Meles vs. Mengistu: The pot calling the Kettle Black
By Fisseha Tecle*
May 22, 2006 — Should Jean-Bedel Bokassa (the former butcher of Central African Republic) sit in judgment of Idi Amin Dada? The drama of one dictator convicting another of genocide is currently underway in Ethiopia.
On Tuesday, May 23 Meles Zenawi has promised to
deliver the final verdict for his predecessor, the
butcher Mengistu Haile Mariam. And Meles wants the
world to think better of him for doing so.
“Mengistu Haile Mariam, accused of a 17-year reign of
terror in Ethiopia, faces a long-awaited genocide
verdict on Tuesday in a sign of Africa’s new resolve
to bring ex-leaders to account for past abuses,”
writes Tsegaye Taddesse in a May 21, 2006 Reuters
dispatch from Addis Ababa.
Is what the Ethiopian government doing a “sign of
Africa’s new resolve to bring ex-leaders to account
for past abuses” or is it a cruel manipulation of
public opinion to divert attention from Ethiopia’s
current crisis?
Why did it take the government of Prime Minister
Zenawi 15 years to try and convict Mengistu and
company? Ethiopians who suffered under the murderous
Mengistu regime wanted justice a long time ago. Why
the delay and why now?
The answer may have a lot to do with Ethiopia’s
troubled present than redressing past grievances.
Ethiopia’s ruling Tigrai People’s Liberation Front
(TPLF) has been acting like a wounded animal in the
wake of the disputed 2005 elections. Feeling the
wrath of an angry population that has rejected its
rule, the minority government is willing to go to any
length to stay in power. It has killed upwards of 100
civilians and arrested thousands since June 2005
alone.
Those in jail include the top leaders of the main
opposition party, journalists and civil society
leaders. To intimidate his opponents and stamp out
all opposition, Prime Minister Zenawi has hurled
ridiculous accusations of genocide against his
political opponents.
The timing and the manner of reporting of the Mengistu
genocide verdict are curious.
The Ethiopian government expelled competent foreign
correspondents such as Anthony Mitchell of the
Associated Press and threw dozens of domestic
journalists in jail, shutting the avenue for any sort
of critical reporting. It has turned instead to
carefully cultivated, compliant locals such as Tsegaye
Taddesse who lend wire service legitimacy to an
otherwise clear-cut disinformation campaign.
Ethiopia’s government is deeply reliant on
international begging to support a kleptocratic tribal
patronage system, a bloated bureaucracy and an
extensive security apparatus.
Zenawi’s turn towards tyranny has not sat well with
donors. Many donors have withdrawn direct budget
support and tightened the strings.
While putting up a brave face, the Zenawi government
is already feeling the pinch. Foreign exchange
reserves have dwindled; gasoline prices have almost
doubled; the price of basic commodities have gone up
and the government is reportedly having difficulty
paying salaries in regions outside Addis Ababa.
The TPLF government’s response to these challenges is
to go on propaganda offensive to confuse the issue.
In the face of famine and increasingly crushing
poverty, they claim fantastic “growth” rates that put
China to shame.
The so-called verdict of Mengistu coming at this time
also appears to be part of the propaganda offensive.
Zenawi and associates are clinging to power partly out
of fear of being held responsible for looting and
terrorizing a nation of 77 million people for the last
15 years.
From the massacre of over 400 Anuaks in Gambella in
2003 to the June and November 2005 killing of innocent
civilians, there is a substantial body of evidence
implicating Zenawi and associates in crimes against
humanity.
The current charade makes one wonder who the TPLF has
for advisors. Their desperate drama can only remind
the world the need for holding the current leaders
accountable for their crimes.
After all, the day Zenawi will be judged by his
successors may not be far away. Mengistu fled the
country leaving all his comrades behind to rot in
jail. There may be a lesson here for TPLF operatives.
When the chips are down, their capo too may flee to a
foreign safe haven on an American helicopter. They
will be the ones left holding the bag and facing
justice. One hopes it does not take 15 years for
justice to be meted out when their turn comes.
* The writer, an Ethiopian analyst residing in the US,
can be reached at [email protected]