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Ethiopia IS the “North Korea of
Africa”<
http://stesfamariam.com/2013/11/02/ethiopia-is-the-north-korea-of-africa/>
Posted on November 2,
2013<
http://stesfamariam.com/2013/11/02/ethiopia-is-the-north-korea-of-africa/>
by sophietm7 <
http://stesfamariam.com/author/sophietm7/>
By *Sophia Tesfamariam*<
http://stesfamariam.com/2013/11/02/ethiopia-is-the-north-korea-of-africa/?postpost=v2>
,
http://stesfamariam.com/2013/11/02/ethiopia-is-the-north-korea-of-africa/?postpost=v2
In their attacks of countries and leadership that do not align themselves
with the West, the western media and NGO community, there are two
countries, Iran and North Korea, that are presented as examples of, and
labeled as, “pariah states”. It is not this author’s intention to validate
the western media’s assumptions about these two nations, but if they are to
use labels, they ought to call a spade a spade and label Ethiopia the
“North Korea” of Africa as the label best fits the minority regime in
Ethiopia more than any other country or leadership in the region. If it
walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck…
Unwittingly, the West has created its own “North Korea” in the Horn of
Africa, an imploding country teetering into the abyss. Despite the
orchestrated defamation and vilification of leaders in the region by
Ethiopia’s thugocracy, and its handlers, the people of Ethiopia and the
people in the region have clearly identified the “North Korea of
Africa”-and the facts are there to show the uncanny resemblance in
leadership’s style and governance.
Like North Korea, Ethiopia is heavily dependent on Foreign Aid with
thousands of western NGOs running several development projects in the
country. Its population is fed by, and 60% of its national budget
is subsidized by donors. The online site Durame reported the following in
its article, “Ethiopia-Africa’s North
Korea”[1]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn1>
:
*“…Just like the hermit kingdom, Ethiopia depends heavily on foreign aid.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) and the World Bank, Ethiopia received the second highest
foreign assistance globally; totaling nearly 4 billion dollars. To put it
in perspective, only war torn and US occupied Afghanistan receives more aid
than Ethiopia…”*
Aside from being staunch allies, North Korea and Ethiopia are ruled with
the same oppressive and strict centralized governments and the two
countries are, in fact, amongst the few nations in Africa that have close
relations with North Korea. On 8 April 2007, the New York Times in its
report, “Ethiopia bought arms from North Korea with U.S. assent”, Michael
R. Gordon and Mark Mazzetti wrote:
*“…Three months after the United States successfully pressed the United
Nations to impose strict sanctions on North Korea because of that country’s
nuclear test, officials in the Bush administration allowed Ethiopia to
complete a secret arms purchase from Pyongyang in what appears to be a
violation of the restrictions, according to senior U.S. officials…The
United States allowed the arms delivery to go through in January in part
because Ethiopian troops were in the midst of a military offensive against
Islamic militias inside Somalia, a campaign that aided the U.S. policy …”*
But not only is Ethiopia getting arms from North Korea, with the
acquiescence of the United States and its allies, but it is now an open
secret that North Korea is developing Ethiopia’s munitions factories such
as the ones in Ambo and Gafat near Debre Zeit. Reuters described the North
Korean leader’s funeral in its 28 December
report[2]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn2>
:
*“…Video showed weeping civilians who swayed with grief and shouted
“father, father” as black Lincoln and Mercedes limousines and army trucks
streamed past the crowds…”*
Imitation is the best form of flattery and no other leader brought the
likeness of North Korea and Ethiopia home, than the late Prime Minister of
Ethiopia’s funeral[3]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn3>,
an orchestrated event complete with white handkerchief waving, wailing
crowds in the thousands. The spectacle featured on Ethiopian television for
days on end was no different. An Ethiopian observer described it well
saying:
*“…a close scrutiny of Mao Zedong’s funeral in November 1976, clearly shows
a striking similarity of Mr. Zenawi’s and Mao’s funeral. It is very
difficult not to construe that Mr. Zenawi’s funeral was orchestrated from
the play book of china’s communist Party. In fact, the EPRDF applied such a
staged funeral with a surgical precession. One can say with absolute
certainty that the mourning displayed in Ethiopia and Mr. Zenawi’s funeral
is exactly the same as the mourning and the funeral that took place in
china in November 1976. Such staged funerals are not unique to Mao and
Meles; in fact it is common in countries where not only one party but one
man ruled a nation…”*
While the funeral of the North Korean leader lasted 3 hours, Meles Zenawi’s
was said to be 8 hours long….
Like that of North Korea, Ethiopia’s government controlled media churned
out programs complete with staged interviews to idolize the man. The most
hated man in Ethiopia, the people were told, was the best thing that ever
happened to them. Of course the gullible western media who have to justify
their `silence as he committed genocides in Ethiopia’s Gambela, Ogaden and
Oromia regions were only happy to tow the official line and join the chorus
to tout him as being indispensable. Meles Zenawi’s cult of
personality became a prominent part of Ethiopian culture during his reign,
culminating in the extended mourning that dragged on for months after his
death.
