BY ADDISALEM MULAT
On November 4, the TPLF junta clique attacked the Northern command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces that has been positioned in the Tigray state. Aside from taking the military equipment, they ended up causing indescribable human sufferings by exhibiting outrageous brutality.
Reasoning from this fact, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces embarked on carrying out a law enforcement operation with a view to demilitarizing the TPLF junta, restoring legitimate Administration to Tigray, and implementing law and order in Tigray, and bringing defectors to justice.
Even though the government of Ethiopia made an effort to get to the bottom of the problem peacefully, the TPLF leaders went on giving the cold shoulder over and over again. Even worse, they embarked on breaching the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia holding illegal election in the state.
Apart from asserting acquiescently the fact that they would not go along with rules, orders, and guidelines, they even professed to have endorsed their electoral law and polling commission.
TPLF had been accused of human right crackdown, corruption and other grave crimes. With that being said, The Ethiopian Press Agency had a short stay with Araya Tesfamariam, Journalist and longtime critic of TPLF to acquaint who knows the nuts and bolts of the TPLF junta leaders and their corrupt acts and other crimes. Excerpts:
What inspired you to launch a column termed as Kehewehat mender yekaremekut in the then ‘Ethiop Newspaper’?
The thing that inspired me to put my pen to paper was the suffering of the TPLF combatants on account of the TPLF junta leaders’ cruel acts.
Sad as it may sound, after the TPLF junta leaders took office, they ended up firing thirty-six thousand combatants for no particular reason under the guise of evaluation. At that specific juncture, I was collecting an array of information in connection with the aforementioned reality on the ground.
After I resigned from The Reporter Newspaper following the division of TPLF, I began working for Ethiop newspaper and producing articles every single week.
Among them, one thousand Five hundred combatants committed suicide by drinking poison in Holeta Prison. On top of that, in Tatek, Ethiopia’s military camp, 2000 combatants departed this life through tuberculosis, and 14,000 were living on the street.
The instant I finished producing various articles revolving around the aforementioned issue, I kicked off revealing corruption that took place in a diverse range of institutes, in the defense force, TPLF security institute, and other things of a similar kind. I was collecting a wide array of information from various people who were working in the defense force, security institute, and civil service.
What was your biggest revelation of TPLF’s conspiracy or misdeed?
Frankly speaking, they are so many. Above and beyond, I was excited for revealing the sufferings of the 36,000 TPLF combatants. Apart from that, I had Colonel Buddies who were suffering oppression on the hands of the TPLF junta officials. The colonels were persistently telling me the fact that the officials were accelerating the end of their regime.
What challenges did you encounter for revealing the secrets of the TPLF junta officials and their evil deeds, if any?
As I got some information in relation to the telecommunications from the police, I began making the hidden secrets public. When officials were at a loss about what to do, they jump-started chasing after me now and then and giving me a hard time. A man who goes by the name of Bitew Belaye was thrown into prison against this background. His wife was called Zimam.
After her husband was thrown into prison, she started to get involved in immoral acts with Woldeselassie, a security appointee. She was telling me the whole lot which was going on behind closed doors. The masterminds were Eyasu Berhe and Azeb Mesfin. In more general terms, there were around 38 people who were getting involved in evil acts.
At that specific point, a man named Haile badgered me for six solid months to tell him the whereabouts of my sources. However, I turned a deaf ear. He turned out to be a pain in the neck. Aside from coming up with a deal to give me 400,000 Birr, he promised that he would send me abroad. But I strongly refused.
Then he came up with another option. I was called to the Tigray Development Bureau. The director of the Bureau was Tesfatsige Abera. My dad and his dad are brothers. He is my cousin. He was residing in England. However, through the passage of time, the TPLF leaders appointed him as the director of the Bureau. He was looting the country together with the TPLF leaders.
For two solid hours, the director made an effort to threaten me coming up with various procedures. At the end of the day, he told me that he would give me one million Birr and send me abroad. He tried all possible means to convince me. I strongly rejected the whole thing in a little while.
He said when he understood my stance, “Professor Mesfin and Kifle Mulat would not save your life. What if we kill you! ” At that very moment, Kifle Mulat was the president of the free press, and professor Mesfin was the president of the Ethiopian Human rights council.
Then I said, “I do not have a weapon. I am fighting with my pen. You can make it happen now. You have thrown away 36,000 combatants who helped you to come to power.”
“It is none of your business,” he shouted at me. “I cannot button up my lips,” I replied.
He then said, “There is no anyone whom we have lullabied like you. We have begged you a lot. Anyway, you are given two weeks to sleep on the matter.”
I told him that I would not change my mind in fifteen years, even.
One fine day, while I was heading home, federal policemen stoned me and threw into a bridge thinking that I passed away. This being the case, I lost my three teeth. There was nonstop bleeding. It is a long history. However, with the help of God, I managed to feel myself. Nobody had expected I would recover almost immediately.
Did you continue producing an article for different newspapers?
Yes, I did. I kept on producing various articles until the newspaper I was working for closed down following the Ethiopian election that took place in the 2005 election. Then, an order was given to beat me severely and throw away somewhere. However, I headed to Harar and hid there. I have a daughter named Eyerusalem. She became sick.
I was told that she would be paralyzed unless she got medical treatment abroad. The required amount of money for the medical treatment was 10,000 dollars. After passing through many twists and turns, I got the necessary amount of money through the help of Dr. Negasso Gidada. Afterwards, we left for India. After my daughter underwent two operations, we left for America. Dr. Negasso has done a great favor. He was a very good person.
Last year, my daughter and I returned home to thank him for what he did in person. When I gave him a call he told me that he would go to his grandparents’ birthplace. However, all our efforts went for nothing as he departed this life unexpectedly.
What is your take on the government’s law enforcement operation in Tigray State?
The TPLF junta officials carried an attack on the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense force Stem from chauvinism. What they know about guerilla warfare is old-fashioned now. This cannot make them achieve the desired goal or make their dream become a reality.
As the TPLF juntas were sure that people residing in Shire and its environs would stand by the side of them, they were handing over weapons to different people. They thought that weapons would help them or make them victorious over the incumbent regime.
What is your reflection on the infrastructural damages caused by the TPLF junta?
When the Ethiopian National Defense Force set in motion taking control of the Tigray region, the TPLF junta officials looted the new Birr notes which were taken there by Antonov. They made all the banks to be looted, and dismantled the system. After that, they kept the money at Sibehat Negas’ sister residential house.
Aside from cutting off the electricity and internet connection, they burned down the Adigrat pharmaceutical factory. Furthermore, they destroyed Dimtsi Weyane television station and various infrastructures. But today they are pointing the fingers at others.
Thank you.
You’re most welcome!
The Ethiopian Herald 12 March 2021
