Tedla Asfaw
Paul Kagame of Rwanda is giving a medal for Meles Zenawi this weekend. Other recipients of the National Liberation Medal of Rwanda for fighting "Against Genocide" are the late Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Museveni of Uganda. Mixing Meles Zenawi with the late Julius Nyerere is an insult for whole Africa. The likes of Yoweri Museveni's nomination for this award is questionable too but what I vehemently object is the association of Melese Zenawi with"fight against genocide".
Does Paul Kagame follows the ongoing genocide in Africa ? Did he follow the Genocide Watch recent report to bring Meles Zenawi for crimes he committed against the Anuak and the Ogaden Somalis in Ethiopia ? What is the medal of Paul Kagame says to the victims of the genocidal crime of Meles Zenawi ?
How can a person who himself was the victim of the genocide insult others ? Paul Kagame can give any medal for Meles Zenawi but giving him a medal for fighting "against genocide" is a direct insult to the Ethiopian genocide victim families who are residing in foreign lands including some here in North America.
I can say straight to Paul Kagame on his face that yours genocide is not different than ours. You lost million of innocents for being from wrong ethnic group and in Ethiopia we lost thousands for not confirming to Meles' tribal philosophy. The difference is only in the quantity of victims and for some like Kagame who was on the receiving end of genocide to come and dishonor our losses is indeed a tragedy.
Ethiopians cried for the victims of the Rwanda genocide. We could not believe our eyes when neighbors killed their neighbors. The dictator Melese Zenawi who is to be awarded the National Liberation Medal of Rwanda similarly called for one neighbor to rise against the other when he was defeated in 2005 election even in the capital city of Ethiopia. He officially agitated for "interhawe" which ashamed all including his western supporters.
Genocide is a big crime which has international repercussion and that is why many who participated on the Rwanda genocide are charged for their crimes. Dictators like Al-Beshir of Sudan have been recently indicted on International Criminal Court for genocide in Darfur. The day Meles Zenawi faces this international court is not far. Giving a medal for Meles Zenawi as a "fighter against genocide" will not help him from being indicted for genocide.
