Medeshi 01 Oct, 2008
ETHIOPIA: Sheepish Address to the UN General Assembly by the Foreign Minister
Sophia Tesfamariam
(Photo : weeping Somali women and her children denied food by the Ethiopian regime)The news headlines have focused on the US financial crisis and the corrupt business practices that are now going to cost the American taxpayers billion of dollars as the federal government contemplates bail outs for the various financial institutions that are on the verge of collapse and just this week, there were hearing on Capitol Hill about the corruption, mismanagement and waste of billions of our taxpayers monies in the war in Iraq. Unemployment is at its highest and Americans are loosing their homes to foreclosures, and the US economy is screeching to a halt, with no bail out agreement on hand. Sheela Baath reporting for the Wall Street journal wrote on 30 September 2008 that:
"…Wall Street will never forget Monday, September 29, when the lords of high finance were rudely reminded that it isn't easy to get away with imprudent investments, no matter which Ivy League degree they possess…The bailout plan was nixed not only because the figure of the financial assistance -- $700 billion -- was almost pulled out of thin air without solid basis, but also because the American taxpayer was supposed to fund it. The anger that bubbled over and poured onto the streets in the form of protests and demonstrations across the United States was one of the main reasons why the plan was vetoed…"
As if that were not enough pressure on the US economy, begging bowl in hand, Meles Zenawi, the street smart deceptive Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Seyoum Mesfin, the shameless Foreign Minister, are back in town, seeking to fleece US and European taxpayers. The duo is back and lining up, once again, for a bail out. Looks like the mercenary minority regime is stuck…stuck and can´t get out that is-from its self created quagmires in Ethiopia and Somalia. It is no secret that the two are in the US-as its "staunch ally on the US global war on terror" to "threaten to leave Somalia" with the hopes of getting more funds for their mercenary agenda and also kill the recently introduced Senate Bill which is critical of the regime´s human rights record. For today, I will concentrate on the UN general Assembly and Seyoum Mesfin´s sheepish address to that world body.
I listened as the ignominious Seyoum Mesfin as he addressed the UN General Assembly on 29 September 2008 and actually felt sorry for the man. After lying to the UN body for over 10 years on the Eritrea Ethiopia border issue, lying about how and why his regime invaded and occupied Somalia, lying about the gross human rights violations being committed by his regime´s forces in Ethiopia and in Somalia, lying about Ethiopia´s respect for international law and respecting the UN and African Union Charters, he actually had nothing substantive to say. After boasting about the "Ethiopian Millennium", and Ethiopia´s "growing economy, his speech turned to the art perfected by his regime-the art of beggary. Well, let me go through his speech and highlight the many ways he did that.
Neglecting the fact that his regime has contributed to the corruption that has mired Wall Street and this US Administration, forgetting that it is the duplicity and hypocrisy of the international community in upholding the rule of law and enforcing international agreements that has contributed to the lack of confidence in the international system, Seyoum Mesfin said:
"…We call on developed countries to honour their commitment to devote zero point seven per cent (0.7%) of their GDP to Overseas Development Assistance…"
Now ain´t that some ---t?
First of all, Seyoum Mesfin does not have the moral authority to lecture the UN General Assembly (UN GA) about honoring commitments. The UN GA knows that the minority regime in Ethiopia has reneged on its legal and moral obligations under the Algiers Agreements it willingly and consciously signed. The UN GA is well aware of Ethiopia´s numerous violations of the UN Charter and international law. Secondly, neither Seyoum Mesfin, nor the mercenary minority regime can claim neglect from the international community as being Ethiopia´s "development emergency" and Ethiopia´s inability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He ought to know that regardless of how much taxpayers in developing countries put up for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), when it comes to Africa, almost all of it will inevitably be sent to Ethiopia, the proud recipient of 80% of all aid that comes to Africa. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian people have not benefited from over 100 years of aid to Ethiopia. But for the record, let us see how much the mercenary minority regime received in just 2007 from various donors.
