PM Abiy’s response to Biden’s threatened sanctions and restrictions are rather mild compared to the reaction displayed by Ethiopians behind closed doors. This current US administration has essentially decided to remain deaf to the plight of Ethiopians and is shamelessly siding with the TPLF, despite this party’s abysmal record, and its stated plan to drive Ethiopia into civil war in the hope of regaining its hegemonic position. The strategy these days is to depict Dr. Abiy as a megalomaniac despot, impervious to reason; and the TPLF as a victim of cruel persecution. I do not know who advises Biden or Blinken. To be perfectly honest, that is the least of my concerns. I have come to the conclusion than even many of those holding prestigious and endowed chairs in institutions of higher education have sold their souls to this manipulative and cruel party. I need not dignify them here by naming them. Those who read their questionable academic papers know who they are. Much ignorance, blatant calculation and capricious partiality, and who knows, plain old corruption may be the reasons behind their grandiloquent pronouncements. Believe me they know nothing about the hearts and minds of the Ethiopian people. What they know about Ethiopia was poured into their ears and minds by the TPLF; may be even with a dash of corrupting pampering!
I say to PM Abiy that the West has decided not to consider our present predicament with the impartiality, equanimity and objectivity owed to our well-established ancient country. We are, and we will remain a troublesome Third World country where seditious and murderous parties have the same-standing as governments elected by a super-majority of the people. For the West, we are no more than brawling children in the schoolyard deserving the same number of lashes each, without establishing who the guilty party is. It matters not who started the brawl: discipline must be maintained!
The Ethiopian government does not need to be told what to do. It has acted and will continue to act within the powers granted to it by the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). It should not succumb to the pressure exerted by the U.S. or its allies. If the American government refuses to continue in its stubborn determination to completely ignore the very destabilizing group that is the TPLF, then PM Abiy’s government has no other option than reexamine and re-direct its alliances.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the youthful Zhao Lijian tweeted recently “[in part]…we believe the parties concerned in Ethiopia have the wisdom and capability to properly resolve their differences, realize national reconciliation and restore peace and stability”. This is a model of how a sovereign nation treats another sovereign nation, i.e. with the dignity and the deference it deserves. The U.S. is going around the world with a big truncheon intimidating its own allies to submission. This has not worked and it will never work.
I say to PM Abiy and his government that it is time to reexamine or even reorient his alliances if America continues to refuse to acknowledge the fact that this war was ignited by the TPLF for the sole purpose of regaining its lost hegemony and the advantage of the people it claims to represent. And not, obviously, because it has profound concern for the country, or much less because of “ideological differences”. If the U.S. and the EU want to continue to believe in the false narrative the TPLF is feeding them, it is time for PM Abiy to seek support elsewhere.
I am convinced that the PM continues to be well disposed towards the U.S. and the EU not only because they are the main source of humanitarian aid to the country, but also because he has clearly indicated to favor their economic and political ideologies. Nevertheless, I would say that it is time for him to choose his friends carefully in order to preserve the integrity and wellbeing of a nation under his stewardship.
If Jimmy Carter had simply lent a helping hand to the beleaguered military regime in its war against Somalia in 1976-77, he would have most likely prevented the cruel excesses of the Derg, and the country may have stirred most likely in a different direction. However, Carter’s refusal to help Ethiopia forced the Derg to embrace the Soviet Union unreservedly. I need not recount here what happened after; it is a well-known part of our modern history. Similarly today, Biden is pushing the Government of Ethiopia to ally itself to the other superpowers of the globe for no other reason that it being obtusely deaf to what the super majority of Ethiopians are demanding. That is that the TPLF stop attacking the Amhara and Afar regions for no other reason than the hope of “securing” a better bargaining position should there be a negotiation proctored by the U.S. If the U.S. wants genuinely peace in Ethiopia, it should demand that the TPLF savage and destructive incursions in neighboring Killils (ethnic enclaves) stop. It needs to be added here that the TPLF, even though it may claim to be the sole representative of the Tigrean people, cannot decide for the total and irreversible independence of Tigray. This is a decision that only the Tigrean people can decide in a universal suffrage, and thus cannot be part of TPLF’s negotiation strategy, or much less the objective of their military campaign. After all, regardless of what is happening today, the Tigrean people are still under the dictates of the Constitution of the Federal State.
As things stand, I have a distinct feeling that the Biden administration is self-righteously entrenched in its position, and PM Abiy’s government has no choice but to embrace whomever is willing to provide a lending hand to end this miserable war. I have confidence that the PM, as Mr. Zhao Lijian stated, will have “the wisdom and capability” of choosing the best allies in helping him maintain the integrity and well-being of Ethiopia and of all Ethiopians.
__
To publish article on borkena, please send submission to info@borkena.com
Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkena to get latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Like borkena on Facebook as well. To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com
The evidence in the alliance of Egypt and Biden admin maybe clear because, thet both are tellimg Turkey to stay away from.Etjiopia. we will see if Turkey will double cross ethiooia, although turkey has its own agenda? They might even advice Turkey to turn peaceful ethiooian muslim to fundamentalist wahabist
Hahaha, everytime a group in superpower negotiate with a muslim nation, the bought wahabist start to scream anti ethiopian. They are waiting heads up.
