By Tedla Asfaw
Activist Tedla Asfaw
Mengistu Hailemaraim the butcher of Ethiopia has become “Madiba specialist” thanks to the SBS and ESAT Amharic Radio following the passing away of Madiba early this month. Mengistu shamefully talked about the 100,000 dollar he gave to Madiba on his Ethiopian visit after his freedom. Mengistu was heard boasting about “tutoring” Madiba about the end of the cold war. How comes we have not learnt about such claim from any other source? Is this not the same claim Mengitu made about not killing a fly let alone humans during his 17 years of terror??
We all know Mengistu for what he was. He has done a lot to destroy Ethiopia than some of his admirers claim, a fighter for Ethiopian “unity”. Mengistu is a “God send’ for Woyane and Shabia. Both were anti Ethiopia forces against Madiba vision of Ethiopia, a united Ethiopia. Mengistu has paved the way for Ethiopia to be controlled by its haters for more than 22 years by eliminating patriotic Ethiopians. We are now left with the “coward generation” that publicly “honored” the late tyrant Melees Zenawi who destroyed all institutions of Ethiopian unity.
Many ESAT followers of Mengistu admirers wanted to rewrite history. ESAT and SBS by Inviting Mengistu are dishonoring Madiba because Mengistu wiped Emperor Haileselassie’s rule by coldblooded massacre of 60 high officials. Madiba got his military and diplomatic support from those who were massacred by Mengistu.
Some who condemned Mengistu never condemned the massacre of Haileselassie officials. No one commemorate the anniversary of those except family members each year. We want only to recognize our own victims. Yes EPRP should commemorate the death of 500,000 its supporters and members massacred but we should not ignore the death of Haileselassie and all who served under him.
We cannot talk about Colonel Tadsesse Biru and Madiba ignoring Haileselassie. When Woyane lobbied against Haileselassie statue erection at African Union many of us “supported’ it by being silent.
We need to come out strong and condemn Mengistu Hailemriam for his crime against humanity. The terror he started by gunning down innocent 60 high officials should be recognized first. Let us start recognize the fact that if we Ethiopians had condemned Mengistu’s terror then we might have saved the following terror that took half million of young patriotic Ethiopians.
Mengistu rehabilitators have a lot to explain. It is not about freedom of speech we are talking about here it is about journalists who failed to ask a very serious question, the death of half a million people by direct order of Fascist Mengistu Hailemariam. It is about journalism cajoling murderers and kept silent about victims.
Let those who helped Madiba in the struggle against apartheid speak about him. Mengistu Hailemariam and those who served under him have blood on their hands are in no way should get a stage before confessing their crimes against the people of Ethiopia. The Spirit of Madiba started in South Africa by confession about past crimes.