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Fire from the Ashes? Or Ashes from Fire?

 

Fire from the Ashes? Or Ashes from Fire?

By Aesop

10/08/2020

One fact that Meles correctly understood, inter alia, is on the people of Tigrai: this ancient land, this ancient soul, and these ancient people! He said: “እንቋእ ካብዚ ሂዝቢ ተፈጠርና!” These ancient people, Tegaru, deserve freedom from poverty! The TPLF has to relieve them from, above all, FGM (legally ban Female Genital Mutilation) (See 2020 WHO figure below-our sisters should never be among the 74%), early marriage, gender-based violence, and boost /አንስትዮ representation in STEM (ሳይንስ: ቴክኖሎጂ፡እንጅነሪግ: ሂሳብ) simply because most of the voters that catapulted TPLF to power were ተጋሩ /አንስትዮ (አጒላት)- check the poll number! Now, the TPLF carries the burden of banning FGM, early marriage, & መጻ (including domestic violence and prostitution (also, by the way, banned in Eritrea)) in Tigrai officially ASAP!

The TPLF can ban FGM, early marriage, domestic violence, and prostitution in a heartbeat because our mothers and sisters voted for it looking towards a better future. The TPLF can also affect these policies in rural vicinities, using the Tigrai government structures already in place! If Tigrai must divorce from poverty, then FGM, early marriage, prostitution, and rape (including domestic violence) must end in Tigrai! These are the issues our /አንስትዮ (no matter how illiterate), whom most, by the way, voted for TPLF, expect it to address: ህዝባውነት ካብ መራጺ ይብገስMost voters during the Tigrean election were women. TPLF, or any party that aims to lead Tigrai in the future, can’t afford to throw their (/አንስትዮ) real interest under the rag! Incorporating female leaders is secondary compared to the real issues ተጋሩ /አንስትዮ face daily. If TPLF can take care of ladies like ዓጀብኘሽ, it will fare-well!

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The great people of Tigrai are what the world needs in these turbulent times. This 21st Century is a world haunted by ethnic, religious, and racial oppression. Tigreans can protect anyone who stands for the green economy, for self-determination and social justice. Tegaru are descendants of an ancient civilization. But they do not know this sufficiently yet. They do not know this because that ancient civilization, the Axumite civilization, did not encourage self-promotion.

Tigreans are not designed to glorify their past but defend their values at all costs. The Tigrean value, like the Stoics during ancient Greeks (Marcus Aurelius's Rome), is duty-bound. It will defend what is virtuous in grave times only to retreat when times are ok! In short, Tigreans defend the down and out; not the successful. That is why they don’t record history- also known as HIS-STORY (the successful’ s story!). Tigreans achieve great things, but never brag! This is, in my view, why Meles said: እንቌእ እማትና አይኮነBut we must record our history diligently to derive lessons like Dr. Mulugeta G. Berhe/Chaltu (in his book), who made a great contribution in this regard for, as Santayana said, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

Those who consider Tigrai is out of the 95 something percent of the Ethiopian populace are going against the people bestowed to defend the Arch of the Covenant! The Tigreans (ancient souls, ancient land, and ancient people) have, time and again, proved to the world, that they are capable of defending anyone they chose from any superpower this small world anointed. The Soviet Union was a superpower during the Cold War. But Tigreans decided to defend the Weyane against this superpower supported ($11 billion aided Derg 1.0) regime. These ancient people buried it within 3 years (Remember the 14 years TPLF struggles were spent in Tigrai!).

Now, Derg 2.0 (2018-2020) has challenged these ancient people (Tigreans) in 2020. I say it challenged Tigreans because our beloved opposition parties in Tigrai (TIP, BAT, SWT, and ADPT) are more stringent towards Derg 2.0 than TPLF. Believe me, our beloved opposition in Tigrai would have taken care of Derg 2.0 sooner and swifter than the TPLF had they won the Tigrean election. But these ancient people chose TPLF because they valued  TPLF’s experience. The Tigrean people, the most ancient people thought the most experienced party (TPLF) would be able to address the underlying problems of poverty and backwardness.

