Ethiopian protesters take to streets

[Che -Guevara]

Thousands of protesters have demonstrated in the Ethiopian capital to demand the release of jailed journalists and activists.

 

It is the first major demonstration on the streets of Addis Ababa since 2005 when hundreds of protesters were killed in violence.

 

Demonstrators shouted slogans calling for freedom and justice.

 

Ethiopia's governing party, the EPRDF, maintains strict control over public life in the East African country.

 

The protests were organised by the opposition Semayawi (blue) party.

 

Party chairman Yilekal Getachew told Reuters that as well as the release of the prisoners, the demonstrators also wanted action on unemployment, inflation and corruption in Ethiopia.

 

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn took office in September 2012 following the death of Meles Zenawi.

 

Tolerating dissent?

 

The BBC's Africa analyst Richard Hamilton says the fact that the rally was given permission to be held at all, and passed off peacefully, suggests the new prime minister may be more tolerant of dissent than his predecessor.

 

Human rights groups argue that the Ethiopian government has used a 2009 anti-terrorism law as a pretext to imprison members of the opposition and the press.

 

The Committee to Protect Journalists says Ethiopia is close to replacing Eritrea as the African country with the most journalists behind bars.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22748834

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

I dont think these protestors can make a change The TPLF will not release journalists nor will they allow exiled journalists return to Ethiopia.

[The Zack]

^TPLF is not stronger than Mubarak's and Ben Ali's regimes.

[Cambuulo iyo bun]

The Zack;958253 wrote:

^TPLF is not stronger than Mubarak's and Ben Ali's regimes.

mr zack may i ask you what the difference between kenya and ethiopia is?

[Abtigiis]

Indeed, Addis witnessed a large demonstration which passed off peacefully. I think Hailemariam is heading to the right direction. Last week, he encouraged the Parliament to ask questions to Ministers when the present performance reports. Even this small gesture was not allowed by the tyrant Meles. The level of repression has gone down. The anti-corruption commission led by Ali Sulieman is somehow allowed to do its job. Now, he allowed this demonstrations. I believe Hailemariam is trying to revive institutions; for there was none under the monarch Meles. It bodes well for Ethiopia. But these are very tentative measures, so we will have to see how it unfolds.

 

I will post the video of the demonstration later. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians singing "Ethiopia...yenya mamekia" was breathtaking. People are calling for justice and freedom...the two things I have always said are missing in Ethiopia.

 

Inat hager, Ethiopia...

Inat hager, Ethiooooopia,

Eeeeeeeeeethiopia, yenya memekia!....

 

They chanted, waking Tilahun Gesesse from the grave.

[Safferz]

Abtigiis;958255 wrote:

Indeed, Addis witnessed a large demonstration which passed off peacefully. I think Hailemariam is heading to the right direction. Last week, he encouraged the Parliament to ask questions to Ministers when the present performance reports. Even this small gesture was not allowed by the tyrant Meles. The level of repression has gone down. The anti-corruption commission led by Ali Sulieman is somehow allowed to do its job. Now, he allowed this demonstrations. I believe Hailemariam is trying to revive institutions; for there was none under the monarch Meles. It bodes well for Ethiopia. But these are very tentative measures, so we will have to see how it unfolds.

 

I will post the video of the demonstration later. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians singing "Ethiopia...yenya mamekia" was breathtaking. People are calling for justice and freedom...the two things I have always said are missing in Ethiopia.

 

Inat hager, Ethiopia...

Inat hager, Ethiooooopia,

Eeeeeeeeeethiopia, yenya memekia!....

 

They chanted, waking Tilahun Gesesse from the grave.

What does "memekia" mean? Pride?

[Abtigiis]

Saffrez, it means my defender, my shield, my pride - one word for all this.

 

Here it is Tilahun singing at the battle front during the Ethiopia-Eritrea war, but the song is a very old one and hugely, hugely popular.

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

The Zack;958253 wrote:

^TPLF is not stronger than Mubarak's and Ben Ali's regimes.

TPLF has corrupted the Ethiopian army , Egypt had Peoples army. The army and the TPLF are exactly the same there is no difference.

