A very thorough review of the events that have taken place in East Africa over the last year would lead one to acknowledge that there are some very serious problems facing citizens of the region. Somalia is still struggling to regain its unity. The Sudan is continuing to face major resistance from a coalition of opposition groups. Of course, the unexpected souring of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, coupled with the rapidly deteriorating military confrontation, has engulfed the entire area with a lot of nervousness while Ethiopia is reported to be very active in Somalia going to the extent of capturing Somali territory. Ethiopia has also admitted entering Kenyan territory allegedly in hot pursuit of terrorists unsettling Kenyan authorities. Uganda and the Sudan are also at odds, while the latter has relationship that is barely "lukewarm" with both Ethiopia and Eritrea. Djibouti and Eritrea have severed relations. The OLF is actively seeking to gain independence from Ethiopia, with territorial claim that includes the capital, Addis Abeba. What is less understood by the general public is how Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda play in this maze. Kenya is a toss, a very reluctant and unwilling partner that may be forced into this messy situation.

Old Minds - Old Paradigm

While the military aspect of the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia continues to play out in front of the world with increasing intensity, albeit intermittently, a colossal and racking wound has already been inflicted to the entire region. Since the ascendancy of the current administration into power in Addis, it has been implementing practices that ensured the division of its citizens along ethnic fault-lines. While this action was of major strategic advantage to the administration, the practice was shawled in the name of autonomy, self-governance, democracy, and de-centralization. For civilian Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean heritage, it was a rude awakening to find out that they were suddenly the targets and victims of the same ethnically divisive practices. While conflict is not new to the region, this time it has taken a course that few around the world recognize today but many in the region will pay for and suffer from for decades and centuries to come. The region has never ever been so ethnically polarized as much as it is now and there does not seem to be an emergency valve to stop this fall into a bottomless pit. Some entities seem to prosper in the midst of chaos and destruction of others. Colonizers like Great Britain were masters of this baneful deed with their policy to "Divide and Rule". This meant exploiting existing rifts among people and instilling new ones such that they can pursue their objectives using internal infighting for a camouflage. While this strategy may have been employed by colonizers (Haileselassie included in his successful annexation of Eritrea), no one imagined that, decades later, this tactic would reveal its ugly face one more time in a region that needs stability and harmony the most. While no one with first hand knowledge has yet confirmed that this was really the intent of the Ethiopian government behind the ethnic division, "the propondorous of the evidence" points to such scheme. Woyane is playing the same game that has always failed the region - the paradigm thaer.

