This Article is recycled after 15 years to benefit new comers to Ethiopian Political Echosystem. Addition to pervious article are indicated inside a bracket
This is a short extract from a personal diary.
It is a reflection of my experience with the main culprit in Kinijit-(CUD) Coalition for Unity and Democracy turmoil in The Diaspora. The sole aim of this writing is to share my experience and encourage others to share their knowledge and experience about the persona and character of this despicable individual and his entourages.
The Kinijit-CUD delegation currently on a Thank You Mission to the United States is in deep turmoil in Washington DC and elsewhere. It is a lot clearer now that the Kaliti Prisoners inside Ethiopia and out of the country are speaking up and telling us who Dr. Berhanu Nega really is.
By the hour, it is becoming clear that the driving force of this shameful act of treachery and sabotage is, in the name of collective leadership (collective back stabbing of the CUD chairman and the nation), none other than Dr.Berhanu Nega and his gullible accomplices. These individuals are bent on destroying Kinijit-CUD to facilitate the implementation of the well planned Agenda of Meles Zenawi and TPLF/EPRDF.
The cheap political manifestation and intrigue that crippled the Diaspora Support Groups for the last twelve months has all the marks, works, and looks of the major architect/designer of Divisiveness by the name Meles Zenawi and his hired Project Manager, Dr Berhanu Nega. The latter and his associates are set to destroy CUD as a legitimate opposition party in Ethiopia.
I had a few encounters with Dr Berhanu Nega in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s in his capacity as a member of the organizing committee forum for the Horn of Africa Conference conducted annually in New York City.
This Conference was notoriously known for its vilification of the Nation-State of Ethiopia, its culture, values, religion, and its people, as well as for maliciously propagating Ethiopia was an Imperial State that was in existence only for 100 years. This is the well-known stand of EPLF, TPLF, OLF, etc. liberation fronts. (The forum ended its annual Conference after the liberation fronts EPLF/TPLF accomplished their respective goal and Dr. Berhanu Nega obtained a replacement position at AAU after Zenawi summarily expelled forty-two distinguished professors for not toughing TPLF /EPLF lines)
I knew Dr. Berhanu as a happy cheerleader of all those hateful angry callous groups and individuals who indulged in bashing what Ethiopia and its people stood for. During the several years, Dr. Berhanu was actively involved in organizing the annual conference my colleagues and I observed many strange activities reflecting his morality, his cutthroat attitude and incredible selfishness when it comes to advance his relentless ambition.
In one of the forums where he was the chaperon /safety officer/coordinator of the forum, there were two men representing the Derge regime among others. One was Dr Hailu Araya representing the “Shengo” and another man representing the Workers Party of Ethiopia.
It was expected that they would have time to give presentation on their respective institutions. When the representative of the Workers Party began, there were as big commotion – heckling, name-calling, insulting, threats to cause physical harm to the workers’ party representative.
For some unknown reason, the reaction to Dr.Hailu Araya was mute and civil even though he represented a different branch/institution of the same regime as the workers party did. May be it was a blessing in disguise for him that the majority of those attending was TPLF/EPLF supporters. There were no attacks or intimidation of Dr Hailu Araya.
All the fury was directed at the poor soul of the Workers Party of Ethiopia. At one point two strangers /good Samaritans had to interfere to stop, a menacing physical attack directed against this Ethiopian. They felt it was their duty as human beings and Fellow-Ethiopians not to let other immature and rude fellow Ethiopians harm the lone guest in a place alien to him. He did not know or ever had any previous encounters with anybody. He was there to share, albeit different, his views to the meeting.
Dr Berhanu and the people who escorted him to the meeting place were not there to protect this invited guest of the forum from these unruly TPLF/EPLF mob. Was he set up and left to fend of for himself in an alien and strange place because he had a different ideological view from Dr Berhanu/TPLF supporters? None of two men who came to the aid of this individual knew him or Dr Hailu Araya before or supports their respective ideological position. For them, the only motive was a simple principle that a mob or anybody should not and must not threaten and attack an individual because he believed or entertained a different political view. The courageous men further took it upon themselves to invite the upset Ethiopian to lunch, console him, and brought him back to the meeting. [This writer one of the two has meet the gentelman of The Workers Party of Ethiopia twice after the incident at a Washington DC rally in 2015 and 2016 against TPLF atrocities. The writer beleive the gentelman lives in Washington Metro area. Although we never had a chance to talk about his upleasant Horn of Africa incident ,it begs sharing the experience 30 yeras latter to learn from it]
We have seen many times before many distinguished scholars sneered at, jeered and cursed for not promoting EPLF/TPLF line.
