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Bereket Simon’s naked lies and propaganda
By Abebe Gellaw
Former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died on July 14, 2012 at St. Luke University Hospital, in Brussels, Belgium. This fact is no more news. But even after the death of the former dictator, Bereket Simon, the chief TPLF/EPRDF’s lie factory and propagandist, had insisted that the former tyrant was on holiday abroad and would be back before the Ethiopian New Year. But Behind closed doors, Bereket and the other politically orphaned cronies were at each other’s throats fighting in a vicious power struggle, which is still going on.
During the five-week long preparations to announce the death of Meles Zenawi, Bereket Simon and his closest associates must have studied TV footage of North Korea’s globally ridiculed mass hysteria following the death of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il. The replication of this mass hysteria, wailing, crying and at times fainting in front of cameras has only proven to be live coverage of the maximum crisis that the infighting TPLF-led junta is facing. When they continuously praise the former tyrant as an irreplaceable demigod, they are, in a way, saying that none of them are competent and worthy enough to fill his shoes.
After the preparations were completed, Bereket appeared from nowhere and told the nation that the great leader’s holiday was over. He died on August 20 from an “infection” at an undisclosed location, he informed the nation. But EU officials and foreign media outlets only confirmed that Zenawi died at St. Luke University Hospital, in Brussels, Belgium, which was accurately reported by ESAT on 30th July.
Berket had also told us that EPRDF appointed Hailemariam Desalegn as acting prime minister. Within 24 hours, this also turned out to be a lie confirming once more that Bereket, who is now gravely depressed, is a master of miscommunication. There are still unfinished palace conspiracies and intrigues to be the next Meles or to control the group that will be in charge of the fate of the nation. TPLF bigwigs believe that it is their birthright to dominate the nation. That is quite obviously one of the reasons why the decapitated regime declared such an unprecedented and extended period of “national mourning” in order to buy more time to solve the complex political calculus that only Meles could solve.
There was a five-week long preparation for the mass hysteria. Psychologists that have studied mass hysteria usually describe it as an epidemic psychogenic behavior where people collectively act irrationally. In North Korea, propaganda plays a key role in generating mass hysteria.
When Kim Jong Il died last year, the state media and the communist party were fully utilized to mobilize people across the country to publicly weep and wail, and most importantly praise the Great Leader effusively. The mass hysteria was broadcast repeatedly with propaganda extolling the “Great Leader” generating an out-of-control show of grief. Sung-Yoon Lee, a research fellow at the National Asia Research Program told CNN that state control and coercion played a key factor in creating the hysteria. “There are always people watching you. If you are not devastated by the news, you may get in trouble,” he said.
Ethiopia’s 21-year long dictator has been described as the “Great Leader”, angel of love, father of Ethiopia, the light of Africa, pioneer of democracy and freedom…, just to mention a few among the long list of flourishing lies. The cadres worked round the clock to tell everyone that they should come out and grieve the death of “Comrade” Meles Zenawi. The lies and half-truths on state media are still countless and his image has been excessively distorted in order to create a new personality for the ruthless tyrant. But it all turned out to be the futility and vanity of tyranny.
Bereket’s strategy has been simple. He followed the rules of Hitler’s propaganda chief Joseph Gobbles, who once said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” In a country like Ethiopia where the literacy rate still stands at 30%, according to UNICEF, the intense propaganda campaign has certainly confused some people and created an illusory atmosphere of national mourning.
People who have been caught listening to music or smiling during those times of collective sadness, have been physically attacked. It is a bad beginning for a post-Meles Ethiopia that craves for change. Some people were even punished for not grieving. Journalist Reeyot Alemu serving jail terms for committing acts of “terrorism” has reportedly been threatened and her wellbeing was compromised for not showing grief and shedding tears for the man who tortured and locked her up for doing her job. Another political prisoner Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher, chairman of Ethiopian National Democratic Party (ENDP) and who was also jailed for “terrorism”, was physically attacked for smiling.
