Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 21:51:19 +0200
State of Emergency to save an illegitimate ethnic Apartheid regime and Free Press indifference
Blaming the civilized people of Ethiopia for crimes of the uncivilized ethnic Apartheid regime in the cover of development, stability and security for its cronies and foreign partners is crime by its own. If anything, it is another attempt to compromise Ethiopians by the same old as well as new and home-grown enemies.By Teshome Debalke
It is unambiguously clear by now, the make-believe government of Ethiopia and its credulous foreign partners couldn’t comprehend what the civilized people of Ethiopia have been telling them for the last 25 years. That is, giving diplomatic and political legitimacy by embracing and empowering the long despised and discarded Apartheid rule and the racketeering economy it runs is not only a crime against humanity and corruption but, modern day proxy occupation.
Therefore, the latest State of Emergency (more a State of Panic) to preserve Apartheid rule and sustain an illegitimate and corrupt proxy regime was for the interest of others than the people of Ethiopia as we witnessed all these years. Unfortunately Western governments and Medias as their Easter counterpart kept going around the bushes affirming; legitimacy of a government don’t matter for Ethiopians. Thus, instead of addressing the crises head-on to help end an illegitimate and corrupt minority ethnic Apartheid rule they wrongly escorted all these years in a cover of development, security and stability and kept blaming its victims.
It is sad and shameful how things never changed since the uncivilized Fascist occupying regime came to Ethiopia in the name of ‘civilizing mission’. It appears to be back again in partnership with the rogue minority ethnic Apartheid regime led by Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and in the name of the development.
Incidentally, the last time Ethiopians were subjected to ethnic Apartheid rule and racketeering economy was under Fascist Mussolini occupation 1936. And, State of Emergency was declared and implemented in the same way under the ruthless Fascist Marshal Rodolfo Graziani better known as the Bucher of Ethiopia when Ethiopians challenged the uncivilized Fascist regime to vacate the country. The similarity of Western governments and Medias’ complicities are astoundingly similar then as it is now.
The Pope endorsement of Fascist occupation and atrocities summarized by Anthony Rhodes in ‘The Vatican in the Age of the Dictators’ when he issued ambiguous statements about the occupation set the standard of Western morality then. But, noting recount the sentiment of the prevailing lack of moral leadership than what Bishop of Cremona of Italy in the 24th October 1935 said about civilized people of Ethiopians that accepted Christianity and Islam thousand years earlier by uncivilized Fascist Italian regime. He said;
“The blessing of God be upon these soldiers who, on African soil, will conquer new and fertile lands for the Italian genius, thereby bringing to them Roman and Christian culture. May Italy stand once again as the Christian mentor to the whole world”
Western leaders and journalists were not far behind echoing their moral leaders. According to Socialist Worker Newspaper, the foreign editor Daily Mail Ward Price argued that if Britain opposed war on “one of the last and most backward of independent nation states, we should be hindering the progress of civilization”.
It went on;
The head of Daily Mail Lord Hardinge said that the Abyssinians were “a savage and barbarous enemy”. Lord Stanhope, under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, told a foreign office official that the British could not sell arms to the poorly equipped Abyssinians as that “would be going back on the white man everywhere”.
Given Western leaders’ double standard and low expectation of Africans is still intact by their actions-and-inactions and, granted; in the 21st century; ethnic Apartheid rule can only be possible through uncivilized groups like TPLF; the latest reaction to the State of Emergency of regime in Addis Ababa is nothing more than a repeat of the past in an attempt to sustain a lawless regime in name of ‘development, security and stability’ or as it was called then in the name of ‘civilizing mission’.
Why Western democracies abandoned the civilized people of Ethiopia for uncivilized Fascist Italy regime then and TPLF regime now is not a mystery? But, the irony of endorsing criminality then and now is not only insult to the peoples’ rights and the nation’s integrity again but, it is contempt for the rule of law and democracy itself contrary to what we are told. But again, as far as the international community is concerned anything goes when it comes to Africa as we witness when Western governments made a mockery of democracy, rule of law and development under a lawless and corrupt minority ethnic Apartheid regime as Western Medias made a mockery of journalism and the Free Press clapping their hands in agreement.
Unfortunately, more than we will like to admit; homegrown dysfunctional contemporary elites foreigners escort have plenty to do with the atrocities and corruption of the regime to compromise the rights and sovereignty of the people of Ethiopia. Therefore, anyway we shake-it-or-bake it, the ultimate responsibility remained with the elites that sold their people and nation for pocket change and, their bank account proves it.
But, what is even more disheartening about the whole affair is not the State of Emergency (Panic) of a rogue regime on our people that endured its criminality for far too long but, foreign enablers’ agony to make the uncivilized regime look civilized enough to hang around on the expenses of the people. Is the history of Westerners blaming the victims of rogue regimes repeating again as they did under Fascist Italy occupation where Ethiopians were guilt of liberating their people and country from the uncivilized occupation of Fascist regime? It surly looks like it.
