Nonviolent struggle !!

Tedla Asfaw

Yesterday I was on pro TPLF Paltalk room, Civility Room, in the morning where I heard views of the people who wanted to keep TPLF/EPRDF, the majority, and those of us who wanted change, close to two hundred people attended. A woman, Ogadeni/Ethiopian, with fluent Amharic, described her feeling like some of us why Meles has to go. She described the barbaric atrocity of Ogadenis suffer under Meles security forces. I challenged Meles Zenawi and his Western supporters to recognize before it is too late the right of Ethiopians to assemble freely and what we heard from Meles supporters is not at all encouraging. I also called for the army not to shoot protesters. Will President Obama be with the side of the Ethiopian people ? Time will tell that.

Any kind of gathering is illegal for Meles supporters because rallies in a "Developmental State" like Ethiopia will distract people from developmental path. Jawar Mohamed's piece today on non violent struggle articulated in detail how the non violent struggle should be coordinated and sustained to topple dictators. Meles Zenawi's regime surely is ready to lock up young non Tigreans in mass to preempt this non violent struggle and also to divide people, Tigrans VS others. I wish Jawar commented what we should do in such scenario. His analysis of non violent struggle and what we heard from Eyasu Alemayehu, EPRP leadership, in ECADF Room more than one thousand attendants, yesterday afternoon, is almost identical. Most of us who need change, the young and old, are now speaking in one voice that itself is a victory for our struggle.

The likes of Seye, Lidetu, both Hailus, Merara are hurdles for such struggle in fact will be used by Meles Zenawi. I totally agree with Eyasu Alemayehu the irrelevance of these people and their organizations for non violent struggle, Enough is Enough/Beka. AEUP, UDJP and MEDREK's past record on peaceful struggle to challenge the regime is None and has become even a joke in Western circles, to expect different now is not at all helpful. We have not heard different either rather than preparing for the coming fake election in 2015. I will appreciate in the future Jawar's view on the so called "Election Advocates " who are supported by the West to take the pressure from their ally Meles Zenawi. What Eyasu called them, Fire Brigades of TPLF, "Esate Adega".

My disagreement with Jawar on his recent DW short interview has now rested for good. It was not a personal attack rather questioning his tactic and strategy for a regime change based on a short interview he gave. I and many of us now clearly see the difference between Jawar and Lidetu Ayalew. Jawar is indeed for regime change while the so called legal oppositions in Ethiopia are for Election Business without any regime change. Meles will allow these "oppositions/leaders" to get few seats to bring back the parliament of 2005-2010. However, Ethiopia's problem will not be tackled from ten minutes speech in the name of our people by the very few. Those speeches fell on deaf ear and TPLF/EPRDF ruled as if they were not there. The current "opposition" leaders have also lost any legitimacy in the eye of our people. Leaders who are scared of bringing their supporters out for any cause are not to be called leaders at all. No one is waiting for 2015 fake election, we have to mobilize our people for Right to Assemble and Speak Now !!!!!

Re: Open letter to Russian TV in USA

Dear RT USA producers,


I was watching RT USA news at 11am EST this morning. The RT journalist had discussion with a Libyan expatriate. The journalist was asking his guest about "black" mercenaries who are gunning down Libyans. His guest explained to him this is not black VS white but criminals who are supporting Gadaffi.

RT journalist is repeating what we heard from Al Jazeera English accusing "black mercenaries from Africa " killing for Gadaffi. Blacks from Sub Sahara Africa are paraded on live TV accused of being mercenaries. Such labelling of Blacks have now put all Black Africans in great danger in fact many are killed.

I heard family members who went out to buy food beaten up and dragged to be killed by Libyan mobs in Benghazi and Tripoli. To be black in Libya is a death sentence that is unacceptable. Responsible journalist should refrain from labelling "black" as mercenaries. Today on BBC Worldhaveyoursay program the Ghanaian foreign minster was asked by Ghanaians whose lives are endangered never come out to buy food for their families fearing beating and killing in Tripoli.

I am asking RT like I asked Al Jazeera not to inflame the situation by accusing the black race as mercenaries. I challenge you to accuse the mercenaries from East Europe, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt to label as "Whites". The fact of the matter is South Libya is inhabited by black people who are Libyans. Are you taking away their citizenship ? Are they considered as Libyans or only refereed as blacks ? This is indeed double tragedy for all black daily laborers from sub Sahara Africa who are treated as less than human. What a shame if this uprising  ended by dividing Libyans by ethnicity and color that Gadaffi used effectively to rule for 42 years.

