THE ONLY WAY TO END THE TERRIBLE STORY OF FAILED STATE

July 8, 2013by T. Goshu

How many times we have to fail before we say not only enough is enough; but most importantly rally around the critical issues we do share and act in unison, and end the current ( the third and most miserable ) political failure?  Despite the fact that the failure of the absolute monarchy (early 1970s) and the devastating failure of the military regime (1970s and 80s) may arguably have their own explanations based on internal and external circumstances, it is beyond doubt that they are parts and parcels of our terribly failed political history. 

 

Sadly enough, it is now 21 years since we entered the third and most horrible political failure which is of course the root cause for making us the people of a failed state. Genuinely concerned fellow Ethiopians, take deep breath and put your-self in sincere and deep thoughts about where we are! Not only this but let us be honest enough with ourselves and challenge ourselves with the question of “what did we do, and what we are doing right now, and where we want to go, and how?” 

These and many other unanswered questions will continue striking our minds and breaking our hearts until we reach a situation in which we seriously listen to each other and walk the walk together. Having said this self-reminding introductory statement, I want to proceed to the points of view I want to reflect.

Thanks to ESAT, I watched the news about the report of annual index of failed states of the Foreign Policy Magazine in its June 29th issue.  I visited the FP website and went through the list of 59 Countries with their points of major criteria. Those criteria are:  “demographic pressure, refuges/IDPs, group grievance, human flight, uneven development,  economic decline, de- legitimization of the state, public service, human rights, security apparatus, factionalized elites and external intervention.” The statuses of those states are classified as critical, in danger and borderline.

When we say a state, we mean a political entity characterized by three major components namely; a defined territory, the people or citizens, and a government with its various systems. The duties, rights and responsibilities of these components of a state are governed by the supreme law of the land (constitution). Unfortunately enough, this supreme law in our country is not only dysfunctional but is being used as the supreme   law of punishing innocent citizens ,but protecting a bunch of politicians who are in power and their cronies. That is why the question of whether a state has failed or succeeded is a very big and serious issue.

Glancing through the list, my eyes stared at number 19 of which Ethiopia ranked. I found myself in a very deeply heart-breaking feeling as if I it was a surprise to me .Yes, it is painful to see my country being  number 19^th falling under the category of critically failed states which of course includes Somalia being the first critically failed. I was struck hard by a very challenging and paradoxical question:  How can and should we reconcile   the proudness of our glorious history of independence on the one hand, and the very embarrassing history of political culture, hunger (famine) and all kinds of sufferings on the other hand? Why and how we continue to be one of the most terribly failed states in this 21^st century while we claim a history of about three millennia? Why and how we are not still fortunate enough to launch a significantly meaningful progress that could shorten, or end the very dreadful way of doing politics?

I am well aware that all these and several challenging questions are not new at all. They are rather parts and parcels of our age-old political history without a real sense of legitimacy (a real consent of the people).   But, as long as those questions not only stay with us unanswered but also get worse and worse, we cannot escape encountering them day-out and day- in,   and raising them over and over again.

Well, encountering a state of failure at a certain point of history and a given circumstance is something that should be accepted and dealt with accordingly. This emanates from the fact that failure and success can only be explained and measured in relative terms. Sadly enough, our failure to bring about a political system that should be run based on the will and interests of the people, not at the free will of a bunch of ruling elites is far beyond  an acceptable level of relativity . If we turn over the pages of Dictionary of International Relations by Graham Evans and Jeffry Newnahm,1998 , we read the definition of a failed state as follows: the breakdown of law and order; the breakdown of basic services; bitter communal/societal conflicts; politics of  violence (Violent is the ruling party in our case); ethnic nationalism; militarism ; endemic regional conflicts; unchecked spread of diseases. Do we really need to go far and work hard in search of proof about all these and other horrible consequences of the tyrannical ruling circle in our country? Not at all! Why? Because the day-to-day lives of the innocent people of Ethiopia speak powerfully clear and loud.

Needless to say, the report by Foreign Policy Magazine has a lot to tell about the seriousness of the failure we are experiencing. And it is beyond any doubt that this is because of a political madness of the ruling elites. The phrases or expressions used by FP (Foreign Policy Magazine) and the dictionary I cited above may not sound extremely horrible for people who are not going through the situations as we are.

