Amhara Genocide Instigators Finding Refuge in the United States, Spotlight on Bekele Gerba

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1. No criminal specially ethic cleaning agitators like Bekele Gerba granted asylum in USA. Let us work hard all of us concerned to request deportation of Bekele Gerba and alike like we did for other criminals of Derg Junta military dictators time we witnesses and helped removal and trial of Kelbessa Nego of Atlanta Georgia and Kefelegn Alemu of Denver Colorado,

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2. It is only fitting that Oromo instigators of Amhara genocide get refuge here as the US State Department has been the major enabler of Amhara genocide and highest contributor to the disintegration of Ethiopia as a unitary state so far.

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   • OMG! How about the likes of Tamagn Beyene, Nemen Zeleke, Mekonnen Kebede, and hundreds others who put on the Ethiopian army uniform, carried AK-47 and personally participated in Tigray genocide? Zehabasha, where is your shame?

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3. OMG! How about the likes of Tamagn Beyene, Nemen Zeleke, Mekonnen Kebede, and hundreds others who put on the Ethiopian army uniform, carried AK-47 and personally participated in Tigray genocide? Zehabasha, where is your shame?

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   • Fekede: You know very well what your boss, Tasdkan Gebretensai, said in regard to how the TPLFites want to come to Addis, go to Minilik palace, dismantle Ethiopia, and lay the foundation for the independence of Tigrai. So what is wrong with fighting TPLFites? This is the duty of true Ethiopians. Moreover, during the time the TPLFites were attempting to come to Addis, they were raping Amhara mothers and girls, stealing everything Wollo and Gondar farmers had including flour, dismantling the industries at Kombolcha and transporting everything to Mekele. So, what is wrong with fighting thieves, rapists, invaders and Amhara haters?
     You TPLFites are born to lie and propagate hate, in particular against Amhara people.

     Everything Ethiopians are going through is because of the poisonous TPLF and its worshipers abiy amed and fascist olf.

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4. On the basis of the interview Bekele Gerba gave to DW some months ago released under the title (ከፓርቲ ኃላፊነታቸው በገዛ ፈቃዳቸው መልቀቃቸውን ገልጸዋል), a free legal opinion suggested that his claim for a refugee status in the U.S. is at best precarious. It might be something a lot worse, like rejection.

   WHY?

   Under United States law, a refugee is someone who:
   – is located outside of the United States
   – is of special humanitarian concern to the United States
   – demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group
   – . . .
   – is admissible to the united states

   Given the law, Bekele Gerba does not meet any of the above requirements.

   First, he’s already in the U.S. presumably on a visitor visa which one hopes he has renewed it three or four times by now. If he’s claiming a refugee status becuse further renewal is denied, that by itself weakens his claim. He also fails to meet the requirement that he applies ffro a refugee status from out of the country.

   Second, Bekele says he has been to the U.S. for fifteen months. If that’s the case, why didn’t he apply for refugee status the moment he entered the country. Was he contry – shopping? Any European country or the U.S. where he can lead a comfortable retirement life? Fifteen months stay without refugee claim suggests that he was planning to return to Ethiopia and was not seriously affected by his previous arrests. This damages his main ground for claim which is his “previous” persecution.

   Third, it appears Bekele was trying to force the Ethiopian government to issue an arrest warrant for fifteen months while in the U.S. by his speeches which he has not succeeded. The absence of outstanding arrest warrant seriously weakens his claim. Fear of persecution is easily established by arrest warrant which does not exist.

   Fourth, the political party from the leadership of which Bekele just withdrew (OFC) is legal in Ethiopia, registered by National Electoral Board and its leaders are freely issuing statements and giving interviews without any problem posed to them by the government. In fact, they are reportedly bringing together several opposition parties to defeat the current ruling party (PP) in the next election. The fact that he stayed with OFC until yesterday further weakens Bekele’s claim.

   Finally, Bekele says he does not want to return to Ethiopia because the field for political activites (political space) has narrowed in the last year or so. Narrow or not narrow, this is not adequate ground for refugee claim. For that matter, democracy is not complete anywhere in the world – even in the U.S. Millions live in Ethiopia with little or no incident if they do not bother the government. Compared to what people like Amharas face today, fleeing the country and claiming refugee because the political space narrowed is a joke. The U.S. does not go along with jokers.

   As mentioned in point two above, the only issue Bekele might have raise is that he has been persecuted in the past. For reasons under three and four, he’ll face problem to meet that. The last accusation he faced was criminal related to the death of a famous Oromo singer and his release was a result of political decision- not acquittal by a court. So, he might not be able to « demonstrate » – a very high standard that should be supported by documents and/or witnesses – of past persecution. Even for that, fifteen months have passed.

   Most inmportant in refugee cases is persecution NOW. Bekele cannot show present persecution. On balance, rejection is the outcome of Belkele’s application.

   One final point. There are exclusions from refugees under U.S. law. Below are the main ones.

   “A refugee does not include anyone who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

   As we know it, Bekele Gerba’s life is full of incitements – if not more – of Oromos in the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Amharas on the basis of their race, religion and nationality. Audio and image materials are available on the web and from other sources for those interested to confirm this fact.

   My suggestion for Amhara organizations and all Ethiopians who oppose genocide and ethnic cleansing to take up Bekele’s application for a refugee status and make the guy an example that the resistance is not only at home but all over the world. A letter of plea to the U.S. government to look into the application seriously might be sufficient.

   The worrying part is Bekele promises to continue his struggle from the U.S. which means his venom attack on Amharas as Jawar and others did in the past. We’re all living the outcomes of Jawar’s « I’m Oromo first » speech and the attrocities that followed to this day. What’s surprising is, Bekele, in the interview with DW begins by calling himself Ethiopian because he carries Ethiopian passport. No refugee claim without having a country! He surely hates Ethiopia with a passion.

   Bekele Gerba has nothing to fear in Ethiopia. He himself admits he has lost his job at the AAU because he has reached retirement age (which is 60) and was forced to live without pension. Ethiopia has pension based on the number of years of service and there is recourse if he’s denied to get one – sue the government in court. Loss of job and pension might be the trigger for Bekele’s refugee claim. There is such thing called economic reugee. In that situation, he deserves compasion like any other economic refugee. However, U.S. does not recognise economic refugees. I hate to see Bekele without paper in the U.S.

   Given the above, Bekele is not “of special humanitarian concern to the United States”. His last chance out.

   Amharas, act now. Submit your plea to the U.S. government. Ethiopians who oppose Amhara genocide and ethnic cleansing should join Amharas in this effort. A free ride to a guy like Bekele should make every human being to shiver. Let us take one cruelty at a time.

   Good luck!

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   • CHACHISSA GONFA,
     What an analysis from the perspective of your expertise as a lawyer. If I may ask, when you applied for assylum, did you meet all the requirements that you demanded Bekele to meet? It looks you are an overhyped naftagna prostitute.

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