The eulogy for Zenawi by local and foreign agents was largely fabricated. The worst tribute to Meles Zenawi was written by none other than the disgraced plagiarizer Tesfaye Habisso, former Ethiopian ambassador to South Africa. On Tigraionline, he wrote: “Meles Zenawi was undoubtedly like the Sun among the numberless equally big/large and shining stars in the galaxy. He was so bright and so shining compared to the timid other stars sparsely spread far and wide across the fathomless sky. The Sun Meles has set now, it’s all darkness; for the whole country, for the people, for the ruling party and government. It will surely take some time before daylight overcomes again.” His unabashed statement is quite telling why Tesfaye remains to be a classless sycophant.
Another crazed scribbler of tyranny, a certain Adal Isaw, declared that he started a religion called Meles Zenawi, which may be a deserving tribute to a dictator who was surrounded himself with opportunists and worshipers. “After many years of abandoning my religious belief,” he declared on tyranny’s mouthpiece Aiaforum, “I am a born-again believer and my religion is Meles Zenawi. I believe in Meles Zenawi and he is my religion from now on till the end of my time. This I believe is not the result of stretching my emotion.” In fact, it is nothing but idiocy at its best.
In a shamefully orchestrated campaign of lies, deception and opportunism, artistes, athletes, celebrities and gospel singers were also recruited to extol the former dictator. In the process, many have already lost their own self-respect and dignity. Neway Debebe, Fikre-Addis Nekatibeb, Madingo Afework, Mezmur Yohannes and the lyricist Yilma Gebreab collaborated to produce a song full of lies. The “song” shamelessly refers to the dictator as the eternal Moses of Ethiopia, unifier and “elect of God”. The famous athletes Haile Gebreselassie, Derartu Tulu and Meseret Defar also joined the public tear shedding drama and the comedy of extolling the man that brutally and relentlessly abused Ethiopians for the last 21 years.
The worst gospel song ever heard in Ethiopia is probably the recently released single by a certain Habtamu Shibiru. According to this “man of God”, darkness fell over Ethiopia just because Meles and his hand-picked patriarch died. Though songs of praise are supposed to be reserved for Almighty God, Shiberu feels the terror of losing the former tyrant and his patriarch. While many see dawn of a new era, Shiberu tearfully tells us doom and gloom. What is certain is that those who overacted in Bereke’s Simon drama and spin will only regret it when reality hits back and the hangover is completely over.
Berket is currently one of the most dangerous loose cannons that need to be handled with utmost care. He is behaving like his former boss and wants to impose himself as a kingmaker. According to reliable sources, TPLF bigwigs are bitterly against his manipulation and misuse of the media that he controls to create an imaginary power for himself.
Now that the tents are dismantled, the ruling elite will face more maddening crises that will continue to unravel the dictatorial regime. The only way to move forward is to realistically address the grave ethnic, political, economic, security and religious challenges that have fragmented and divided our country. The hardliners like Bereket and security chief Getachew Assefa, who are reportedly plotting political assassinations at home and abroad, need to give way to reformists who are more capable and bold enough to address the grave problems facing Ethiopia. Bereket’s empty propaganda and naked lies have already backfired.
As a postscript, I may need to add the following. After my vocal protest against Zenawi and call for freedom on May 18th, 2012 here in Washington DC, I have been receiving vicious death threats. Some fanatic supporters of TPLF’s dictatorship have also been spreading all sorts of venomous innuendos and threats, which are being dealt with by the FBI. It should be known that I am fully protected by the Constitution and Government of the United States. The effort of some people to import tyranny to this land of freedom is futile and does not scare anyone. I cannot afford to be silenced…
Ethiopia is at the threshold of dramatic, drastic and radical changes. We need to be prepared for change and seize on the opportunities as well as challenges fearlessly. Resistance to change must be resisted and defeated.
Mr Gellaw.. you have to be careful as this weyanya groups vowed to kill you .. antene lemegedle eyasbu newe …
Do not be scared and the paper tigers will shrink away and the truth will become clear and justice will be served to our people.
It is not only you that has been the target of TPLF and MLLT security apparatus; it is the whole nation and we hope this security apparatus will be dismantled soon. The head is cut off and the body will disintegrate gradually. It is a system that cannot be sustained. It lucks justice and democracy. Dictators die and their dictatorial systems disappear. Yet make sure to protect yourself and keep your security as your priority one; you are needed and the voiceless of the Empire need your survival. You are diametrically opposite to Bereket’s believes and devotions. He devoted to falsehood democracy.
