A Shadow Government set to rule Post-Meles Ethiopia
Gulele Post | August 23, 2012
By Jawar Mohammed
As expected, although they have no choice but to elevate Hailemariam Desalegn formally to replace Meles’ position, the ruling elites have formed a shadow government that will make all the real decisions behind the scenes. This shadow government – a “transition time caretaker” – is made up of seven members. According to individuals privy to the process of selection, the justification given for the appointment is that the shadow government should be made up of one person from each of EPRDF’s member parties, and one each from key government agencies – intelligence, foreign affairs, and the military. Below is the list.
| Name | Representing | Parent Party | Ethnicity |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Se’are Mekonnen | Military | TPLF | Tigrean |
| Getachew Assefa | Intelligence | TPLF | Tigrean |
| Berhane Gebrekiristos | Foreign Affairs | TPLF | Tigrean |
| Seyum Mesfin | TPLF | TPLF | Tigrean |
| Bereket Simon | ANDM | ANDM | Tigrean (Eritrean) |
| Kuma Demeksa | OPDO | OPDO | Unknown (Tigrean/Amhara) |
| Hailemarim Desalegn | SEPDM | SEPDM | Walayta |
It is astonishing that despite the nominal diversity of parent parties and government agencies represented, all but one of these individuals are from a single ethnic group, Tigre, which makes up just 6% of the country. That sole member is Hailemariam Desalegn, the soon-to-be prime minister. Although a founding member of the the Amhara National Democratic Movement (previously Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement), it is a well known fact that Berekt Simon is an Eritrean Tigre. In similar fashion, despite the fact that he is a founding member of OPDO, the ethnic identity of Kuma Demeksa is rather ambiguous. In this WikiLeaks report, former US Ambassador Donald Yamamoto writes that “Kuma Demeksa, a.k.a. Taye Teklehaimanot, was born in Oromiya Region of Amhara parents in 1958.” However, Kuma’s comrades from the days of Eritrean POW and later in the Tigrean desert claim that he was a Tigrean, an assertion supported by his classmates in Gore (Ilubabor) who testify that his parents spoke Tigrigna.
–Full Document gulelepost
Display of plain arrogance of the Tigreans. All oppressed people of Ethiopia should continue the struggle to dismantle this regime. Crying about violations of human rights alone will not get us to our destination. These fascists should be brought before the ICJ for their heinous crimes against hundreds of thousands of Oromos and others.
You wrote “It is astonishing that despite the nominal diversity of parent parties and government agencies represented, all but one of these individuals are from a single ethnic group, Tigre, which makes up just 6% of the country”
What is astonoshing is the fact that you expected TPLF will include anyone but Tigreans in such crucial team. TPLF did not run the country through fair and representative body. They made sure they control 100%. Any non-Tigrean included in any circle had to completely submit and and commit to never say anything and always sign on what TPLF decides.One has to be a good dog to be invited and act accordingly.Oromo should stop day dreaming and start to believe the only way to be free come from defeating TPLF; not by begging.
The zero game will continue. Keep up with the struggle! In whatever form you believe.
Sincerely,
Abadura