Mereja Forum

[Revelations]

Eskinder Nega Responding to the U.S. Ambassador’s Controversial Statement


News / May 22, 2024



Greetings to all.

It has been six years since the current Ethiopian regime came into power. During this time, individuals of Amhara descent have been targeted due to their ethnicity, facing discrimination, violence, displacement, and mass killings, primarily at the hands of the federal government rather than regional authorities.

Mind you, Amharas have been attacked by various ethnic based organizations on the basis of ethnicity for the past 50 years, that is, ever since the revolution in 1974, but what has changed in the past six years is the emergence of the government as a major actor in these ethnic-based attacks.

In view of the government’s involvements in these attacks, we as Amharas had no choice but to defend ourselves. We must learn from history. Only governments are capable of genocide, especially those that are ethnically charged as the Ethiopian government. We thus fight as a people against genocide in quest of our right to live, which is the foundation of all rights. That is why we insist our struggle is more than politics, though we recognize that the ultimate solution lies on politics itself.

We are also well aware that periodic negotiations are part of armed struggles, and to this end the US government is doing its best to facilitate a meeting between Fano, as representative of the Amhara people, and the Ethiopian federal government.

For this initiative to bear fruit, a pan-Amhara organization, with major Fano groups as its constituent parts, has to be established first. We need some time to complete this process. Only such an organization can speak authoritatively on behalf of Amharas.

We thank the American government, and the broader international community for that matter, for their efforts to fend off genocide in Ethiopia.

God be with all of us.

Eskinder Nega.

Amhara Fano People’s Force (AFPF)

[Revelations]

[Revelations]

[Noble Amhara]

Fano must become a military party and unified with political objectives that are agreed by each leader it has reached its 1st year anniversary of fighting ENDF without a centralized Fano Command

[Misraq]

Eskinder is sh!t head

[Noble Amhara]

Eskinder is sh!t head

Eskinder is an outdated politician. Eskinder leads no Fano groups and any group named after eskinder should be renamed back to their original names. As for Fano the main leaders should form a central command which has taken too long to form. The point is to evaluate the situation properly.

[union]

VIVA Eskew!!!

[TGAA]

Eskendr is a man of unwavering commitment, having sacrificed everything for his cause. His sole desire is to see the end of ethnic cleansing against the Amhara people and for all Ethiopians to live in peace and brotherhood. Eskendr does not seek to be a hero for any specific region—be it Gojam, Wello, Gonder, or Shewa. His compassion extends equally to all Amharas, regardless of where they reside.Eskendr is a vital asset for the Amhara people during these challenging times, both nationally and internationally. Instead of criticizing him, people should recognize his efforts to articulate the plight of the Amharas in Ethiopia. He is well-versed in the complexities of the Amhara issue and the principles of brotherhood that should underpin any democratic solution.Some local leaders oppose him because the Amhara issue is often seen as a regional power struggle, with a few seeking dominance. However, for Eskendr, it is about the freedom that all Ethiopians desire and the exposure and eradication of the genocidal system from Ethiopia once and for all.

[Revelations]

I’ve Spent a Fifth of my Life in Prison Just for Doing the Work of a Journalist




I became a journalist by accident. I was in my twenties. For the first time in Ethiopia’s history, we had independent magazines. I knew we had to venture into freedom of expression and push the boundaries, so I wrote articles criticizing the Ethiopian regime’s abuse of power. My newspaper became the first to be charged under the press law; my editor and I the first to be imprisoned.

I am 48 now. Since 1993, I’ve been imprisoned on nine separate occasions on various charges. I’ve spent almost one fifth of my life in prison—simply for doing the work of a journalist. This year I was released after spending more than six years in prison. Even though I am a peaceful person, the Ethiopian government convicted me on terrorist charges. Throughout the world, such charges are frequently leveled against dissident journalists like me who challenge their governments.

I’ve seen every side of prison life. I have been kept in dark cells, measuring less than two square meters. As I slept it was as though my head was touching the wall and my feet were touching the door. It was so dark I couldn’t see my hand. I was allowed to go to the bathroom twice a day. A shower was out of the question.

Once, when the state had locked me up for my journalism, the authorities tortured me. They beat me on the inside of my feet, the most common type of torture in the world. But I didn’t experience the worst of it.