[burahadeer]

what difference it make, purely ethnic gov'ts will remain in Africa for a long,long time to come.People will vote along ethnic lines and oromos will come to power which the powers that be can't swallow.Even the most potent opposition ,the Amharas,won't accept....then back to square one; who eva strong enough at the time should ascend the throne.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Complete domination of the army there is no way Ethiopians can protests the same way as Egyptians and the Arabs did. The Tigreans would completly crush any opposition that protest. I believe only Ethnic movements can defeat the ruling TPLF. Remember what happened in 2005.

 

 

[Mad_Mullah]

TPLF is a lot weaker then Mubarak. Mubarak was Egyptian Muslim so is the majority of the population. He did not prefer people from certain parts to others. Even the town Mubarak came from still looks like crap.

 

While with these people they just get Habashis and not even Amhara. If the Oromos weren't so weak and lazy the government would have fallen.

 

The Somalis are causing more trouble than the Oromos even though the Oromos are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Problem with Ethiopia there is no unified opposition every ethnic group is fighting for their own political goals the Amharas want to replace the TPLF and want to reinvent Ethiopia under their vision probably they are dreaming to bring back how haile selasie ruled and Menelik. The oromos are divided parts of them are part of the Amhara movements ginbots EPPF others are OLF supporters and the last group of them are in bed with the TPLF.Egyptians were a nation state , Ethiopia is not Ethiopia,is very different than Egypt in all aspects.

 

Its true that the TPLF is much weaker than it was few years ago. But still i dont see how protests will worry the TPLF. Mad Mullah you should not view oromo as one ethnic group , oromos are just one in name but in reality they are not the arsi oromos have nothing to do with wollo oromo or showa oromo Tulamo oromo. Those oromos are basically multilingual Amharas. While the Wellega oromos are in bed with the TPLF. And the Borana oromos are basically disconnected from the rest of the oromos.

 

Than there are the sidamo liberation movements all of their farm lands is in the hands of indians now. And the Somalis just want complete secession so they cant really team up with the other groups because they dont have the same interests the olf came the closest and basically OLF doesn't function any more so they cant team up with any one. For the Somalis a Strong Somali state would ideal for them to support their cause but i dont see that happening any time soon. The Somali republic is in the process of fragmentation.

 

You cannot compare Egypt with Ethiopia, Egyptians were a nation state and have Christian minority they are not as diverse as Ethiopia the people just there wanted change. While in Ethiopia there are secessionist movements left right and major religious differences fundamental political differences.

[The Zack]

Xaaji Xunjuf;958322 wrote:

TPLF has corrupted the Ethiopian army , Egypt had Peoples army. The army and the TPLF are exactly the same there is no difference.

What you don't understand is Tigrays aka Wayane make less than 10% of the army.

[Abtigiis]

Oodweyne,

 

The ONLF itself, already comatose, will be overtaken by events if justice and freedom prevail in Ethiopia. We will no longer emphasize ethnicity as long as we can live peacefully and without harassment in our villages, something we have been denied for long. As long as we keep our Somalinimo inside our hearts, we can follow the Kenyan-Somalis model, but that would require Ethiopia to resemble Kenya in terms of Governance.

 

The ONLF is no longer relevant as a political entity. It is a shell that survives because it has remained as medium where anger and anguish is ventilated through. If the atrocities stop, the ONLF has nothing to offer to the Somali people in the Somali region. Glued to grandiose and delusional "O" hegemony vision, and led by intellectually feeble octogenarians, the front is dying a natural death. A new political outfit that unites the Somali people in Ethiopia along an agenda of self-governance and justice is in order now.

 

But if the killings and rape of our men and women continue, the ONLF will survive. It has survived so far not because we think it is a good front, but because we have nothing better and we are a very, very bitter community, massacred and banished from their own land.

[burahadeer]

what difference it make, purely ethnic gov'ts will remain in Africa for a long,long time to come.People will vote along ethnic lines and oromos will come to power which the powers that be can't swallow.Even the most potent opposition ,the Amharas,won't accept....then back to square one; who eva strong enough at the time should ascend the throne.

In that case all that's matter is who doing better ova all....and Tigrays are by far much,much better then their predecessors, ofc no one knows tomorrow.