Bereket has been a tool of the TPLF and MLLT since April 1980. He is a disgraced intellectual who sold out his comrades and basic principles of standing for democracy and people of the Empire. Bereket is a shameless person without any morality. He has been supporting evils done against our people.
Mr. Abebe Gellaw:
With all due Ethiopian respect sir, I am not sure if the Ethiopian people would apprecaite any change that you either espouse or you are asscoaited with. I have talked to few Ethiopian people ( in my own network ) and they all have indicated that you are not welcome in Ethiopian polotics nor do they want you in Ethiopia. If I were you ( I hope you are an Amercian citizen) I would consider running for US electiosn if you have what it takes to be a polotcian instead of your country of birth Ethiopia. I doubt it though. What you are doing is actually business in the name of polotics. Should you not heed my advice and you want to be part of Ethiopian polotcis you should start by forgiving to the Ethiopian people for what you have done before.
It is a tough battle but good luck. You want be able to sieze the opporutnites from USA.
Your vehement hatred towards EPRDF leadership is very clear from your articles. However, I did not see any important issues that you care about which alleviates under-development, backwardness, poverty, illiteracy, political immaturity, unemployment, etc. that confronts our country. Most of our problems are man-made and they are the result of our bickering and fighting for centuries only to shift a center of control without any paradigm shift which results in peace, democracy, justice, development and eradication of poverty. The only regime which is working very hard to achieve these goals is the current government though there are still so many challeges to be addressed in every front. You are currently hosted by a country which is a good model of democracy. But, I hear so many unresolved problems even in USA. As a result, we see both parties debating on issues that affect their country constructively. None of them advocate violence or taking up arms against their government to get their points across or to take power by force. As a journalist, it is your responsibility to increase then awareness of the public through investigative journalism and presenting hard facts from scholars and experts instead of engaging in diatrabes and promoting upheaval. It turns of my people and it backfires upon you and your colleagues. If you deeply care about Ethiopia and Ethiopians, please promote peace, peaceful discourse, unity, democracy, justice and human rights with due respect to other individuals, groups, or people. We should not behave as a mercenary who serves the interest of our enemies who promote proxy wars and weken us through division, confusion, and strife. We have to stop being puppets to Egyptians, Eritreans, or other terrorists who destabilize our country and who always keep our country backwarded. Please let us put aside our differences, promote reconciliation Like Mandela and build our country.
I read your articles which you wrote on the death of our Prime Minister Meles, but I did not get any point out of it except your feeling of joy on his predicament. No body is immune from death and you gain nothing from his death. He lead Ethiopia for 21 years with tangible records of transformation, economic growth, development and building democracy. His foes and allies have testified about his great vision and accomplishments. Your insults and negative campaign cannot change his monumental achievements on the ground which positively affected millions of Ethiopians. You can only appease your funding bosses such as Egypt, Al Shabab, ONLF, OLF, etc. I don’t know how you clashed with our late prime minister personally and with his administration. The only thing our government hates is association with mercenaries who are traitors and who resort to violence and fighting. The government has no animosity against opposition views which are presented peacefully for the interest of people. If you support the views of Al Qaeda, even your host country will not protect you there. The same is true in Ethiopia. You cannot enjoy your freedom ushered by the constitution while you are working with OLF, ONLF, Shabia, Al Shebab (Al Qaeda affilate of East Africa), etc. You were convicted because you committed crime against your country and people. Now you are trying to tell us that our government is evil. Nobody will believe you except your short-sighted cohorts. Ethiopia still stretches her hands fro reconciliation and peace if you apologize for wrong doings and then you can participate in political process of your country. You have no chance to play your role while you are convicted felon and I advice you to stop misleading people and insult those who sacrificed for their country and who contributed tremendously. You are totally biased and if you get a chance you would take a harsh measures and oppression against those whom you hate. This is wrong. You should not hate anyone, only you can disagree with your political opinion and issues. I admire your intelligence and education, but you lack some political maturity and you are very emotional in your judgments. That is not how you reach out to all Ethiopians of all walks of life. We need seasoned and matured politicians who can lead us and take Ethiopia to the next higher level, but not those who associate with our sworn enemies who want to destroy us. Keep this in mind a test of your maturity!!
