temelkatch at gmail dot com

Relief or victory?

2007-07-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

The week has been one of those dramatic weeks we read in history of the world.
For a moment the release of our leaders seemed a relief. As the hour goes, citizens took it as victory (indeed it was a huge victory since the election). Had the leaders stayed longer outside, people might have taken the celebration on the streets (how I wish we could ever do that at times like this).

They were all dropped at their homes and in hours every resident of the prisoners were full of people from every direction. You could see thousands of people in each resident. The celebration lasted till midnight until our leaders got exhausted greeting everyone in their respective residents. It did not stop there. Yesterday and now as I write this, dozens of citizens are at the residents of our leaders.
The good thing is there are no sign of federal police in their uniforms to be seen in the city. It seems Zenawi has learnt the sight of federalis only creates chaos. We are not forgetting the plain cloth securities that are disbursed everywhere though. But not looking the uniform makes it easier… atleast prevents the anger from coming out for a moment.

For us here, it feels like things were moving in a fast forwarded mode. At the same time confused. It seemed same goes to our leaders. They were called to their meeting room in qaliti that fateful Friday. They had no idea they were called to go home. They thought it was one of those meetings with the shimagiles (mediator). After they were all brought to one room, they were told “you are going home right now”. They did not even have the time to change clothes or collect their stuff. All in all, things were happening as fast as they could be.

Citizens of Addis seem to learn the hardest way Zenawi is not what he says he is. Even when he does it in public to international media. When he said the pardon is absolute and in “no sense of vengeance” we would like to believe him. But in reality, that does not seem to be the case. The government media is repeating (infact fulltime after our leaders’ release) like a parrot about this “guilt letter” they started last Monday. I am wondering why we need all this at the moment. They are out from prison now. The PM is talking about “moving forward” (he neither did forget to mention about their “guilt acceptance” while talking about moving forward though.) Why are they covering the good thing that happened with mud? It takes a lot of gut standing from Zenawi’s point of view to do such a thing, “amnesty”. We might say it is the pressure that made him do what he did but still takes a lot of gut to really do it. Though there is no question they would be out at some point, Zenawi could have made their stay in prison longer than Friday. For whatever reason, Zenawi has released them. He should not be sacrificing the little good thing he did from all those terrible things he did for party consumption. He should not have campaigned to please hardliner EPRDFs who are not happy because of the leaders’ release. This is the time to think beyond the usual circle. It should be the time to think about Ethiopia. As a human being I presume Zenawi wants to have a peace of mind. Why is he not doing himself a favor? Why not all his gangs do themselves a favor? They have freed Siye a couple of weeks ago, top official during the “honeymoon” period who was thrown to jail just because a political difference arose. Now they have freed elected MPs and city council members again jailed for the right political stance the made to the rule of law and democracy in Ethiopia. This should have been the time to do the “fairytale look-alike” event Mandela did in 1995 which turned South Africa 180 degree turn. This should have been the time for the beginning of new era for Ethiopia. We had high hope for our country during the election that it blew in the air before we could enjoy the taste of freedom. We were hoping our leaders release will bring that hope we lost back. This is a message to Zenawi & co. There is still time to do the right thing. But time is really constraint. It is time to stop the not-working “opposition-kneeled-down” propaganda. It already nullified whatever agreement has been made for the good of Ethiopia which was brokered by the shimagiles. Zenawi & co. could come out champions by releasing the remaining political prisoners from all over the country prisons. Zenawi could come out champion by apologizing in public family members of those 193+ who are shot dead and wounded by his forces.

On the other hand, we might not hear anything from our released leaders official yet. It is not likely to happen till Monday evening or Tuesday. They are pretty hectic greeting everyone who are marching to their residences. They could also use some rest they can and have sometime with their families.

Leaving aside Zenawi’s plans, they should be able to discuss the way forward. Since the agreement they had with Zenawi seems to be nullified with the week long propaganda he is doing I am guessing they have no clue what he might be up to. Before entering any negotiation with Zenawi, the next couple of days (or even months) should be Kinijit only. We do not even know which one Zenawi is going to accept as Kinijit, the fake “registered” Kinijit in the parliament or the elected council members who have been in prison for the last twenty months. Kinijit as a party has lost many grounds for personal gain. Since our leaders were in prison, the air could not be cleared inside and outside the country no matter what. It is even worse outside. Many things in the struggle were done on individual basis, advocacy groups and activists. Things would have been a lot easier had all these groups been combined under one roof. We missed the leadership. Inspite of the leadership gap, the diaspora has done a commendable job for its leaders. I brought this up not to praise or downgrade anyone. This is just to emphasis the need for “house cleaning” before going into any business. Imagine what we could have achieved had we been all united under one roof. The released leaders, with the people, should also fight for the release of their colleagues and all political prisoners throughout the country. Then could come the issue with Zenawi. Here also they should never allow any filed full of foul games. The coast must be clear before starting anything when it comes dealing with Zenawi. I am sure they have known Zenawi not to be played anymore. I know our wise leaders will consider this and all other things beyond my capacity for the good of Ethiopia. Finally I only wish our leaders do not comment on the alleged “guilt letter”. It is the only thing Zenawi is barking about. If it makes him happy to bark and get the echo back, be it. Our leaders should not worry about it or the propaganda Zenawi is making. He tried to make it sound we elected our leaders just because we hate EPRDF but do not know the opposition. If thinking like that makes him feel better, again be it. I won’t help him anyway. We know our leaders. We know who we elected and why we elected them. Period. We do not need any propaganda of Zenawi’s to tell us they played foul. We know what we know. Our leaders should not be worried trying to prove Zenawi is playing. The job about the alleged “guilt letter” or document should be that of the shimagiles. That is why I feel our leaders should not be commenting on it unless and otherwise it is really necessary.
I feel this is the last chance to move forward.
I am just throwing my two cents as an individual citizen.

2007-07-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

A not so interesting recorded tape is being played on ETV, an interview with the shimagiles.
Prof. Ephraim, Athlet Haile, Paster Daniel, Ambassador Bekele, and Ato Tamiru were being displayed for the interview. Neither the interviewer nor the interviwees talkd about the allged guilt letter which is being displayed on ETV. It was only "asking pardon" and "granting pardon" they were talking about. Haile even stressed when such thing happens, nobody should be talking about it over and over (this works for the shameless government media which are barking about "guilt letter" still now starting from Monday). "Everyone knows himself. Whether he did good or bad, he knows himself. There is no need talking about it again and again" Haile added.

Citizens of Addis are all excited that many are marching to residents of the prisoners they know of.

Meanwhile the pardon included restoring our leaders rights which were stripped off during their sentencing. Today is just the begining of everything. I strongly hope and pray it is the begining of the good for our forsaken country.

I thank God for making me able to witness such joy in my life and pray for the best.

Finally!

2007-07-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Finally they are out. Our leaders are out of qaliti. Tried calling some of them at their residence. I could not believe my ears listening to the voices of my heros and heroines outside! I am too excited to write or even to think anything at the moment.

