Where are we heading? Is the present regime of Ethiopia leading the people for their progress and welfare or towards their unrecoverable downfall? This cannot be left to history but it can be witnessed with multitude of evidences presently. Our cherished institutions have been eroded, our constitution reversed, developmental projects and establishments dismantled, rule of law evaded, the basic inalienable human rights are glossed over, opinion expressions are muffled systematically, reign of terror and demaguogic propagandas are every day themes of life, feelings and expressions of the ordinary citizens are desperate and gloomy, there is no way out but terror and agonies. These entire ill devised political stratagems has been promoted and installed so that the authoritarian regime of Leggese Zienawi may consolidate and stay in power unchallenged. Especially the very Tigrean nationality has been grossly challenged and has been misused as instrumental and expression of personal glory and pride of the power thirsty, Leggese Zienawi!!! Is there any indigenous Tigrean national in the key governmental cabinet? Is there any Tigrean public figure from within or abroad who could defend the national interest and the people apart from the robots like Ambaye Mesfin and the hybrids of the Eritrean origin who are presently found being placed in most of the Ethiopian diplomatic mission abroad and within the country. From the out start a conspiracy has been intact long before the take over of power from the military regime of Mengistu Hailemariam. The removal of the Tewolde and Seye group from TPLF and the parliament is the fulfilment of the conspiracy that has been devised long time a go before the split of the TPLF. Yes, the very existence of Tigreans is being challenged and sandwiched between power thirsty mongers and illusioned conspirators. Tigreans are denied the fruits of their struggle and their historical achievements are systematically removed or deliberately ignored so that any tracing may not remain to transfer to young generation. The challenge is not only targeting few people but against you all.

The challenge could manifest itself under different guises. Other method of prolonging the life span of the autocratic regime is to fabricate wrong concepts and alien ideology. What is Bonopartism? What relevance does it have in the context of the Ethiopian politics or economic life? It is deliberately superimposed alien concept to confuse the EPRDF rank and file members and the ordinary Ethiopian citizens. It is simply a way of presenting oneself as self-styled ideologist like Mao of the People’s Republic of China, Kim ill Sung of North Korea, and Azor Hoja of the crumbled communist Albania. It is simply to increase the sphere of influence of Legesse Zienawi and his accomplices targeting any challengers who might defy the autocratic regime to kneel them down forcibly by means of imprisonment, sucking from their posts and by every means of persecution to make them impotent in every day political and economic life. In short it is a means to perpetuate power and obtain cheap popularity. In fact to the contrary of all these ill devised craftiness, Legesse Zienawi’s biography is already darkened and his disastrous ending is closely approaching. He might not be able to see the demise of his despotic regime immediately but for sure its downfall imminent.

According to some reliable source after the chief of security, Kinfe Gebremedhin has been killed; it has been reached a consensus that in Ethiopia there is no public figure that could be immune from such fatalistic fate. From such premises the US Congressional Staff of the African Affairs Subcommittee held separate meetings with different Ethiopian political parties who are likely qualified enough to take power from the crumbling present regime. All possibilities and alternatives are being assessed including the establishment of “Government in Exile”. Among all other parties EDP appears to have impressed the congressional subcommittee for its well presented comprehensive party programmes. It is possible EDP might win the sympathy and support of the US government to take over power either by means of coup d’etat or by the broadly proposed alternative, the National Reconciliation Commission. What should be the role of the Tigreans when the political power struggle is unsettled and the political destiny (fate) of the Ethiopian nation state is at the crossroad? Should we live the matter to Legesse and his accomplices to defend and protect our interest and the political autonomy that has been gained so far after long arduous struggle? We must not let any impostor or self-styled party decide our political and economic life, as it has been the era of Atses’ and Zemene Mesafint. From all other time it is now the most challenging time for the Tigreans to prove and show the wisdom of their forefathers in sustaining their basic rights and at the same time cooperating with rest of Ethiopians in defending as far as national sovereignty and territorial integrity is concerned.

Tigreans should have active participation and contribution in the Ethiopian state building and share of power. At present precautious measures must be taken that any Tigrean must not be spotted for his nationality as scapegoat for the repression tyranny of the Legesse Zienawi government. Furthermore big firms, enterprises and factories like Mesfin Engineering, Mega enterprise, Dashan, Sur construction, banks etc. under different guises have been spotted by some opposition parties as sheer Ethiopian citizens properties to be taken over at some opportune time. The mysteries of such enterprises should be made public to the Tigreans and to the Ethiopians at large. Transparency and accountability should be made for running these enterprises and their justifiable means of ownership. The people of Tigray must not be targeted as victims for any political injustice and any form of corruption brought about by the present despotic regime. Therefore Tigreans where ever they are be it in the Tigray region, in the broad Ethiopian region and in Diasporas should be aware what is waiting ahead of them. Therefore what must be the primary concern of any genuine Ethiopian national? Now, the focus must be in saving the Ethiopian multi-national state and its nationals.

The Conference by Tigrean International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy to be held in August 25th, 2001, in Washington DC should raise such issues to address them in due course of time and come out with the best practical alternatives that save the country and its people from that anarchic situation of Somalia, mass genocide of Rwanda and Burundi and disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.
• Socio-economic situation of the country must be reviewed so that viable economic policies and programmes can be formulated (rural land and urban land ownership, industries, enterprises, public utilities etc….).
• Clear accommodative political programmes must be drawn vis-à-vis the existing multinationalties and ethnic based federal structure of the given Ethiopian state for any possible introduction of state structure changes.
• Pluralistic and accommodative democratic government has to be promoted and popularised in place of the authoritarian mono-party system of government. All these require thorough studies and deliberations to be fulfilled and fulfilment in its turn requires to get organised, to get organised, to get organised etc.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It should be over emphasised and be the motto of the day or else ever thing ends up in amateurish way with out tangibly changing any thing. No one can fight a huge monolithic state with its huge ramifications armed up to its teeth empty handed with out proper preparations and provisions.

Victory to the broad masses of the Ethiopian people!

Victory to those who persistently stood for the truth and backed the banner of Weynti Tigray!

Viva for the International conference!

Thank you,

TECCOLA