Ethiopia: Freedom and Justice Rally, WED. JAN. 14

By Tedla Asfaw

Ethiopians are starting the new year by coming together on Wednesday January 14 in ten major cities of the world to denounce the TPLF regime in Ethiopia that is throwing the opposition UDJP party chair the honorable Judge Birtukan Medeksa who is now on her tenth day hunger strike in prison in Ethiopia. Amnesty International categorized her as prisoner of conscience.

No one is spared on this crackdown. The famous singer Teddy Afro and many Oromo professionals are among them. The coincidence of this crackdown with the defeat in Somalia is not accidental. The regime invasion of Somalia in Christmas 2006 was then to divert attention from ongoing internal crisis following the 2005 stolen election.

The current crackdown is also to exploit the window of opportunity during power transfer in USA. This is the warning for the coming Obama administration. "Do not get involved on our internal affairs on sovereign Ethiopia, and we know you have your own economic problem, Iraq, Afghanistan etc and leave us alone".

Hopefully this message will be delivered to Obama by the Clinton's people who are now surrounding Obama, Ms. Clinton, Susan Rice etc. who supported and financed the TPLF regime amid continuous protest by the Diaspora exposing the tyrannical behavior of the regime.

The regime in power in Ethiopia exploited the 9/11 incidence on the last Bush Administration and came as the number one fighter of terrorism in East Africa. The invasion of Somalia two years ago was with the direct financial and logistical support from USA. If you ask the members of Meles' Parliament/Club who pays for the two years adventure in Somalia the answer is they do not know. The war book is with Meles and Pentagon.

Somalia is now where it was before the invasion after thousands of innocent lives lost. It is shameful to hear " Mission Accomplished " by the regime cadres and go to their business of destroying opponents that was temporarily on hold during the invasion to get political support. To their dismay no one supported this adventurous war and opposition parties all exposed the consequence of this war, bringing future instability. As the world witnessed, Ogaden has been the main victim of this Somalia adventure. The war in Ogaden is well documented and the time for those who perpetuated this war crime is not going to be far.

The coming Wed. 14 protest is one of the many that is going to be carried throughout the world this year. The dimension of the crisis needs all Ethiopians to come out and voice their anger. This is not a rally for political organizations. Calling this protest is no more than taking the initiative and we should not exploit such gatherings for our own limited political goal.

The banners we carry on this coming protest calls for justice in Ogaden and the release of all political prisoners. Parties that do not take the initiative of organizing this coming rally should join and voice their anger too. From our experience of the last eighteen years protest in the Diaspora throughout the world we learned that all the successful protests were those organized by concerned Ethiopians without any political affiliation.

We all have common enemy and this rally is not a political solidarity with any group, ours should be with the voiceless Ethiopians. The coming rally is by all Ethiopians for Ethiopia and all are well come. I call especially our Somali and Oromo brothers and sisters to join us because it is only when we stand together we will make difference.