On August 2007 the notice from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa said:
"…United States Ambassador Donald Yamamoto announced that the U.S. is providing US $18.7 million (169 million birr) in humanitarian assistance for needs in Ethiopia´s Somali Region…"
And again on 20 September 2007, the US Embassy in Addis Ababa announced:
"…In recognition of Ethiopia´s strategic importance to the United States, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing new funding totaling $96.71 million (874.26 million birr) to assist the Ethiopian people in four key areas: agricultural and private sector development, health care, primary education, and good governance…"
On 24 September 2008 the United States announced that it had:
"…pledged over $400 million to support Ethiopia´s development programs in education, health, economic growth, democracy and governance in the next five years…"
According to USAID, in U.S. fiscal year 2008, the United States´ total assistance to Ethiopia, through these grants and other programs, including PEPFAR and emergency humanitarian assistance, will total more than U.S. $900 million. In addition the UK´s Department for International Development (DFID) announced on 22 September 2008 that it was providing the TPLF regime with £20 million "to help the country cope with its worsening humanitarian crisis". Ireland provided €32 million in bilateral development assistance, and of course the IMF and World Bank have contributed generously to the regime´s war machinery. Grant and loan agreements between the WB and Ethiopia totaling 232.62 million US dollars were signed on 13 July 2007 but I am sure there is more.
Seyoum Mesfin told the UN General Assembly that:
"…Ethiopia´s priorities remain the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and the ensuring of good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights. We have laid the foundations for continued growth and democratization, building democratic institutions from the grassroots, and providing the necessary political space for responsible democratization…"
I suppose looking at things from his regime´s vintage point, things must be hunky dory in Weyaneland, but let us take a look at Ethiopia from the perspective of others.
1. Tom Porteous, London Director, Human Rights Watch 30 January 2008:
"…If the west was better informed about the war crimes and human rights abuses committed by Meles' military forces in Somalia and Ogaden, western taxpayers might balk at the thought that their governments are providing Ethiopia with hundreds of millions of dollars of military and economic aid…And if western governments were more consistent and less selective in their reaction to human rights abuses around the world, they might be less inclined to turn a blind eye to Ethiopia's failure to abide by international norms in pursuit of its military objectives in Somalia and Ogaden…"
2. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on African Affairs Statement on the Bill entitled "Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2008 delivered on 11 September 2008
"…As we turn a blind eye to the escalating political tensions, people are being thrown in jail without justification and non-government organizations are being restricted, while civilians are dying unnecessarily in the Ogaden region – just like so many before them in Oromiya, Amhara, and Gambella. Furthermore, the Ethiopian military has come under increasing scrutiny for its conduct in the Ogaden as well as Somalia, with credible reports from non-governmental organizations of torture, rape and indiscriminate attacks. By providing unconditioned security assistance we are also sowing the seeds of insecurity and creating new grievances both in Ethiopia and in its neighboring countries…"
3. Jonathan Rugman reporting for the Times on 18 September 2008
"…Ethiopia has been accused of deliberately underestimating the scale of a deadly drought facing millions of its people, some of whom are being deprived of emergency food aid by the country´s military…The humanitarian crisis, caused by three years of failed rains, currently affects about 4.6 million people, though the official number could jump to as high as 6.7 million this week…United Nations agencies say that the real number at risk is above 8 million, an estimate disputed hotly by Addis Ababa, which is insisting on publishing a much lower figure…"
4. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, "Triple A-S" (AAAS) in its 12 June 2008 report documenting the TPLF regime´s "scorched earth policies"
"…An analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery by AAAS has helped confirm evidence that the Ethiopian military has attacked civilians and burned towns and villages in eight locations across the remote Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia… They [Meles Zenawi´s regime] can deny us access on the ground but they can't prevent us from still telling the truth about what is happening inside…"
5. Reuters report on May 2007
"…An Internet watchdog on Tuesday accused Ethiopia of blocking scores of anti-government Web sites and millions of Weblogs in one of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest cases of cyber-censorship. Web monitor, the OpenNet Initiative, said the Horn of Africa country was stopping citizens from viewing opposition-linked Web sites, and blogs hosted by Blogger, an online journal community owned by Internet search engine Google Inc…"
As for providing political space, he must mean jail space, for that is where all of the opposition leaders ended up after the May 2005 elections in which Ethiopians voted the TPLF regime out of office. The Commission that was set up to investigate the massacre of over 200 innocent civilians and the detentions of over 40,000 across Ethiopia found itself in exile and its reports discarded. So if the good Foreign Minister wants to stand up and lie to the UN GA about his deceptive regime´s dismal record on human rights, governance and the economy, it is not only his prerogative to do so, but it is also the only thing that the inveterate liar does best.
