Thread by @ObangMetho

More than 11 years ago I wrote a Open Letter to my fellow Tigrayan brothers and sisters who were supporting the TPLF and no one took my advice serious.

What I have now learned is that most of the people, especially those who are benefiting from the regimes of the day always tend not to listen to the advice and learned from the history until it is too late. My advice to everyone is “Be willing to take advice”

Below is few paragraphs from that letter. 

“June 11, 2009

Dear Fellow Ethiopian,

I want to address those Ethiopians who are Tigrayans, especially focusing on those who are benefiting from this regime (TPLF/EPRDF) at the expense of the majority of other #Ethiopians.

I am accountable for the following words that I will be saying to you. With that in mind, I am not speaking as an expert or as someone who is perfect because I am neither, but I am doing this because I care about you and you need to hear the truth, at least, as I see it.

Take what you agree with from this message and discard the rest. I am hoping you will find something of benefit to you.

I am opening this delicate subject up for discussion and I hope more people will join me in looking for ways to strengthen our broken relation and #Ethiopia.

I will be frank and straight-forward, speaking to you in love and in hope that all of us can benefit from speaking honestly and directly with each other. Let me start with “the elephant in the room!”

Anyone who says that Tigrayans, not all, but many, have not benefited under Meles, or TPLF are lying to themselves. We all know that the key positions in the government,in the military,in the economy, in the judicial system,on the national election board, in banking and finance,

in education and in any other sector of society are mostly held by Tigrayans who are loyal to Meles and TPLF. For the most part, those from other ethnic groups are given certain positions by the TPLF only to fool the outsiders so they can look better.

In reality,there are only two branches of government in Ethiopia, one that runs everything—the TPLF—which is mainly dominated by Tigrayans,and the other—the EPRDF—which has more diversity, but only pretends to run everything.

The public knows this very well, but people avoid talking about it. This preferential treatment is not only unacceptable and wrong, it is immoral. It is a model of government that is built on greed, self-interest, pride, corruption, oppression and lack of empathy for others.

It has been doomed to failure from the beginning as were other preceding regimes who were built on the same shaky foundation.

We have created a cycle of destruction and deception for ourselves that should be discarded if we do not want to keep repeating our mistakes and perpetuating our suffering.

The purpose of this letter is to ask Tigrayans, the TPLF and also Woyane to join with your fellow Ethiopians in ending this system that perpetuates the destruction of one another.

Our society greatly needs reconciliation in order to accomplish this great task. Our Tigrayan brothers and sisters have an opportunity to come together at a strategic moment in our history that could dramatically change our shared future.

“Tyranny”&“Injustice”are always thirsty for new victims and perpetrators.If we are to break out of this cycle,we need Tigrayans to rise up out of their silence,something that will make a bridge of reconciliation between yourselves and other Ethiopians in this very divided nation.

This is also for your own protection because somehow, we must heal the animosities that have built up over these past years so when this regime collapses, our future together in Ethiopia is secure and harmonious.

In doing so,you are preparing the way for a better future for your children and grandchildren.  Together,we can make this crucial transition from a government built on tyranny and ethnic domination of one group to a government built on principles of “humanity before ethnicity”

and the promotion of truth, freedom, justice, the respect of human rights, civility  and equal opportunity for all Ethiopians  for “no one will be free until all are free.”

In such an Ethiopia, you will be at home; but do not wait until this TPLF government collapses to claim these principles for yourselves or it may be too late. Instead, I am hoping that you will be part of the solution in bringing about a New Ethiopia right now.

Let us start by looking at our history of consecutive “one tribe or one village rule” regimes and where it has gotten us.”

Click at the link below to read the entire letter. 

I encourage every Ethiopian who cares about the wellbeing of all our Ethiopian people and beautiful country to read it and share it with others. 

solidaritymovement.org/090611OpenLett…