Ethiopian leadership unbecoming of statesmen

By definition leadership speaks of ones ability to motivate, inspire, influence, persuade, and excite others to rise up for a cause. And, leaders come in all kinds and shades. Adolph Hitler was one, only that his mission was hideous in that it called for the full extermination of an entire community, a genocide. Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are/ were leaders who had millions of followers around the world to free and protect, not blacks, but human beings in general. What is shaming the Ethiopian leadership is how they forgot that their primary responsibility is the full respect and protection of humanity, the failure to realize that they are planting seeds of hate, bitterness, and revenge of the kind the world has witnessed more than it can stomach. The world knows that the Tigray an people have suffered tremendously in the hands of prior administrations, so h ave others. While it is perfectly understood and respected that Tigrayans would feel abandoned, the leadership has failed to seize the moment to inspire and influence its constituents to, not forget, but forgive others for past mistakes and look forward to the future in order to better relations among people and improve perceptions of each other. Pe ople are by design faulty. Else, we would not have "war" in what has become ou r day-to-day vocabulary. So, when Tigrayan authorities, among the highest rankin g, complain how Eritreans look down on them, one ought to be left wondering abou t the leadership quality of the very specific individuals who are making such ch arges. On the surface, one can question how an individual with such a low calibe r can make it to become a national leader as it is unbecoming of a statesman to be quoted as such. If this was a community "town meeting" and the authority ma de such a charge, it would still be unacceptable but much more palatable as appr opriate feedback would be provided to the same people that may have been tainted by such degrading statements. However, to blemish an entire nation and community with such an outrag n and military confrontation is in no doubt part of a well synchronized, purpose ful, and deceitful aim - the ignition of ethnic strife and deepened polarization . It's got to be one or the other - the leaders making such statements are eith er unfit to govern or they have a grander scheme in mind, or may be both. This a ction on behalf of the Woyane government can not be taken lightly, especially, g iven the fact that citizens of the entire region are not necessarily well connec ted with the outside world to hear differing opinions. Given this scenario, it i s understandably worrying to know that individuals and groups that were previous ly in the middle, meaning unbiased either way, to start feeling bitter against t he community on whom these ridiculous charges are being leveled upon and the sam e people that are taking the beating from the same entity that is making the cha rge, i.e., several Eritreans dead in the hands of the Woyane or in the process o f being deported, 60,000 deported from their home (most from their own country), 1,500 jailed in the most inhuma ne way without charge, 1,000 missing individuals, and over 10,000 people prevent ed from leaving the country, and, adding insult to injury, all with their proper ties confiscated to the tune of $4 - 5 billion Eth. Birr (apprx. $600 Million US D). To hit this point home, consider the following: an Ethiopian of Eritrean her itage that was deported from Addis Ababa reported that until she was picked up f rom her house at 2 AM in the morning by people carrying guns and taken to a loca l jail where she met many other Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin, she was convinced that the people that are being deported must have done something wrong. Especially, she indicated that the people that were deported in the first few weeks had for sure done something terrible. She understood this to be total ly false when it happened to her and her family. She also recognized that Woyane's propaganda was totally false after she entered Eritrea and saw how Ethiopians were treated, wh is. If Woyane's propaganda is so powerful and convincing to make an Eritrean f eel this way about other Eritreans that are being deported, how will a Tigrayan feel about the complaint of being looked down by Eritreans in this most sensitiv e moment? Why then, in good conscience, would anyone at a governmental position make such a charge on people that can not be any closer than they already are ou ght to be beyond the imagination of the firm majority. Woyane's role should hav e been to tell its people "... not to be bitter, and that the problems we have now will be resolved." Instead, its is encouraging people to feel victimized an d be extremely bitter. Woyane's failure to "douse the fire" points to only on e thing : its mission is much larger and grander than just a strip of land along the boarder, the ethnic infighting is a mechanism.

What's new about stereotypes?

Stereotypes are common around the world. Ask what the French think about the Ger mans, and vice versa, and you will know what I mean. In fact, it is the exceptio n rather than the norm to find communities that simply don't have any type of p rejudices in their day-to-day life. In fact, many businesses in the U.S. provide "Diversity" training to their employees with the objective of increasing unde rstanding, teamwork, and partnership among their employees. Let alone an executi ve (and Woyane is an executive in Addis), no individual employee would be tolera ted for making such racially and ethnically inflammatory statement. So, it is th e government officials' primary duty to cool people off and if necessary admoni sh responsible individuals and parties that may be involved in bigoted activitie s. However, for government officials to actively part-take in such an abhorrent activity is so unbelievable one ought to just raise the brow and shake the head with disbelief. One can not expect law suits not to follow and civility to prevail in such an environment where cal lous, irresponsible, and categorically self centered individuals are in leadersh ip. African Americans that lived under slavery and South Africans that lived und er Apartheid do have a lot of suffering to tell and tragedies to share with most of the world. But, the leaders that are praised, admired, and respected the mos t are the Tutu's and King's of the world. So, what international, regional, na tional, or ethnic good does it do for Ethiopian officials to spew out such moron ic statements besides stirring widespread ethnic violence? If this is the aim of the Ethiopian government officials, they will continue to make such public comm ents, or at the very least do same behind the scene. This would even be worse in that no one will be yelling "danger" if, God forbid, that huge mountain rock comes tumbling down. Unless they refrain from such practices (by now more like a habit), the tremor of this ugly but humongous mountain may be shaking the entire region for years to lack of telescopic vision of the future could propagate pain and suffering to tens of millions of people in the region by the very acts being committed tod ay as well as damage done in the past eight years. Mengistu was notorious for ca using the degradation of the country and of the people. He bares a good chunk of the responsibility for the current state of the region. But, he never pursued e thnic based policies and violence. Eritreans were most threatening to Mengistu t han to Woyane; though hard to believe, he never systematically and as a matter o f policy went after Eritreans or any other ethnic group the way this regime has. Knowing what was at stake for him and Ethiopia (the loss of Eritrea), Mengistu is to be commended for showing restraint. Woyane has nothing to loose and the ge ography is not even on its side, yet it has gone to the extent of committing CR IME AGAINST HUMANITY on Eritreans and its citizens (some of whom happen to be of Eritrean heritage). Woyane's practices are not only fueling hatred among the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea, it also attempts to engulf the Arab states by purporting "Eritreans think they ar e the Jews of Africa." Are Eritreans supposed to denounce this and disassociate themselves from the Jews, or are they to agree to it? Woyane's flimsy and frai l attempt to fracture relations between Eritrea and the neighboring middle easte rn states makes the jaw drop. Woyane must also think very poorly of leaders arou nd the world to expect its childish propaganda to be believed. There have been m any Woyane's in Ethiopian leadership, this one just happened to have the most u nbelievable audacity. It behooves the people of Ethiopia, and primarily that of Tigray, to look closer. The puppy they have in their hands may actually be a fo x. IT IS DANGEROUS !!!!

