Public Meeting led by two members of Third-World Solidarity

Monday 15^th March 2010

Mintesinot Kibiru (London)

Last Monday, 15^th March, a few dozen disgruntled members of the Ethiopian diaspora, along with Ana Gomes, tried to use as a Trojan horse the APPG on Third World Solidarity in an ill-conceived attempt to undermine the democratic process in Ethiopia.

Most of those participating at a meeting were former Derg members or supporters who are guilty of crimes against the people of Ethiopia. To provide a platform to those who are implicated in genocide and other crimes against humanity is to betray the tens of thousands of Ethiopians who lost their loved ones because of the criminal acts of the Derg regime.

Their claim that the meeting would be attended by MPs was not borne out by the facts - none of the listed parliamentarians were present at the meeting. The meeting was called by those who wish to repeat the absurd allegations they continue to echo elsewhere, in the premises of Portcullis House. Present was Ana Gomes, who went totally beyond her mandate as an election observer, and attempted to be a judge and jury in the 2005 elections. She headed the EU election observer mission and clearly supported the more violent elements of the opposition during the election and thereafter, and continues to do so, as her presence on this platform proved.

After her futile attempt to discredit the outcome of the 2005 election, she shuttles from one city to another to show her solidarity with the elements of opposition who advocate violence and who are implicated in crimes and genocide against humanity during the military dictatorship.

The surprising aspect of this meeting was the presence of a lady who is persona non grata in Ethiopia for the dubious disposal of property from the Russian Embassy in Ethiopia in the early nineties.

The ironic aspect of this hotch-potch of a meeting was that the lead proponents, who now advocate for “human rights and democracy” in Ethiopia, are the very people who were responsible for committing gross human rights violations during the military dictatorship. These people are, to say the very least, hardly in a position to take the high moral ground, leave alone to pass judgment on the current democratic process in Ethiopia.

There is not an iota of truth in what they propagate. Their acts are part and parcel of a coordinated effort by external and internal elements to undermine the upcoming fourth national election in May.

We have learned that similar meetings, led by Ana Gomes, are planned in Brussels and Washington. The one in Brussels is organised together with sympathisers of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), an organisation which continues to kill civilians, destroy public property and is known to co-operate with extremists operating in the region.

It is surprising to note that Ana Gomes, a member of the European parliament, who is expected to encourage civilised political discourse and encourage tolerance of culture, has become a ring-leader in propagating misunderstanding and undermining constructive political engagement among the different political actors in Ethiopia. By so doing she is discrediting the European parliament and some are questioning Ms Gomes’ suitability to sit in the European parliament while she is engaged in destabilising activities in a sovereign African state.

The meeting did no credit to the mission of those members of Third World Solidarity who claim to stand for respect of human rights and democracy.