Editor’s note : The content is from Mesfin Mekonen. Views expressed in the article reflects the views of writer, not borkena.com ‘s
Anteneh Shiferaw (Eng)
- A Reflection on Jeff Pearce’s Interview with Eskinder Nega
Jeff Pearce’s interview with Eskinder Nega Eskinder with Jeff Pearce is another additional insight to learn more about the hidden parts of Eskinder Nega. As time goes on, Eskinder stands naked in the eyes of The Amhara People’s Struggle, Fano. Of course, following U.S ambassador to Addis Ababa Ervin Massinga’s comment on Fano, Eskinder, to attract attention, had also made an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, on June 14th, 2024, and clearly stated that “At this time we are in talks to create unity. After this process is completed, it will become possible to decide on negotiation with the government.” Eskinder was “Opted to negotiate with the government of Abiy Ahmed once Fano Unity is forged.” Imagine that Eskinder opted to negotiate with the Ethno-Fascist regime of Abiy Ahmed but denied it while Jeff had asked him if he had a plan to deal with Abiy’s regime.
In these two interviews, Eskinder is neither honest nor consistent with his words. He isn’t only trying to hijack the Fano Survival struggle but also blackmail the fundamental causes of the Amhara People’s struggle to the level of African dictatorship. The purpose of this article is to put my reflection on these two dishonest and inconsistent interviews and to make it clear what is going on the ground and what Fano stands for.
First and foremost, Fano is a grassroots-level Amhara armed resistance movement since the medieval period, from traditional times to these modern days in which Eskinder has neither been a leader at any of the Fano grassroots level nor part of any of the Fano groups. Even, while the current Fano leaders were fighting with both TPLF and Abiy Ahmed’s Ethno-Fascist regime, Eskinder as a peaceful political leader, had contested with Abiy Ahmed during the last June 21st, 2021, mock and fraud election and been used as a cover-up for legitimacy. So, on what legitimate ground does Eskinder claim that he’s one of the Fano leaders and oppose the regime?
Of course, no doubt that Eskinder can be opposing Abiy’s genocidal regime, however, acting like a Fano leader does not show any honesty on his part or not short of hijacking the most demanding Amhara survival struggle against the Genocidal Regime of Abiy Ahmed. Besides, a year ago, to everybody’s surprise, Eskinder had claimed that he had created a Fano faction called Amhara Patriotic Front (APF). However, APF was a name that only remained on paper and paid YouTubers, without any member in the leadership nor bearing any ordinary single member under its name which Eskinder eventually confessed, and the name APF ceased to exist.
However, in a very deceptive way, Eskinder with the APF name and using paid media individuals had manipulated the diaspora groups as if he was the leader of a true Fano faction and used to collect millions of U.S dollars worldwide without any accountability and transparency, and this money had been used to infiltrate different friendly Fano groups as if Eskinder had sympathy towards to the Fano causes and willing to help the Fano struggle at his capacities. But sadly, that ended up dividing the Fano leader into so many different factions within the same area, that is why Eskinder is called a dividing factor, the wrong element within the Fano survival struggle. This attempt had damaged the different Fano groups and served the Abiy regime that the most needed unity between Fano groups was not to be realized at this time.
Eskinder with Jeff said, “We tried bringing different Fano groups under one umbrella and formed Amhara Fano People’s Organization (AFPO) which he is part of.” According to Eskinder “this AFPO is in a formidable position than (far ahead of) the other Fano faction in terms of firepower, capabilities, and organizational levels because the majority of the Fano groups which is 2/3 of the total Fano groups are in his side and suggested that the losing remaining 1/3 of the Fano group shall establish another one umbrella Fano faction.” By saying this, Eskinder wants to divide the Fano groups into two rival groups and wants to act as one of the legitimate faction leaders. Perhaps, his very damaging idea is tantamount to an admission of serving the Ethno-Fascist regime of Abiy Ahmed.
To be honest, his speech by its standard and act, claiming as a Fano leader was so immoral, and not worthy of reliance! What a shame this man speaks. A person who does not have any single Fano member under his claiming group, how on Earth becomes a Fano leader? Of course, as we had mentioned above, Eskinder used that money to infiltrate the Fano-friendly groups and caused a lot of damage since he neither had his own Fano group to be part of the candidate nor win the contest.
According to the facts on the ground, although Eskinder didn’t have his own single Fano member to be a candidate, he had insisted on participating in the election process. So, instead of leaving him aside in the cold and blaming Fano leaders, the door was open for anyone to partake as a nominee if the fourteen selection criteria points were met to be a candidate for election. Then, while the first nominee Fano Zemene Kassie had fully fulfilled and met all the selection criteria and set as one reliable candidate for election, Eskinder was by far short of the required selection criteria points to be a candidate and failed from the outset.
Instead of accepting that Eskinder wasn’t on the shortlist and waiting for another nominee to be suggested, Eskinder rather went on with his remote demand to be a Fano faction leader and unilaterally announced that he was the elected leader of the Amhara Fano People’s Organization (AFPO) without the consent of the Fano leaders or due process of a democratic election. What a sickness and egoistic approach that had jeopardized the democratic process?
Eskinder claimed that he had won 2/3 of the majority vote and deliberately and deceptively accused the powerful Fano group as if they were losers and failed to concede defeat. This manifests how Eskinder is so mischievous that divides the regional Fano leaders into more factions and creates confusion among the far-reaching diasporas and serving the archenemy. Eskinder meant to understand that he’s the main dividing factor in Fano’s survival struggle and dragging the fight since he left Addis Ababa. Otherwise, the progress of Fano would have been so significant.
