Ethiopia Delivers her own metaphor - A Donkey
Fri, 19 May 2000 21:56:53 -0700 Hidaat G. Ephrem

Across plush offices in high sky scrapers, across university campuses and on Western city streets, Ethiopia today became synonymous not only with the old death by starvation profile, but also with the "DONKEY" when the TPLF army commanders boastfully told journalists the biggest and ugliest war in the world, the Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea on an empty stomach, was launched from the backs of donkeys. Animal activists, forget your protest! The dozens of Ethiopian journalist rotting in jail should serve you as an example that there is no freedom of expression in Ethiopia. The OAU peace plan and the catering of world leaders for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and Ethiopia's repeated defiance should serve you as an example that reason and logic have no place in the Ethiopian leadership as well. So, hush up! It is the Ethiopian way. Besides, the donkey has been a prime candidate as minesweeper in the war for the last two years. Animal abuse is one of the hallmarks of Ethiopia's historical legacy under the TPLF Leadership.

At the dawn of the 21st century when man have made his way to the moon, technology has boomed so wide and high, and science is attempting the cloning of humans, Ethiopia, a country that claims 3000 years of legendary freedom is still riding the donkey to wage a war of invasion into foreign territory. The United States is much younger comparing to Ethiopia, in fact, much of the world is younger than Ethiopia in freedom and legacy, why still the donkey? Why embarrass Africa? And, why embarrass the people of Ethiopia with such ignorant self-display of one's backwardness?

The third hardest hit country by AIDS in Africa, it is said that about 800 people a day die silently in today's Ethiopia. There is no medical help to ease their painful final days, not even a pain killer, they just die an agonizing silent death. Who said that Ethiopian regimes are known for compassion! Ethiopia's children star on Western television screens every ten-fifteen years, pitifully thin and agonized by starvation, each successive government uses them as a token for begging food aid, aid that the Ethiopian army who rides the donkey gets to eat first. Who said that Ethiopian successive regimes plan and prioritize according to their people's need. 800 hundred people a day is not too much for Ethiopia's 61 million population, they believe they can afford thousands of young men to serve as cannon fodder, right before the donkeys. Ethiopia's population is a cursed blessing that seems to to run in successive regimes as a God given right to be used in any way. Remember, in Ethiopia there is no freedom of expression - no to conscription, and no to minesweeping is a crime punishable by death right there and then, on the spot. Who said that there is justice in Ethiopia under any regime. Corruption, yes, justice never. It is part of the donkey character syndrome.

If the world gasped today, and tried to recall their grandfather's farm so they can remember what a donkey looks like, they need not go too far - it looks like the Prime Minster of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles Zenawi - in appearance and character. So it was quite befitting that Ethiopia delivered her own metaphor in the likeness of the donkey today. Give another 3000 years of freedom to Ethiopia, she will still be riding the donkey perhaps to invade Eritrea for the legendary Greater Ethiopia with access to the sea. It has been the case so far - 3000 miserable years with the donkey.