The world's enduring dictators: Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in January, 2011.
/ Getty ImagesMeles Zenawi, Ethiopia
Length of rule: 16 years. Zenawi helped lead the rebel movement that overthrew a brutal military dictatorship in 1991, and in 1995 was elected prime minister, a post he still holds. After heavily disputed elections in 2005 that featured his ruling party announcing victory in a close election before the votes were counted, Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front and a small coalition of affiliated parties won 99.6 percent of all parliamentary seats in May elections this year which "fell short of international commitments," Amnesty International writes.
Feature page: The world's enduring dictatorsMost despotic acts: While Eritrea was officially blamed for starting its infamous war with Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000, Zenawi did little to prevent the escalation of what many described as a pointless conflict that left at least 70,000 dead on both sides and cost two of the world's poorest countries hundreds of millions of dollars. Zenawi has centralized control of many state functions within his political party, and while that has led to impressive economic growth, it has also spawned numerous reports of politically motivated killings, mass repression of freedoms and torture by state security services, which is saying nothing of the exclusion of non-party members from government services. After the disputed 2005 elections, security forces killed 200 protesters. Many claimed there was a clear victory for opposition politicians in 2005, but the ruling party said it won before results were announced, and it has maintained power since.
Outlook for change: In 2009, Zenawi indicated he was ready to step down, but his party "convinced" him to stay on to ease any potential transition. As many as 200 people in the political opposition have been arrested in recent months, apparently in reaction to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Zenawi has faced several insurrections and secessionist movements within Ethiopia in his time as ruler, but it is unclear whether he will step down willingly or be forced to step down any time soon. That said, dissatisfaction with the Zenawi regime must exist as, yet again, swaths of Ethiopia are facing a critical food shortage.
Ethiopia stats:
Population: 90,873,739; Oromo 34.5 percent, Amara 26.9 percent, Somalie 6.2 percent, Tigraway 6.1 percent, Sidama 4 percent, Guragie 2.5 percent, Welaita 2.3 percent, Hadiya 1.7 percent, Affar 1.7 percent, Gamo 1.5 percent, Gedeo 1.3 percent, other 11.3 percent; Median Age is 17.
Constitution and the Rule of Law: Federal republic; Everyday law based on civil law.
Economic Indicators: Overall GDP is $84 billion (world rank is 77); Per capita GDP is $1,000 (world rank is 214); unemployment rate is not available.
Press freedom index world rank: 139
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The West should take responsibility for collaborating with thugs such as Zenawi.
Conspiracy Theory 101
1. Allow Africans relief assistance in the form of food, and medicine, which will not alleviate their chronic economic problems but address the temporary issues. As much as possible development aids which can bring about strategic transformation to the African Economy should not be given. Request for aids and loans for infrastructures like roads, and dams should be turned down.
2. Impose the policies of lending institution on the sovereign governments of Africa with the intension of keeping the continent dependent for years to come.
3. Develop policies and strategies and implement same to maintain brain drain from Africa. Inculcate in the mind of the Diaspora elite their continent is a hopeless case and will remain dark for years to come and going back is inadvisable. Entice the Diaspora to lead the Western way of life by giving them whatever they need on credit basis repayable over a number of years such that they will not have excess money to invest in their mother land. Create a disagreement between the Diaspora intellectuals and those intellectuals who chose to stay in their mother land and contribute to the development efforts, such that the two groups will not have a common agenda of nation building.
4. Influence the curriculum of academic institutions such that such institutions will not be able to produce visionary and innovative minds. Make sure some former colonizer language is used as a medium of instruction in the school, colleges and universities of Africa. So that under the guise of scholarship the best students of Africa will be taken and after giving them the necessary subtle brainwashing and training and are lured to stay in the West. (Pls note all developed nations teach their students in their national language. Imagine the challenges our students face in our schools and colleges today. Where I live, speaking some foreign language is a sign of being educated. Please note the extent to which we have been deceived. Almost all gradates from our universities and colleges nowadays copy from the internet for their graduation paper, for they have note been prepared for critical analysis and they don't adequately know the language to express their thoughts).
5. If some how a visionary leader emerges and sees through the machinations and decides to bring about a change, he will be heading towards a head on collusion with the interest of the neo-colonialist. Hence, wage a smear campaign against this leader or leaders through the main stream medias, like the BBC, CNN and VOA. Call him names like: dictator, tyrant&.etc. Incite mass protest by organizing tugs and accuse the leader for shooting civilians. If the leader resists, then accuse him of genocide against humanity and take his case to ICC.
6. Establish a foreign language service in the mainstream media like the BBC, DW and the VOA and propagate against any government that stands in the way of the interest of the West. Use these medias to defame visionary leaders of Africa and accuse them of human right abuse and violation of the free press.
7. Protect and fund the private press and sometimes give the owners of these presses awards in the form of money and token gifts.
8. Establish and fund organizations like the Human Right Watch, Amnesty International and the CPJ and accuse visionary leaders of Africa and obstruct their quest to free Africa from age old backwardness and poverty.
9. Spread to the continent endemics like Ebola, Aids& etc in order to check the ever growing population of Africa. (Pls note. Don't you ever wander why the endemic Aids which started in the United States ended up becoming the major health problem of Africans. Pls also recall, after the European colonizers occupied the Americas they exterminated the native Indians by distributing to them blankets infested with small pox and T.B.)
10. Advocate multi-party system in Africa. The intention here is not to promote democracy but to put in power a party that is subservient to the West. The puppet party shall be given political and money support. Allow personal gifts to party leader(s) and for the seemingly bright ones provide a scholarship in one of the prestigious universities of the West. Encourage the employment of dissidents in international organizations, preferable in humanitarian and main steam medias.
