by Tedla Asfaw
It is exactly three month since the terrorist attack of Benghazi that took the life of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other officials. Ambassador Susan Rice the US Ambassador to United Nations has become a very controversial figure since Obama won reelection and considered her as the favorite to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
For most Ethiopians back home and here in the Diaspora Ambassador Susan Rice became infamous after her heart felt eulogy on Sept.2 in Addis Ababa for the late Meles Zenawi another eulogy on Oct.27 at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, NY this year. We told her on our protest rally in Harlem at a close distance that she went way beyond diplomacy and became a spokesperson for brutal dictator by ignoring the victims of Meles Zenawi. She is disrespecting the Ethiopian people especially those who lost loved ones under Meles Zenawi’s brute security forces. She is telling us that our loss is nothing while she told the world that she lost a good friend.
Many Ethiopian bloggers have written about Susan Rice to inform the world for the last 3 month. Professor Alemayehu, Hama Tuma and Robele Ababya did a wonderful job. Ethiopians started questioning Susan Rice before American politicians and media started questioning her judgment and character following the Benghazi Debacle. Even now USA and other foreign medias except few have not brought the character and judgment of Susan Rice that spanned two decades of blunder in Africa.
In three weeks more than 1,300 Ethiopians sign the petition and made it clear that she should not be promoted to the Secretary of State. If she has to become the next Secretary of State she will also have another job of being a Spokeswoman for the Ethiopian tribal dictators. We know the Obama administration policy towards Ethiopia has been like its predecessors about USA security interest. It has nothing to do with human rights or free and transparent election.
Real Power after the death of a tyrant is still under the control of the same minority clique, TPLF. Hailemariam Desalegn a man from the South is a living Meles Zenawi. Susan Rice should love him because he is repeating the same line,”uncommonly wise”, she heard from Meles Zenawi. This week Al Jazeera interview the first Hailemariam gave is Meles Zenawi’s living Southern Face. Susan Rice is not only defending USA failed policy of more than two decades but promoting it as the best for Ethiopia and Ethiopians, the “rebirth” of Ethiopia that started under the “wise”leadership of the late Meles Zenawi more than two decades ago carried by another stooge.
We all know what it looks like the rebirth of a country. For that you have to see what has become of Egypt in just 20 month. Mubarak the darling of the West for many decades by playing the Israel and Arab card is gone. The elected president of Egypt Mursi is now facing opposition for rushing a constitution wrote by few for referendum on Dec. 16. Egyptians are fighting for the future of their country.
The people of Egypt are speaking up using their legal rights challenging even the elected president. For a Susan Rice “new” Ethiopia you are only allowed to “Cry” in public for the death of a tyrant. People who went out to appeal for Hailemariam bulldozers to stop demolition of their homes were beaten up and are now homeless, indeed a rebirth of a country.
Ethiopians went to Ambassador Susan Rice office across the UN Headquarter this morning to hand over the petition and be the Voice of the Voiceless Ethiopians. Nobody chase us or question why we were there. An official came out and chat with us before receiving our two envelops. One addressed to the Ambassador and the other one to the media section of the Ambassador office.This petition was also given to White House, Senate and Congress by Ethiopian activists in Washington, DC.
Had Ethiopians be free to assemble and petition their rulers Ambassador Susan Rice would have been saved from making a blunder she made on Sept.2, 2012 in Addis Ababa.The voice of millions of Ethiopians that was stifled in Ethiopia roared in Harlem and in Manhattan in thousands.
We thank all Ethiopians for being the voice of the Voiceless Ethiopians. The freedom the Egyptians got in just 20 month should encourage us to get involved to change the misery and the suffering of of our people once and for all. Yes we should be like the people of Egypt to say No to all forms of Dictatorship. We should not be shy also from denouncing those who insulted us in public like Ambassador Susan Rice. The rebirth of Ethiopia is sure to come.
