Some Ethiopians cringe at lavish millennium bash
September 3, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — As they prepare to mark the year 2000 seven years after the rest of the world, Ethiopians are torn between pride in a unique culture and uneasiness at the extravaganza planned to mark the occasion.
Concerts by world-renowned pop stars, exhibitions and other events spanning a year and costing millions of dollars are expected to shine an unsually positive light on a country mired in poverty and conflict.
But as the country enters its third millennium on September 12, few will enter the new 10-million-dollar venue to watch the Black Eyed Peas and some of the other big names on the programme.
Some Ethiopians bemoan the fact that in a country where the average annual per capita income peaked at 160 dollars in 2005, ticket prices ranging from 270 to 330 dollars will make sure Ethiopia’s Y2K concert is not a popular celebration.
“How could you expect the average Ethiopian to afford that kind of price when the amount he receives as salary per year is lower than the ticket price,” asked Teferi Zeleke, an aid worker from the capital.
“Not only will they miss the concert, they won’t watch it on television as most of them don’t have one,” he added.
The fact that the 20,000-capacity venue is temporary and will be dismantled only months after the turn of the new millennium has only fueled public resentment in a country in dire need of long-term investment.
“That amount is a huge sum of money, imagine the number of people that could have benefited from it had it been spent somewhere else. We need hospitals and schools, not temporary concert halls meant for rich performers,” Teferi said.
The concert hall is thought to have been financed by Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire Sheikh Mohammed al-Amoudi, who has sponsored high-profile concerts by the likes of Sean Paul, Shaggy and Wyclef Jean over the past five years.
Nevertheless, organisers expect thousands of people to flock from the world over for the celebrations, which they hope will shed a more favourable light on Ethiopia, best known to the outside world for its conflicts and famines.
The Horn of Africa country and its 81 million inhabitants follow an old faith-based calendar similar to the Julian calendar.
The oddity sets Ethiopia apart from the rest of the world, a distinction organisers say is also suited to its stunning historical heritage, which includes medieval sites and some of the earliest traces of humanity.
“Our millennium is not just another holiday, it is significant as it heralds an era of peace, tolerance, and overall sustainable development for our country,” said Yohannes Gebresellasie, from the organising committee.
“Furthermore, it promotes Ethiopia’s image for the good as all heads of state from the African Union have endorsed it as an African millennium,” he added.
The country has not been able to shrug off the effects of decades of feudalism under autocratic emperor Haile Selassie followed by 17 years of totalitarian Soviet-style rule under Mengistu Haile Mariam.
Some human rights organisations have warned that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who has held his position for 12 years, should not use the lavish millennium celebrations to divert attention from widespread abuses.
His administration has been marred by a fierce repression against opposition figures since the contested 2005 polls and entangled in the invasion of Somalia, where its troops rescued a weak interim government fighting Islamists.
Ethiopia is also under scrutiny for its quashing of a Muslim rebellion in the country’s ethnic Somali region of Ogaden. A United Nations fact-finding mission was dispatched there last week.
But while some Ethiopians fret at soaring inflation and rights curbs, members of the large diaspora flocking to their home country all have the millennium bug.
“It is an exciting time to be in Addis,” said Michael Fisseha, a US-based Ethiopian college student, standing underneath a billboard counting down the days and hours to the new millennium.
“Since we are the only nation to celebrate the event, it gives us a unique feeling,” he added.
For days now the Ethiopian capital has been astir with preparations for the millennium. Hotels are full, buildings are still rising from the ground and 3-G mobile technology is being introduced for the celebrations.
The government has said it would re-name parks after children born on millennium day, while a reggae festival and nationwide tree-planting campaigns are also planned over the course of the next Ethiopian year.
The celebrations will also include a 10-kilometre (6-mile) race which has ben dubbed “The Millennium Run” and is being organised by athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie.
(AFP)