TPLF, the Deliquent Child of the United States of America: Kerry, Distressed by Troublesome-Ethiopia

By Zenebe G. Tamirat

In his unpredicted visit to Ethiopia a couple of days ago, U.S. Secretary of States, John Kerry was faced with a challenging question from a daring journalist who asked him if he was serious about the human rights issue in Ethiopia or was he delivering just a lip service? Although Kerry assured the journalist that if he talks about an issue he is always serious about it, his statement could not be trusted much by most Ethiopian political opposition groups.

The point is that the United States needs the Ethiopian Army to fight in South Sudan under the instruction from the White House. The Ethiopian Government is willing to do it but not for free. The charge includes the acknowledgment of Ethiopia as a democratic country under the TPLF led EPRDF’s leadership while actually it is not. Hard to concur with this, but urgently needing the service of the corrupt Ethiopian Government, Kerry seems to be sandwiched between false and facts.

The false is that the Ethiopian Government is not democratic. In fact tyranny rules Ethiopia. The facts speak for themselves; Ethiopians are on the road asking their government to step down. The demonstration successfully conducted on Sunday, in Addis Ababa, pioneered by one of the influential parties in Ethiopia, Andinet, exposes the Ethiopian Government naked affirming its claim of “champion of democracy and bringing economic development to the land was fake. Basic human rights are vehemently violated and basic needs such as food, water, shelter electricity, telephone are not met.

People in the capital, Addis Ababa, are starved to death because there is no supply of food at an affordable price.  The soaring price of Teff, the staple crop of Ethiopia reaching a hot-blooded cost of over $2,000.00/qt, meat to $165/kg, butter $80/kg, house rent rising to thousands of birr per unit of two rooms have left the citizens for starvation and homelessness. Tens of thousands sleep under the bridges of Addis Ababa because they cannot afford the ever soaring house rent in the city.

On the contrary, a handful of delinquent citizens enjoy life corrupting government officials. When journalists bring the problems citizens face to the attention of the authorities, they respond by jailing the informers, when asked to improve conditions by public demonstrations, the authorities order their policemen to obliterate those who demand justice. All in all, Ethiopia has become a "police state" difficult for the United State to deal with its delinquent child, the TPLF. 

There is no doubt that John Kerry knows Ethiopia's leaders are corrupt and ruling by force. He also knows there is no democracy in Ethiopia. What he knows most, though, is that, contrary to the fact on the ground the United States needs Ethiopia's service to fight in neighboring South Sudan as she did in Somalia. And contrary to John Kerry's visit to tyranny in Ethiopia the U.S. Constitution does not allow American leaders to support or deal with tyranny in any ways. 

This means American Administrations cannot form partnership with tyranny knowingly or unknowingly, whether the issue for the partnership is in the interest of the U.S. or not. Therefore, what Kerry knows most is America is wrong in forming partnership of any sort (even it were in the interest of the U.S.) with TPLF tyrants in Ethiopia because it is against the constitution of the United States. Kerry, knows, by forming partnership with the tyrant TPLF, the 3 presidents of the United States, Clinton, George Bush (Jr) and Obama have violated the constitution of the U.S.A. 

In a commentary posted in politico.com, dated May 4, 2014, entitled "An unholy alliance in East Africa." Bronwyn Bruton astonishingly asks "John Kerry knows Ethiopia is repressive. So why does Washington keep shoring it up?"

 (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/an-unholy-alliance-in-east-africa-106323.html#ixzz30yooZNNL). Washington is shoring it up because it knows as well that it is performing against its own constitutional law. If it doesn’t, it can’t keep Ethiopia under its influence. It shall loose it to China. TPLF plays double edge to the United States and China. This has been demonstrated in the visit of the Prime Minister of China to Ethiopia, as soon as Kerry’s legs got out of Addis Ababa.

One reason that the TPLF led Ethiopian Government officials for turning their face to China is TPLF's accusation of the United States for allegedly supporting its political opponents, offering political asylum to most political refugees, recognizing the rights of oppositions to practice their political belief and oppose dictators at home while living in the United States. Another reason is China is an alternative source of income. If the U.S. declines any demand, China is there to provide alternatively. China needs Ethiopia for the provision of settlement for its troubled citizens who badly need space for living. The TPLF is a renown land seller in Africa.

Does the U.S., however, support democracy in Ethiopia satisfactorily? No, not at all. U.S. Officials are scared that, if it does, its friendship with Ethiopia shall be at stake. The political leaders of the U.S. think that the "TPLF" is "Ethiopia," and not the People. The People, however, shall rise to show that they are the real "Ethiopia." Until then, the U.S. will remain sticking with its delinquent child. For now, Kerry is in trouble unable to tame Ethiopia under delinquent child, the TPLF. 

It is clear that sooner or later the delinquent child will turn into the "prodigal son," presumably running to China. I do no think the U.S. will be holy enough to stretch its hands welcoming its "prodigal son" once it ran away. Rather it will turn its face to the East as said in the big book, "look at to the East." That day is coming soon and the opposition should work in union standing in the east.   

The writer Zenebe Tamirat is available at ztamira@yahoo.com, 
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