Hate the sin, not the sinner! Oppose to point of views gracefully without violence.
God Bless Ethiopia and her leaders who care about her!!!
Mr. Gellaw,
Dear Abebe,
Thanks million times for keeping us abreast with new developments in Ethiopia and for your analysis which is consistent with the truth on the ground. Yes, your writings paint a gloomy picture on Meles but this is because he has been bleeding the country and the broad mass. If a few fails to see this bare fact, it is just because they are beneficiaries of the system who dissociated themselves from the people. They fail or wanted to fail seeing the suffering of the people under the tyrant. People were denied the very basic necessities – food and human rights. Kids are falling in school because their tummy is empty; People have to join a long line to buy leftover food; Many are scavenging for dumped food; thousands are desperate and take a very high risk such as traveling by boat or going to unsafe countries to try their luck; and so forth. Coercing people and staging a ‘wailing circus’ to glorify the devil cannot be a solution. What surprises me most is the appetite that the ruling party and its supporters have to consume their own propaganda and be carried away with it. What is known about the deceased was that he was an extreme timid and wicked person with no Ethiopian agenda to the country and its people! He was a sale out who had been consistently betrayed Ethiopian and African interests. What he did at Copenhagen climate conference demonstrated how he was morally corrupt and betrayed Africa. Anyways, Abebe, your view coincides with the thoughts and feelings of million Ethiopians. Please, accept my appreciation, once again, and keep on.
God Bless You!
Go Abe, GO, GO!!!
Let Freedom reign in the mountains, fields and rivers of Ethiopia.
The snake is cut off its head. I may try to cause damage but can’t. The TPLF terrorists cannot terrorize/silence anyone in this Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, the USA.
The TPLF tyranny in Ethiopia shall end soon and with it these terrorist cadres who try threaten Abebe Gelaw will be history. They shall be brought to justice.
Good Riddance to the dictator. No more dictatorship in Ethiopia! FREEDOM……
Go Abebe Gellw,
Let Freedom reign in the mountains, plains and rivers of Ethiopia! Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!
The snake is cut off its head, it will attempt to cause damage but it cannot. The TPLF terrorists cannot terrorize us in the Land of the brave, the home the Free, USA.
And their days will end soon and with it the terror they perpetrate against the people of Ethiopia will be history.
Good ridance to the dictator.
You have two choices. One to see wrong and accept it in preferred choice of life than death. The other is to speak your mind.
I believe you have done the right thing. This government earns between 20-40 Billion Dollars a year in a form of foreign aid. They collect scrutinyingly high taxes. Where is all that money? The work they say they have done can be done with 1/4 of the time for 1/4 of all the money they collected.
You should repeatedly ask the U.S. and other country they are wasting their money. The money they are donating is not directly going to the people. Tell them to help us audit the Ethiopia government.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7TdFqxck94&list=UURA1PNhGr67gpkoa3eaeCQQ&index=1&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mekTyk8ZoOg&list=UURA1PNhGr67gpkoa3eaeCQQ&index=2&feature=plcp
The above two videos show the true nature of TPLF thugs
Superb article, Abe! Keep up the good work!
Dear Mr. Abebe
You should respect Mr. Bereket. This guy he fought “DERG” for 17 years, and able to lead our country Ethiopia in the right direction with his fellow members of EPRDF including our late PM Melese Zenawi. I don’t get it ! you and your fellow country man Tamagne Beyene “Ye-Derg Cadrewouch” used to sing for Mengistu H.Mariem, and Melaku Tefera when our Brothers killed by those butchers, I don’t know why you guys involved in Ethiopian politics any way ? you both are not a commited politician, not a good example to represent the young Generation in Ethiopia or abroad your time is passed as DERG, and RED-TERROR. enough is enough !!
Patriot Abebe Gelaw,
thank you for writing deep analysis that is to the point, you hit the nail and i am so happy reading your detailed analysis that is surrounded by facts. of course, irrespective of the loud noise by weyane idiot & racist supporters as well as thier hodam stomach headed servants empty noise to portray meles as a saint, we Ethiopians wouldnt forget the crimes that had been committed by devil meles zenawi against humanity and yet we are so happy that devil meles zenawi is dead and of course this is the very beginning and we will chase and bring the rest of the tplf criminal members to justice in front of the people that they slaughtered. Keep up the great job and god bless you for being a voice to million of voiceless Ethiopians. Together we will defeat them.
