August 1, 2015
How the “War on Terror” Stole Democracy in Ethiopia:
Dispelling the myth of the US claim as a “guardian of liberty and freedom” in
the world
by Alem Mamo
“It would be unjust and deplorable for foreign powers to
intervene and frustrate the Salvadorian people, to repress them and keep them
from deciding autonomously the economic and political course that our nation
should follow.”
- Archbishop Oscar Romero, 1980
“The greatest weapon in the hands of an oppressor is never
his guns and armies, but the mind of the oppressed.”
- Steven Biko
“It is counterproductive to hold Ethiopia up as a model of
good governance when the current government has created one of the most
oppressive regimes in Africa and has largely shut down civil society and the
independent media. It is questionable, however, whether progress on economic
indicators can be sustained as long as a repressive one-party government,
largely representing a minority group, continues to exercise power by force”
—The Irish Times
Once upon a time, not too far in the distant past, countering
the expansion and influence of the USSR was the most important driving force of
US foreign policy. It is in this context that the Cold War “friendly state”
list included the most brutal and corrupt authoritarian regimes who committed
heinous acts of genocide, mass murder, and crimes
against humanity. The list of such brutal regimes
include Suharto of Indonesia, Mobutu Se Se Seko of Zaire (now the Democratic
Republic of Congo), General Augusto Pinochet of Chile, and during the Vietnam
War, the US administration supported and collaborated with Vice-President
General Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam, who idolized Adolf Hitler as his hero.
Even, the most degrading and appalling white supremacist regime in Apartheid South
Africa was an ally of the West, while Nelson Mandela, the giant of human
dignity, freedom, and justice, was marked as a “terrorist.” These are just a
few; the list is long and full of despots with abhorrent human rights records
and bloody legacies.
In South and Central America, paramilitary death squads,
mostly trained and supported by the US government, roamed the streets,
villages, and towns terrorizing, raping, killing, and maiming innocent
civilians. Millions have fallen victim around the world in the raging blaze of
the Cold War. In Africa, Asia, South, and Central America, countless mass
graves hold the open secrets and bleeding wounds of many nations. In El
Salvador, for instance, the pain and suffering of the Salvadorian people was
remembered recently at a ceremony of the beatification of the man they called
“the voice of the voiceless,” Archbishop Oscar Romero, an ordinary man with an
extraordinary dedication and unwavering service to the poor, the marginalized,
and neglected.
On February 17, 1980, Archbishop Romero wrote a letter to
President Jimmy Carter lamenting the US government’s collaboration with the
military junta in El Salvador and its impact on the Salvadorian people: “I am
very concerned by the news that the government of the United States is planning
to further El Salvador’s arms race by sending military equipment and advisors
to ‘train three Salvadoran battalions in logistics, communications and
intelligence.’ If this information from the papers is correct, instead of
favoring greater justice and peace in El Salvador, your government’s
contribution will undoubtedly sharpen the injustice and the repression
inflicted on the organized people, whose struggle has often been for respect
for their most basic human rights.”
President Carter never responded to Archbishop Romero’s
letter. A week later, on March 24, 1980, the humble servant of the people,
Monseñor Archbishop Oscar Romero, was assassinated while he was celebrating
mass. His dedication to the poor and marginalized was so pure and creative that
the Archbishop began to read the names of those who were snatched from their
homes by paramilitary forces: the desaparecido – the disappeared, as they
became to be known. Such a simple act of weekly reading of the names on the
radio reached into every household in El Salvador infuriating the military
junta. His legacy and commitment continues to inspire many around the world.
While most countries are still trying to recover from the
Cold War trauma, the so called “War on Terror” has emerged as the sequel of
this tragic chapter in human history. The US and the West once again have
forged an alliance with murderous regimes who do not flinch for a second from
terrorizing and murdering their own people. Regimes, who do not have an ounce
of legitimacy from the people they proclaim to rule, have been endorsed and
applauded by the West for their “outstanding contribution in the fight against
terror.” Such utter neglect and cruel brutality endorsed and oiled by the West
is nowhere more evident than in Ethiopia. For the last twenty four years, the
people of Ethiopia endured the most horrendous and indiscriminate form of
brutality.
As many international human rights organizations reported
torture, extrajudicial killings, and disappearances under the Tigray People’s
Liberation Front (TPLF) ethno-kleptocratic regime are daily occurrences. Civil
society and independent media outlets are effectively shut down. Journalists
are risking their lives to tell the truth. Elections are held under tight
control of the ruling elite where opposition leaders and members are arrested
and intimidated. For example, in the most recent election, the regime declared
itself 100% “winner” effectively becoming the first in Africa to win 100% of
the seats. It is worth noting that the well-established percentage of victory
in Africa is often between 94- 99%; the TPLF regime’s 100% election “victory”
is unfamiliar to most authoritarian regimes on the continent. And yet, the US
and the West continue to call such a regime “democratically elected” ignoring
the cries of the people. President Obama’s lavish praise for such brutal regime
has left many bewildered and shocked.
Thwarting democracy in the name of fighting terror is not
only wrong and misguided, it could have multiple negative implications in the
long run. First, it actually submits to the objectives of terror groups, such
as Al-Shabab, who are committed to disrupting and blocking the establishment of
secular, free, and democratic systems in the region. In this regard, they have
effectively stifled the democratic aspirations of the Ethiopian people. Second,
US and Western policy of collaborating with the TPLF ethno-kleptocratic regime
is already radicalizing different groups in Ethiopia forcing them to give-up on
peaceful and non-violent struggle and opt for other forms of resistance. As
humiliation, lack of economic and social mobility, and political exclusion
escalates, citizens will risk their lives to reclaim their dignity and
humanity. This inevitable path, presents dangerous and horrifying scenario with
regional and continent wise ramifications.
The twentieth century, in terms of human warfare, was the
bloodiest and the most violent century in history. In what Jose Marti called
the “hour of the furnaces,” Oscar Romero, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela,
Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others accompanied those who
were in the sights of the men with guns. In their unwavering commitment, they
made the journey full of hope with anticipation of better future. They made the
journey and the struggle stronger as they burned brighter. Who would be the
ones who will follow in the path of these giants of the 20th century and shine
a light on what already appears to be a violent and tumultuous century. Once
again, the call has gone out for a leadership not only to lead, but also to
listen to the pain and anguish of those excluded in the current global
political and economic order. Those who say “this is not about me” will emerge
as true leaders. Those who proclaim the role of “après moi, le deluge” will
take citizens into the edge of the abyss – a new century old fight for freedom,
justice and democracy.
So, how many more innocent civilians have to die? How many
more journalists have to endure imprisonment and torture? How many peaceful
pro-democracy activists have to be killed in broad day light? How many children
must grow up without parents? How many more mass graves have to be discovered?
How many more mothers have to bury their children killed by TPLF security forces?
How much blood? How many more lives must we lose before the world wakes up and
says enough!
Alem6711@gmail.com