Reminiscing

2007-07-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today, Addis had the small fraction of the atmosphere it had like in the pre-election period. As early as 7 in the morning, you could see a crowd circling something here and there. Just like it used to be before and a little after the May 2005 election. The crowd is for information. Addis citizens are circling the local papers on the ground, The Reporter and Sendeq. It is the first time local papers (political) came out since the Monday sentencing and all what followed. Not that these papers are pro-democracy or independent. It only shows how the people are hungry for the free press. They just want to hear something other than the shameless local TV and radio. The papers’ front covers are all covered by pictures of our leaders and small headlines focusing on what has been going on since Monday. Those who can afford get in the crowd and get copies of the papers. Those who can not afford to buy just stare down at the papers on the ground and read what they can get on the front pages. People in Addis are following the situation carefully. The VOA and DW are being heard loud in public places just like it used to be then. People are also tuning the local government medias which they stopped turning them on long time ago to see what Zenawi is up to (atleast officially). Whatever they see or read, almost everybody is getting excited by the very possibility of our leaders’ release. That seems to be the only thing that matters at the moment around here.

Not only just today that reminded me of the days back in May 2005. Infact, everything since Monday seem a bit like the time during the election. After the verdict on Monday, the local TV came up with the claimed “guilt letter” flashing a scanned image of the alleged letter now and then on the screen. It seemed just like that fateful Monday in 2005 when Sekoture (of TPLF) showed up on the TV screen telling us EPRDF has won the election. It was supposed to be the election board to announce such if it had to be announced at that moment. EPRDF was just one of the constantans. With something that looked like a déjà vu, last Monday, Haileraguel (of ETV) popped up in the TV flashing the scanned document. Here again, logically it was supposed to be the shimagiles (mediators) who should have announced any if it had to be. Here again EPRDF (Zenawi) was just one of the negotiating parties. Just reminiscing.

I heard Bereket mentioned our leaders will be released in a matter of two or three days.
Still fingers crossed nothing comes in the way to keep them any longer.

Fingers crossed to see them out

2007-07-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was really some day. I am not getting what Zenawi is up to and really did not know what to say or write but let me try…

What we witnessed yesterday at the Ethiopian court is beyond explanation.
It showed us how arrogant a dictator could be live in a court room… yet, in the 21st century. I don’t think a place with the name “court” ever witnessed such tragedy, from A to Z, in the history of judiciary system. It is not that I expected less but seeing it happen in the name of justice is what I called beyond explanation. By sentencing our leaders life in prison, elected MPs and ever elected Mayor of Addis are stripped off their right to elect or be elected. This is an insult to those of us who elected them. Zenawi is telling us “it is not you but me who knows what is good for you.”

History also marks yesterday how those who sworn in the name of justice to server justice failed justice itself. If a nation’s judiciary system fails a nation this way, how can one say we are in a civilized world?

Before we even stopped wondering about the court drama, there comes another surprise from Zenawi’s office, the negotiation he lied ever existed. I think Zenawi is suffering from a chronic multiple personality disorder. First he spun the news, the negotiation for what gain I really don’t know. When he indirectly broke the news, those who have been holding it for the sake of the negotiation came out with more detail. And then he said there is no negotiation with our leaders at all in front of the public. Yesterday he sentenced them for life in prison which in a way stripped of their right to elect or be elected (according to Ethiopian law, one who is sentenced to life imprisonment or death penalty shall not have the right to elect or be elected). His disorder came to climax that he could not keep quite any longer after sentencing them and late in the afternoon he came up with the negotiation news (again!), claiming our leaders have requested for pardon three weeks ago. His media also read a text which Zenawi claimed a “letter” addressed to him from our leaders requesting for pardon which is sent to the President’s office today, according to him. I am really amazed by the PM’s capability. It was him we saw in the court today, it was him we saw in the announcement of the “letter” today, and now we are going to see some of Zenawi in the President’s decision. What a creature!

By stripping off our leaders’ rights, Zenawi told us not even to think about democracy, peace and reconciliation in this country while he is on power.

Whatever game the psychopath is playing, we just want our leaders free. At the moment our priority should be their release. He could have saved all the trouble he is going through which may drive him insane sooner than later if he could just do what should be done. Whatever he does, good or bad, is never going to change what is inside us. The bad we know. The good, well, history has taught us we should know better the hardest way, anything he does that “looks” good is never good. But then again, what he is doing is not for the sake of us. We know it is for his feeders’ consumption, the so called international community. For us, Ethiopians, we have tried to give him a chance million times. A chance we probably might have taken him as our hero. He failed us (infact himself) to take him as one.
Releasing our leaders is not even an option he could take. It is a must if he ever thought of having a little peace of mind he lost long time ago. Zenawi had all the cards on his table but he played it bad that he ended the game lose-lose. He looses because he will release our leaders despite his wish to put them in forever. Our leaders loose because they have sacrificed all these for nothing. Zenawi arrogantly took off their right to serve the people who elected them. Ethiopia as a nation looses such great brains for not just being able to use it. Like I said before, what we want right now is to see those good sons and daughter of Ethiopia going out from Ethiopia’s “Robin Island”, qaliti.

Finally, whether what was read/displayed on the media is the only material in the negotiation is something we will find out soon. Knowing Meles, I even doubt its authenticity. We have reached to a stage never to believe him even if he ever tells the truth. Sorry, but that is what Zenawi made us. Infact, such release should have come out from mediators (shimnagiles) and not from either of the parties. But this is Zenawi we are talking about. To be frank with you, I really do not care whatever document that might be present now or in the future. I am positive the shimagiles will help us on this one some other time (for historical record) but kudos to Ephraim Isach and his colleagues for taking it this far. Now let us cross our fingers we see our leaders out within days if not today.

No millennium if our leaders are not freed

2007-07-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

"Yeminakebirew millennium Ewinetegna Yihun"

As promised, here is my first post against the millennium celebration, part of a campaign against the celebration if our leaders are not freed.

As the millennium date approaches the Zenawi squad is realizing it had done nothing significant no matter how much it tried. With the media barking day in day out, millennium this millennium that, it is really going nowhere. The so called "millennium committee" turns out to be Seyoum Bereded only. We hear/see only him when something rubbish the "committee" got to say.

I wonder when Zenawi is going to realize this isn't about dancing, it is neither about boycotting historical celebration. Zenawi miscalculated the day he started making the event political. At that time, he thought he would divert the people's attention and make the country look like it is in peace if he manages to make the celebration a success. Zenawi & co. even started forecasting statistical figures. This much of Ethiopians, this much of foreigners, this much of this, this much of that will come to the celebration – his mouthpieces started to speculate. Realizing the media is taking the empty box nowhere, almost all government organizations were made to echo the word "millennium" in every outlet they make. NGOs, embassies and other diplomatic community were contacted by the so called the Millennium Secretariat to take part in the celebration. Almost many took part in the "two trees in two thousand" campaign which one diplomat was heard saying "we can't say no when a government of one nation requests us to do such things. It is usually automatic when you get such letters from the government. Good thing is, such 'forced' environmental activity atleast benefits the country in the future. You can find many forests now, like the one around Entoto mountain, which were planted one way or another by forcing the citizens during the previous regime'.

With a simple survey I made, we may categorize the reaction to this millennium celebration campaign by Zenawi into four or five groups.