The power of leadership

Leaders have an almost magical influence on their followers. Depending on the cr edibility they have among their constituents, they can make significant impact i n how people fill about themselves and about others. This means leaders do have a direct and an almost one-to-one cause and effect relationship as to whether pe ople will get along or not. The government of Eritrea has for years tried to chi p-away on perceptions Eritreans had against Ethiopia, a residue from the days o f Ethiopian colonization and bitter struggle for independence. Since the start o f the current conflict with Ethiopia, and to this day, there is no evidence that the government or any other Eritrean entity actively or passively attempted to perpetuate any kind of ethnically inflammatory feelings what so ever. Eritrean's anger, understandably so, is against Woyane and its attempts to degrade Eritre ans as an ethnic group (both within and outside of its boarders), and for sure t o decimate Eritrea as a proud, independent, principled, scrupulous, famous, and increasingly influential nation. Woyane has intentionally turned the conflict with Eritrea into an inter-ethnic infighting. After Ethiopia's Prime Minster announced that Ethiopians can deport foreigners "... if they don't like the color of their eyes", sad but a few a rticles came out of Addis that attempted to validate his statement. Let us agree that the writers of these articles are past due for "Diversity 101" and Woyan e is to be recommended to "Introduction to Law". Imagine how many Africans cou ld end up being deported if David Duke got his wishes and ever becomes a President of the U.S.? How many Ethiopians and Eritreans will that include? What kind of a shock will the deportee be in if they also lost all their properties? Subseq uently, should the Hispanic community continue to assume life as usual? These are big questions with big implications. Urgent caution is in order for the people of Ethiopia.

Is the end to the war near?

Mean while, as all Eritreans are united to support and defend their country and their government, the same can be expected from the Tigrayan population, if not the entire Ethiopia. This means that Woyane will always have a support base that is committed and dedicated like no other prior Ethiopian leadership ever did. T he deliberately designed ethnic based system put in place by Woyane will make th ings worse for the entire region and Woyane could stay well footed for sometime to come. Mengistu never had a sizable community cheering him, except for a few d ozen dedicated communists whose bond was only as strong as Mengistu. And, he rul ed for 17 years. Who is to say Woyane can not last for at least that long? Who i s also to say that the ethnic based system would not boil-up and explode in fron t of its face if and when the people of Ethiopia say "we have had it" and rise -up at once? Couldn't this cause ethnic groups to rise against each other? Cou ld this also not engulf the entire region, not sparing Kenya and Somalia the way things are going today? Woyane ma y have committed all these unfathomable and inhumane acts to "teach Eritreans a lesson." Instead these despots have taught the world that they are a conniving and deceitful bunch with lots of blood in their hands, and, if not stopped imme diately by some invisible hand, they could soon soak in it.

Woyane's "drum roll" approach of the pensive subject of ethnicity and its g lorification and polarization has changed the entire region for ever. Mainly, un like the Mengistu era, this time reward and punishment seems to be along strict ethnic lines. Rather than individuals fighting for power, going forward it may b e an entire ethnic group against another with their welfare and existence at sta ke. Families will continually tell newer generations what the Woyane had done to them. Woyane's actions on Eritreans and other ethnic groups will be remembered for centuries to come. What a sad legacy ..... the Ethiopian tragedy continues !!!!

Message to Woyane:
Don't piss on our feet and tell us its raining !

Message to all East Africans:
Get The Word Out ... Precious Peace To All Mankind !