The prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, reiterated today his serious objection to the proposed aid reduction from western donors. The prime minister revealed that the aid reduction is unacceptable to him and his government and that there would be a retaliatory action taken soon. Asked what the government intends to do about the threat; the prime minister claimed that it may have to cut the donors off from the services that it presently provides them.
Asked repeatedly what this includes, the Prime minister chose to stay ambiguous and answered in characteristic shrouded language that the west has much to gain from having an Ethiopian government that fundamentally believes that Ethiopia can not work as a nation-state. Pressed further in what ways such a government could be of value to donors the prime minister mentioned military and economic partnership with donors as an example.
This has come as a shock to many observers. Sources have maintained that US Special Forces are helping protect the country from a potential attack from Somalia, which is known to be a source of danger to its neighbors due to its highly organized Islamic military capacity, while Aid organizations and international institutions have taken over the provision of civic services and central banking from the government in order to improve overall governance.
The prime minister’s contradictory statements about his government fundamentally not believing in the viability of Ethiopia as a state and yet also securing help from donors to protect and build up the state have not gone unnoticed in western capitals. A diplomat who wished to remain anonymous disclosed that this seems to have made donors jittery and resulted in the proposed threats to cut aid unless the prime minister decides what he believes about his country and its relationship with the outside world. The diplomat claimed that for the first time in years, the donors have come to see that there may be alternative sources of political legitimacy in the country if the prime minister was to lose power.
This confusing state of affairs has left the Ethiopian people with much pain and suffering. A store owner in the middle of Merkato, the largest market in Africa, claimed that all Ethiopians are asking for is to be given the chance to have control over their own destiny and to work their way out of poverty. He argued that the Prime minister was slowly decimating the governance and defense capacity of the state using various means. This opinion seemed to resonate with many inhabitants of the city who have already shown their displeasure with the EPRDF government in the May 2005 elections.
Asked repeatedly what this includes, the Prime minister chose to stay ambiguous and answered in characteristic shrouded language that the west has much to gain from having an Ethiopian government that fundamentally believes that Ethiopia can not work as a nation-state. Pressed further in what ways such a government could be of value to donors the prime minister mentioned military and economic partnership with donors as an example.
This has come as a shock to many observers. Sources have maintained that US Special Forces are helping protect the country from a potential attack from Somalia, which is known to be a source of danger to its neighbors due to its highly organized Islamic military capacity, while Aid organizations and international institutions have taken over the provision of civic services and central banking from the government in order to improve overall governance.
The prime minister’s contradictory statements about his government fundamentally not believing in the viability of Ethiopia as a state and yet also securing help from donors to protect and build up the state have not gone unnoticed in western capitals. A diplomat who wished to remain anonymous disclosed that this seems to have made donors jittery and resulted in the proposed threats to cut aid unless the prime minister decides what he believes about his country and its relationship with the outside world. The diplomat claimed that for the first time in years, the donors have come to see that there may be alternative sources of political legitimacy in the country if the prime minister was to lose power.
This confusing state of affairs has left the Ethiopian people with much pain and suffering. A store owner in the middle of Merkato, the largest market in Africa, claimed that all Ethiopians are asking for is to be given the chance to have control over their own destiny and to work their way out of poverty. He argued that the Prime minister was slowly decimating the governance and defense capacity of the state using various means. This opinion seemed to resonate with many inhabitants of the city who have already shown their displeasure with the EPRDF government in the May 2005 elections.
1 comments:
Funny...and brilliant as usual.
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