The majority of the population really do not care much. Even if this is a once in a life time celebration, they feel it is nothing without peace and reconciliation. From celebrities who officially denounced this, Tewodros Kassahun (Teddy Afro) belongs here as can be read from his interview with Addisadmas here. I belong to this group. For those in this group to take part in the celebration, Zenawi has to free our leaders and political prisoners. Zenawi has to apologize families of those 193+ victims his troops killed and wounded in June & November 2005.

The other group is TPLF members and companies (including the Saudi tycoon, Sheik Mohammad Alamoudi). By default, they try to echo what their boss is barking and do what they can in their respective area only to find themselves at where they started before. For example, the Sheik is building a huge $10m US dollar 'temporary' stage. I ask myself is it really necessary? To build something worth this much for a single concert (the stage will be bulldozed after the planned new-year concert) just to make us feel the millennium celebration is really happening? Isn't 10 million USD too much for a temporary stage, especially in a poor country like Ethiopia? I have no fuss the tycoon building this, it is just I have the feeling he is doing it not just for the event but for the political game he is playing on Zenawi's behalf.

There are some naïve who are drowned by the propaganda made by the above group and have already started flowing with the wave. This includes some diaspora who have been away from their country for so long that they like to take this opportunity to make a visit back home. I say to them they come to their senses and not be used by Zenawi & co.
Although not that significant, foreigners are also becoming victims of this propaganda. On the other hand, significant number of foreigners who are working in Ethiopia are planning to take home-leave during the month September (sometime just before Ethiopian new year and forwards) fearing the tension they feel exists especially in Addis might burst at that moment.

There are also some who care less about the impasse the country is in but care a lot about their business. Those in this group are knowingly or unknowingly used by Zenawi for his propaganda.

And ofcourse, those I mentioned in my introduction. All government organizations, NGOs and embassies who are being forced to take part in some way or another (not forgetting those few diplomats who are more than willing to be by Zenawi's side no matter what).

However strong they might think they are, however they try hard, Zenawi & co. will never succeed what they intend to accomplish with this millennium celebration "syndrome" they acquired. Read my lips, NO MILLENNIUM IF OUR LEADERS ARE NOT FREED!

Please forward "Yeminakebirew millennium Ewinetegna Yihun", an Amharic article from my contributor, to everyone you know.

Similar articles may be forwarded to nohuletshih@gmail.com

Sentencing postponed

2007-07-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

I wonder why all the "burakereyo" had to happen if Zenawi does not know what to do. Atleast Zenawi & co. can keep quite till they figure out what to do.

They keep telling us our leaders case is in the hands of the "court" and the so called "court" said it found them guilty as charged, scheduled today to pass sentencing.

And as the day comes, all the "court" could do is postpond the sentencing for next week, Hamle 9 (July 16) and give Zenawi a week to think what to do.

Other elected leaders and journalists whose charged were dropped last May are also going to appear at the court on Hamle 12 (July 19) as Shemeles Kemal has made an appeal for their return.

Our leaders to be sentenced today!

2007-07-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

It is expected the sham trial which has been dragging for years will end with sentencing today. It is to be remembered that the kangaroo court has found our leaders “guilty as charged”, most of them with not less than five capital crimes. According to the Ethiopian constitution one of the charges is enough to carry life in prison upto death penalty. We have also learnt the Attorney General has requested for maximum punishment, the death penalty. For those of us who have been following the funny trial for almost two years, the plea by Shemeles Kemal for death penalty is not a surprise at all. It logically follows injustice from the very beginning ends with injustice. Shemeles also appealed on those 55 whose charges were dropped back in May 2007.

The agony here is when we feel there is still a way out from this impasse, Meles seems to be determined we go back to square one. When those 55 prisoners were released, we were like “atleast”. And then comes the “agreement” between our leaders and Zenawi. We thought we were about to move one step ahead. Before we could even have the time to think about the future and how we could move forward, the PM denied any agreement or negotiation with the prisoners in the parliament. A naïve person like me thought, well may be they want the court to finish its game and make Zenawi come out as a hero by making a “pardon”. But no, this doesn’t seem to be the plan (atleast at the moment). All this time, we have been getting the propaganda against our leaders through Zenawi and once in a while through Bereket Simon (forgetting our cyber Zenawi, Aigaforum). But yesterday we got Radio Fana back in business which has been gone for quite a while regarding this issue. In fact the station was working full time misinforming and huge propaganda against those we elected during the first few months in the post election. The “good” journalists out there seem to give every “patent” to Zenawi and co. to talk about issues regarding our leaders after their imprisonment. A day before sentencing, Zenawi felt like feeding the propaganda through his hatred masterminds at the radio station. There we had a long “talk” which I could not tolerate to finish the whole program. They were trying to tell us even if the prisoners get out of prison, “their sins will never be forgotten” and wanted to tell us our leaders “begged” for their release. I really do not know what to call this.

Let’s say Zenawi is ready to release the prisoners (like it or not, for everyone’s sake especially for Zenawi’s sake – he has learnt the hardest way he will never have a single peace of mind while our leaders are in there, their release will happen sooner than later). Let’s just say Zenawi is ready to release them, why would Radio Fana come up with such propaganda at this time? Whom would it benefit? I thought the whole thing was to move forward. I mean Zenawi is going to do it not because he wants our leaders out of prison. It is just there is no way out! If that is going to happen, why so much hatred? Wouldn’t it be good if they could just put their energy on how to get back to the people they lost long ago? I mean, as a journalist, shouldn’t it be their job to know their audience? It is us they are talking to! Ofcourse this has never been their trend, they never cared for the audience but for once couldn’t they do better at this moment? Not doing what they did yesterday was more than we could ask. This is just like the so lost millennium propaganda. Day in day out, all the government media talks about the millennium “celebration”. The propaganda has become an ugly song you just want to avoid from getting into your ears. I wish they could just make a stop and think to whom they are making a crow cry. What happened yesterday at Radio Fana is no different than the ugly song to your ears. It will never do any good but shed its darkness in the Ethiopian history.

Coming back to they court, here is my shot. The sentencing will go according to plan, God forbid for even just saying it but even death sentencing may be passed. (For history sake it would have been good if the Attorney General just drops the case at the instant but I find it very unlikely for these guys do not care darkness on our history).
After sentencing, Zenawi would just bring out the agreement he said never happened. Make the “amnesty” through the president and try to make it look like it was never a political case. For your information, the prison administration is making other selected (non political) prisoners fill a form for amnesty which shall be submitted to the president and be granted during the “millennium”. Zenawi could just do it in any way he likes, we just want our leaders out of prison (freed*). Most of all, it is better he do it adding no-more fuel to the already burning flame inside us. Let’s face it, this is for everybody’s benefit.

*I try to avoid “freed” in many part of my article regarding our leaders as it is giving me a wrong impression to what Zenawi might be thinking after he releases them. As I always say, let them go out from that miserable place and what follows shall be dealt accordingly.

See you after court.

Now we got confirmation

2007-06-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

I guess my earlier article was a bit late for the call I made.

Zenawi just officially announced (lied!) there has been no negotiation at all and that our leaders’ case is in “the hands of the court”.

“Things like ‘pardon’ or anything follow after the court’s sentencing. There is no way anyone could go in the court’s way. That would mean disrespecting the court’s order” he was heard saying to the parliament on the national TV yesterday. This just proved he already have changed his mind, or may be he had it already planned all the way along and was playing his dirty game. The point here is chances they might be released at the moment is zero.