The fact of the matter is that the streets of Addis Ababa are the living witness to what extent Eskinder had run the so-called “Balderas for True Democracy” election in the streets of Addis Ababa and made himself Chairperson of it. Eskinder had said: “There is a winner and there is a loser, unfortunately, the losing side was unable to concede defeat and opted to leave the organization, and this is a normal thing in Africa.” What a shame he is talking! Shamefully, blackmailing the spirit of Amhara, Fano leaders, as if they had failed to concede defeat when he had won 2/3 of the majority of Fano votes is not only false but also not short of treason.
- Post Abiy – Forming Transitional Government and Abolish Ethnic Politics
According to the Interview, Eskinder Nega’s key political strategy after the collapse of the Abiy regime is to form a transitional government and abolish Ethnic Politics in Ethiopia which will be the end of the game that Fano is struggling for. Although, we know that Eskinder doesn’t have his own Fano group to put pressure on the Ethno-Fascist regime of Abiy Ahmed, forming a transitional government and only cessing Ethnic Politics in Ethiopia won’t end the half-century miseries and plights of the Amhara People either. Of course, stopping the genocide against the Amhara People and abolishing Ethnic Politics in Ethiopia could be the prime goals of the Fano’s struggle, however, this is not a very big deal that could address the fundamental problems of the Amhara People either.
When Eskinder was asked, “What would be his position on the question of negotiating with the Abiy regime?” Eskinder answered: “As they followed a collective decision, he couldn’t take a standby himself, and his newly formed AFPO hadn’t taken a stand yet on the point of negotiation with the regime.” Nevertheless, contradicting himself, he went far and decided by himself and said, “Once a transitional government is formed, ethnic politics will be abolished in Ethiopian politics and things get normal.”
This is one of the key points that the Fano groups differ from Eskinder’s viewpoint on how they address fundamental problems of the Amhara People including the country. Given the magnitude of the Amhara problems, the solution is not as such a shortcut as what Eskinder decided unilaterally and be solved by forming a transitional government.
As everybody knows the Amhara People have been fighting in so many ways the constitutional, structural, and governmental genocides imposed by the TPLF and OLF/Abiy Ethno-Fascist regime for the last thirty-three years against the Amhara People. These need a thorough manner and delicate approach so that every stakeholder is involved in the decision-making processes including ceasing the TPLF’s and OLF’s genocidal constitution. This is the only way forward after the Abiy Ethno-Fascist regime change. Fano believes that Ethiopia is our common house for different ethnic groups (ኢትዮጵያ የሁላችንም የጋራ ቤት ናትና) we all need to take time and forge what is best for all of us including changing the current genocidal constitution of TPLF and OLF/Abiy.
That is why we said the miseries and plights of the Amhara People won’t be solved by forming a transitional government. Of course, forming a transitional government is only one part of the solution, however, solving the fundamental problem of the Amhara People is entirely another political issue that goes beyond forming a transitional government. We aren’t going to be trapped and tricked by the formation of the transitional government or empty words or even words on a new proposed constitution. Such a shortcut approach is not short of hijacking the Fano struggle which we can’t afford anymore.
Therefore, as Fano is primarily the true voice of the Amhara People has so many fundamental questions such as the genocidal constitution, the federal arrangements that are used to subjugate the Amhara and minorities’ lands, the political power, the economy, and identity issues, transitional justice and compensations for the genocides and crimes committed against the Amhara people for half a century has to be answered properly and thoroughly.
Another fundamental difference with Eskinder is that he has amplified Ethiopia has three layers of governmental structures. According to him, these are The Federal, The Regional, and The District (Wereda) levels. Nevertheless, according to the reality on the ground, Fano doesn’t believe that such arrangements govern Ethiopia. Such TPLF’s and OLF’s Federal arrangements are deliberately and illegally used as a pretext in subjugating the Amhara’s and minorities’ ancestral lands between TPLF and Abiy/OLF and to violate and segregate the political and economic rights of the Amhara People and minorities.
So, Fano doesn’t recognize and accept such illegal making as true and fair Federal arrangements. Ethiopia needs a new kind of arrangement based on historical, cultural, and geographical arrangements with the direct participation and decisions of different stakeholders in Ethiopia. Fano believes in unity with democratic equality!!
Therefore, Eskinder shall think twice and refrain from his destructive and deceptive propaganda against Fano’s legitimate causes and its heroic leaders. Eskinder doesn’t have the moral and political right to characterize the Fano leaders as like African dictators. Besides, I hope Eskinder shall remember what had been done in the Ancient and Historic Monastery of Debre-Elias. Eskinder’s reporter had claimed that they were fighting there and gave a pretext to the Ethno-Fascist regime of Abiy Ahmed to destroy this Ancient Monastery and perished about 570 monks deliberately and so many Children were affected, with 32 fatalities! The European Centre for Law & Justice (ECLJ) expressed its deep sadness at the destruction of these ancient Monasteries and Churches that constitute pillars of the country’s religious and cultural heritage. Eskinder Gave a pretext to Ethno-Fascist Abiy to destroy the Debre-Elias Monastery.
This is also one of the hundreds of mistakes Eskinder has made since he left Addis Ababa!! Of course, Eskinder would have contributed a lot to the Fano’s struggle if he had rather worked on the humanitarian side or any other similar tasks at a lower level than always dividing the Fano’s struggle. Therefore, although it is too late, Eskinder must think twice to come to his senses and work on his gift (መክሊት) instead of dividing the Fano leaders.
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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