Dr Berhanu’s role was to ensure the safety and well-being of all invited guests. One cannot miss the fact he was happy to see the ugly spectacle directed against this fellow then and now his low-life, immoral hired radio talks hosts and websites managers who spew his disgusting messages against the CUD chairperson and his associates.
It was in character with a man who lives on back door dealings and loves to unleash smear campaigns against people of principles. It is only a cold and calculating person who does not show a minimum amount of care for a beleaguered fellow citizen then and an organization and individuals now.
It is such experiences that led others describe him, as one friend put it “man with no bounds to his ambitions, opportunist, and one to who people are expendable if they stand in the way of what he wants. (Was he upset at the loss of the Mayoral office Addis Abeba? Was that his ultimate goal one way or another?)
When I hear and see what is going inside CUD, I see his selfish behavior rearing its head camouflaged in the name of collective leadership, more appropriately collective betrayal of his party’s leader, and the nation of 77million. He is not alone for he is helped by TPLF, his likes, the Carter Center and individuals in the State Department.
I ask others to share their diaries with rest of us about this selfish individual and his collaborators to match their gutter politics and reveal their true self since a leopard cannot change its skin… and the ongoing conspiracy to isolate leader/leaders parties, group/groups of people begs for it.
My colleague who helped to protect the Workers’ Party officer happened to be one of those young men who joined EPRP when he was still in high school but he never lost his humane values and principles to date.
I clearly recall my last encounter with Dr. Berhanu Nega in Washington DC in the summer of 1991.This was the time EPLF/TPLF and Mr. Herman Cohen of the State Department were arranging the July 1991 Conference in Addis Ababa.
I was among the many Ethiopians who descended on Washington DC to demonstrate and lobby at the State Department to allow our respective elected representatives and those of all opposition parties inside Ethiopia and out of the country in the July Conference. We hoped the Conference they will attend usher in a new era and a culture of working with diverse political philosophies and goals.
Then as now our pleas and demonstration did not get us anywhere, instead some of us who went to see our elected officials and government bureaucrats were ridiculed as members of the losing party, the ultra-nationalist and Amhara sore losers etc. etc.….
The State Department in collaboration with TPLF issued/arranged visas for selected few to attend and blessed the pre-arranged outcome of the conference. Our lobbying and probably our largest demonstration in the Nation’s Capital to get our peaceful message were bleak and elusive.
The most disheartening part of our campaign came when we learned that the State Department was completely biased against the interest of the Nation-State of Ethiopia in favor of TPLF/EPLF so much so they excluded one of their employees from traveling with the group to the Conference because they considered her open minded and willing to listen to our call for fairness and was sympathetic to the Ethiopian cause.
I recall how this baffled employee was frustrated when she learnt that she would not be granted entry visa by authorities in Ethiopia her boss was also unable secure his entry visa from the Transitional Government of Ethiopia. All this was happening after all travel plans were finalized. It was a real comedy/drama played by Melese, State Department officials, the Carter Center and EPLF.
Then as is now, it was common to patronize Ethiopian restaurants after a day of demonstration, lobbying effort and vigil by going to one of the Ethiopian restaurants: to unwind, meet compatriots and compare notes of the daily event.
It was on one of these days that we ran into Dr.Berhanu at Addis Ababa restaurant. A group of six or seven individuals who were there to send a goodwill message, resumes, and letters to Prime Minister Tamrat Layne and Dawit Yohannes surrounded him.
The loud, talkative, pompous manner of Dr. Berhanu attracted our attention, though we were far away across many tables. He was loud enough for us hear him narrate how he and his family knew the unfortunate and poor Tamrat and Dawitt and now one is on top of the universe … blah- blah …..
He continued, still loud, with the belittling of all our efforts to have all-inclusive conference and with a tirade against COEDF/EPRP and their leaders: Colonel Goshu Wolde, Yoseph Mersha and all as warmongers. He said that they always miss opportunities, lacked vision, not politically savvy. He kept on heaping all kinds of insults on them. He bragged about his liberation front schooling and his upbringing.