• In our case, having a failed state is to be under a bunch of politicians who refused the concerns of not only Ethiopians about being landlocked but also the recommendations  of some foreign authorities ,and gave away Port of Asab and put both  the economic and security of the country at risk.
• For the Ethiopian people, having a failed sate  means to be ruled by a political group (TPLF/EPRDF led by the late Ato Meles who had no any sense of hesitation to say the large tract of Ethiopian land bordering  the Sudan belongs to the Sudan and had considered the legitimate claim of Ethiopians as foolish as anything.
• For us, being citizens of a failed state means being ruled by ruling elites led by the late Ato Meles who unequivocally told us that the history of Axum, Adawa and etc. has nothing to with other parts of Ethiopia.
• For the people of Ethiopia, those criteria of failed state means being intimidated, tortured, terrorized, arrested at the free will of those who are in power, and to the extent of being killed for the simple reason demanding for exercising the political freedom and enjoying fundamental human rights.
• For us, failed state means a state that is characterized by a political agenda and practice that perpetuate itself by not only making the people not to come together but hate each other.
• For us, failure means suffering under a ruling party that makes millions of Ethiopians its members/supporters not because they have some sort of political philosophy or ideology, but they just want to win their livelihood (bread). What is extremely disturbing and seriously worrisome is when the ruling party deploys those millions of cadres to deceive, spy, terrorize, silence and   if necessary attack their own parents, brothers and sisters.
• For us, failed state means a political history of erecting memorial statues for those brothers and sisters who were either deceived or forced to kill each other and perpetuate the senselessly voracious interest of a bunch of ruling elites.
• For us, having a failed state means witnessing those in power and their cronies enjoying the resources of the country to the fullest while  millions of Ethiopians suffer from lack of basic needs (food, shelter and to cover their bodies-clothing) together with their children.
• For us, having a failed state means evicting innocent Ethiopians from their villages and farms, and selling their most valuable resources (fertile lands) to foreign investors who absolutely do not have any sense of sympathy to the starving people of Ethiopia.
• For us, a failed state means witnessing the supreme law of the land (the constitution) and all institutions (including the three branches of government) being instrumental in advancing the voracious self-interests of those in power and their shareholders. Well, the list can go on and on.

Now, the most critical question is: So what is to be done to end this dreadful situation? Once again, I have to make myself clear that the following viewpoints of mine are not and cannot be “brand new.” But as I mentioned earlier, I strongly believe that it is necessary reiterate them in one form or another.

1. The need to reinforce and reinvigorate the remarkable reawakening of June 2^nd, 2013 initiated and organized by Semayawi (Blue) Party: I sincerely want to believe that this front of the struggle will have a tremendous capability in ending our unfortunate political history of failure. The ongoing campaign by UDJ (Andinet) to get millions of signatures for petition and the preparation to take millions of voices to the streets of the city of Gondar is a courageous move as far as keeping the momentum going is concerned.  

Well, we are witnessing that the ruling party and its cadres are getting frustrated and trying to play their very familiar ugly game. Arresting those innocent citizens who are trying to exercise their political rights which are clearly enshrined in the constitution and trying to postpone the peaceful demonstration will neither stop nor postpone the struggle to end the unfortunate political history of being citizens of a failed state. The move by Andinet (negotiating and accepting the postponement) is a wise political leadership. But, there is a pressing need to inform and mobilize the people within the remaining one week period. There is no doubt that the ruling party will try hard to intimidate or fool the people not to make their voices heard. I hope UDJ will move accordingly and the inspiring star of the struggle from the north will gloriously spark and send its powerful lights to all directions of the country.

 2. What about the very legitimate and very peaceful movement of our Muslim compatriots for religious freedom?  Needless to say, this movement which has entered its second year is becoming inseparable from the struggle for the realization of genuine democracy, justice, and above all respect for fundamental human dignity. Yes, it has become clear that the ruling party is not willing to respond rationally and constructively to the very simple and clear demands by our Muslim fellow Ethiopians. 

As result of this irresponsible behavior of the ruling party, things have become clear that there is no any other way to get out of this politico-religious mess, but to get rid of those in power by reinforcing the struggle for change.

3. We hear similar courageous initiations and efforts from all other genuinely concerned opposition groups /parties such as All Ethiopian Unity Party, Medrek, and the 33 getting prepared to move forward. And there is a very pressing need to make all the movements move in a well-organized and collaborated and most importantly persistent manner.

4. We have witnessed/are witnessing conferences/meetings  organized by political movements /civic groups such as the Ethiopian National Transitional Council , Coalition for Ethiopian People Struggle (Shengo) during the Ethiopian Sport ( SFNA)  festive in Maryland ,USA from 07/01 – 07/060/2013. Will these meetings and conferences come up with more significant ideas and plan of actions that should meaningfully contribute to the struggle going back home?

I hope these movements /coalitions will move in a more organized and real sense of collaboration and result-oriented direction. I do not think we can afford to continue the culture of forming groups, coalitions, forums, fronts and councils, but making more talks not walking the walk together. Do not get wrong that I am undermining the efforts being made. What I am saying is that we have to have a true sense of courage to admit that compared with the challenge we continue to face, we are lagging behind. We are still dwelling on the problems, not solutions in a real sense of the term. I hope those groups /coalitions /councils will not continue reporting about holding meetings/discussions, issuing press releases, distributing political leaf-lets back home as big performances.

To conclude, if we want make our history of failed state the thing of the past, there is a desperate and pressing need to listen to each other, understand each other, reinforce each other’s efforts, act together and move forward. If we keep doing politics as usual while genuinely concerned opposition political forces are trying to move forward with the people back home, we will be making our political talks  ‘irrelevant “ to the movement back home. I want to remain optimistic about the efforts being made by all genuinely concerned opposition parties/movements/ coalitions/fronts/councils and etc.