Hailemariam ambushed by protesters in New York

Tedla Asfaw

Hailemariam Desalegn less than 40 minutes speech at UN yesterday was neutralized by 180 minutes rally opposite to the building he stood to lie. More than 500 different types of press releases that exposed the TPLF/EPRDF crime were distributed to the public. Arab medias who happen to be there to cover the Syrian protesters denouncing Bashar covered our protest too. Many Eritreans who were calling for Isaias to go were shamefully defending Meles Zenawi as a man who gave "democracy" to Ethiopians. We educated these misinformed friends beside educating our Syrian compatriots who have no clue on what is going on in Ethiopia.

The "Trophy" on our mission was the incident that brought our Megaphone to blare on 1st Avenue and 47St across Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. It was 5:15pm, Tekeda Alemu came in direct contact with us with less than 20 meters separating us. The shout, "Tekeda Alemu Yewoyane Ashkir" demolished him and those surrounding him about ten TPLF cadres, Hailemariam Desalegen was not with them.

We were interviewed for about twenty minutes by freelance journalist who came from UN. We also sent our voice via ECADF Paltalk Room. Indeed we were the Voice of the Jailed, Abused and Terrorized People of Ethiopia. Hailemariam Desalegn and the regime he represented was exposed for the public and this should be registered as Ethiopian victory even if the crowd was not as big as the State Department rally on the same day in D.C. The Ethiopian huge flag and the well placed placards that exposed Meles Zenawi Terrorizing the people of Ethiopia attracted many people and gave us high visibility.

One of them says, Terrorist Friends, Zenawi of Ethiopia = Bashar of Syria = Saleh of Yemen

Well done New York !!!!

New York Ethiopian Activists

Why Eritrea is not begging for food?

By Tedla Asfaw

I hold Meles Zenawi’s regime accountable for the famine in Ethiopia. I argued on medias why our starved people are not covered on local as well as International medias like the coverage given to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia. Meles Zenawi is trying to blame this famine on Al Shabab and Isaias, seems he succeeded in that. The starvation victims are mostly Somali and Ethiopians, many children. From watching foreign medias,however, this is the starvation of Somalia not Ethiopia.

Al Shabab controlled areas starved people are flocking to Mogadishu for aid and Shabab is forced/retreat from Mogadishu and the starving people under its control are fleeing to save their children. Eritrea which is mentioned among the countries which need aid by USAID and aid agencies is put in the same category as Al Shabab. How absurd ?

Isaias is accused by food aid agencies and by State Department for blocking aid to his country. We have not seen starving Eritreans crossing to neighboring countries for food like many in Ethiopia did and went to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Ambassador Johnnie Carson should substantiate his accusation of Isaias denying food aid to his people. Mr. Carson at least should travel to neighboring countries bordering Eritrea and find out the starving Eritreans fleeing and Isaias security blocking them. Otherwise it is just joining the club of Meles Zenawi to condemn a regime who is not friendly to the West.There are many unfriendly nations which are feeding their people and why Eritrea is different unless there is another motive behind this, maybe orchestrating a regime change in Asmara ?

Isaias government self reliance if it is successful should be a lesson for Ethiopia that has been on food aid for almost two decades. It seems to me that the West are now accusing Eritrea for anything wrong in the Horn. Isaias can be accused like others in the Horn for being undemocratic but we never heard the West accusing Meles Zenawi for being undemocratic too. If you do not beg for food aid you should be commended not vilified.

If you take U2 singer Bono’s recent word from his appearance on CNN there is no starvation in Tigray, Ethiopia because of work done after the catastrophic draught of 1984-85, he wanted to emulate Meles Zenawi’s regime and do the same in Somalia. What Bono forget is Ethiopia is not only Tigray, we have more than five million people who need emergency food and he better asks Meles Zenawi why he failed to feed all Ethiopians after millions in food aid and money for the last two decades.

The truth of the matter why Tigray is not starved is because there is Safety Net, plenty of food donated by foreign agencies, under the control of government cadres.People in Tigray have to work in forestry and water conservation to get their food ration and small amount of money.If Isaias put such program without any outside help that is commendable and should all learn from Eritrea’s experience.

I can assure you that you can really find out which country is in business of begging among the countries led by “African breed “. Check out how much the ruler personal fortune is. The higher the wealth of the tyrant the worst the dictator and most likely the people, his subjects are looking for food aid. Eritrea and Isaias Afeworki might be on the bottom of this list.

Open Letter to Professor Jendayi Frazer !!!!!

Professor Jendayi Frazer

Department of Social and Decision Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

USA

Dear Professor/Ambassador Frazer,

I attached my piece on the "Land Grab" in Ethiopia I posted on Ethiopian websites which is the number one issue as that of human right in Ethiopia with this letter. The last time I talked to you on the phone was in 2005 when you were a guest on Straight Talk Africa program as U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs under the Bush Administration.