The Ethiopian and western media went to great lengths to present Meles
Zenawi as an all-powerful, all-knowing leader. He is now revered, as was
Kim Jong II, as being the “Great leader” etc. One Ethiopian citizen was
not impressed with the accolades and pretensions and
wrote:[4]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn4>
:
*“…Tyrants build a system of government making themselves the center of the
universe, and build personality cult to create a climate of fear. At the
end, they leave a legacy that forces their people to worship them as
someone holy, despite the fact, they treated their fellow citizens with
contempt and ruled with brutality…”*
[image: Meles Zeanwi's
funeral]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/meles-zeanwis-funeral.jpg>
Seble Teweldebirhan, an Addis Ababa based Reporter for Ezega.com added: *“…his
death proved that Ethiopians are trapped in serious and scary personality
cult. Currently, the PM is in everything and everywhere. The entire country
looks like a private living room of the PM with his pictures hanging in
every corner of the entire nation. Just like any other personality cult,
Meles is called ‘the father of the nation’ ‘the architect of Ethiopian
development’ ‘the great and visionary leader’ ‘dear son of Africa’ and,
surprisingly, ‘an advocate of human rights, equality and democracy’…”*
In Post-Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopia, life size posters adorn the city and the
road leading to the city from the airport is filled with his ominous
presence- on life size posters and statues are prominent fixtures, grim
reminders of his brutal legacy. Statues are being erected in cities across
Ethiopia and trees are planted in his name. Meles Zenawi posters, pictures
and quotes are found in nearly every street of the capital. Life size
pictures adorn the capital Addis Ababa, from the airport to the city
square, Meskel Adebabye… Meles his omnipresent ghost-like grip hangs over
Ethiopians- even in death, he seems to hover over their every life:
*“…Even months after his death, Addis Ababa is still plastered with
bereavement posters. They cover entire sides of buildings and run for
hundreds of metres along fences. Banners declare “we will continue your
work” and “we will never forget you”…New propaganda tracts depict Meles as
a selfless leader who sacrificed his life for his country. His party is
trying to wring as much legitimacy as possible from his legacy. It may be
too early to speak of a post-Meles era—even in death he is the country’s
most visible politician…”*
Touting him as the “Great leader” and “Chief architect of our country’s
renaissance” who dared challenge the Abbay-“ ‘Abayen ye defere jegna”-when
the new members of the parliament were sworn in, wearing the lapel pin with
Meles Zenawi’s picture, in yet another eerie spectacle, they included
him…his poster size picture, during the swearing in ceremony.
[image: Meles Zenawi being sworn in with
Parlimentaries]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/meles-zenawi-being-sworn-in-with-parlimentaries.jpg>[image:
Meles Zenawi Hidase
Mehandis]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/meles-zenawi-hidase-mehandis.jpg>
Much has been written about Kim Jong II and love of athletics. The
Ethiopian athletics team took part in the 14th World Athletics
Championships held in Moscow from 10 to 18 August 2013. This is what
Ethiopian radio[5]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn5>
reported
upon their return:
*“…On the occasion, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation dedicated the medals
it collected at the 14th World Athletics Championships to the late great
leader Meles Zenawi whom it said has contributed greatly to the development
of athletics sports…”*
It is not unusual to establish scholarships; funds etc. in memory of loved
ones, , but not using public funds, or on the backs of the people. Adding
insult to the injury of the Ethiopian people the regime made the following
announcement recently:
*“…The Meles Foundation is established in a proclamation recently passed by
the House of Representatives to serve as a memorial of the prime minister’s
great contribution in socio -economic issues, climate change negotiations
and for his efforts aimed at ensuring peace and security of the continent
among other things…”*
Seems the Proclamation is establishing a golden nest for the Premier’s
family…
Unfortunately, as in North Korea, Meles’ legacy lives on, not in just the
pictures, posters and statues, but in the entrenched leadership and its
ethnic based policies. The Abugida site reported the following on 13
February 2013[6]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_edn6>
:
*“…Meles was so central to the Ethiopian state that his followers are
trying to keep him alive with a Mao-style cult of personality. Even months
after his death, Addis Ababa is still plastered with bereavement posters.
They cover entire sides of buildings and run for hundreds of metres along
fences. Banners declare “we will continue your work” and “we will never
forget you”…”*
Over a year after his death, Meles Zenawi still rules Ethiopia, through
Hailemariam Desalegn, the new Ethiopian Prime Minister, who has repeatedly
stated that he intends to remain true to Meles Zenawi’s domestic and
international policies and to “keeping his vision alive”…
The western nations, with the NGOs and press in tow, continue to tout Meles
Zenawi as an ideal African leader, and still refer to him as a “staunch
ally” and “darling of the West”-not because they don’t know about his
crimes against the people of Ethiopia, his regime’s lawlessness and
belligerence, but because elevating his stature helps cover up failed
policies in the region that he helped advance…
------------------------------
[1]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref1>
http://www.durame.com/2012/01/ethiopia-africas-north-korea.html accessed
10/20/2013
[2]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref2>
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE7BQ0SS20111228?i=2accessed
10/22/2013
[3]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref3>
http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/27/ethiopia-stages-north-korea-style-funeral-service-for-zenawi?blog=15
accessed
20 October 2013
[4]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref4>
http://www.tsinfocenter.com/Home/Blog accessed 20 October 2013
[5]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref5>
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308220246.html accessed 10/28/2013
[6]<
http://stesfamariam.com/Users/Sophia%20T/Documents/Ethiopia-The%20North%20Korea%20of%20Africa.docx#_ednref6>
http://www.abugidainfo.com/index.php/21128/ accessed 10/26/2013[image:
Architect of the Ethiopian
Renaissance]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/architect-of-the-ethiopian-renaissance.jpg>[image:
Dictators Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Kim Jong
II]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/dictators-meles-zenawi-of-ethiopia-and-kim-jong-ii.jpg>[image:
We-are-all-Meles]<
http://sophietm7.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/we-are-all-meles.jpg>
http://stesfamariam.com/2013/11/02/ethiopia-is-the-north-korea-of-africa/?postpost=v2
Received on Sun Nov 03 2013 - 20:53:20 EST
