As an African-American, I take issue
with Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa because these appointees
are in no way representative of Africans and in the case of Melles Zenawi, he
can’t even be a representative for Ethiopians. He represents a greedy, war
mongering clique from Tigray, and does not possess the visionary qualities that
would enhance and promote African issues in such a forum. As a matter of fact,
he is representative of everything that is wrong for Africa. I bet there are
others that have issues with Melles Zenawi being on Tony Blair Commission for
Africa. As a matter of fact the Aegis Trust while welcoming the launch of the
Commission also expressed its reservations about the inclusion of Melles Zenawi
. It said:
“…the recent record of his government
in southwestern Ethiopia raises serious concerns. In light of the
Commission’s objectives, which include ‘establishing the conditions for
sustainable development by ensuring peace, security, democracy and good,
political, economic and corporate governance’, Aegis particularly wishes to
draw the Commission’s attention to ongoing acts of genocide being perpetrated
by the Ethiopian Armed Forces and local militias against the Anuak minority in
the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia…”
Unless Tony Blairs intentions are to
maintain the “status quo” in Africa, I cannot imagine why he has appointed
Melles Zenawi, the deceptive Prime Minister of Ethiopia who has defied
international law and has ignored international calls to abide agreements he
has signed. Unless he is being rewarded for fulfilling an unknown hidden
agenda, his record of defying international law and practicing the law of the
jungle is clear to everybody. It is clear to the international community, and
most importantly it is painfully clear to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Melles Zenawi has single-handedly destroyed any hope left of the Ethiopian
people. Under Melles’ regime:
Ø The number of people starving in Ethiopia went up from 8
million in 1985 to a staggering 15 million in 2003
Ø In Ethiopian today, 15% of the population is suffering
from HIV-Aids and other life threatening diseases.
Ø The average annual income of Ethiopians went down from
$190 in 1991, to less than $108 today
Ø Over 65% of Ethiopia’s national budget is dependent on
foreign aid
Ø Ethnic and religious conflicts have been rampant
Ø His Tigrayan clique has managed to remain in power by
vote-rigging
Ø In spite of the fact that there are over 15 million
Ethiopians who are awaiting foreign aid, Ethiopia wastes $2 million a day
to fulfill the Tigrayan regimes expansionist agenda against Eritrea.
Ø Students and people from all walks of life are gunned down
in broad daylight by Melles Zenawi’s Tigrayan military and security personnel.
According to Mesfin Wolde Mariam,
chairman of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC):
"What happened in Gambella
verges on genocide as a result of the ethnic policy adopted by the EPDRF
government…EPRDF's preference for ruling through an ethnic-based federation…
dominated by the minority ethnic Tigrayans… the federal structure in effect
divides and rules larger ethnic groups such as the Oromos and Amharas and bars
non-members of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front”
BBC also reported that:
“Some 16,000 people have fled ethnic
clashes in Ethiopia for Sudan…”
These and several other reported
incidence of genocide (state-directed or state-authorized killing of
populations identified by race, ethnicity, and/or religion, such as the people
of Gambela, Somali, Awassa etc. etc.) and politicide (wholesale killing of
populations identified by political affiliation, groups such as the OLF and all
others opposed to TPLF) is today's Ethiopia under Melles Zenawi.
Prime Minister Tony Blair Speaking of
the Commission said:
“It is 20 years since Live Aid gave that
incredible mobilisation of public support to do something about the tragedy in
Africa. So I hope very much that the commission will cover these issues, will
come up with specific solutions in relation to development, conflict
resolution, governance, economic questions that allow us to gather
international support behind the Commission's recommendations…”
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t
Live Aid a concert put together by Bob Geldof to raise money for the famine in
Ethiopia? It was not an effort to help Africa; it was an effort with a single
focus-Ethiopia. Mobilizing international support for Ethiopia’s famine is one
thing, but to put the very person responsible for the perpetration of famine
and the instigator of conflict in the Horn of Africa on the Commission is an
insult to all Africans and descendants of Africa. I strongly believe that there
are other better qualified and dedicated African sons and daughters who can
work for Africa’s development, peace and security.
Furthermore, there can be no
recommendations that Melles Zenawi can make that Africans will be obliged to
accept. This irrational and untrustworthy man has not been able to accept the
final and binding decision of the Eritrea Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) and
abide by international agreements he has signed. It is absolutely naïve to
presume that any African will accept recommendations coming from the street
smart and belligerent leader such as Melles Zenawi. He needs to clean up his
own house first.
The problems and solutions are obvious
to everybody. Many books have been written on this very subject, multiple
studies have been conducted, and recommendations have been widely published.
Prime Minister Tony Blair is not ignorant of the issues that plague Africa
and does not need a Commission, a dubious combination at that, to tell
him what Africa needs. To have Melles Zenawi on the Commission makes it
even more ludicrous, or is it ridiculous…
The rule of law must prevail over the
law of the jungle!