I hereby wish everyone a triumphal new year. As was the case in the past twenty plus years of our struggle for justice and democracy, I have not come to you today with jubilant news. It is amazing that Woyanie is fast approaching to its Silver Jubilee while the struggle is still continuing. Today the Ethiopian people are celebrating their new year with a chicken costing Birr 400.00. A senga for qercha is unimaginable since it costs 23-25 thousand birr. In the past few years, Woyanie has successfully eliminated the original dwellers of Addis Ababa practically in all covered areas. Dwellers in Kazanchese, Lideta, Gedamsefer, Sholla and many other places in Addis Ababa were systematically displaced after their houses have been dismantled. Their land then is auctioned in an untold amount enriching the treasure of the Woyanie tugs. The only guys that can afford to pay for these inflated sales are Tigreans. The process of dismantling villages is expected to continue this year without confrontation as all other parts of Addis Ababa are on the pipe line. According to a young lady in Addis, I talked today by phone, the return for any protest is bullet. So, the people have opted to shut up and shoulder the consequences. The consequences are terrible. The compensation for a dweller whose house costs a million birr is only a one room apartment; they call "condominium." That is not even a compensation since the evacuated owner has to pay for the cost of the new apartment on instalment basis. Thus, the people of Addis Ababa are out rightly looted. We celebrate the New Year with such public sufferance from deplorable abuse of the rights of citizens to own property. We should not tolerate woyanie celebrate its silver jubilee of the annexation of Addis Ababa with all its crimes of unlimited extent. We have to wake up and respond to end the misery of our people under Woyanie. Please expect more challenges this year and get ready to sacrifice much more than what you have done in the past two and half decades.
Compatriotly yours,
Zenebe G. Tamirat,
Founder, the Pan Ethiopia Network (PEN)