My son was born in prison. The Ethiopian government had imprisoned my wife and I after the 2005 elections. He had to go and live with his grandmother because the conditions were so bad. My wife and I would meet during court sessions, but apart from that we were not allowed to see each other. My son is 11 now and lives in the United States. I haven’t seen him since I was imprisoned in 2012. The prospect of meeting him is both exciting and terrifying. I am not perfect and I am not the legend he thinks I am. I hope he won’t be too disappointed when he gets to know me.

Most recently, the government imprisoned me in Ethiopia’s notorious Maekelawi prison. The conditions were terrible. It was overcrowded, difficult to find a place to sleep and the sanitation was unbelievably bad. The prison officers demanded I stop writing. When I refused, I was branded a troublemaker, a difficult prisoner and segregated from the others.

I wasn’t fighting with anybody, I was simply writing. I was kept in a prison within a prison. The compound was three meters in width and nine metres in length. There was no space to walk. All my books were taken away and I was denied pen and paper. They didn’t want to just physically imprison me, they wanted to break my spirit.

For over four years, the state tried to stop me from writing. Not all the guards were on the side of the government and some of them would supply me with paper and pens. I was well known in prison; I was their most loyal customer.

When they found out, the government tried to stop that too. But I continued to write on cardboard, scraps of paper, anything I could find. At one point, it didn’t matter what I wrote, as long as I didn’t stop writing. We had searches almost every week. The government was doing all it could to break my spirit but they didn’t succeed.

I read the Bible whenever I could. My conviction for democracy saw me through the darkest times.

Even when I was imprisoned in a dark cell, I knew organisation’s such as Amnesty International would be speaking out on my behalf. This knowledge was so important to me. I received letters of support from Amnesty International through my family. It helped keep my morale up, and it lifted the spirits of my family.

I am glad I inspired people to write. I am proud of that. Nothing beats the written word. I am a child of America’s First Amendment, which states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression and that we should all be able to express ourselves without fear.

In 2018, I was released. Not because the government changed its mind, but because the people demanded the release of detained activists, journalists and bloggers. It was the people that mobilized on behalf of democracy.

When we came out, we had that hope—and we still have hope—that what we stood for and what we made the sacrifice for was finally about to happen.

We have fought for democracy for so long and I will continue as a human rights activist and as a journalist until it’s achieved. Freedom of expression is the basis of our right, the basis of democracy. It’s the basis of everything.

We should be able to speak our minds, without fear of reprisal. It’s the age of democracy and I won’t stop, I will not be exiled and I will not give up. I have never doubted the work I am doing—defending human rights is the right thing to do and until there’s democracy, I will be there speaking out no matter the consequences.

https://time.com/5355083/ethiopia-free-speech/

[Right]

Misraq,

There must be something that we don’t know but you know for you to come out here and insult Eskinder Nega. Share it with us if it is a legitimate concern. Eskinder has given everything he possibly can to the freedom of the Ethiopian people. They may be some disagreements among comrades but just leave it for them to sort it out. If we are trying to genuinely support the struggle then it is better to stay out of their operational disagreements without taking sides.

[Misraq]

Misraq,

There must be something that we don’t know but you know for you to come out here and insult Eskinder Nega. Share it with us if it is a legitimate concern. Eskinder has given everything he possibly can to the freedom of the Ethiopian people. They may be some disagreements among comrades but just leave it for them to sort it out. If we are trying to genuinely support the struggle then it is better to stay out of their operational disagreements without taking sides.

Brother Right,

I am really tired of the Amhara society who follows individuals just like a cult system. The same society was singing for Birhanu Nega, Professor Mesfin, Abiy Ahmed and now Eskinder Nega. The common denominator of all these are "unionists and hidden identity interests at the expense of Amhara".

I would like you to ask yourself the following
1) why is Eskinder kicked out of Gojjam
2) why is every organization Eskinder created will fail
3) who are behind Eskinder?
4) which medias propped Eskinder and why?
5) ever since Eskinder moved to Shoa, why are the two shoan ዕዝ (Meketaw vs Asegid) forces are at odds
6) Eskinder Ethiopianist or Amhara Nationalist?
7) Does Eskinder command a large force? If so, where did his forces fight?
why did the G7 hoodlums all of a sudden become Eskinder messengers and supporters
9) Do you really think the folks surrounding Eskinder work for the best interest of Amharas?
10) Do you think G7 & Ezema ideology which Eskinder follows will stop Amhara hate through out Ethiopia?

