BY ADDISALEM MULAT
As the west continues its misguided foreign policy and unprecedented pressure on Ethiopia, Ethiopians, foreign activists, renowned personalities, Africans, and other influential people worldwide joined the #NoMore Movement that has now become a benchmark of anti-imperialism struggle.
Africans residing in various parts of the world have been partaking in the ongoing campaign in solidarity with Ethiopians with a view to throwing cold water on the propaganda campaign supported by the now-discredited media outlets. Fending off external pressure and interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs lies behind the sacred mission of the movement.
The #NoMore Global Movement has in fact been attracting more Africans and foreign nationals regarding western nations’ unfair intervention in Ethiopia and Africa. The rally’s coordinators in various parts of the world urged the international community to side with the truth and justice by denouncing the terrorist TPLF remnants’ atrocities in the Amhara and Afar people.
Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Somalis, as well as Ivoirians, vowed in one of the demonstrations that they would continue struggling until the western conspiracy is conquered and Ethiopia’s sovereignty is ensured.
Ethiopians, other citizens of Ethiopian origin, and friends have rallied in various parts of the world with the “NoMore!” campaign to ram home Ethiopia’s truth to the international community. The rallies were part of the global movement against the U.S. and some Western countries’ intervention in the Horn of Africa countries’ internal as well as the international media outlets’ coordinated disinformation campaign against Ethiopia.
During the rallies, protestors strongly condemned the U.S. and its allies’ undue pressure on Ethiopia and urged the international media outlets to stop spreading disinformation about the current situation of Ethiopia.
The ongoing internal and external pressure on Ethiopia has put Pan-Africanism and the # NoMore movement at the highest level said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen.
Demeke made the remarks during a recent meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Planning and Development, and representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office to evaluate the ministry’s 100 days performance.
As to him, the Pan-Africanism movement has been intensified in the past few months in protest of the ongoing pressure on Ethiopia.
“The on-going Pan-Africanism movement, which has begun to support Ethiopia, is very promising and enables to counter the unnecessary diplomatic pressures that have been exerted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) through its repetitive meetings. The no more protests have reached various cities and countries,” he said.
The #NoMore Movement has brought a new impetus to Africa’s freedom movement and revived the notion of pan-Africanism which has united the continent for the second time in fighting against neocolonialism, an expert in the issue said.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Addis Ababa University History Assistant Professor Abebaw Ayalew recently hailed Ethiopians and foreigners of Ethiopian origin as well as friends of Ethiopia living abroad for holding the historic public rallies in 27 cities across the world under the motto “#NoMore” to protest the West’s unwarranted interference attempts.
The Diaspora has huge resources and could play a significant role in image building, economy, diplomacy, and other frontiers. Citizen-centered diplomacy is all about properly using the Diaspora community in a way to contribute to the diplomacy.
The Ethiopian Diaspora needs to encourage the involvement of other Africans in the #NoMore movement to counter the U.S.-led coordinated and well-funded anti-Ethiopian campaign.
“The West is unhappy with new political dynamics in the Horn of Africa whereby the integration of member states has been solidified. Thus, the old global powers want to restore a puppet government led by their longstanding confidant TPLF and pursue regime change in Ethiopia.”
Africans should develop the courage and ability to decide on their matters and share Ethiopia’s success in the #NoMore movement that defies the Western long-standing interventionist tendencies through active participation of the people and government, Abebaw emphasized.
Meanwhile, the scholar noted that the people and government of Ethiopia have been fighting the Western undue pressure aimed at meddling in their domestic affairs. “Apart from defending its national interest determinedly, Ethiopia has brought new ideas and models of change in Africa in 2021.”
Abebaw further stated that Ethiopia’s victory over the Italian invading forces in Adwa made the country among the founding members of different international organizations whilst many Africans suffered in the yoke of colonialism. Ethiopia extended historic support for many African independence movements and served the oppressed as the icon of freedom.
As to him, all of the external pressure stemmed from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s (Ph.D.) wide range of reforms, in particular, his rapprochement with Eritrea after two decades of no war no peace stalemate. The reform government also widened the political and media landscape, released political prisoners, and revised oppressive laws, among many other successes.