The funny chap that he is, he actually managed to put in a joke (Made in Weyaneland) in his speech. He said:
"…Our average of ten percent growth over the last five years is continuing despite the setbacks in recent months…For the first time in its history, Ethiopia is making real and meaningful economic progress. It is the fastest growing non-oil economy in Africa…"
That claim comes courtesy of the International Monetary Funds team that visited Ethiopia in May 2008. Under Article IV of the IMF´s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members annually. In the context of the 2008 Article IV consultation, it dispatched a team to Ethiopia and that statement about Ethiopia´s economy has been milked by the regime´s propaganda media and now Seyoum Mesfin has decided to use it in his hollow statement at the UN. I would advise the readers to read all the reports and the IMFs disclaimers (IMF Country Report No. 08/264). The Report was based on statistical data prepared and provided to its staff by the regime itself.
After telling the UN GA that Ethiopia had the "fastest growing non-oil economy in Africa", Seyoum Mesfin unabashedly told the UN GA that:
"…Ethiopia is both landlocked and one of the least developed countries. Accordingly, we attach great importance to the full implementation of both the Brussels and Almaty Programmes of Action…"
Again, forgetting his regime´s record of refusing to allow for the implementation of Agreements signed, after refusing to allow for the expeditious demarcation of the Eritrea Ethiopia border in accordance with the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission´s (EEBC) Final and Binding decision, after forcing the EEBC to close its offices and leave the area after waiting patiently for over 5 years to fulfill it sole mandate to delimit and demarcate the Eritrea Ethiopia border, after 5 years of deceptive gimmicks and tactics to reverse the Final and Binding decision, while still militarily occupying sovereign Eritrean territories including Badme, Seyoum Mesfin does not have the moral authority to lecture the UN GA about implementation of any agreements.
As for Ethiopia being landlocked-it has nothing to do with Ethiopia´s under development. It has everything to do with aggressive war mongering corrupt mercenary regimes and chronic dependency on foreign aid. I suggest that the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia read through the Almaty Programmes of Action, which unlike the Final and Binding decision of the EEBC, is not binding on its signatories. Everything depends "on the good will and intentions of the countries that are capable of influencing the situation in the economically backward regions of the world" and "cooperation must be promoted on the basis of the mutual interest of both landlocked and transit developing countries". As the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia knows, his mercenary regime is not known for its "goodwill" or "cooperation", nor does it understand the meaning of "mutual interests".
I suppose Seyoum Mesfin was not "wired" during his stay in the Big Apple or else he would not have made such an obvious blunder. At a time he was lauding the reconciliation talks held in Djibouti with the Transitional Federal Government (TNG) of Somalia, its leader Abdulahi Yusuf was stuck in Mogadishu, unable to attend the very UN session he was addressing because the town was under siege by Somalis who are fighting to evict the TPLF regime´s mercenary forces from sovereign Somali territories. Seyoum Mesfin also knows that the staged "talks" in Djibouti were a complete failure as they did not include the primary stakeholders and representatives of the Somali people.
Its scorched earth "surrender or starve" policies of genocides and destruction in the Ogaden region has claimed the lives of innocent men, women and children and famine is once again threatening millions all over Ethiopia. In Somalia, since it invaded and occupied Somalia in 2006, over 500000 Somalis have been displaced from their homes; tens of thousands have been killed and has created the worst humanitarian emergency in the history of Somalia. Its US-backed illegal intervention in Somalia to "prop up" the illegitimate Transitional National government of Somalia led by Ethiopia´s stooges, Abdulahi Yusuf and the runaway criminal Ali Mohammed Ghedi, have managed to destroy Somalia´s infrastructures and have caused the people of Somalia tremendous suffering, not to mention the international crimes that they have committed in order to effectuate US and Ethiopian policies in Somalia.
The Ethiopian Foreign Minister did not impress anyone with his platitudes about the UN System and "multilateral diplomacy" as his regime has been the benefactor of the duplicity and hypocrisy that defines the international system. The UN has failed to stand up for the values and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. It has refused to take appropriate punitive actions against the minority regime in Ethiopia as it invaded and occupied sovereign Somali territories. It has also remained silent as the regime militarily occupies sovereign Eritrean territories, including Badme. Seyoum Mesfin obviously does not understand what the UN principles are, if he had, he would have kept his mouth shut.
