Tedla Asfaw
The Jan. 26 interview Dr. Beyan Asoba, OLF spokesperson, with Elias Kifle posted on www.ethiopianreview.com is a must for all Ethiopians to listen and the question of article 39, the reason for some opponents of the regime not to participate on the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy(AFD) established more than two years ago in Holland did not come on this interview which may surprise many.
However, Dr. Beyan stressed AFD as the basis for the future of Ethiopia and the regime in Ethiopia put as preconditions for those who are now challenging the regime peacefully to take a stand on AFD and on the last interviews the Kinijit delegates gave at the end of their tour in North America they distanced themselves form AFD, understandably.
Being a supporter of AFD is tantamount to supporting a "terrorist OLF and ONLF" and will land you to jail and no wonder Kinijit is not falling to that trap and disassociate itself from AFD.
However as Dr. Beyan clearly articulated and I fully agree with AFD is for the future and I might add Kinijit leaders who are peacefully organizing should not say publicly that they are for AFD and risk jail terms to end their peaceful struggle and such accusations was made against Ato Bulcha's party when he raised the plight of his constituency in the parliament and so far he escaped imprisonment and we do not know what to come next and no wonder that Dr. Beyan did not mention his name while he thanked Ato Seye for telling what he saw in the jails of Ethiopia and commended Ato Fekade for his piece "The prison speaks Oomifa "based on Ato Seye's account of the thousands of Oromos jailed accused of "member" or "supporter" of OLF.
The only one who can curse AFD and at the same time negotiate with OLF and ONLF, members of AFD, is the regime in power and the opposition in Ethiopia, Kinijit has to focus on mobilizing its supporters based on the spirit of May 2005 and as we know there was no question of AFD in 2005 and it is tactically wise to distance from AFD to continue the peaceful struggle which surely scares the regime more than the guns of OLF and ONLF.
The other opponents of AFD, EPRP and others, however, should review their stand they took when AFD was established and try to work together in the spirit of AFD to bring an environment for Ethiopians where people can decide their future without the power of gun.
Our "fear" of OLF as an organization to diamante Ethiopia is too exaggerated and I quote Ato Seye Abraha, "there is no Ethiopia without Oromos" and more than four hundred years of intermarriage and assimilation can not be discarded by few extremes on both camps, OLF separatists or Ethiopian Nationalists.
Ethiopia and its existence is always held hostage by those who came to power by force and we saw it under Mengistu and we are now seeing it under Melese both rule us in the name of keeping Ethiopia "united' and scare us that if they leave the country will disintegrate.
The fact is that only Ethiopians full participation on their future freely will bring us hope and unite our people,remember Miazia 30/May 2005 millions rally in Addis Ababa dismantling tons of propaganda by the regime you can call it whatever you want, AFD is just " Acceptance of this Fact without Delay" and as Dr. Beyan clearly said it many times AFD is still open for all oppositions to join and accept the will of Ethiopians, Oromos and non Oromos.
