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Eternal
Woyane with NO Apology! In Memory of Lekatit 11
A.G.
Michael, Canada
“Civility
is not a sign of weakness”, asserted J.F. Kennedy sometime during the
Cold War Era, when the USA and the USSR were vying for global hegemony.
Civility and respecting democratic rights of others were enshrined in the
strategic institutional arrangements of Woyane II. This was done long
before the armed struggle was declared 33 years ago on Lekatit 11 at
Dedebit. The unique social values, norms, tradition, and history that
characterize the Tigraian culture were essential building blocks of the
social, economic, political, and military institutions of Woyane II. That
is why Dergue, with its largest military machine in Africa, which was
sustained by sophisticated spy system and military hardware of the USSR,
was humiliated and annihilated in the hands of the heroes and heroines of
Woyane II.
Unfortunately, the present
day chauvinists do not appear to get it. Their stupidity is always
revealed through their behavior of interpreting the Tigraian civility as a
sign of weakness and fear. They should have read the history of Woyane I,
the first Tigaian revolution that humiliated and forced Emperor Haile
Selassie to seek help from a foreign power. In 1943, when Tigrai was
nearly to be administered fully by its sons and daughters, Haile Selassie
begged for help of the British Empire. Authorized by him (Haile Selassie),
the British Air Force mercilessly bombed towns, villages, and marketplaces
to force Tigrai into submission. Those savage acts were during Woyane I.
Yes, the British got involved in the internal affairs of Ethiopia to
defend the Aristocratic Monarchy of Haile Selassie. The Tigraian heroes
and heroines did not have the military means to stand against the British
Imperial Air Force. Consequently, Woyane I was suppressed temporarily
until 1975, when Woyane II was born on Lekatit 11.
Dergue
repeated Haile Selassie’s brutal savagery during the bitter-armed
struggle (1975-1991). It bombed churches, schools, towns, villages, and
marketplaces (e.g., the Hawzien market day massacre). Similarly, during
the 2005 elections, as the Ethiopian High Court found out, the Inthra
Hamwee
of Addis Ababa, a
collection of remnant elements of Dergue and some shortsighted
intellectuals, conspired to commit genocide against Tigraians. It was
amazing to discover that the so-called intellectuals were indoctrinated in
Western universities to manufacture havoc in Addis Ababa and elsewhere in
Ethiopia, using poor, unemployed, and uneducated hooligans. The conspiracy
was to do exactly what the Inthrra Hamwee
(barbaric militia) of the Rewandan Hutssies did against their fellow
Rewandese, the Tutssies. For that, the High Court found all leaders of the
Addis
Ababa Inthra Hamwee conspiracy
guilty as charged beyond any reasonable doubt; and sentenced them
for life imprisonment. The
developments after the High Court passed its verdict are for next time to
be told in detail.
But,
there are two fundamental questions that are not answered yet:
(1) Why does one ethnic group, which was part of all the evil deeds
of Haile Selassie and Dergue, exhibit so deeply seated hatred against
Tigraians? Why do the chauvinists from that ethnic group interpret cool
headedness, calculative patience, civility, and farsightedness as timidity
and fearfulness? The answer is simple. They are so ignorant, arrogant, and
ethnocentrically foolish. They keep refusing to learn the lessons of
Woyane Tigrai. The lessons of equality, justice, peace, and development
for all Ethiopians within the framework of a true democratic constitution
are not and never will be palatable for foolishly arrogant chauvinists and
for the self-serving opportunists.
The
self-serving opportunists, who claim to be Tigraians, are the worst of
them all. Their treachery is beyond words can explain. They do not seem to
get it. Not only that they are colluding with the enemies of Tigrai, they
are also roaming around the world to trade the Rights
and Freedoms of their own people for their individual selfish
ambitions to grab political “fame” and power. There are also cyber
space and radio wave stooges who write and talk on behalf of these
opportunists.
Shame on them all!
In
closing, a few final words are in order. It must be clear to the
chauvinists, the opportunists, and the stooges that the Tigraian masses,
along with the masses of other nations, nationalities, and peoples, are
and will always be on guard to defend their hard won democratic rights.
Particularly the people of Tigrai will never be complacent; because they
realize that they have been and are the lead players in defending the
Ethiopian revolution, which has ushered in a total socioeconomic and
political transformation. To that end, as Asghedom (2000) put it,
“Today, the people of Tigrai highly value the achievements of their
bitter struggle. They are determined to stand steadfastly on guard of
their Woyane for eternity. The founding fathers and all the rest of us
will die. But, Woyane is eternal. Its torch will be passed on to
generation from generation to generation... continue!”. By
Asghedom Ghebremicael In
the present day Ethiopia, therefore, the people understand
pretty well that defending the ongoing democratic social revolution is the
only strategic approach to reaping the benefits of peace, justice, unity,
and equality. Then, the war against the pervasive and abject poverty will
be won. That is why we all
should say eternal Woyane with no apology!
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