At a time when responsible governments in Africa are shying away from aid dependency, his country is begging for more, at a time when Africa is calling for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their nations, his regime is violating that of others. At a time when the entire world is calling for UN reform and equity at the Security Council, his country is content with the status quo. It comes as no surprise; his country´s rulers have always allied with those that have been responsible for Africa´s marginalization, occupation and plunder.
The rule of law must prevail over the law of the jungle.
"…Wall Street will never forget Monday, September 29, when the lords of high finance were rudely reminded that it isn't easy to get away with imprudent investments, no matter which Ivy League degree they possess…The bailout plan was nixed not only because the figure of the financial assistance -- $700 billion -- was almost pulled out of thin air without solid basis, but also because the American taxpayer was supposed to fund it. The anger that bubbled over and poured onto the streets in the form of protests and demonstrations across the United States was one of the main reasons why the plan was vetoed…"
As if that were not enough pressure on the US economy, begging bowl in hand, Meles Zenawi, the street smart deceptive Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Seyoum Mesfin, the shameless Foreign Minister, are back in town, seeking to fleece US and European taxpayers. The duo is back and lining up, once again, for a bail out. Looks like the mercenary minority regime is stuck…stuck and can´t get out that is-from its self created quagmires in Ethiopia and Somalia. It is no secret that the two are in the US-as its "staunch ally on the US global war on terror" to "threaten to leave Somalia" with the hopes of getting more funds for their mercenary agenda and also kill the recently introduced Senate Bill which is critical of the regime´s human rights record. For today, I will concentrate on the UN general Assembly and Seyoum Mesfin´s sheepish address to that world body.
I listened as the ignominious Seyoum Mesfin as he addressed the UN General Assembly on 29 September 2008 and actually felt sorry for the man. After lying to the UN body for over 10 years on the Eritrea Ethiopia border issue, lying about how and why his regime invaded and occupied Somalia, lying about the gross human rights violations being committed by his regime´s forces in Ethiopia and in Somalia, lying about Ethiopia´s respect for international law and respecting the UN and African Union Charters, he actually had nothing substantive to say. After boasting about the "Ethiopian Millennium", and Ethiopia´s "growing economy, his speech turned to the art perfected by his regime-the art of beggary. Well, let me go through his speech and highlight the many ways he did that.
Neglecting the fact that his regime has contributed to the corruption that has mired Wall Street and this US Administration, forgetting that it is the duplicity and hypocrisy of the international community in upholding the rule of law and enforcing international agreements that has contributed to the lack of confidence in the international system, Seyoum Mesfin said:
"…We call on developed countries to honour their commitment to devote zero point seven per cent (0.7%) of their GDP to Overseas Development Assistance…"
Now ain´t that some ---t?
First of all, Seyoum Mesfin does not have the moral authority to lecture the UN General Assembly (UN GA) about honoring commitments. The UN GA knows that the minority regime in Ethiopia has reneged on its legal and moral obligations under the Algiers Agreements it willingly and consciously signed. The UN GA is well aware of Ethiopia´s numerous violations of the UN Charter and international law. Secondly, neither Seyoum Mesfin, nor the mercenary minority regime can claim neglect from the international community as being Ethiopia´s "development emergency" and Ethiopia´s inability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He ought to know that regardless of how much taxpayers in developing countries put up for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), when it comes to Africa, almost all of it will inevitably be sent to Ethiopia, the proud recipient of 80% of all aid that comes to Africa. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian people have not benefited from over 100 years of aid to Ethiopia. But for the record, let us see how much the mercenary minority regime received in just 2007 from various donors.
On August 2007 the notice from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa said:
"…United States Ambassador Donald Yamamoto announced that the U.S. is providing US $18.7 million (169 million birr) in humanitarian assistance for needs in Ethiopia´s Somali Region…"
And again on 20 September 2007, the US Embassy in Addis Ababa announced:
"…In recognition of Ethiopia´s strategic importance to the United States, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing new funding totaling $96.71 million (874.26 million birr) to assist the Ethiopian people in four key areas: agricultural and private sector development, health care, primary education, and good governance…"
On 24 September 2008 the United States announced that it had:
"…pledged over $400 million to support Ethiopia´s development programs in education, health, economic growth, democracy and governance in the next five years…"
According to USAID, in U.S. fiscal year 2008, the United States´ total assistance to Ethiopia, through these grants and other programs, including PEPFAR and emergency humanitarian assistance, will total more than U.S. $900 million. In addition the UK´s Department for International Development (DFID) announced on 22 September 2008 that it was providing the TPLF regime with £20 million "to help the country cope with its worsening humanitarian crisis". Ireland provided €32 million in bilateral development assistance, and of course the IMF and World Bank have contributed generously to the regime´s war machinery. Grant and loan agreements between the WB and Ethiopia totaling 232.62 million US dollars were signed on 13 July 2007 but I am sure there is more.