Be that as it may, Uganda Pan-African Movement National Executive Chairman, Daniel Rugarama (Ph.D.) stated Ethiopia is fighting imperialism thus all Africans must stand together to fight this common enemy.
He told the local media that the situation in Ethiopia is not just an Ethiopian case, and what is happening in Ethiopia is directly a matter of Africa. “We consider an attack whether it is internal or external on the Ethiopian soil, as an attack on Africa,”
According to him, an attack and dismantling whether ideologically or geographically on Ethiopia is indeed an attack and a very bad example to Africa.
The historical importance of Ethiopia is beyond debate, Rugarama stated, adding that pan-Africanists are all aware that Ethiopia is not colonized and various attempts to do so did not succeed.
“As pan-Africanists, we are aware of the intention and we are behind the success being registered by Ethiopian forces against the group.”
He stressed that the people of Tigray are going to realize what a fool they had made, and they must realize that they are being used by the imperialists whose agenda is a failed agenda right from the start.
“Realizing that the rest of Africa must all come together and fight the common enemy because I can assure you that when critically look at the Tigray situation, it is not the people of Tigray who have been fighting. There is an invisible hand. Imperialists have already been at the helm of destabilizing Africa to make sure that Africa is kept in captive, in social, economic, political and other ways.”
This is what the pan-African movement and Africans must fight wherever we are, whether in the continent or in the Diaspora, he underlined.
He further pointed out, “What affects Ethiopia directly affects Africa not just because Africa has got its head office in Addis Ababa, but because of its historical importance of Ethiopia as a country and people.”
One of the biggest challenges of pan-Africanism is that it is fighting and competing against the hegemonic forces of Western imperialism and high-level capitalism, he added.
“We are not failing to realize the enemy who is against the development of Africa. We are very well aware of the enemy against the African continent. We are very well aware of the enemy that is making the black man suffer. Whoever the enemy is we know that it has not given up in distorting the development in the continent about exploiting the African resources.”
The enemy is at work day and night, Rugarama underlined, noting that it is, therefore, the work of the pan-African movement to cultivate a high revolutionary pan-Africanism ideology work hard in resolving the situation in Ethiopia to make sure that it is the heart of Africa.
Africans should take the ongoing #NoMore movement as an opportunity to tackle imperialists, a Somali elder noted.
In a recent zoom meeting, the Somali Imam, Sheik Abdi Hersy, who lives in Calgary, Canada said the Somali community is much more ingrained in the #NoMore movement as part of the Horn of Africa and the larger global campaign.
“The imperialists are changing the tactics to realize their modern-day Slavery scheme which is more dangerous than the older one. Accordingly, Africa and Horn of Africa countries that say no more to western will have been identified and labeled as bad, corrupted, immoral and dead.”
Sheik Abdi further indicated that to overcome all these unjustified interventions, the region’s countries should open borders for economic and business integration with each other to operate, travel, and do business without any problem.
“Africa’s brain and resources are being brainwashed and drained to the west. Hence, it is time to stop. He said Africa needs to seize this momentum that was created by the Horn of Africa energetic youth called #NoMore movement.”
Besides, TPLF is not a problem to Ethiopia alone, it is a problem to the whole Horn of Africa. Africa has the resources the whole world needs. That is why it is time to talk about, manage and realize the right things the continent deserves. Hence, countries should get together and lift each other.
“Many genocides were committed in Somalia by TPLF leadership but as long as you are in bed with the west all these genocides are justified/ at least not reported/under-reported/nothing/ no accountability,” he emphasized.
Dr. Simon Tesfamariam, Eritrean-American, and Executive Director of New Africa Institute said for his part that a new day has come from the Horn that integrates and makes the region unite and stronger for a shared and mutual future out of the west order.
“In an interview aired by Tigray TV TPLF Spokesperson Getachew Reda exposed that Washington has given orders to his terrorist group to invade Addis Ababa,” Simon said, adding that the United States and other powers have been exploiting those local forces who sell themselves to these greater power. But what Ethiopia and the region need is to see the back of these immoral and opportunistic people, he stated.
The Ethiopian Herald January 5/2022
