Ethiopia’s TPLF and Kinijit divisions
No Peaceful Resolution or Reconciliation will occur when you have Possible TPLF Cadres and/or Foreign Agents in the Midst of the Kinijit Organization.
By Melkamu Teferi
November 20, 2006 — In a recent posting on Ethiomedia, I read the call by the Seattle and Ottawa Kinijit support groups for peaceful resolution or reconciliation among the warring faction in kinijit. I have also read (on another media) about Kinijit’s North American group meeting and its outcome, that took place in Atlanta a few days ago. From all indications and the group’s actions, I am afraid that no peaceful resolution or reconciliation will occur when you have possible TPLF cadres and foreign agents in the midst of the organization.
I say this because I recall, with dismay, a familiar activity with familiar players that took place a few years ago in the Ethiopian Medhin Democratic Party (Medhin) which is currently taking place in Kinijit‘s Diaspora. The activity that took place was the partitioning of Medhin by creating a faction within the organization. The main players in accomplishing that assignment, according to radio programs I listened and press releases I read then, were none other than, Dr. Moges Gebere Mariam (who is now acting chairman of Kinijit North America), Cheru Terfe (who is now chairman of Kinijit Atlanta) and Goshu Welde (who was responsible for Kinijit North America and for what ever reason is said to have resigned from Kinijit) in the U.S., Getachew Wanna in Sweden (now chairman of Kinijit branch there), and Mamo Yihune in Germany (now chairman of kinijit branch there as well). At one time, all of these individuals were executive committee members of Medhin (see Medhin’s web site www.medhin.org).
After dividing the original Medhin party, these same handful individuals called themselves Medhin and merged with Lidetue Ayalwe’s EDP and form the so called EDP-Medhin organization. In fact, since then, I have heard from reliable sources that these same groups of individuals were supporters and behind the seen activists in the formation of EDP. This is the same group today who is working hard to derail the wishes and aspiration of the Ethiopian people, as demonstrated by the 2005 election, by sabotaging Kinijit (both internally and externally) and other organizations that are strongly opposed to TPLF’s regime. Please read the recent article posted on Ethiomedia by Zerihun Tesfaye titled “Unfolding Events in Ethiopia’s Doomed Parliament” to understand TPLF’s designated assignment for Lidetue in Ethiopia and his cohorts in the Diaspora.
I recall that the legal Medhin was trying to warn other organizations through press releases, radio interviews and postings on its web site about the nature of these individuals and their collaborators, it now seems to no avail. I say to no avail, because of what is apparently taking place in kinijit’s organization. In other words, other organizations did not heed the warnings by Medhin and as a result this group is allowed to repeat its dirty history. The dirty history of divide and defeat policy of TPLF which is and continuous to be, done again by none other than Lidetue Ayalwe in Ethiopia and by those mentioned above in the Diaspora.
As we can see, these are the same people who are now engaged, to use the title of an article by Dr. Assefa Negash in the “Unmaking of Kinijit Movement in the Diaspra” as they were in Medhin’s. I suggest, for those who have not read Dr. Assefa’s article by the same title to read it (in addition to others, the article explains the role plaid in the unmaking of Kinijit by Getechew Wanna and Mamo Yihune). I also suggest people to read a recent posting on EEDN by Rahel Alemayehu, subject: Kinijit Support Chapter vs KIL, who is the culprit, and where things are going, and by Zena Tsegamariam, subject: Kinijit Editorial of November 2006. The observations by these different individuals are very helpful in understanding the machination that TPLF cadres and foreign agents employ to divide and if possible to dismantle an organization or organizations that oppose to the brutal dictatorial rules of the regime by infiltrating them. As the saying goes, we should be aware of wolfs in a sheep’s skin. When we find them, however, as true Ethiopians we each should fulfill our patriotic duties by exposing as well as confronting them with courage and determination.
* The author is an Ethiopian based in the USA. He can be reached at [email protected]