I  wrote two days ago to  human right organizations pleading on behalf of fellow black Africans who are left on their own while the rest of the world is picking up their own people. African countries except Ghana are doing nothing. Shame on them too.

Thanks,

Tedla Asfaw

New York City

Ugly racism in the Libya uprising live on TV !!!

Tedla Asfaw


The ugly face of racism once again show its face on world stage in the week long  uprising to topple Muammar Gadaffi. Reports are coming suggesting foreign "mercenaries" fighting for Muammar Gadaffi, most of them black Africans. We watched on Al Jazeera a black man beaten up and dragged to his death. On this confusion many countries, Europeans, Americans and Asians  are taking their own citizens out of Libya by air, sea and land. Where is the African Union ?

Most workers are seen crossing Libya to Egypt or Tunisia but we never saw anyone going to South, Niger, Chad or Sudan for that  matter to Algeria. Most of the  media coverage is on what is going on in the East which is now free from Gadaffi's control. Why not we see  black Africans running for their safety ? As we heard it from DW Amharic today most of them are hiding in their houses because it is dangerous for blacks to come out because they are considered by most Libyans as mercenaries.

This indeed is very tragic. Most of Ethiopians are refugees in Libya.Ethiopian women working as maids currently are under the care of the households they live seems they are safe for now. That as well is not guaranteed.Due to public pressure they might be pushed to face street justice including rape..

The passport displayed on Al Jazeera includes many passports carried by Ethiopians. From DW interview we heard most of them were dragged from their apartments beaten up and showed to the world as  mercenaries. We also heard many Ethiopians killed by angry mob in Benghazi.

Muammar Gadafi haters are taking revenge on black Africans for money Gadafi threw  for many African dictators. The mob attacked and killed many Africans including Ethiopians for being only black. This is not acceptable and we have to alert Human Right, and Amnesty International to investigate all  who are paraded as "mercenaries" on Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera should also tone  down unconfirmed report and endanger black Africans at this dangerous moment. Ethiopians have no representative government who cares for our refugees. If in fact Ethiopia sends mercenaries Meles Zenawi  will never admit it because it will accelerate his own downfall.

However, Ethiopians in Diaspora have responsibility to represent fellow Ethiopians at this deadly moment and rally behind them, they are crying for help. We know no one is in charge of Libya right now.It is street rule until all settled down I am afraid this uprising will take the lives of many black Africans including  many Ethiopians. If there are "mercenaries" it seems to me now they are only black Africans, that is absurd. Gadaffi's money can buy a lot of mercenaries, black,white, brown and yellow. Who is now flying Gadaffis plane and helicopters, are they also black Africans ?

Muammar Gadaffi is ready to take Libya down with him, unfortunately, many black Africans who are caught in this mess will go down with him. Their death is only because for being black in a wrong country. The tragedy is most of them left their country for safety and faced detention and racism in Libya.Most who were in detention their situation  might even be worst. We have obligation to speak on their behalf by sharing any information we got about them.

The lynching and killing that is going on against black Africans in Libya will sure further divide the Arabs from the rest of Africa. The Arab League should speak against racist killing and accusations.They should sanction and condemn not only Gadaffi but also all who are killing black Africans. President Obama who urged  African Union to play its role to  stop the killing in Libya should be informed  also that black Africans are  a target of racist killing in Libya by Libyans mob.

Jawar Mohammed as a defender of Meles Zenawi ?

Tedla Asfaw

I heard Jawar Mohammed with Lidetu Ayalew and Dr. Hailu Araya discussing on DW, Feb 20, the role of opposition parties in TPLF ruled Ethiopia.I totally disagree with Jawar accusing the oppositions for not using the "narrow opening" given by TPLF. Where is the right of our people for free assembly, speech ? Is Jawar blaming Ethiopians for shutting their mouth too ? It is really sad defending TPLF at this moment of popular uprising in North Africa, East Africa and Middle East, when the masses rise up breaking decades of fear to topple tyrants and be in charge of their own destiny.

It is too little too late to beg Meles Zenawi as Jawar did. The mass uprising is the only option. We are not waiting for the next fake election in 2015 as suggested by Jawar. He is trying to defend the dying regime of Meles Zenawi that will soon be dumped to the dustbin of history like Ben Ali, Mubarak soon Muammar Gadaffi the butcher of Benghazi who is now on the genocide mission to take down Libya with him. Only few cry for the demise of Meles Zenawi. Jawar is on this camp unfortunately. Muammar Gadaffi will have also some who cry for him,however, the Libyans liberation is not far and Ethiopians are not far too. We can and we will !!!!