You agreed with me then about the human right violation following the stolen election of 2005 by the Ethiopian regime. I can assure you that after five years that "election" is totally robbed by Meles Zenawi dictatorial regime by 99.6 percent "victory". Public rallies and the "Civil Societies" you alluded on your recent RT appearance is non existent and illegal in Ethiopia.

On Cross Talk, "Africa Grab" on RT on the weekend you endorsed most of the African tyrants except Zimbabwe. Did you hear Secretary Clinton speech on "neocolonialism" and African tyrants to listen to their people on her visit to Africa this month ? Who is right, you or Secretary Clinton. ? What Secretary Clinton got on her visit to Ethiopia is blackout and volcanic ash. Had Meles Zenawi was a democrat, Clinton could have stayed few days more to visit Ethiopian "Civil Societies". It was just a good excuse to run away from unpleasant dictator who got his legitimacy by taking photos with G8/G20 leaders.

Millions of Ethiopians are going to bed empty thanks to the "last decade development" under Meles Zenawi which you also endorsed on the RT program. I wonder if you had known going to bed empty. Families are feeding children in shift. This is what West financed and China/Eastern investment partner is doing to millions of Ethiopians. Beside Meles Zenawi and his close allies have billions of dollar in West/Asian banks. The 8.4 billion US dollar is just part of the story that was discovered under UNDP study. Ethiopia is robbed on day light by unaccountable regime. No Civil Society to cry for that !!!!

I did appreciate your stand in keeping African farmers on their land. Diaspora is mobilizing to denounce India and Saudi Arabia the major land grabbers in Ethiopia. For the so called "Civil Society" you alluded in Africa I can tell you honestly what we have in Ethiopia is "Terrorized society".

It is up to Ethiopians to rise up and overthrow the Meles' tyranny, I hope then we will talk about the role of Civil Society.

Yours,

Tedla Asfaw

New York City

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Axis of Evils, Land Sellers and Buyers in Ethiopia !!!!

Tedla Asfaw

Ethiopia is an ancient country that was never colonized by foreign powers. Ethiopian kings and queens were so jealous of their country soil and water that they even ordered foreigners to wash their feet when they went back home after their stay as guests. This ancient country has been under "occupation" for two decades by unelected tyrants who are going from one corner of the world to the other asking foreigners to come and buy Ethiopian land for cheap dollar.

Arabnews has reported this week that the Foreign Minster/Land Minster of TPLF/EPRDF, Hailemariam Desalegne, has been busy in Saudi Arabia to bring in more Saudi cash. Saudi Star/Snake is the major land owner in Gambella. TPLF/EPRDF set 6 million hectares aside for foreigners and Hailemariam the land seller is proud of his new job title "Land Seller", full of smile. His boss Meles Zenawi said in public that we should "smile", not cry for land we lease to India what we should cry is for what we do not lease to India. Their slogan is bring the dollar you will have all the land and water you dreamed of and our foreign account will grow exponentially.

Moreover, the homegrown sellers has got a friend by the name Susan Payne, Emergent Asset Management. Susan Payne, the Chief Executive Officer of this company, this week on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio /CBC tried to repair the damage done by the Oakland Institute research which has got wide coverage in major news outlets. The report which is based on field survey can hardly be rebutted by Susan Payne.

Susan Payne try to tell us that foreign mechanized farm and sustainable agriculture goes hand in hand. If you ask Meles Zenawi and Hailemariam Desalegne there is no sustainable agriculture what they promised to do for our people is to turn them into daily laborers for foreign land owners. The agriculture minster Abera Deressa was quoted saying that we do not need to produce food since we will become Middle Income country in the next decade, and just buy food from world market.

For them they do not even know what the food price will be in the coming years. As is reported on CBC Radio price will increase by 180 percent in the coming decades and the Ethiopian farmers who are turned slave laborers for foreign land lords will never be able to buy food in foreign market because they do not earn enough money to do so.

As Susan Payne clearly said it is a good investment earning more than twenty percent in a year for those who are buying land with the help of companies like her. As food price increases so does the rate of return for those who sale and buy behind the back of poor farmers.

It is time for the people of Ethiopia to rise up and defeat all land buyers and sellers like the people of Madagascar in 2008. The proud people of Madagascar overthrow the regime who was posed to sale million hectare of their land for South Korea. In this land issue there are only two sides not the win win as advocated by Susan Payne. The Karuturi owner on record saying that he came to Gambella, Ethiopia to make money has nothing to do with the local community. In fact he boasted to ship his produce using our rivers directly to market. The locals are spectators on this robbery and the win win Susan Payne is just fairytale.

Foreign land grabbers and the TPLF/EPRDF regime has to be defeated in all fronts. The media war has already started and it seems that they are on defensive. The next war is like that of Madagascar and that will be bloody. I urge people like Susan Payne not to be part of this war because they will never win it.