BY STAFF REPORTER
Captain Eyob Shebabaw was born and raised in the heart of Addis Ababa. He attended primary and secondary education at Menelik II School. Right after graduation, he joined the Ethiopian Air Force. He was immediately sent to the Soviet Union for further study and back home after completing the course which was offered by the Soviet Union specializing in radio electronics engineering.
Upon returning home, he entered the Air Force Training College in Dire Dawa and became a captain. He has served his country in different regions such as Asmara, Mekelle, Bahir Dar, Ogaden and other places. Shortly afterwards, the organization sent him to Israel for further training. After going to school, he was forced to drop out of school following a change of government in Ethiopia.
So, he left Israel for Italy and stayed in exile for about a year before travelling to the United States. He is currently running two transportation companies in Boston, USA, and is also the Head of Public Relations for the Boston Task Force established to assist Ethiopia. Captain Eyob had no chance to enter the country due to the political crisis in Ethiopia for the past 27 years.
Now he is able to reunite with his loved ones following the arrival of the reformed government. He recently returned to Ethiopia with members of the Air Force to assist the victims of the war. The following is an excerpt from the Ethiopian Press Agency interview with Captain Eyob Shebabaw on current affairs.
I know the former army was disbanded and the members were being abused. That was the push factor that discouraged me to return home. After all, the TPLF hired people who only support its political ideology and thus I realized my return to Ethiopia was meaningless.
Many of my friends in the Air Force were arrested and tortured. Heroes like Colonel Berhane Meskel were brutally tortured and imprisoned for up to 20 years. Some died while in prison for abuse. Basically, the military serves the country and the people, not the mercenaries of a political party. We had been serving irrespective of our identity, but with the knowledge and skills. As you know, the Air Force is also an institution that has been trained to be a great force.
It was very difficult to rebuild such an institution after the TPLF officials disbanded members of the army who had such experience and capacity. As we have learned at great expense, the disintegration of the army is a great loss to the country. For example, it takes up to Birr 25 million to train a pilot. And the TPLF has dismantled not only the army but also the knowledge and resources. Coincidentally, we survived because we were out of the country.
It is said that the terrorist group’s plot to divide the nation and its people had a profound effect on the expatriate population. What negative impact do you think this situation has had on the country’s image?
It is surprising! In the country where we live, we have never been involved in the Air force. As I said before, when we joined the army, the main criterion was our competence, not our identity; we built on that spirit. And that feeling created brotherhood among us during our years of exile.
However, the division is well known within our society. They tried to make a difference, even within the church. The same is true when we go to the embassy. To be honest, I do not think anyone knows the existence of the embassy. However, presently, we have been working closely with the Ethiopian Embassy for the past three years. I have close contact and intimacy with Ambassador Fitsum.
Previously, the only reason we could go to the embassy was to shout or protest, but the door never opened. Today, however, it is open to all citizens and fulfils the aspirations of every Ethiopian. We are working closely together. This by itself is a huge reform. But in the past, even though we worked together, the social network was not good. They marked their own line of difference.
There was more isolation than we should have. They considered themselves as the sole owner of the country while they treated us as second class citizens. That made me feel bad. They were trying to exert more influence on us. This had a negative impact on our social life and the image of the country.
You and other former members of the Air Force have returned home to serve the motherland. How do you make such a decision?
I basically saw something after Dr Abiy’s first speech in the House of People Representatives. I really appreciate his ideas. He publicly testified that he gave priority to his country first and adores his mother and wife in that order. This testified that he is a man of his words. Above all, I understood that he is a true Ethiopian leader. Even if TPLF has created a mess, he has been able to bring spectacular development within a short period of time.
So, when my friends and I came back to our homeland years later, the main purpose of our visit is to contribute something worth protecting from hindrance. I believe that the current situation in Ethiopia is a crucial time so as to bring radical change. If we are going to fail this reform, then we have to make sure that we do not have a country as a whole. Because we know exactly what the TPLF was doing and What the Derg has been doing in the past years. In short, the reformed government gave me great hope. Based on that, I lived to the best of my ability. The purpose of our visit is to show our solidarity with the people through the Ethiopian Air Force Global Network.
Though we gathered through that association, we invited other associations to join our moves and they all responded positively. With this support, we decided to travel to Ethiopia. The government there told its citizens to leave Ethiopia, but we decided to return to our troubled motherland, Ethiopia. Before starting our journey, we were told that we should not leave empty-handed. Surprisingly, we raised 40,000 USD in a day or two. At our online meeting, everyone saw our motivation and said, “You don’t go empty-handed.”
In my opinion, if we had time, we would have made better money. All members of the Air Force and their families in the United States contributed. Children of air force members who were abused and imprisoned also contribute their own share. We are here because we have the motivation to support our country. And it is a very sudden journey. We did not prepare much, but we all succeeded.