Seyoum Mesfin told the UN General Assembly that:
"…Ethiopia´s priorities remain the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and the ensuring of good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights. We have laid the foundations for continued growth and democratization, building democratic institutions from the grassroots, and providing the necessary political space for responsible democratization…"
I suppose looking at things from his regime´s vintage point, things must be hunky dory in Weyaneland, but let us take a look at Ethiopia from the perspective of others.
1. Tom Porteous, London Director, Human Rights Watch 30 January 2008:
"…If the west was better informed about the war crimes and human rights abuses committed by Meles' military forces in Somalia and Ogaden, western taxpayers might balk at the thought that their governments are providing Ethiopia with hundreds of millions of dollars of military and economic aid…And if western governments were more consistent and less selective in their reaction to human rights abuses around the world, they might be less inclined to turn a blind eye to Ethiopia's failure to abide by international norms in pursuit of its military objectives in Somalia and Ogaden…"
2. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on African Affairs Statement on the Bill entitled "Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2008 delivered on 11 September 2008
"…As we turn a blind eye to the escalating political tensions, people are being thrown in jail without justification and non-government organizations are being restricted, while civilians are dying unnecessarily in the Ogaden region – just like so many before them in Oromiya, Amhara, and Gambella. Furthermore, the Ethiopian military has come under increasing scrutiny for its conduct in the Ogaden as well as Somalia, with credible reports from non-governmental organizations of torture, rape and indiscriminate attacks. By providing unconditioned security assistance we are also sowing the seeds of insecurity and creating new grievances both in Ethiopia and in its neighboring countries…"
3. Jonathan Rugman reporting for the Times on 18 September 2008
"…Ethiopia has been accused of deliberately underestimating the scale of a deadly drought facing millions of its people, some of whom are being deprived of emergency food aid by the country´s military…The humanitarian crisis, caused by three years of failed rains, currently affects about 4.6 million people, though the official number could jump to as high as 6.7 million this week…United Nations agencies say that the real number at risk is above 8 million, an estimate disputed hotly by Addis Ababa, which is insisting on publishing a much lower figure…"
4. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, "Triple A-S" (AAAS) in its 12 June 2008 report documenting the TPLF regime´s "scorched earth policies"
"…An analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery by AAAS has helped confirm evidence that the Ethiopian military has attacked civilians and burned towns and villages in eight locations across the remote Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia… They [Meles Zenawi´s regime] can deny us access on the ground but they can't prevent us from still telling the truth about what is happening inside…"
5. Reuters report on May 2007
"…An Internet watchdog on Tuesday accused Ethiopia of blocking scores of anti-government Web sites and millions of Weblogs in one of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest cases of cyber-censorship. Web monitor, the OpenNet Initiative, said the Horn of Africa country was stopping citizens from viewing opposition-linked Web sites, and blogs hosted by Blogger, an online journal community owned by Internet search engine Google Inc…"
As for providing political space, he must mean jail space, for that is where all of the opposition leaders ended up after the May 2005 elections in which Ethiopians voted the TPLF regime out of office. The Commission that was set up to investigate the massacre of over 200 innocent civilians and the detentions of over 40,000 across Ethiopia found itself in exile and its reports discarded. So if the good Foreign Minister wants to stand up and lie to the UN GA about his deceptive regime´s dismal record on human rights, governance and the economy, it is not only his prerogative to do so, but it is also the only thing that the inveterate liar does best.