What’s worse is he might not be able to have any deal anymore with our leaders. They have had many experience of his dirty (as Professor Mesfin put it “duriye”) games before they were imprisoned during the post election. He knows they care for the people and they might be tempted to go a mile further than they should if they feel it is for the good of the people & the country. But Zenawi, he does not have the slightest care for the people and the country. So yes, he, usually turns out to be winner of his dirty games. One good example in the post election before they were imprisoned was the last minute cancellation of the stay-home strike. Our leaders called for a stay at home strike if Zenawi does not return the votes he stole. Zenawi knew what that meant. He couldn’t risk, at that moment, the world see what really was going on in Ethiopia. A strike is one the western would not love to see. So Zenawi run up and down with diplomats residing in the country. He persuaded our leaders to call off the strike just a night before it was supposed to take place by promising them what not. Our leaders thought it was for the best of the country and the people. Little did they know Zenawi is one big crook they ever came across (oh, well they knew, but still they were optimist Zenawi would be a human being and as a government of one nation, would abide by an agreement he makes). Many occasions he done that. The latest one is the recent negotiation. It has been nineteen months and our leaders give it a shot when the agreement seemed sensible. He did it again and thinks he won. What Zenawi missing is, this was also his biggest chance he could have come out a bit of a human being and someone which our leaders might consider talking more and try to get this country out of this impasse. He had the chance to come out hero had he never rigged any of the vote we gave to our leaders in 2005. A historic moment he missed. And now this. When everybody thought he has become a lesser evil, he let us down. He let our country down. He let our leaders down. Question now is, where would he be heading if the prisoners say “okay, that’s it. We thought we were dealing in a civilized way with a civilized being. If that’s not the case we are out of any negotiation that might arise. We will just see what happens while in prison.”

Let us give them a break!

2007-06-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

These couple of days is something which will be told as Ethiopian history to generations. For better or worse, nobody except those directly involved have the exact story which will be written in that Ethiopian history. Having said that, I would like to make a point that some of us are being involved in being part of the ugly part of the story which will be told to our grand grand children. I do not want to make any speculation or anything in what is happening regarding the fate of our beloved leaders.

It was exactly a week ago things started to spin around, after the small sentence on ethiopiafirst.com and a brief paragraph on the Washington Post and then after, as usual, a detailed and actual detail on our favorite blog, Ethio-Zagol on what was happening on the “final” stage of mediation.

This happened before any of our beloved leaders signed anything on the mentioned “agreement” but were giving the document a real thought as something they might be able to sign. Don’t get me wrong. These people know what they do. They have been tested in what I cannot explain as a test for a human being. They have been tested beyond one can bear in his life time. We are talking about academics, respected society members, historians, world class lawyers, judges, energetic elders and young people. One can imagine what such kind of collection is capable of doing let alone decide on a single document. When some accepted the prepared document as a final shot to take, some were taking their time to make sure it is what it seems on the paper and its consequence. But still, as our Aiga and Reporter friends are telling us, the agreement was never signed in a batch. Those who agreed on the terms of the paper still waited till their colleagues who did not yet were convinced signing the document was a last go go. By Friday afternoon, it was only Brtukan, Eng. Hailu Shawel and Dr. Hailu Araya who have not said “yes, we will sign”. After a thorough discussion (all the prisoners together), late at Friday afternoon, all agreed to sign (let us leave the detail and wait till our leaders someday tell us – hopefully very soon). It was only then everyone and all of them signed the document. In the evening, we got the good news printed on Ethio-Zagol, Agreed! It was then the Aiga people started making themselves busy spinning the news and destroy the good news for Ethiopian history. On Saturday morning, the weekly local newspaper, Addisadmas came up with the news as headline. Everybody got excited by the very mention of our leaders release possibility. Families, friends and journalists marched to qaliti earlier than the weekend visitation hour. Everybody got in the prison compound with a surprise to find the leaders still in prison. After the greetings, visitors started asking the prisoners about the “rumor” of their release. The wise leaders’ response was asking how the people’s reaction to the news was. None of them talked about the content or anything of the “signed agreement”. Instead “we are going out and see you next week outside” was all what they said. Aiga people try to tell us their fiction version of the story in their “updates”. I never thought one could be so hatred to make bere-welede (white lie) stories to make such a great news, “agreement between the leaders and the government”, get undone and go backward. The not-so-interesting-anymore, The Reporter made a sale on its Sunday issue out of the story by making it headline but still very insincere in its content. While I can feel the excitement and the news coming from pro-democracy websites, I wish that could just be it. As days go by, the already not good news anymore, started to spin around with some, I must say, stories to make Zenawi have a second thought. Had thing gone according to plan, our leaders could have appeared in court today and may be, just may be, could have been with us right now. Again, do not get me wrong. I am not saying there has been any intentional damage done by the cyber media, excluding Aigaforum.

I wish we could have known Zenawi better. I wish it did not spin the way it is now. There is nothing preventing Zenawi do what he likes to do right now. The card is on his hand. I feel we are letting him use it and prolong the game instead of finishing it with a win-win situation. As an EPRDF sympathizer, Ben of ethiopiafirst could have got the news from Zenawi & co. to spin around but thanks to Ben, he only said things were in good condition and that an agreement might be reached between our leaders and the government regarding their release, which we all hope and pray to see it happen. Setting things aside, I would like to thank Ben for the love he got for his country. That is what we miss in those blind EPRDF sympathizers. Then comes the Washington Post news with more or less same story. This does not mean nobody from our leaders’ side got the news beforehand. We can see Ethio-Zagol’s post that it already got the detail even before it was broke by the Washington Post. I do believe it was only kept for the sake of the mediation to go smooth. Who knows, may be Zenawi/Simone Bereket wanted to have the news spin around and wanted to see what is happening right now happen and help him to think if he has to change his mind. Wouldn’t you agree with me with this one or explain to me how on earth, out of the blue, the Washington Post came up with the story from Tanzania!

This is just to throw my five cent coin and beg all concerned Ethiopians to stay calm and follow things go according to plan without making any intentional or unintentional destruction on the Ethiopian history. We can document any information we get and use it when we have to. But can we just please give them a break? Give the mediators a break. Give our leaders a break. And definitely give Zenaw a break! This is, what, the first time ever an agreement has been reached between our leaders and Zenawi in nineteen months! Let us not let go of our little chance we have that our leaders might be set free, rather, our little chance we have that our leaders might be out of prison. What follows can be dealt with accordance once they are out of that dreadful corrugated iron sheet of their cell with this very harsh cold weather at the moment in Addis.

A personal opinion.

Just so you know, I am putting a hold on my new anti-millennium celebration campaign if our leaders are not freed with a motto “NO FREE OUR LEADERS, NO MILLENNIUM!”
It was supposed to be on last week. I am hoping I won’t have to start the campaign at all.

Guilty as charged!

2007-06-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

As expected, the court has finally decided it found our leaders "guilty as charged"

I really have nothing to say.

