From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu May 07 2009 - 15:57:37 EDT
Meles Zenawi's Regime Recent Panic Is Not Without Cause
May 7th, 2009
Press Release
The recent accusation by Meles Zenawi 's clique of an alleged "coup"
attempt led by Ginbot 7, which in a matter of days, was revised and
heralded as an "assassination" attempt is a vivid indication of a very
serious internal danger that the regime has begun to face. The only
objective of the confusing and the constantly changing statements coming
from the Prime Minster's office is to distract Ethiopians and the
international community from seeing the real crisis engulfing the
regime.
For a long time, high military positions and exclusive military training
and educational opportunities both at home and abroad have been
monopolized by ethnic Tigrean officers; and this has created
immeasurable discontent in the highly polarized Ethiopian army. Officers
affiliated with the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF)
routinely disobey their superiors from other ethnic groups ignoring
military codes of conduct and discipline. For example, a major
affiliated with the TPLF scolds a General from other ethnic group in a
breach of strict military protocol. The absolute majority of the
Ethiopian army is composed of non Tigreans; however, most of the high
ranking commanding officers, including the Army Chief of Staff are from
the ruling Tigrean ethnic clique. In addition, 22 of the 23 Army
Divisions and all of the five Regional Army Commands are headed by
ethnic minority Tigrean commanders.
Such disproportionate Tigrean domination is not limited to the military,
it encompasses the Police Forces, Intelligence services as well as the
political and economic spheres of the country. Moreover, almost all
important civilian assignments within the government and key posts in
the economic and social sectors are occupied by a small group of loyal
ethnic Tigreans affiliated to the TPLF. The recent uproar in the
military was to challenge the inequity and the injustice inherent in the
system. General Kemal Gelchu from Oromo ethnic was the first high
ranking officer to officially break rank with the ethno-racist
politico-military rule of Meles Zenawi.
General Tefera Mamo, the recent victim of the brutal regime, has been a
long time outspoken opponent of the ethno racist policies of Zenawi's
regime. The view of this courageous general is shared by tens of
thousands in the highly politicized and polarized members of the
Ethiopian Armed Forces.
Ginbot 7 is acutely aware of the simmering discontent within the army
and defense forces, shares their solemn belief that only a genuinely
democratic Ethiopia will remove the scourge of preferential treatment
and nepotism in the army and in the country at large.
What shook Meles Zenawi's regime to its core is the realization that the
Army has now joined the civilian population in concluding that Meles and
his band of ethno-racists are the main impediments to Ethiopia's peace,
stability, economic prosperity and forming a truly democratic government
accountable to its citizenry. This is the frightening fact Meles and
Bereket want to hide underneath the confusing allegations and denials of
the last few days.
Meles and his colleagues are failing to understand that the problem they
are facing now is of greater magnitude than anything they have faced in
the last 18 years. The festering problem will not disappear just because
the regime clumsily accuses and imprisons a handful of officers and a
motley crew of alleged collaborators -- including an eighty year old
senior citizen. Ginbot 7 would like to inform Ethiopians at large, and
the international community in general, the simple truth behind the
smoke screen of alleged "coups", "plots" and "assassination" attempts
concotted by the Zenawi regime.
The primary link between Ginbot 7 and General Tefera Mamo as well the
civilian prisoners of the brutal regime is our shared vision of creating
a democratic Ethiopia where citizenship and merit, rather than blood
line will become the route to high office and wealth and where civil
liberties and the rule of law will flourish in every corner and every
hamlet of our proud and ancient land.
Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy
Tel +44 208 1335670
pr@ginbot7.org
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