, superbly organized and lavishly financed, and has controlled the
population through a Soviet- style security system and sinfully alluring
entitlements that may make the tasks of pro-democracy forces exceedingly
onerous. However, as the recent history of the Arab Spring has shown, no power
can pent up the rage of an oppressed people for much too long.
---
The writer can be reached at beyene50@gmail.com
The writer can be reached at beyene50@gmail.com
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