Indeed some of us have short memory

2007-05-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

As much as I would like to avoid local media especially government media, I couldn’t get away from the recent, as Ethio-Zagol said it, “Lidetu’s third nonsense”. I hear Lidetu and his “deqe-mezmur” Mushe were given a large amount of airtime in the worthless government media with their recent “attention please, I am still alive” click, “the third alternative” which I am sure you already laughed about.
It’s not really funny but it tells me how far a human can just turn up side down with such so little period of time. I am glad I couldn’t witness the so predictable stupidity of these guys but neither could I just ignore what I hear/read about it. From an insane mind of one, I guess the only explanation for this “new”, yet another stupidity move is that he (Lidetu) just runs out of money he collected from the Ethiopian people in the good old times. I can’t say he’s not getting any fund otherwise but just not as much as he hoped to may be. This was just an official request to the ruling party to including him in its payroll. He said “we are facing severe financial problems, as you know parties depend on the contributions of their members, but now we will start to negotiate party financing with the government”. My God, why can’t he just ask for party membership under the EPRDF umbrella as ANDM, OPDO… ? I mean he’s not asking to represent opposition as he claims to anymore. He just said it loud that he wants to be one of those he claimed for sometime as murderers. In his interview sometime in July 2005 to The Reporter, Lidetu said “We are not fighting to get more seats but to make sure that the process is free, fair and democratic” and now he is telling us “members of the opposition refused to take seats in Parliament and to take over the Addis Ababa City Administration. Not only did we curb the passion for change that had grown in the public, but also took the democratization process back significantly”. Leaving aside the fact of the two statements, did that come out from a same person? Indeed some of us have short memory. I still remember how many cried when he wrote this letter at the eve of the June massacre and trying to get him out “safe” from his office and wonder what would he must be feeling comparing the then and now of himself (atleast the Lidetu he showed then and now to the public).
The very question I ask myself which I never got answer to is “was he really this same person he is now and was acting all along or did he change somewhere along the way?”
If yes to the earlier, I have no word but applaud him for such incapable capability as a human being. Again if yes to the later, is it really possible? Either ways, this should be a lesson to us. A lesson to our struggle. What’s happening back home let me saw what’s going on in diaspora. I never wanted to raise this issue but I’m just drugged in subconsciously after I saw this statement by KNA at the same moment I heard about Lidetu’s recent move. Do the already ousted, not elected, so called KNA really know what they are doing? Are they really doing what they are supposed to do or are blinded with ego and power? Frankly, I have stopped visiting the rubbish kinijit.org of their website long just like I did with local government media in Ethiopia.
I got this email which I kept without posting, hoping there was still room for a resolution and not to interfere. I am posting it now not only to show what the writer has to say but also to tell him he is wrong. He is wrong because of the naivety we all had there’s still a room for reconciliation. The Shaleqa (Yoseph) gang is showing us sign there’s no way it’s up to the struggle for Ethiopians’ freedom. It wouldn’t be long till we will have a chance to see “the third alternative” scene of this group. A little analogy of Lidetu and the Shaleqa gang;
Many praised Lidetu for his “long struggle” as an opposition and really saw what he was doing giving him a big respect. Some in the Shaleqa group are big human right activists for Ethiopia for long and many looked at them as their heroes and had big respect for them.
Lidetu gave an interview with Ethiopian Review claiming the “National Unity Government” proposal was not kinijit’s idea but Dr. Birhanu’s. The Shaleqa gang posted so many press releases claiming the proposal having a new international leadership did not come from qaliti but Andargache’s and Berhane’s idea.
When kinijit was in its way of unity and couldn’t get the power he craved for, Lidetu started dividing the party especially those in the UEDP-Medhin. When the Shaleqa gang know the public found out the idea of formation of KIL was really from qaliti and some couldn’t get the power they craved for, they started dividing the diaspora.
When Lidetu runs out of everything and got bankrupt, he refused to give the official stamp which was needed for the unified kinijit application to the election board as if it is his personal property. When the Shaleqa gang runs out of everything, they registered kinijit’s emblem, logo, name and all that at the Department as if it is their personal property.
Lidetu was busy dividing the party and doing all kind of things while our leaders were trying hard to see democracy comes to the Ethiopian people and avoiding all kinds of conflicts. The Shaleqa gang is busy writing/campaigning against those who are working hard to get our leaders out of prison and join the struggle in Ethiopia that they almost forgot why they are there in the first place and do not have a single thing to mention what they are doing to the struggle and freedom our leaders in prison.

Well, if you have a good look at the sequence things happened/are happening back home and in disapora by these two traitors respectively, like I said, it wouldn’t be long till we have our “third alternative” diaspora version.

Let’s wake up (if we are still sleeping) and go forward. I wish I never had to say anything about this issue which I am really really tired of and so must be you. It was not really something to talk about. It is something we all see and make our judgment. But the recent “trademark” issue was something I wanted to ignore and go on just like “the third alternative” stupidity which I couldn’t.

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Update on the court:
The court seem to get tired of its ridiculous reasons for postponding every trial as it is getting more ridiculous and as funny as the treason and genocide charges.
Yesterday it was adjourned for a month long. By then it would be only a month to go to its summer break which they are craving for to come, which means we shouldn't be expecting anything new till the millenium (if at all there is going to be one).
The only "important" decision the court made was it allowed the leaders to meet together for half a day and discuss. It also ordered to get them the written charges, video "evidences" and other materials presented during the trial. The question is will the prison authorities, which usually do things their way, will facilitate this. If they feel like not doing it, the leaders will not have a chance to tell (atleast the world) that it didn't happen for about a month (next court schedule is June 1).

Not much of a surprise

2007-04-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Not much of a surprise indeed. I feel like the court will never go out of reasons to drag this trial. Today's sham trial ended with nothing concrete.
The leaders asked if they could get the charge in which all of them requested the court in writing. Ato Bedru presented his defence in which Shimelis could not make a single proper cross examination as he didn't have the chance to read an already prepared document/questions that he used to do during the previous trails. Tomorrow being a public holiday, the court was adjourned for Wednesday afternoon to decide whether to give the leaders the charge they requested in full copies or not.
That gave them a day and a half for... may be the restarted negotiation?? It seems the court is not going anywhere but just buy time till something happens before it can even think of any ridiculous verdict. That's what every moment of the court drama is telling us... it can't do anything (justice if I have to remind) but wait for what Zenawi got to say/do.

Still hoping...

2007-04-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today’s visit at qaliti seemed a bit secured. The guards were almost a fold than usual. Many new faces. A number of them having all kinds of weapons starting from the gate. Searching was intense. This gave me the usual feeling “something new must have happened/must be happening”. As time passes by, nothing unusual happened during the visitation hour. Well, it is just my paranoia I told myself. Or may be it’s because of the discussion our beloved leaders had with professor Ephraim and his team yesterday. The good professor and his team (this time five of them) had a discussion which started on Friday and continued yesterday. We only had half an hour of our one-hour-long visitation yesterday with a reason our beloved leaders are in a meeting and they just popped up at 3:00 p.m. stayed only till around 3:30 and got back to their meeting. This might seem a good news at a glance, for the trial which was adjourned for tomorrow was just one more weekend to go. A naïve individual like me would think that way atleast, trial will resume tomorrow... the “negotiation” restarted over the weekend... that’s something better than nothing at all. But then again, no good news at all from the discussion I heard. The mediators brought the same old game, play by Zenawi’s game. So I guess we could just summarize the weekend’s negation as “the mediators showed up for two days and left”. Nothing more happened.