I think we should leave it to the professionals both of Ethiopia and USA to handle their differences on issues concerning both. Name calling and old time rhetoric will only make the job of those in charge difficult if not attainable. There are two major issues wreaking havoc on the old country.
First civilians are dying in their hundreds and during battles thousands are killed and maimed on a going basis. Secondly, after all these deaths and destructions the two sides are not willing to talk and are hell-bent in continuing the deadly conflict full blast until one finishes off the other. Meanwhile that country is losing a good chunk of its future, the youth, either in senseless battles or migration. It is the same old story but this time on steroids. I’m sure the brain trusts around President Biden have a clue of what happened in 1976-77. I’m also confident that PM Abiy and all his advisors understand extremely well what happened to many ‘reformers and democracy mongers’ in the leadership circle of the Derg once the former Soviet Union became the ‘sword smith’ there. One by one the moderates were led to their gallows and when all was said and done the bloodthirsty wing of the Derg came on top making Mengistu the undisputed champ. He was named the ‘Center’ where everything revolves around him. What the heck, even Mars, Mercury, Venus and all their satellites were said to make a full circle around him. Then what happened after that. Ethiopia which was touted to have the potential to be the bread basket of the entire African continent ended up being unable to feed its own population where millions unnecessarily perished. Millions died in man-made civil wars. On top of that the deacons of Marx and Lenin along with the ‘Center’ Mengistu causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of the country cream puff. My take about the then US administration’s policy snafu towards the old country was not its refusal to deliver/sell arms to the demonic Mengistu but its decision to bail out of there. I wished the Carter administration had stayed engaged which could have made the difference for the moderates in the Derg. But we all know what happened to them once Brezhnev became the benefactor. One by one they were led to their gallows including the leader, Tafari bin Benti. That could something that will await Abiy if USA completely disengages itself from that country and the two gangsters in Moscow and Beijing were given the mantle of deciding the fate of Ethiopia. Abiy is not and will never be their cup of tea. Putin will need a prefect clone and Xi will demand his. Then there goes the country, to hell and back that is!!!! Dear PM Abiy!! Wise up!!! USA is a country ruled by consensus but both Russia and PRC are not. Also don’t forget Russia and PRC are not friends to each other as they try to present themselves to you and others in a bind. Watch your back from those despots.
L’occident ne dpnne de l’importance que s’ils existent des intérêts en dehors il n’y a aucune raison sauf si Abeiy fait appel à un Etat puissant militairement pour coloniser Ethiopie ce qui est voué à l’échec car une guerre civile aussi atroce les leaders ne font jamais appellent à une présence militaire certes les armes oui aussi sophistiquées mais jamais des mllitaires et donc pas de colonialisme externe …et puis il n’y a pas qie la guerre civile qui semble se jouait entre les éthiopiens et …maiw aussi ce barrage qui souffle aussi sur la braise d’une guerre encore plus extensive et dont le Soudan qui est déjà en guerre civile peut s’orienter vers un affrontement avec l’armée éthiopienne pour faire diversion mais aussi d’unir un peuple qui se déchire et soudanais et éthiopien que cela fait partie de la stratégie politico-militaire donc Abeiy devrait comprendre qu’un comportement des touqregs n’a jamais été solution à résoudre depuis Hela Selasse ou le colonel Manguestou et donc une volonté de dire sue l’Ethiopie n’est pas encore une démocratie et de travailler dur à s’entretenir avec tous les belligérants éthiopien et ensuite des pays voisins si Abeiy a une volonté sinon d’autres
Make that: That could be something that will await Abiy if USA completely disengages itself from that country…
My homeboy Debre just shot me an email and he sounds upbeat and all optimistic. He told he will be in Addis very, very shortly. This is what was in his email.
1) The unit he sent three weeks ago to Djibouti has triumphantly entered the city and arrested IOG. You don’t know what IOG stands for? It is Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. He is in the bag, baby!
2) The other unit he sent up north has annihilated the entire Eritrean army at a single engagement and had entered Asmara. Residents there were cheering his victorious army standing on both sides of the streets. IAW has surrendered after signing the instrument of surrender. What? You don’t know what IAW stands for? Isaias Afwerki, that is. He is in the bag also.
3) Abiy is reported to have fled his country and we have intelligence that he is taking refuge in an abandoned decrepit old building at the 9th and N Street in Washington D.C. Poor boy!!! Jula and Bacha are both in the bag also. Amharas and Oromos are now beaten and totally defeated people. They will be required to pay at least 500 billion, payable in 10 years, in US dollars to the Republic of Axumia as reparation.
4) H.E. Dr. Debre, the president of the Republic Axumia will be here in New York tomorrow to address the UN General Assembly and introduce the new name of the former Republic of Tigray.
Top