The funny chap that he is, he actually managed to put in a joke (Made in Weyaneland) in his speech. He said:
"…Our average of ten percent growth over the last five years is continuing despite the setbacks in recent months…For the first time in its history, Ethiopia is making real and meaningful economic progress. It is the fastest growing non-oil economy in Africa…"
That claim comes courtesy of the International Monetary Funds team that visited Ethiopia in May 2008. Under Article IV of the IMF´s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members annually. In the context of the 2008 Article IV consultation, it dispatched a team to Ethiopia and that statement about Ethiopia´s economy has been milked by the regime´s propaganda media and now Seyoum Mesfin has decided to use it in his hollow statement at the UN. I would advise the readers to read all the reports and the IMFs disclaimers (IMF Country Report No. 08/264). The Report was based on statistical data prepared and provided to its staff by the regime itself.
After telling the UN GA that Ethiopia had the "fastest growing non-oil economy in Africa", Seyoum Mesfin unabashedly told the UN GA that:
"…Ethiopia is both landlocked and one of the least developed countries. Accordingly, we attach great importance to the full implementation of both the Brussels and Almaty Programmes of Action…"
Again, forgetting his regime´s record of refusing to allow for the implementation of Agreements signed, after refusing to allow for the expeditious demarcation of the Eritrea Ethiopia border in accordance with the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission´s (EEBC) Final and Binding decision, after forcing the EEBC to close its offices and leave the area after waiting patiently for over 5 years to fulfill it sole mandate to delimit and demarcate the Eritrea Ethiopia border, after 5 years of deceptive gimmicks and tactics to reverse the Final and Binding decision, while still militarily occupying sovereign Eritrean territories including Badme, Seyoum Mesfin does not have the moral authority to lecture the UN GA about implementation of any agreements.
As for Ethiopia being landlocked-it has nothing to do with Ethiopia´s under development. It has everything to do with aggressive war mongering corrupt mercenary regimes and chronic dependency on foreign aid. I suggest that the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia read through the Almaty Programmes of Action, which unlike the Final and Binding decision of the EEBC, is not binding on its signatories. Everything depends "on the good will and intentions of the countries that are capable of influencing the situation in the economically backward regions of the world" and "cooperation must be promoted on the basis of the mutual interest of both landlocked and transit developing countries". As the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia knows, his mercenary regime is not known for its "goodwill" or "cooperation", nor does it understand the meaning of "mutual interests".
I suppose Seyoum Mesfin was not "wired" during his stay in the Big Apple or else he would not have made such an obvious blunder. At a time he was lauding the reconciliation talks held in Djibouti with the Transitional Federal Government (TNG) of Somalia, its leader Abdulahi Yusuf was stuck in Mogadishu, unable to attend the very UN session he was addressing because the town was under siege by Somalis who are fighting to evict the TPLF regime´s mercenary forces from sovereign Somali territories. Seyoum Mesfin also knows that the staged "talks" in Djibouti were a complete failure as they did not include the primary stakeholders and representatives of the Somali people.
Its scorched earth "surrender or starve" policies of genocides and destruction in the Ogaden region has claimed the lives of innocent men, women and children and famine is once again threatening millions all over Ethiopia. In Somalia, since it invaded and occupied Somalia in 2006, over 500000 Somalis have been displaced from their homes; tens of thousands have been killed and has created the worst humanitarian emergency in the history of Somalia. Its US-backed illegal intervention in Somalia to "prop up" the illegitimate Transitional National government of Somalia led by Ethiopia´s stooges, Abdulahi Yusuf and the runaway criminal Ali Mohammed Ghedi, have managed to destroy Somalia´s infrastructures and have caused the people of Somalia tremendous suffering, not to mention the international crimes that they have committed in order to effectuate US and Ethiopian policies in Somalia.
The Ethiopian Foreign Minister did not impress anyone with his platitudes about the UN System and "multilateral diplomacy" as his regime has been the benefactor of the duplicity and hypocrisy that defines the international system. The UN has failed to stand up for the values and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. It has refused to take appropriate punitive actions against the minority regime in Ethiopia as it invaded and occupied sovereign Somali territories. It has also remained silent as the regime militarily occupies sovereign Eritrean territories, including Badme. Seyoum Mesfin obviously does not understand what the UN principles are, if he had, he would have kept his mouth shut.
At a time when responsible governments in Africa are shying away from aid dependency, his country is begging for more, at a time when Africa is calling for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their nations, his regime is violating that of others. At a time when the entire world is calling for UN reform and equity at the Security Council, his country is content with the status quo. It comes as no surprise; his country´s rulers have always allied with those that have been responsible for Africa´s marginalization, occupation and plunder.
The rule of law must prevail over the law of the jungle.
