Tedla Asfaw
Ethiopians protest at G20 gathering at Pittsburgh was live covered on ECADF yesterday afternoon and as far as I remember it is the fist live coverage on Internet of Ethiopians protest. The noisy crowd draw the attentions of local and foreign medias and this morning one of the local news papers reported about the protest. Major news media however concentrated on the anarchist battle with the police. Today there will be a big crowd of the Ethiopian North American Battalion who came to Pittsburgh as far as the west of USA and Canada.
The well disciplined and attractive Ethiopian protesters carry a lot of placards among many the most visible one was Meles and Beshir's photo with their victims bone on the background. It was creative and put the spotlight on Meles the darling of the west and Beshir the economic and military ally of China.
The talk of China signing to build dams in Ethiopia or the USA official found no ongoing genocide in Sudan is a known diversionary tactics not to held accountable these two butchers in Africa. it is all about greed and self interest which closed the eyes of most of the G20 members and the masses have to come out and expose this double standard in all avenues. Ethiopian protesters deserve Gold for exposing this crime and capture the attention of wide media.
Similar to the April G20 London protest this year the Ethiopian protest has reached to the ears of the rich and the powerful nations. The false promise of free election and human right training as has been used in the past is now recycled again to buy time and divide the momentum for real change in our country.
Who will forget the mass upheaval following the stolen election of May 2005 and the role played by USA and UK officials in Addis Ababa to buy time for Meles Zenawi and divide the opposition ? The upheaval in Addis five years ago was much bigger than this year election protest by Iranians. The only difference is that there were no USA and UK officials in Tehran to sabotage the upheavals.
The USA and UK administrations have to know one thing. Ethiopians do not need their help to change a government by their vote. A change we need from them is not to help the unelected killers, financially and militarily. Our people do not engage a war with both USA and UK and there is no reason to wage war indirectly on our people.
That was the message in April in London and that was the message in Pittsburgh yesterday and today. Obama has now replaced Bush so do Brown replacing Blair.However, the policy of these administrations hardly changes. The promising word of Obama on the Ghanaian Parliament last summer has yet to be realized.
What we see in Ethiopia is the old way of staying in power until death or driven from power by gun. If change of administration is good for USA and UK I want to assure the allies of Meles that Ethiopians showed their desire five years ago only to get an "F" thanks to the USA and UK embassies in Addis Ababa to keep the man they chose for us.
Here is what happened last night on the G20 dinner in Pittsburgh. The awkward greeting of Azeb the wife of Meles with the Obamas as reported by blogger most probably is a good opportunity for Obama wisely to share his wisdom. My brother and sister, twenty years in power is enough and probably has stressed your family and it is time to quit. It is not late to take such advice if there is anyone listening.