Notwithstanding Western government led by US and UK and Eastern governments led by China are appeasing the uncivilized ethnic Apartheid regime of Ethiopia; the Media coverage in prior atrocities and corruption of the regime and the recent State of Emergency declaration speaks volume to the similarity of what happened under the Fascist occupation and the ever continued double standard that persisted. It is another indication what the international community in general have in mind to undermine Ethiopians in the future to come.
But one thing stand out than any. Alike Medias operated by authoritarian states like China, in the Middle East and the rest that reflects the one-party states’ policies, Western Medias that are supposedly independent of their respective governments failed miserably again-and-again from doing their basic job of exposing the reality; the rogue ethnic minority Apartheid regime of Ethiopia remained in power by ethnic segregation, atrocities and racketeering with diplomatic, financial and military support of Western as well as Eastern governments and institutions to the detrimental of the people of Ethiopia and the region.
For ‘western’ journalists, it shouldn’t have been a rocket science to understand their role if they had some respect for their ‘profession’ and the Free Press’ not to mention for the rights and liberties of the people in distance places. The big question is; what went wrong with the supposedly beacons of democracy and the Free Press at home to fold in reducing the Free Press in to supermarket tabloid putting out fairytale than the reality of a rogue regime?
Take for instant the State of Emergence coverage by William Davison, the Ethiopia Correspondent at Bloomberg News and a well-recognized reporter in the region that operate out of Kenya. His off the shelf article on the State of Emergency was reduced to; “Ethiopia losing Foreign-Investment Appeal as attack spread” He highlighted; foreign owned companies are ‘under attack in growing political unrest’ than the unrelenting attack of the regime on the population since it came to power. He went on to describe the government’s response to declare State of Emergency; ‘to deal with the violence accompanying protests by ethnic Oromo and Amhara communities that began 11 month ago over dispossession of their land, political marginalization and state repression’.
Unfortunately, the bizarre report that attempted to explain the cause-and-effect of the problem reached out only to three Ethiopian national. Two ruling party official, Getachew Reda, the Communication Minster and, Fisume Araga Investment Agency’s Director and Jawar Mohammed, referred as “an influential Oromo activist” from the USA.
William not only completely missed the reality but, went on to blame the victims of the rogue regime long known to him for its atrocities, racketeering and rights and Free Press violation he personally was a victim but, he violated every conceivable journalistic inquiry. In his defense, he is not alone. Correspondents from BBC, CNBC, AP, Reuters, Economist and the rest are not different.
The BBC report “Ethiopia declares state of emergency amid protests” goes even further by featuring a picture of ‘A torched bus in the Sebeta region of Ethiopia’ and by breaking down the ethnic composition of Ethiopians quoted its expert editor to make its point. It said;
“BBC World Service Africa editor Mary Harper says the violent protests are the most serious threat to Ethiopian stability in a quarter of a century. The protesters have been attacking foreign companies, she says, threatening Ethiopia’s reputation as a growing economy, ripe for international investment.”
Mary Harper that claims to be ‘a journalist and writer specializing on Africa especially Somalia since the early 1990s pride to “write for academic journals and publications including The Economist, Granta, The Guardian, The Times and The Washington Post. I have worked for, amongst others, the Economist Intelligence Unit and the United Nations.” But yet, she couldn’t figure out Ethiopian’s foreign reputation was built on empty propaganda she ‘the expert journalist’ as her colleagues ignored to investigate for 25 long years. Instead, she choose the easy way out of blaming the victim of the rogue regime as “violent protestors are the most serious threat to Ethiopian stability in a quarter of a century” seating in the comfort of her office far away.
Though most Western Media correspondents like William Davison and Mary Harper never took their role seriously and set foot where the actual news stories are taking place nor did basic research on the regime beyond what they are told by the regime and interest groups as their articles and statements reviles, nor no one makes them accountable for violating the basic journalism formula of covering the complete story.
They don’t even reach out to the actual responsible parties and institutions and the victims that are the subject of their story. Instead, they print anything that comes out of the center of power that benefit from the status qua and counter it by few known international organizations if any. Essentially, beside their appearance of being independent Media investigating the opacity of the regime; they are no better than authoritarian states’ hired ‘journalists’.
What the supposedly independent Western Medias are missing about the illegitimate regime of Ethiopia is not hard to find nor secret. First and most importantly; the ruling party is an ethnic minority Apartheid regime that won by 100% in the last round of ‘election’ with all the illegitimacy that comes with it. Second, the ruling party controls all the important means and the ways of the economy, including all the public lands, banks and institutions making it the sole dominate economic force in the nation. Third, it controls all the means and ways of communication, including broadcasting and the internet. Fourth, it controls all the military, police and intelligence establishment–making it a deadly force. Such obviously crude regime that naturally bring about atrocities and crony capitalism in favor of its own cronies and foreign partners thus, instability and insecurity doesn’t require journalism training to figure out. But yet, we are told; the victims of the crude regime are violent and the ‘most serious threat to Ethiopian stability’?