Tomorrow’s trial is one of the kinds. Nobody really can think of anything what might happen at the court tomorrow. The request the leaders made to the court as well as to the prison authorities to allow them to have a discussion all together was simply denied. They submitted a written request to both the court and the prison authorities but got no response from either till this moment of today. From our leaders’ principles, they wouldn’t do anything before they have a discussion together. So I guess tomorrow’s trial is really one of the kinds. Surprise surprise. Let me go to my bed and pray for a good surprise. Well, I’m talking about a relative “good surprise”. May be something which tells us there’s still a room for negotiation or...

See you tomorrow.

torture now getting coverage in the western media

2007-04-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Reports of torture in Ethiopia are widespread
Bush says prime minister is committed to human rights
Nick Wadhams, Chronicle Foreign Service
Monday, April 16, 2007

Read San Fransisco Chronicle

So now that torture report is more than just blog script and AI's appeal I don't know if the western officials still don't get it or are just telling us "we are not listening to you".

visited visitors... not allowed!

2007-04-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Those "freed" journalists and the few members of CUD came to visit their "ex-cellmates" this weekend only to return back home without making it. Prison authorities would not allow them to get in. It was not just only the "freed" prisoners who were not allowed to get in. All family members who came with them were also sent back. One lady was complaining why she can't visit the other prisoners but the respond from one of the guards was "balish tefetalish, yemitigebibet mikiniyat yelem" (your husband is out. there's no need to go in there for you).
I wonder if any of the so called "international community" and/or western media has approached any of those who got out of qaliti.

Still neither the court nor the prison authorities have allowed the prisoners to get together and discuss the issue at stake before making any decision.
It is to be remembered that the prosecutor objected their request to get together and discuss for fear "they would appoint a higher council within the prison to run CUD in the country". Good to know they believe the party still exists unlike their propoganda over the local media and in some of the PM speeches eventhough its leaders are languishing in jail for more than seventeen months.

And then....

2007-04-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

The sham trial today proceeded with its ridiculous rulings.
Today, the court added many of the CUD members to yesterday’s list, to defend their case. Today’s additional include Prof. Mesfin and Ato Bedru.
The court also ruled against all the civic society members except the Ato Kassahun (Teachers’ Association) in which all the charges have been dropped for him as of today.
The court also dropped the first charge against the diaspora “defendants” including Ato Berhane, Tamagne, Solomon and others charged in absentia. Some diaspora charges were discontinued till they are upperhandded.
The only thing left is to make a ruling for the remaining few journalists, which is set to proceed on Monday.
Too sad the international media is keeping silent of this outrageous event taking place in Ethiopia.

Sad day for Ethiopia

2007-04-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

The long awaited trial of our beloved leaders comes to an unbelievable stage.

The court ruled against the twenty-two central committee members of CUD guilty as charged and should defend their case. The ruling for the remaining defendants shall continue tomorrow.

The court not only accepted and approved the prosecuter produced enough evidence to make the leaders guilty but it also amended to an additional charge in which the prosecuter didn't submit - a charge for making a strike ("Adma"). The judge was stressing that eventhough the prosecuter didn't charge them on this case, the court shall annex it in their charge. Welcome to Ethiopia. If a prosecutor misses a charge, the judge shall help him.

List of those charged are:

Abayneh Berhanu
Andualem Aragie
Aschalew Ketema
Assefa Habteweld
Befekadu Degefie
Berhanu Nega
Birtukan Mideksa
Brook Kebede
Debebe Eshetu
Gebretsadik Hailemariam
Getachew Mengiste
Gizachew Shiferaw
Hailu Araya
Hailu Shawel
Mesfin Aman
Muluneh Eyuel
Nigist Gebrehiwot
Sileshi Tena
Tadios Bogale
Tamrat Tarekegn
Yacob Hailemariam
Yeneneh Mulat

So, what is it going to be Ethiopia? We all know Zenawi is not going to hang the leaders.
My fear is looks like he has decided to do what he has always has been good at.

Zenawi never killed anyone who is sentenced to death through a court process (one exception is the Hayelom case). He just makes the ruling and tries to make their life shorter by languishing them in jail.

Again... again... again... and once more again - May this be the final "again"... Amen.

2007-04-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today's trial, as funny as it could be, was adjourned again for tomorrow while the judges were left with very few pages to read the summary and having the whole afternoon of the day if they really were up to finish the silly buy-me-time document they prepared.

Noting the remaining (not more than five) pages, some of the defendants were pissed off why the judge is postponding it again for tomorrow while he got the whole afternoon and only very few pages. I guess they are trying to buy time as much as they could in the meantime running out of excuses.

So, could there be any verdict tomorrow? If you are asking me, I don't think so. The way I see it, Zenawi is still in dilemma and don't really know what to do now. I don't think he's going to have any development in 24 hours. If he had, believe me, he would have much liked he get over it sooner - today, yesterday or even last week.

A million dollar question would be, what would be tomorrow's "excuse" to postpond the verdict?
Not for us, the Ethiopians. Zenawi wouldn't care less what to tell us. I'm talking about what excuse he would come up with to the Ferenjis (so called International Community, Donor Community or whatever they call themselves). Not that he cares much for them too. They have proved themselves to him he can go on with his silly games as much as he wants.
But I believe in miracles.

No surprise from my side

2007-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

As expected... again... the joke trial is adjourned with an excuse of absence of the main judge. They also put the reason that the time they had to make the decision is short. Com'on! Why don't you tell us Meles needs more time to think about it as he is in no position to decide on the issue right now?

Is the shimigilina still going on? I heard after the last (March 5) trial and their third ridiculous request (no offence) the "shimagiles" were told to start another negotiation which means two weeks wouldn't be enough for another ridiculous "requests" hence had to push the trial further... and that is just what happened today(?).

When will these "shimagilles" would ever get the fact that a shimigilina is not just being a conduit but had to listen from both sides and try to get both sides to a common sense? I mean one is okay, two... well... may be but three times?! they were asking the leaders those ridiculous requests from Meles as they three times! Again no offence (I really have great respect for these guys) but I'm not really getting it why these good men are so loosing the word "moral" in them. This is just telling me how our society is going way down when it comes to moral. In the good old days, it was religious fathers who try to mediate when something such happens. I'm not expecting any from the current religious leaders. Their moral is gone way long time ago. Now, looks like the "virus" is spreading in everyone of us including the people we have much respect for.

Oh, I almost forgot, as if it matters, the trial is again postponed to next week Friday (March 30) for "decision", according to the two judges presented today. I guess you're getting used to what to expect.

as expected... the déjà vu

2007-02-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Well, as expected, the long awaited Yekatit 12 is just another day for another appointment.

The court has just made another appointment for Yekatit 26 (March 5) to make the “verdict”.

Funny as it could be, the reason for postponing was the court wants to get the Amharic translation of Eng. Hailu Shawel’s press briefing to the media and official result from the Electoral Board.

I guess it turned out to be the déjà vu of all the options I had last night. Again, with a funny reason only last time the reason was one of the judges was not present (ofcourse intentionally).