11. Incite racial hatred by pitting one against the other. Keep the continent in perpetual conflict with itself. So that Africa will remain a store house of rich natural resources waiting to be explored by the neo-colonialist, a cheap labor source for their mechanized plantations and mineral fields. (Pls note. This is the 21st century they don't have to chain Africans slaves and forcefully transport them. We pay our own hard earned money for the plane ticket that will take us to Western cities).
Seyoum Wubshet, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
The United states - the so called the leader of the free world only cares about its interest , nothing more or less !
CBS just repeats already and COMPLETELY discredited allegations!!
Completely Discredited by the likes of the Carter Election Observers and the UN!!
So, I think everone knows why CBS News is the least watched US news organization!!
" In spite of the positive pre-election developments, therefore, the Center's observation mission concludes that the 2005 electoral process did not fulfill Ethiopia's obligations to ensure the exercise of political rights and freedoms necessary for genuinely democratic elections "
Did you say UN ? ....Just two days ago, Mr. Annan condemned the violence in Addis Ababa, which had resulted in the shooting and reported killing of a number of demonstrators by security forces.....
This shows your lack of knowledge or denial of the facts to what is going on in Ethiopia right now...you are probably one of those Meles Supporters , who skipped high school but given a 6 month training and become a lawyer and are now serving at one of Kangaroo courts of the meles regime...with no clue about the rule of law but a puppet to your master meles Zenawi and read what your master tells you and send thousands of Ethiopians who oppose this tyrant to his torture chambers.....or you are one of those Meles Cadres who is enjoying a luxury life whose purpose in life is to eat by spreading false propaganda ...wake up my friend try to learn no matter how pin headed you are !
Let's follow the Logic of this gibberish post:
Meles Zenawi is a dictator because over 70,000 died during the Ethiopian and Eritrean war.
Then, George Bush is a dictator according to CBS - Between 150,000 and 200,000 died during the Iraq war!
Then, Franklin Roosevelt was a dictator according to CBS - millions died during WW2!
Then, Truman was a dictator according to CBS - over 100,000 died after Truman dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima!
Gibberish!!
Meles Zenawi is a dictator because over 70,000 died during the Ethiopian and Eritrean war.
Then, George Bush is a dictator according to CBS - Between 150,000 and 200,000 died during the Iraq war!
Then, Franklin Roosevelt was a dictator according to CBS - millions died during WW2!
Then, Truman was a dictator according to CBS - over 100,000 died after Truman dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima!
Gibberish!!
The Independent Carter Election Observers who said: the 2005 election represented the WILL of the people
or
CBS, who was not on the ground, who just repeats what the extreme
opposition and Neo-Colonial forces like George Soros and HRW, who want to choose the leaders of other countries, say???
The ANSWER is Simple:
NOT CBS!!
" The Carter Center concludes that the 2005 electoral process did not fulfill Ethiopia's obligations to ensure the exercise of political rights and freedoms necessary for genuinely democratic elections "
You will find it at the executive summary ..page 2 of the report unfortunately it is only in English , ask if you don`t understand what it means
Just repeats a bunch a gibberish which are probably fed to it by George Soros and Co.!!
if you are talking about the CBS rating , correct your facts it is so sad you mentioning a twisted fact about a great philanthropist like George Soros ( especially for Africa ) ! Please stop it go out of the script given to you by your masters , as I said before go to school ...no matter how chicken head you are ...it will help you !!
(1) why is Mr. Zenawi a sought after speaker in G8 and G20 meetings?
The same reason as Tony Blair and Uk renewed relationship with Ghadafi and the same reason as Saudi, bahrain rulers are respected by the west...The importance of the dictators to their cause. Just because u dine with the westerns that doesnt make u a democrat and the issue of the article was meles is dictator not meles cant attend a meeting... Because China and Russia are part of G8 that doesnt make them democratic in the international world.
(2) Why are Western leaders interested to speak to him on economic and climate matters?
Meles has been called an economics intellect by some and also someone with no idea about economics. Wikileaks sited a western diplomat which called called Meles's knowledge of economics poor...he simply put him as someone u can do business with not an intellectual.. chk this out http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2011/02/06/wikileaks-ethiopia-meles-is-a-guy-you-can-do-business-with
The answer for the second point is ... he is invited to climate meetings cause he is foolish enough and deceptive that he is willing to sell Africa's rightful climate share for cheap. Source: http://www.huliq.com/1/89713/african-leaders-condemn-ethiopean-climate-proposal
(3) Why is he selected by the UN to co-chair the climate financing committee?
Look above!
(4) Why are world known economists such as Sachs and Stilgtz interested to sit down and talk economic policy matters with him?
Look (2)
And also if we are talking about his achievements as an academician thats another issue but that doesnt make him a democrat still...he might be a good student as described by some professors but he aint the only Ethiopian with that and I bet there are more smart economists in Ethiopia than him...even some from the opposition who can lecture him :)
(5) How about the current trajectory of economic and social progress Ethiopia is witnessing including the building of the world's tenth largest electric dam?
How about the government selling sugar and oil to the people like a merchant than doing what is expected of a government, 3 million people starving every year, ranked z lowest ICT penetration rate in the world, ranked one of the corrupt states, 26% inflation rate, lack of quality education, a failed health sector, exodus of intellectuals,.. can go on and on but the point is they are there to construct the dams and roads and schools. You dont give a teacher credit for just going to school you have to see its full output and I bet no one canchallenge me on any of the points...
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