At the meantime, authoritarian regimes’ operated propaganda Medias that reflect their respective governments’ love-and-hate of their counterparts aren’t shy to express their wishes of preserving their illegitimate partner.
Take Al Jazeera report titled Ethiopia declares state of emergency over protests that photo copied what the illegitimate regime said and reduced the crises between three ethnic groups of Tigray ethnic group representing the regime and what unidentified groups representing Oromo and Amhara ethnic group said as follow;
“The anti-government demonstrations started in November among the Oromo, Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group, and later spread to the Amhara, the second most populous group.
Though they initially began over land rights, they later broadened into calls for more political, economic and cultural rights.
Both groups say that a multi-ethnic ruling coalition and the security forces are dominated by the Tigray ethnic group, which makes up only about 6 percent of the population.
The government, though, blames rebel groups and foreign-based dissidents for stoking the violence.”
Closer look reviles, Al Jazeera reflect the authoritarian oil-rich Arab regimes’ political and sectarian divide foreign policy in the region that kept the status qua in power. Therefore, drumming up ethnic and sectarian divide in the Middle East and beyond has always been its brand to sustain the status qua in the shadow of Western nation as it is reflected on its coverage since its inception.
Therefore, the botched coverage regarding the Ethiopian regime’s declaration of State of Emergence is as expected dose not revile anything resembling the reality beside what the regime and unidentified individuals that it claims to represent ‘Oromo and Amhara ethnic group’ wanted the world to believe.
Had Al Jazeera exercise due diligence of excursing basic journalism; it would find out the rogue regime is in bed with the lawless oil-rich Arab monarchs right where it is headquartered. They probably have more political and economic power on the regime financing its atrocities and corruption.
Likewise, CCTV Africa (the official Media of the ruling Chinese communist party) simply provided the Ethiopian ruling party’s State of Emergency announcement Video with a caption;
“The announcement was made at the weekend. It will last for at least six months. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn made the announcement. It comes amid ongoing protests in the country by two of Ethiopia’s largest tribes. They’ve been torching factories and damaging property since a deadly incident killed scores of people at a national celebration just over a week ago.”
Obviously, China is the elephant in the room where anything goes as long as it gets its way of pillaging Africa in partnership with a willing regime in distress and in the shadow of Western governments’ incoherent policy. The same Chinese regime that raise hell when tribalism and sectarianism is raised in its territory is willing to partner with the self-proclaimed minority ‘tribe’ led Apartheid regime when it comes to Ethiopia and cry foul when its illegitimate investment with a rogue regime being threatened. Had Chinese regime stop pretending to be holier than Western governments in dealing with Africans, the last regime it would deal with is a corrupt minority ethnic ‘tribe’ led Apartheid regime of Ethiopia. It doesn’t have to look anywhere but, the regime’s Ambassador-crime boss Seyome Mesfin in Beijing assigned to involve China in criminality.
Naturally, authoritarian regimes with blood trails and corruption of their own are expected to cover up their illegitimacy and corruption in the propaganda Medias they exclusively control against the will and rights of their respective people. It appears there is unwritten rule among authoritarian regime to coddle up together to fend off criticism labeled against their illegitimate rules by their own people and world alike. But, Western governments’ incoherent policy coupled with the indifference of the ‘Free Press’ is not helping to understand the reality.
For instance, President Barak Obama Administration’s endorsement of the rouge ethnic Apartheid regime of Ethiopia is an example of the double standard applied picking and choosing favorite tyrannical regime on the expenses of the rights and liberties of the people. Likewise, Western Medias’ double standard of journalism left the field wide open from telling the difference between the Free Press and the rest in the ever increasing gray area of legitimacy of news in the public interest. Weather it is driven by individual journalist motives or governments’ political or corporate interests is not clear. But, the credibility of independence of the Free Press is increasingly becoming the thing of the past as the standard bearer abandon the public interest faster as we are witnessing the crises in democratic nations themselves.
As the Free Press continue to compromise the integrity of the public interest, the reality; authoritarian regimes run propaganda outlets filling the gap is real with far more consequences in the future. Therefore, the ‘Free Press’ that failed to do their basic journalistic duty are compromised enough to peddle for authoritarian regimes by blaming the victims of the regime for the crises — re-victimizing the people of Ethiopia again on behalf of foreign investors.
If anything, the failure of the Free Press to investigate the reality of a minority ethnic Apartheid regime and the unconditional support it gets from Western democracies to blame. Legitimate foreign investors would be better off making the governments, the ‘Free Press’ and the so called investment consultants that mislead them to invest in a rogue minority Apartheid regime that was distant to fail before it began.
Otherwise, blaming the civilized people of Ethiopia for crimes of the uncivilized ethnic Apartheid regime of in the cover of development, stability and security for its cronies and foreign partners is crime by its own. If anything, it is another attempt to compromise Ethiopians by the same old as well as new and home-grown enemies.