The ancient people (Tigreans) want to stand on par with the rest of the world. Africa is not enough! The Middle East is not Enough! Europe, Russia, and China are not Enough! These ancient people (Tigreans) want to, as people, to be on par with anyone posing as a superpower! These ancient people, the Tigreans, believe every women and men are created equal. Hence, they don’t believe in any preeminent power- let alone Japan or China- or anyone else! They hope the rest of Ethiopians get this message and come together to secure their equality by fighting poverty! Meles said poverty is our greatest enemy because he, of everyone else, knew it was because we were poor that others told us (Ethiopians) what to do! If Haile Selassie was rich, his supporters would not have taken pride because he visited J.F. Kennedy. If Menilek was not poor, he would not have struck a deal with King Umberto.

What Tigreans are saying is clear: let us get rid of out poverty, in tandem, and relieve ourselves of neocolonialism. If we come together, we do not need the approval of someone across the oceans! We, Ethiopians do not need anybody’s approval whether we are “really” democratic, or must sell out successful national assets to foreign mercenaries (so-called investors) to be called liberals. Tigreans are trying to tell Ethiopians that no force on this planet or in the galaxy (for that matter) can stop up if we come together as one, i.e., accept UNITY IN DIVERSITY! That is how we prevailed, against all odds, in DOGALI, and ADWA!! The federal arrangement will not benefit Tigreans more than other ethnic groups. We all know that the elites of the Amhara ethnic group have found modern Ethiopia (1890-1991). We also know that the closest kin to this ethnic group were Tigreans (those in Tigrai and Hamasein/Eritrea).

But the Amhara elite, like anyone else (including a handful of treasonous Tigreans) made a big mistake. They considered Tigrai as their number one enemy- and that is Ok! Because we are talking about the territorial integrity of Ethiopian. Tigreans (including most of its elites), do not want the Ethiopia which Menelik built-in 1890. All they want is equality!! Tigreans do not wish to see Ethiopia disintegrate like Somalia! It is a ripe time for our Amhara brothers (elites) to stand up and represent your ancestors! Great Amharas like Tewodros, Belay Zeleke, or Abune Petros gave their lives to keep Ethiopia together. The prominent Oromo elites like Jawar, Bekele, and Borena are already paying the price.

Amhara elites, it is your turn now! Will Amhara elites (including those in PP- like Demeke, Nigussu, Y. Bwayalew, etc.) see Ethiopia disintegrate to keep the blood money coming through Abiy Ahmed or choose Ethiopia like Belai Zeleke and Abune Petros? How do you want future Amharas to read about you in the history book? Do you want them to read about you like those who betrayed Tigrai or like those who, like Thomas and Peter, woke up from prolonged slumber?

Everyone knows that today, Abiy Ahmed is hiding behind the Amhara elites! Everybody knows the Amhara are proud people. Everyone in Ethiopia knows that people will listen if they have an idea of how Ethiopia should be organized. Nobody ever denied (or can deny) the contribution of the Amhara people to the Ethiopian civilization. But the Amhara people do not need a representative. They do not need somebody else, least of all Abiy, to represent them. They have enough people who can defend the Amhara interest in Ethiopia and for Ethiopia.

The Oromo people have abandoned Abiy. We all know the Oromo people are loyal to either OLF or OFDC. Let us not kid ourselves about this. If Oromos do not want Abiy, why are the proud people of Amhara given the sole responsibility of protecting this guy-who cannot even get along with Lemma and Demelash G/M? If Amhara elites have something to defend, they should, like their brave ancestors (Tewodros and Belai), do it directly. If Demeke, for example, is interested in sustaining the current regime, he should push out Abiy and come forward for no Amhara in history hid behind anyone!

Otherwise, our Amhara brothers within PP should wake up because the ultimate plot is to replace Tsion and Negashi with Prosperity (ብልጽግና) Gospel! If this happens, Ethiopia will never be the same again. Tigrai can fend for itself. The OLF also bravely stood for itself. The question is for Amhara elites: When will you stand for yourselves as Tewodros and Belai Zeleke did? Should we assume you are just ashes, children of fire? Only you can answer this!


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