Al Mariam’s Commentaries Archive
20 Jan 2018
Unarmed Truth and Unconditional Love (Reconciliation): Dr. Martin Luther King’s Message to Ethiopians Today
Author’s Note: Earlier this week, Americans celebrated what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s 89th birthday. I believe it is timely to reflect on Dr. King’s lifelong message of nonviolence, peace, reconciliation in the context of Ethiopia’s dire crises today and building of a new Beloved Ethiopian Community . In Dr. King’s vision of
19 Jan 2018
Prof. Al Mariam’s Voice of America Interview (Amharic) on Ethiopia “Anti-terrorsim Law”, January 19, 2018
Prof. Al Mariam’s Voice of America Interview (Amharic) on Ethiopia “Anti-terrorsim Law”, January 28, 2018
17 Jan 2018
Tedros Adhanom’s Pay to Play at the AdWHO-ville, Geneva
Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), is hell-bent on changing WHO into AdWHOnom. Last week, POLITICO posted a scathing article on Adhanom’s “fast track” job appointments without a competitive search and hiring process. Among his fast track appointments was a “little-known Russian [Tereza Kasaeva] to run the WHO’s tuberculosis program one month
14 Jan 2018
Romancing the “Wounded Beast” in Ethiopia: Is Reconciliation Without Truth Possible? (Part I)
Author’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series on prospects “mediation”, “reconciliation” and “negotiation” with the ruling Thugtatorship of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (T-TPLF). In part I, I discuss why the current discussion on “mediation”, “reconciliation” and “negotiation” with the T-TPLF is of the utmost importance to me personally, why it
11 Jan 2018
TPLF Monopoly “on Economic and Political Power in Ethiopia Could Not Possibly Last” – Ambassador Herman Cohen
Author’s Note: In a recent interview on Voice of America- Amharic Service (for audio of original English interview click here) former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and U.S. ambassador, Herman Jay (Hank) Cohen, called for U.S. mediation and reconciliation among stakeholders in Ethiopia to prevent the “collapse of law and order” in Ethiopia.
07 Jan 2018
T-TPLF Playing Political Football with Political Prisoners in Ethiopia
TPLF: Does the LF stand for Lie Factory? Is it Meles or Melies? The “LF” in TPLF stands for Lie Factory. Melies Zenawi was the chief executive officer of the TP Lie Factory. With last week’s announcement of the so-called “release of political prisoners” by the T-TPLF, I am absolutely convinced the TPLF is a factory
05 Jan 2018
Trump administration deserves credit for the announced release of political prisoners in Ethiopia
BY ALEMAYEHU G. MARIAM, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 01/05/18 09:20 AM EST 24 THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL Originally Posted on The Hill on 01/05/2018 http://thehill.com/opinion/international/367446-trump-administration-deserves-credit-for-the-announced-release-of On Jan. 3, 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn made an equivocal announcement that political prisoners in his country will be released at some
31 Dec 2017
The Year of Ethiopia-Win-Et, RISING!
Author’s Note: I have a tradition of reviewing the year in my last commentary of the year. It gives me an opportunity for a momentary reflection on some things that have happened and did not happen during the year. If I were to describe 2017 in a short sentence, it would be “The Year of
29 Dec 2017
Kudos! Trump’s First Year Human Rights Record in Africa
Author’s Note: In this commentary, I offer a personal review of the Trump administration’s human rights record in Africa in 2017. On December 21, 2017, with little fanfare, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13818 of December 20, 2017 for targeted sanctions “declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national
24 Dec 2017
Ethiopia-Win-Et: Understanding the Mind of the Mastermind of Ethnic Federalism
As long as people believed in ‘a bright future,’ they fought side by side irrespective of nationality – common questions first and foremost! But when doubt crept into people’s hearts, they began to depart, each to his own national tent – let every man count only upon himself! The ‘national question’ first and foremost! –