I hope we make a good contribution. The main purpose of this money is to reach out to the people displaced by the war. After all, the country has been devastated by this war, so I believe we can devise a strategy that we can use to help. I also believe that we can do some tasks in order to rehabilitate some cities that were damaged by the war. The very purpose of the visit is to see the reality on the ground and facilitate the way to help victims of the war.
The invading forces of TPLF have been and are committing atrocities particular rape and killing of children and the elderly how it is viewed from the perspective of international war history?
That’s right; I do not think that the abuse and cruelty perpetrated by this evil group are from a sane person. Even children and monks are being raped. Very annoying! Their mind is run-amok. We did not sleep for a while before we came here. For a year now, we have been following the TPLF’s actions. How can we forgive them when considering what has happened to our people? The question that comes to my mind is how to get back together and live in harmony as citizens. They are robbing the poor.
The northern farmer in particular has no penny. They are abusing those people, killing and humiliating their children. The TPLF did all these with the intention of oppressing and harassing the poor farmer. But on the contrary, it made the people courageous. We see the people rising from the ashes to avenge this barbaric and oppressive group. And if you ask me well, the soldier will not even hit me in the back. And as an officer, it is our job to kill an enemy that comes to attack; but perpetrating such crime against civilians is brutality. I do not know where their actions came from. Torture in the presence of the military is a matter for both man and the Creator. They changed that tactic by using public waves to harass people; their aim was to win this war by intimidating and exerting great psychological pressure.
What do you think should be done in terms of diplomacy in the face of growing Western pressure?
We are basically a poor country and this is something I do not hide. And we did not do as much as we could. There is a lot of frustration in my heart when I see so many developments in my country. Unfortunately, we were persecuted until we were born and raised; we have been through misery and injustice. Ethiopia did not do what it was supposed to do. So we are always waiting for their help. And they know that too. But with aid, we cannot survive. The incumbent has a position. The West understands its position of liberation and self-sufficiency. They know better than we do that there is a need for development and independence in East Africa as a whole. They recognized the resilience and strength of the government. It is interesting to note that the short-term developments are impressive.
They are worried that this will not benefit them. Therefore, they have said that we must dismantle this government. What kind of government do they want? You see, there is a problem with geo-politics. Therefore, it is in our best interest to remain steadfast and to stand firm in the face of this challenge and the pressure of the West. Because I believe that we can do nothing more than stand together. I think they understand that we will not disintegrate at this stage and that we will remain steadfast. And we must continue to do this.
Above all, improving the living conditions of the people through development; to make the youth the owner of the country as much as possible; I believe we can defeat it if it works to end persecution and become an owner of the area. But the effect is not easy. Because, as I mentioned earlier, we are poor. Every activity in the country is run by aid. This is because we cannot use our resources. But there must be a united Ethiopia so that we can take advantage of it tomorrow. Above all, it can bring us all together. That is the solution. We will always be a country of help. I believe it is important to work hard and be self-sufficient to avoid that.
How do you see the Diaspora’s opposition to Westerners?
As I am residing in the United States, we have seen that the Diaspora there is making a big difference. I also have an active share in the city where I reside. We are working hard to influence senators. The good news is America has respected people’s voices. Many changes are taking place in our activities. We are working hard to make Americans understand the realities of Ethiopia as much as possible. Surprisingly, our children who were born and raised in the United States shared the sentiment and are doing great jobs with amazing skills.
In addition to the #Nomore movement, these are the same children who have been able to raise millions of dollars in a short period of time. We now have a lot of influence, and our influence is growing. This is a country where the voice of the American people is heard and we can use this voice in the future so that we do not get involved in the politics of our country.
As you have seen in the past, in Virginia, Democrats lost because of the Ethiopian vote. Ten months later, we are planning to make a big move in the upcoming Senate election. They, too, are a threat to our progress. They are happy to see an active community. Our hearts are here because we all love our country, even though we live far away. So, we are helping as much as we can.
Prime Minister Dr Abiy called on the Diaspora to come home and help their people by celebrating Christmas and New Year. Do you have any messages to any hesitant diaspora community members?
As you said, at the request of the Prime Minister, one million people have started to mobilize the Diaspora. And it is very exciting for the Diaspora. But I am concerned about how much capacity there is to accommodate that number. But people have to come in large numbers. It is a good opportunity. First, they connect with the parties. At the same time, they support their country.
Along with this, I had something in mind. I believe it would be a great way to raise money for each Diaspora if it were to set up and drop off a basket for every ten or twenty dollars. I think that in addition to the cost of air travel and hotel accommodation for the diaspora, it will also help to reduce the foreign exchange deficit.
I think it would be good for the government and people who are reading this to take this idea and implement it. I am confident that many Ethiopians and Ethiopian descent will heed this call. Because I believe they will leave their mark on the path of development that our country is now on. I hope Ethiopia would not resort to grief. To that end, everyone must take part. I would like to thank you on behalf of our esteemed readers.
My pleasure!
The Ethiopian Herald December 11/2021
