The world is vividly aware that patriotism is not a new concept for Ethiopians. Ethiopian patriots are always ready to fight for sovereignty of their country recognizing the peace and security of the neighboring countries. Not only its people but also leaders of Ethiopia at different times have shown their patriotism in joining the battle fields for the sovereignty of Ethiopia.
As a model for many of African and the world leaders, a couple of weeks have been counted since the reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has joined the battlefront in order to fight the terrorist TPLF group leading the nation’s armed forces in order to save Ethiopia not to be dismantled by those bandits backed by their western lords.
And of course most Ethiopians and Ethiopian Diasporas are giving direct response to the call of the Prime Minister to join at one of the fronts to safeguard the country. Accordingly, Ethiopians, both at home and abroad are gathered to provide financial support, food and other items of donation to the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs).
As to the document obtained from Ethiopian Diaspora Agency, Ethiopian community residing at different corners of the world are being gathered together to donate for the ENDF and IDPs. According to the document, Ethiopian community at South Sudan and Kuwait donated more than 23,000 USD and more than 315,000 ETB respectively to the Defense Force and the displaced peoples during the past week alone.
Moreover, during the same time, Ethiopian communities in Australia have raised 178,000 Australian Dollar in an online forum through “Save Ethiopia” movement that was organized by Ethiopians living in Australia and people of Ethiopian descent.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Mohamed Anders, Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency, acknowledged the members of the Diaspora community for organizing the event. He further said the agency appreciates the Diaspora’s encouraging efforts and contributions.
While mentioning that 2020/21 fiscal year was a year of remarkable change in terms of Diaspora participation, he added that public diplomacy and fundraising activities are also being intensified more in the current fiscal year as well.
In his concluding remarks, the Deputy Director General called on Ethiopians to strengthen their unity and stand together for their common national destiny.
Chairman of Save Ethiopia movement, Ayalew Hundessa, for his part, said that the Diaspora has always been committed to supporting the country by assessing the current situation in Ethiopia.
By the same token, the Diaspora communities living in different parts of the world have raised more than 2 million USD through the eyezonethiopia.com application.
In less than a month, the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency, in collaboration with Chapa Financial Technologies, and the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), has raised more than 2 million USD. This demonstrates the readiness and potential of the Diaspora community to assist the country as long as it is favorable, the Agency announced.
According to economists’ view, “#No More” movement and the action taken by the Prime Minister to join the battle field in particular and the brutal act of the apostate TPLF group in general have made the people of Ethiopia to stand as one person in the way never seen before. Working on the sustainability of this movement, Ethiopia will prosper in short period of time.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Hailemeskel Gazu, an economist, said that the financial donation and assistance of other items for the ENDF and IDPs by Ethiopians is of paramount importance to support the national economy. Undoubtedly, the government of Ethiopia was supposed to allocate much amount of budget for the war in a way to safeguarding the lives of Ethiopians.
At this time, life would be difficult for millions of Ethiopians due to the economic war fired by the TPLF junta and its affiliates. Yet, citizens of Ethiopia and member of Diasporas across the world are playing a significant role in donating money for the country. The aforementioned amount of money contributed by Ethiopian community absolutely can cover different expenses for the support of the National Defense Force.
As to him, the government can use its budget in order to complete different mega projects like GERD in addition to supporting the economy instead of allocating its entire budget for the war if the contribution of the Diaspora community and all Ethiopians can be continued constantly.
Owing to the fact that the donation is being transacted legally to the country through Banks, it is also crystal clear that this support will significantly solve the foreign currency problem of the country. Apart from its economic significance the action made by PM. Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and the # No More movement will help to bring Ethiopia together in a way to create strong society, he explained.
Sharing the above idea, Mekonen Abera an economist stated that the public participation in fund raising front is highly vital to support the government in financial sector which results controlling national budget deficits.
Uploading the initiative of millions of Ethiopians to donate money, food and other items for the defense force and the displaced societies, he underlined that this contribution should be strengthened more to stabilize the national economy.
According to him, up on allocating the huge sum of the money to the victims and the defense forces, the government is able to deploy it to completing mega projects and stabilizing the national economy. As a result, the donation of Ethiopians and Ethiopian Diasporas contributes significantly to mitigate the ongoing economic war.
Noting that the war in Africa’s second-most populous country has killed thousands of people and displaced millions, he explained that the terrorist TPLF who dominated the national government for 27 years earlier to the reform, attempted to dismantle the country. But now, thanks to the armed forces of Ethiopia and its population for standing firm in unison, it is on the verge of collapse.
Federal government departments, government development enterprises, regional states and city administrations, the business community across the country, the diaspora community living at different corners of the world, among others, are contributing to the national fundraising scheme for the defense force and the displaced citizens.
Sharing Malcolm X’s (the then African-American Human Rights Activist) saying “When ‘I’ replaced with ‘We’, even illness becomes wellness”, the economists agreed that Ethiopians should work in unison to solve the internal problems.
Coupled with mitigating the economic war, all Ethiopians should have to show unity in refusing western’s interference along with their interest to dismantle Ethiopia. “Similarly, we have to embrace about being together could pay off successful results. As our forefathers’ quote literally goes for “When webs of a spider join together, they can trap a lion”,” economists suggested.
It was also learnt that Over 3 billion Birr was raised locally in support of Ethiopian Defense Force as of September, 2021. Though the commitment of the Diaspora community in contributing for their beloved country is remarkable, the bulk of fund raised locally to the Ethiopian Defense Force showcases that Ethiopians can do anything but only when united.
The Ethiopian Defense Force, supported by regional Special Forces and militia, has been battling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, which rebranded itself as “Tigray Defense Force” after the Ethiopian Parliament labeled it as a terrorist organization, escalated invasion in Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia.
Ethiopians from all walks of life, thus, demonstrated the support they have to the Ethiopian Defense Force that is paying life sacrifice to destroy the terrorist group, including by organizing rallies in different cities of western countries, it was learnt.
BY HIZKEL HAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 3/2021