Mr Abebe, we need a win-win situation in Ethiopia where all parties could be winners and beneficiaries. The solution is to start a dialogue without abusing democratic principles. If you are really concerned for the inerest of all Ethiopians, you will not choose violent path to achieve your goals. When we say we are better off with EPRDF than we were under previous regimes, you insult us as beneficiaries of EPRDF regime. This goverment is all inclusive and it empowered all peoples of Ethiopia under the federal system and all are equally beneficiaries. There is no ruling class which oppresses others like feudal system which made Amhara as a beneficiary and a ruling class as opposed to all other Ethiopians. This situation is gone forever and it is irreversible in current new democratic Ethiopia thanks to our visionary founding fathers under EPRDF leadership who promoted equality, justice, freedom, democracy for all Ethiopians regardless of religious, ethnic, gender, and political differences.
At present, all citizens of Ethiopia enjoy their rights with corresponding responsibities without any discrimination. No body is above the law and everyone is treated equally under the law in current Ethiopia. You are denying not only these facts on the ground, but also you are misleading international organizations such as human rights with concucted false reports against Ethiopia. You are also campaigning your but out to cut off all financial aids and loans that come to Ethiopia to harness its development projects from foreign governments and international organizations. Unfortunately, your petitions fell on deaf ears and we are still getting a large amount of aid and soft loans from World Bank, IMF, Africa Development Bank, USA, China, Uk, and other EU countries, etc., for our targeted development efforts. These governments and institutions hailed Ethiopia for its performance in Health, Education, Development, Infrastructure building, energy, capacity building, poverty alleviation, etc. and their monitoring and evaluation team has confirmed proper allocation and utilization of the funds for desired goals. Ethiopia has been chosen by foreign investors as a good destination for investment due to its good market oriented policies and less corruption as opposed to other African countries.
Ethiopia has registered double digit economic growth for the last 8 years regardless of our enemies who want to destroy our country and halt its developmental goals. However, our successful achievements against all odds has been independently verified by international bodies such as World Bank and IMF. So many things can be said about the record of this government, but you deny all these facts and you keep wining and demonizing our government in order to achieve your narow and selfish goals which do not benefit the country or the people at all. I think it is a high time that you assess your strategy very well and work together with the government and criticize only where it is necessary and applicable in order to make improvements to the sytem because every system is open for further improvement and rectification. Also two heads are better than one. We don’t believe EPRDF has an absolute panacea for every problem in Ethiopia. You can initiate better ideas than EPRDF by suggesting best practices and models that worked effectively in other countries.
Some of us could be PhD holders or professors, but if we don’t make the best use of our skills and knowledge to the growth and transformation of our country like our late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, we will go with it to the grave and nobody will recognize us. It was fitting and appropriate to lionize and recognize our beloved prime minister because of his immortal vision, heroism, selflessness, dedication, gallant service to his country and ultimate sacrifice. It is very hard for you to swallow this truth because as I stated above you are adamant to disregard the facts on the ground and reiterate the opposite to gain political score and for its consumption with fund raisers. It is up to you to choose such a selfish track or a foot-step of our hero and former prime minister Meles Zenawi. The latter transformed our country and brought glory, prestige and respect to us through his achievements whereas you have never contributed anything that builds our country. Meles never chose a luxury all his life because his vision was to see a greater Ethiopia and he achieved it partially. It is up to us to finish all the projects that are pending and transfrom our country into a middle income level. May God Bless Ethiopia and Bring Reconciliation to all of us so that we can work hand in hand for our people and country!!!
Worst combination…A failed person and article
You are simply a belligrant Patriot who is not familiar with home politics. You are preaching day night to export violence to our country. We the people in the Daispora communities from now on wards we can’t afford to be silenced. Peace is our prime concern for Ethiopia and we will contribute whatever we had for Ethiopia and Ethiopians. On this regard you taking an expensive risk and facing a clear and present danger.
I have a piece of advice for you.
It is not too late, please rewired your mind and come to your sense
OR make ready yourself to pay a dear price for it