Let's rationalize the above first. Also ask yourself on why Shaleqa Dawit and Lig Tedla melalu including Zemedkun suddenly distanced themselves from Eskinder? Isn't it because of Eskinders balderas buddies effort to get foothold in this business?

[Selam/]

<< ዓላማንና (principle) ስልትን (strategy) አታጋጩ። ትግል አንድ ዓይነት ዓላማ እንጂ አንድ ብቻ ስልት ሊኖረው አይችልም፣ ከሆነም ፉርሽ ይሆናል።

<< መሬት ላይ በእሳት የሚጠበሱት ሰዎች እያሉ ውጪ ሆኖ ለሚንጣጣው ክፍል ብዙም ቁብ አልሰጠውም። ምክንያቱም በሩቁ ሆኖ እንዲህ ቢያደርጉት እንደዚያ ባያደርጉት እያሉ ጠጉር መሰንጠቅና ቀመር ማውጣት ፣ ወንዝና ሸንተረር ላይ እየተሳቡ ጠላትን ከማጥቃት ጋር ፍፁም የተለየ ነው።

[Misraq]

<< ዓላማንና (principle) ስልትን (strategy) አታጋጩ። ትግል አንድ ዓይነት ዓላማ እንጂ አንድ ብቻ ስልት ሊኖረው አይችልም፣ ከሆነም ፉርሽ ይሆናል።

<< መሬት ላይ በእሳት የሚጠበሱት ሰዎች እያሉ ውጪ ሆኖ ለሚንጣጣው ክፍል ብዙም ቁብ አልሰጠውም። ምክንያቱም በሩቁ ሆኖ እንዲህ ቢያደርጉት እንደዚያ ባያደርጉት እያሉ ጠጉር መሰንጠቅና ቀመር ማውጣት ፣ ወንዝና ሸንተረር ላይ እየተሳቡ ጠላትን ከማጥቃት ጋር ፍፁም የተለየ ነው።

እስክንድር መሬት ላይ በክፍለ ጦርም በዕዝም በብርጌድም ደረጃ የሚንቀሳቀስ ወታደር የለውም። ያው ከግንቦት 7 እና ከባልደራስ ስለፈለሰው ለፍላፊ የምታወራ ይመስለኛል

[Noble Amhara]

Okay let's say eskinder gets what he wants

Fano negotiates with pp

Then eskinder wants to go back to America and he is detained by pp

No Amhara should ever mention his name again

[Misraq]

እያልን ያለነው የአማራ ሕዝብ በማያውቀው ጉዳይ እንደ ጦስ ዶሮ እየተሳደደ የሚገደልበት የአንድነት ዜጋ ideology አታምጡብን ነው። በዚህ የአንድነት ዜጋ ጣዖታዊ አመለካከት ምስኪን አማራ በኤርትራ በትግራይ፤ በኦሮምያ ፤ በደቡብና በጉሙዝ የጥቃት ሰለባ ሆኖ የመስዋዕት በግ ሆኖ ታርዷል ተዋርዷል።

እስክንድር ለሚያምንበት ideology መጀመርያ ትግራይና ኤሮምያ ገብቶ አሳምኖ ድርጅት ያቋቋቁም። ተቀላቅያለሁ ተዳቅያለሁ የሚለውና ዜጋ ዜጋ የሚጫወተውም ሱሪ ታጥቆ መሬት ላይ መሳርያ አንግቦ እንየው።

ይሄው ነው።

[Revelations]

Eskinder Nega Responding to the U.S. Ambassador’s Controversial Statement


News / May 22, 2024



Greetings to all.

It has been six years since the current Ethiopian regime came into power. During this time, individuals of Amhara descent have been targeted due to their ethnicity, facing discrimination, violence, displacement, and mass killings, primarily at the hands of the federal government rather than regional authorities.