Could it be a last visit?

2007-02-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

Today, the guards at Qaliti had a very hard time registering thousands of people for more than half an hour who are coming to the prison to visit their loved ones. Many more who do not know the prisoners personally but in spirit were among the visitors.

It was no surprise looking at all the crowd today as tomorrow is what everybody have been calling it since the “final trial” our leaders had at the court, “The Day”.

February 19 (Yekatit 12), with whatsoever so much going on lately, many are optimist it would be a day for some kind of miracle. Had it been a real trial and a real case, it might have been possible to throw some logical predictions. But this isn’t one of them. This one is about miracle. It’s not a trial at all. It’s not about law, justice, even the judges, the prosecutor or anyone. It’s just about one man’s decision. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s. Looking at his history, under normal circumstances, there’s no way he’d just let go of the prisoners. He’d love to do more than just keeping them in prison. By keeping them, he has become one of the sides of a coin with the people he presumed to be ruling, the people being the other side of the coin. He cannot stand us as we cannot stand him. He knows the tension would lower if he let go of the prisoners but yet again what would he tell the world? Where would he put all those “genocide and treason” songs he sang to the world? A song which he thought would be best selling in getting along with whatever he did to the people of Ethiopia but which turned out to be empty box.

Two months back, I had little hope February 19 would really be the day. With all the reputation going down, I had little hope the so called the International Community/ the Western would intervene and affect tomorrow’s decision in favor of us. After what happened with the Somali invasion and the so called “AU” summit, the guy seems to be back on the track … atleast outside home. He’s getting the aids that have been suspended for sometime in different forms, he’s appointed as the next NEPAD chair, HR5680 is silenced, critics from the Western are gone…. With his attitude, this would just might be what he needs to do whatever he wants to do.

So my visit was not as optimist as I would want it to be. But I wanted to know what our leaders see tomorrow. I tried to collect some of their opinion about tomorrow from the different cells. The responses I got are almost all the same. Almost all expect the “verdict” to be postponed. Few said they might keep some and release many of them which is totally unacceptable with them, as one of them put it “they might try to keep some of us and release many of us. But that’s not where we are… we all go out together or we all stay here together.”

Another scenario I noticed is what I call “the American negotiation”. Release them all but make them leave this country for good. Those whose passports have been taken by the police during the search at the time of their arrest are being unofficially told they’d collect their passports escorted by police. One would ask of all the time and of all their belongings why now and why their passports? Knowing our leaders’ spirit, I’m sure Meles would be disappointed if he thinks he’d end the whole thing like this. This reminds me one of the incidences why I called this scenario the “American negotiation”. Back in the 1970s, there was this famous Indonesian poet who had been jailed by the government for fifteen years. He was originally arrested in the 60s using the information given by the US government. After 15 years he spent in prison, it was the Americans again who were negotiating his release. They told him “here is your visa, money and everything… you will be released if you leave this country and live somewhere else”. His response was plain and simple, “if I know there would be no freedom in my country, I would rather stay in this prison.”

Tough decision Meles has to make. Could tomorrow be the day our country would go out of this impasse? Could the visit I had today at Qaliti be my last visit? Could it be his last birthday celebration at Qaliti for Daniel Bekele (he celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday – his second time birthday celebration at Qaliti)? Could it be a déjà vu of what I had during the trial of Prof. Mesfin and Dr. Berhanu I attended as a journalist? Just like the one they had back in 2001 with the AAU students case, when everything was all over (prosecutor finished all his case and all that – still with a sham case) and everybody was expecting bail but court postponed it for more 15 days. At that time, the bail actually happened after 15 days.

I pray the joy, happiness and hope I saw in the visitors at Qaliti to become true tomorrow. I pray their wish come true – today be their last visit to Qaliti. Some were even saying goodbye to the prison guards as they leave the compound in tears (of joy? hope? ….) I pray the wishes of all Ethiopians all over the world come true.

My prayers to all the prisoners and all of us before I go to sleep.

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God bless the Blogger and Google. The have made blogs at blogspot to be accessed from another server for those countries where blogspot is blocked.
Now anyone in Ethiopia can access blogs at blogspot with the http://www.inblogs.net/blogname address where blogname refers to the word which stands before the blogspot.com (usually the blog name).
For example in this blog’s case since it’s address was http://temelkatch.blogspot.com now it can be accessed through the new server as http://www.inblogs.net/temelkatch without any proxy.

Holiday-Ghenna-Christmas-Qaliti

2007-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

As we are celebrating the birth of Christ two weeks after many around the world celebrated in accordance with their calendar (December 25), there isn’t a place to have it pleasant than having it at Qaliti in Addis, says the email to this blogger from a prison correspondent. I have put the email as is below.

Many were marching to the prison at the outskirt of Addis as early as 9 in the morning. Visit to the place is 11 to 12 noon during holidays unlike on the normal weekends which takes place 3 to 4 in the afternoon.

Going around the different zones at the prison, it couldn’t get anymore as a holiday looking at our beloved leaders many in their traditional white clothes. Going more than one zone at a time is strictly forbidden at the prison but luckily I somehow managed to do so for today. Can it get any better?

As one goes along the line, it starts from the zone where prisoners like Muluneh, Kifle, Andualem, Eskindar... and all of those who moved to Qaliti a couple of months ago from Kerchele.

Muluneh, as usual, was waving his hands and replying the greetings from the visitors who are going to the other zones. Smiling and wishing a “Enkuwan Aderesachu” (marry Christmas), Muluneh was never tired doing it for minutes of the limited one hour visitation. I just love the scene. When I woke up in the morning, it was just same sad day for me. We are having one of the famous and dearly celebrated holiday of the year in Ethiopia but our leaders are in prison not being able to do it like they used to during the good old days. But just looking at Mule’s and his cellmates’ spirit, I started to feel like I’m celebrating the holiday now. Had some lovely chat with Mule and moved to the other zone. Here, many of the elders and dear ones like Dr. Befekadu, Dr. Hailu, Eng. Hailu, Eng. Gizachew, Dr. Yacob, the young braves like Yeneneh, Tamrat, Tadiwos…. are all looking charming and greeting everyone “Enkuwan Aderesachu”. Dr. Befekadu, who just came back from a three week stay at a hospital for a minor surgery was making jokes and makes everyone laugh that I almost spent much of my time in the gathering around him. Noting the time almost half away I started rushing to go away though how much I loved to stay in this zone. I wanted to see my chances if I could make it to the next zone and eventually I did. Here, one will meet the ever charming Professor Mesfin, “Debe” (Ato Debebe Eshetu), Dr, Berhanu….. I started my greetings from Prof. Mesfin and joined the gathering who were laughing with the intellectual jokes the good professor is making. He was telling the gathering how the so called third-party “negotiation” ended sadly. He was making the joke “zare betachin ghenan yeminakebir mesilogn neber” (“I thought we were going to celebrate Christmas home today”). I almost said “we neither will celebrate it at our home till you heros and heroines are doing it at yours” but swallowed it back not to make another scene with the guard who started his day complaining the prof. is not allowed to speak in English with the visitors in which the prof. demanded he can speak in any language he want to. The prison “boss” had to come in and settle the issue, “granting” the prof’s demand. Before I knew it, the guards were telling us to move on. Time is up! How I wanted to make one last holiday minute at the last zone, where the heroines are all gathered but Alas! I couldn’t. So I just waved Burte, Nigist, Serkalem… and wished them happy holiday from a distant.