It was quite revealing about the character and persona of this individual when you hear him talk about his former organization (EPRP), where he claimed to have shed his milk teeth, and praise it for its principles, dedication, and lofty ideas.
See his [bteatnachew] book and Melese I… Me … Me …. I book (the dawn of treachery if you believe he wrote the six-hundred-page book in six months’ time edited…)
Some of us at the restaurant felt, no matter what the shortcomings of his child hood organization, he should have been humble and should have shown respect for his former friends and the rest of us who were trying hard to have an All-Inclusive Conference in July. We even wondered if he ever showed up or contributed a penny in any of the meetings or rallies that were going on at the time in defense of political freedom and democracy. (There are many prisoners in jail still held by Melese who went to participate in the July ’91 Conference)
Why was he bent on bashing people and organization that have firm principles then and now?
We were certain and convinced that he was going to hassle Tamrat and co. After leaving Washington DC with envelops and intelligence report and resumes collected from his likes about the activity of the Diaspora, it is any one’s guessed what he brought to the table that was not good enough to knock out heavy weights like Kifle Wedajo who was more adept and capable and willing to serve TPLF than him and his colleagues that we saw at the restaurant. (I ask those losers to share with the rest of us their reflection on who lucked out and who did not….)
It is in the public record that he was rewarded with a “Villa “for his effort at that time. It is not something he can sneer at for a little bit of hassling he did.
We have heard now enough disgusting and despicable talk and writing by Dr.Berhanu and company against principled leaders of our people in the past and present .
I feel it is time for the rest of us to share our diaries to defend our unwavering and selfless leaders Prof. Asrat Weldeyes ,Colonel Goshu Welde and the Countless in the past; since they were vilified and paid the ultimate price in the struggle to defend the interest of Ethiopia against TPLF, the Carter Center, and State Department. [ Twenty years latter Eskender Nega, Aster Seyoum, Sintayehu Chekol and Askale Demele and many more languish in dungeon prison while Ezema party leader et al. are bussy fighting over OLF/PP leftovers, deliberately denying and enabling genocide in the country]
We have to be very vigil and conscious of the conspiracy/dealings currently under way at the Carter Center and the State Department with the willing “opposition group.” Are we going to allow a repeat of the July 1991 exclusion conference?
We all know now why so many in the Diaspora and at home had a big OH BOY sigh when Dr.Berhanu began shadowing Prof Mesfin Wolde-Mariam. Professor Asrat Weldeyes ,Prof.Getatchew Haile , Prof Mesfin Woldemariam were labeled by TPLF/EPLF as the “Three Professors” to be dealt one way or another and we know what happened to Professor Asrat Weldeyes .
We have to act and protect our unwavering leaders in the past and current CUD leader Engineer Hailu Shawl, Dr.Taye Weldesemyat and the countless in their effort to defined the interest of Ethiopia against TPLF and the new breed of collective sellouts aka civilized politicians.
What happened and what is happening at the Carter Center, State Department and the so-called willing politicians / sellouts is vivid and outrageous and we must show outrage.
Why was it that known TPLF agents were calling Dr. Berhanu from Washington DC and New York in late June and July of 1997 when all hell was let loose on the leadership in Addis Ababa?
Why was Dr Berhanu Nega in New York City on numerous occasions in late September 2007? Was he presenting his progress report on demolition of CUD to his boss?
Why is that Sheik Al Amoudi the only [እስችው)] “esachew” in his book ( Ye Netsant Goh.. As the Dawn of Freedom or is it the Dawn of Treachery?
Did “esachew’ picked up his travel, hotel and allowance for his designated media and stage attack dogs? [Fifteen years latter Prosperty Party will pick up the tabs, as Dr. Berhanu and his party pretend to berth Democracy in Ethiopia. An army of paid Youtubers and facebook bloggers continue to confuse decent Ethiopians with their shamless smear attacks against citizens who are working hard to alert the ongoing genocide. Like a Mafia boss his entire life was a game of smoke and mirror, double talk and double dealing. The masacre in Bedeno,Arbagugu, Kore Shashemene, Metekel, Welega, Tigraye, Konso, Gedio, Ataye… mass burrial of poor incocent farmers,women, childeren displacement in millions and ethenic cleansing then and now is invisible to a party leader of citizenship. ]
Through time, we will know the truth.
Let us share what we all know so the rest can be informed.
[The Genocide in Ethiopia Must be Exposed and Stopped Imediately]
Dogo Aba Bora