Mind you, Amharas have been attacked by various ethnic based organizations on the basis of ethnicity for the past 50 years, that is, ever since the revolution in 1974, but what has changed in the past six years is the emergence of the government as a major actor in these ethnic-based attacks.

In view of the government’s involvements in these attacks, we as Amharas had no choice but to defend ourselves. We must learn from history. Only governments are capable of genocide, especially those that are ethnically charged as the Ethiopian government. We thus fight as a people against genocide in quest of our right to live, which is the foundation of all rights. That is why we insist our struggle is more than politics, though we recognize that the ultimate solution lies on politics itself.

We are also well aware that periodic negotiations are part of armed struggles, and to this end the US government is doing its best to facilitate a meeting between Fano, as representative of the Amhara people, and the Ethiopian federal government.

For this initiative to bear fruit, a pan-Amhara organization, with major Fano groups as its constituent parts, has to be established first. We need some time to complete this process. Only such an organization can speak authoritatively on behalf of Amharas.

We thank the American government, and the broader international community for that matter, for their efforts to fend off genocide in Ethiopia.

God be with all of us.

Eskinder Nega.

Amhara Fano People’s Force (AFPF)

[Wedi]

[
እስክንድር መሬት ላይ በክፍለ ጦርም በዕዝም በብርጌድም ደረጃ የሚንቀሳቀስ ወታደር የለውም። ያው ከግንቦት 7 እና ከባልደራስ ስለፈለሰው ለፍላፊ የምታወራ ይመስለኛል

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[Right]

Let's rationalize the above first. Also ask yourself on why Shaleqa Dawit and Lig Tedla melalu including Zemedkun suddenly distanced themselves from Eskinder? Isn't it because of Eskinders balderas buddies effort to get foothold in this business?

Brother Misraq,
I understand your frustration. From what I understand you consider FANO as an Amhara Liberation front instead of a resistance movement fighting for justice and democracy. There are many people who shares your views and many who opposes your views. Eskinder may be on the opposite camp or he may not share your view. But to call him names is not right. Agree to disagree and look for a common ground. Right now the most important task is getting rid off Abiye. Please don’t give life for the Oromuma team.

[Misraq]

Brother Right,

Well, it won't be long for you lots to learn and understand how Eskinder is a clone of Abiy Ahmed when it comes to how he sees himself and the egocentric moves he made so far. He is not a competent leader. He is a competent journalist/human right advocate and I won't take that from him. He is selfless in that domain, but certainly not a leader material the Amhara struggle needs.

Brother Wedi,

We sent nearly $2 million for him and his gangs bought few hundred Fano's here and there. The money we sent was obviously for the entire Fano, but he and his groups demanded that the Fano groups need to work under him to get the money. This is not professionalism. I personally did not contribute my money for the dead unity ideology

[Selam/]

ኢህአፓ በደርግ የተበላችው በውስጧ የስትራተጂ አለመናበብ ስለተፈጠረ ነው። ገሚሱ ደርግን ከውስጥ እንውጋው ሲል ሌላው ደግሞ ሽምቅ ውጋይውን እንቀጥልበት ብለው በዛው ተበላልተው አለቁ።

ከኢህአፓ ስህተት የተማረችው ትህነግ ውስጧን በሚሰቀጥጥ ሁኔታ አፅድታ ስታበቃ፣ ከሻቢያ፣ ከኦነግና ከአንዳንድ የአማራ ሆዳሞች ጋር ግንባር ፈጥራ ደርግን ናደችው። ዓላማዋን ካሳካች በኋላ ግን ሁሉንም አራገፈቻቸው ወይንም ቋሚ ሎሌ አደረገቻቸው።

ስትራተጂ ላይ ሁልጊዜ ልዩነት ይፈጠራል፣ ሆኖም የአማራን የህልውና ትግል የማይፃረርና ለሌባው መንግስት የማያጎበድድ እስከሆነ ድረስ፣ በአሁኑ ወቅት ከመቻቻል የተሻለ ስትራተጂያዊ አማራጭ የለም። ትልቁ የኦሮሙማ፣ የወያኔና የሻቢያ ጦር አንገትህ ላይ ተደቅኖብህ፣ የማኒፌስቶን አቃቂር ለማስተካከል ሲባል ጥይት መባከን አለበት ብዬ አላምንም።