So everybody waved goodbye and “Melkam Be’al” and that ended the one hour stay at Qaliti… for me my day. I felt so much good having to spend that limited one hour with them and I really felt like I had a holiday which can never be compared to any of the holidays I celebrated in my life. All the low feelings that I had when I woke up in the morning were gone by the time I stepped out of Qaliti.

Other than this, what I didn’t mention an instant that struck me was Dr. Shimelis Tekletsadik was one of the visitors at Qaliti today. Though the prisoners were happy to see him, I could smell how disappointed they were what the diaspora has gone/is going through. One of the prisoners was saying “we wish you could be there and help the struggle but it is understandable if that is impossible”. This reminds me of all those garbage stories that were thrown at him and I can imagine what droved him all the way from the States and join us here with our prayers for the beloved ones.

Dr. Shimelis was one of the elected parliamentarian as well as central council member of Kinijit which the diaspora is making garbage out of it talking about “ewiqina” …. which he never said a single word for everything they cook including the character assasination on Tensae sometime back.

I am seeing some progress and destruction in the diaspora. I say bless you all to those who are standing for the real cause ignoring internal/party conflict. I say God damn you to those working on the destruction side forgetting the real cause. It is not that far till cyanide these people are preparing to destruct everything kills themselves.

One thing I have to mention while I am at it, some family members of the prisoners are not getting the family fund they used to get for the last four/five months (which coincides with the time the diaspora fight reached its peak). If this thing was same for every family, it might not be an issue and I would think it could be something temporary which would get resolved sometime. What is worrying me is some are “hand-picked” and are still getting the fund while others are left out. I will not say much at this point on this issue but I just want the public to demand the donations it made to if it is really going to the same cause it donated to.

Is Meles practicing the same thing he did in Ethiopia on Somalis in Mogadishu? Shooting down demonstrators? Was it not enough he made us in the Al-Qaida blacklist and now doing the crime he should be tried to in another country?

Remembering...

2006-11-01T04:50:00.000-08:00

Remembering November 1; Tikimit 22.

The following two documents are prepared and distributed in Ethiopia while Diaspora (I am refering to those in the \"leadership\" area) are busy fighting eachother to remember last year\'s crackdown in the country.
Though I would like to thank those who have not forgotten the prisoners and remembering this day by working hard the voice of the prisoners be heard all over the world.

http://temelkatch.googlepages.com/Nov1.pdf
http://temelkatch.blogspot.com/Nov1_tikimit22.pdf

Reports coming from Qaliti have it that the imprisoned leaders are having a hanger strtike in protest of their arrest and the massacar which took place last year in November.

I have tried to look around how the people in Addis are remembering this saddest day. I could not make interviews but here are some things I noticed the people doing their share in remembering the day by themselves.

Normally, people who would line up in the cinemas are almost empty today.
In almost evry taxi I circled around, it plays the famous song during the May 2005 election period, Teddy Afro\'s \"Jah Yasteseryal\". Those who are playing CDs put the song on a repeat mode and those playing magnetic cassettes made copies of cassettes only having that particular song.
Some are calling family members of the prisoners and victims of the massacare assuring their solidarity with them.
Some even did not go to their offices/schools but stayed home remembering the day.
Many are gorfing to the churches/mosque to make their prayers. The crowd especially around Urael which blocked traffic for long hours.
The list might go on and on but it is getting dark right now, the streets getting even quiter than normally they should at this hour and I decided I take a rest for the day\'s tour and put some of the papers I got and observations on this blog.

While Ethiopians are remembering this sad day with different activities, police is conducting heavy search for the past couple of days.

Some says the desperate actions the police taking are for fear of public civil disobedience and looking for the four page paper distributed everywhere telling the struggle should continue. Others say the search is taking place after the three explosions which took place last Sunday in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile the fake Iquiry Commission report on the June and November massacar has been presented to the \"parliament\". It was transmitted on the local ETV and I do not know how I can explain the drama. It is beyond one\'s imagination how far a dictator can go blind to stay in power with whatever means.

The new \"chair\" of the commission \"accidentally\" admitted that the PM was involved in the report before it is even out to the parliament as it was supposed to be while the fake commission and woyane members in the parliament claim the report produced to the parliamet is independent of anything/anyone not to mention the so called report\'s contradictions between lines.

Evidently, the PM and other top officials of TPLF were not present to take the embarassement.

My prayers to those who could have been with us right now but became prays to the Agazi forces with their bare hands this time last year, to those who are thrown to jail and different camps and still languishing in there, to those who are hiding in the bushes playing with rats and insects, to those who are in exile leaving their comfortable life for the democratic struggle, to family members of all victims who are still suffering and may the Almighty God give them the strength they need.

Amen.

Further release from AI on Yalemzewd Bekele

2006-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC AI Index: AFR 25/034/2006

27 October 2006

Further Information on UA 282/06 (AFR 25/003/2006, 19 October 2006) - Fear of Torture or Ill-Treatment

ETHIOPIA Yalemzewd Bekele (f), lawyer and women\'s rights campaigner

Yalemzewd Bekele was released on the evening of 27 October, along with male university student Fasil Assefa who had been arrested with her on 19 October in Moyale in southern Ethiopia, close to the border with Kenya. Amnesty International believes Yalemzewd Bekele was a prisoner of conscience imprisoned for her non-violent opinions.

Yalemzewd Bekele had been held incommunicado since 19 October and was taken to court in Moyale on 22 October. She was remanded in custody for five days, allegedly pending investigation. Yalemzewd Bekele and Fasil Assefa were transferred to the police Central Investigation Bureau (known as Maikelawi) in Addis Ababa, where Yalemzewd Bekele began a hunger strike in protest against her detention. On the afternoon of 27 October, both detainees were transferred to Woreda 8 police station in the Gulele district of Addis Ababa. They were both unconditionally released some hours later. According to reports, they were not ill-treated.

Yalemzewd Bekele, a lawyer working for the European Commission in Addis Ababa, was arrested on 19 October at a border post while trying to cross into Kenya. Amnesty International believes that she was arrested in connection with the publication and distribution the previous month by the political opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) of a calendar of action for non-violent civil disobedience. It is not clear whether or not the police had a court warrant for her arrest. Previously on 5 October, Alemayehu Fantu, the owner of a chain of supermarkets in Addis Ababa, had been arrested in connection with the calendar. There were clear indications that Alemayehu Fantu was tortured while in detention at Woreda 8 police station in Addis Ababa, where several arrested CUD members had recently been taken for interrogation (see UA 279/06, AFR 25/032/2006, 13 October 2006). Yalemzewd Bekele was arrested allegedly on the basis of a statement made by Alemayehu Fantu under torture.

Two European Commission officials who accompanied Yalemzewd Bekele to Moyale were arrested by police while returning to Addis Ababa, and were deported from the country. The European Union described the expulsions as “totally unacceptable”.

Thank you to all who sent appeals on behalf of Yalemzewd Bekele, which Amnesty International believes contributed greatly to her release. No further action is requested.