High Court, Low Verdict

By Ephrem Madebo

The absolutely nonsense and preposterous ‘political’ verdict that started on June 11 calumniated to its worst stage yesterday when the Ethiopian High Court nominal judges read a political manuscript sent from Zewnawi’s office. The rule of law might have never been the way of life in Ethiopia, however, neither the judges of the 16th century nor the emperors of the 19th century, or the Military dictators of the late 20th century exhibited such a contempt and despise to the rule of law and to the people they administered. Yesterday, the ever degenerating Ethiopian justice system reached its rock bottom and proved itself to be nothing, but a decayed formation of dead processes and futile human vultures. As the illustrious Ethiopian proverb says, yesterday’s verdict was nothing, but “Ferde Gemdel”.

As one would not expect a wheat kernel from an acacia tree, we sure did not expect justice from an injustice system. But, I personally, never thought my country would have a regime that kills the hope of the very people that it purportedly leads. Fifteen years ago, Zenawi and his poisonous rats like the retarded Sebhat Nega gave Ethiopia’s natural sea port (Assab) to Eritrea. In 1999 and 2000, the same bloody duo and their supporters led the Ethiopian people to war, but deliberately lost the political cause of the war after sacrificing tens of thousands of people. In 2005, they invited political parties and organizations for a free and fair election. But, when the outcome of the election went against their expectation, they took out their anger on innocent demonstrators. Yesterday, the TPLF gangs surpassed all of their past sins by giving a life sentence for absolutely innocent and relentless defenders of democracy.

Last week, a wise Ethiopian lady was escorted from the court room for laughing at the prosecutor when he asked the court to impose the death penalty on innocent people who fought for the life of many Ethiopians. To the Zenawis’ and the shameless judges, her laughter could be seen as an act of disturbing order in the court, but to millions of Ethiopians and to many peace loving people of the world, the famous July 8 laugher in the Ethiopian court room is a historical event of great magnitude that resonates to posterity. She preferred to laugh when most of us cried because when one has no more tear to shed, laughter is the only means of expressing emotions. Her laughter has a great role in shaping our struggle for peace and justice just like Rosa Park’s resistance to give her seat for a white man ignited the civil rights movement of the 1960s’.

Yesterday morning when I first read news of the verdict (on Ethio-Zagol blog), I was shocked not by the verdict itself, but by the kind of inequity that comes only from the rancorous heart of the TPLF gangs. During the Second Word War, Italian soldiers used to stab every soldier killed by the Nazis; well no wonder for the Italians were trying to make sure that Nazis left no life in the fallen soldiers. Today, the Ethiopian ruling party and the High Court are repeating the infamous act of the Nazis and the Fascists. Here is part of the verdict that made me giggle like the lady who was escorted out of the court room: Thou shall not vote and run for public office for the rest of your life. What kind of nonsensical verdict is this? How can one kill a person and then punch the dead body? How can one take the right of a person when the very person has no right to be taken?

Dear fellow Ethiopians, Meles Zenawi has explicitly demonstrated his recklessness towards Ethiopia, and his pig-headed confidant Sebhat Nega has complimented Meles’s unruliness by renewing TPLF’s covenant with EPLF [we will die for Eritrea]. We Ethiopians always called ourselves the proud people of Africa for no white power dared to touch or take our freedom. Our fathers died for the cause of freedom and made us proud Africans. Does it matter if our freedom is taken by a white or black power? If no, then where is our fighting spirit that annihilated the Mahdists, the Italians, the British, and the mercenary armies of the Pashas of Ottoman Turks? Freedom is always freedom; therefore, enemies of freedom should always be dealt with the same decisive blow regardless of their origin or skin color. If we are the true children of Alula Aba Nega, Balcha Aba Nebso, King Tona, and Colonel Abdissa Aga, let’s pass to our children what these heroes passed to us!

For the last forty years, the Ethiopian political scene was jam-packed by unsynchronized agglomeration of parties that showed no sign of cohesiveness. EPRP, EDU, AESM, and many other parties proliferated with an identical objective of bringing peace and democracy to the Ethiopian people. But, none of these parties achieved their objective. Division, uncompromising, lack of trust and cooperation, and individual race to power were among the principal causes of the failure. Today, the only route to unseat the TPLF regime is unity. We can individually bark, but we can’t plant a bleeding bite on our enemies. Forget fighting for Ethiopia, with out unity, we can’t even firmly stand for our individual parties. Let me leave you alone by repeating what the lone African Pope and Philosopher [Saint Augustine] said 1500 years ago: “A divided will shall not stand for itself”. The political momentum will definitely be in our side as our jailed leaders soon join us in victory. Let’s unload our baggage, change our attitude, and create a united forum that propels us to a united Ethiopia.