Al Mariam’s Commentaries
George Ayittey, one of the foremost African public global intellectuals, metaphorically suggests that Africa’s destiny will be determined by the promise of the “Cheetah Generation” or the paralysis of the “Hippo Generation”. As he explains, The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues…
Blaming the Victim Last week, dictator Meles Zenawi hectored his rubberstamp parliament in Ethiopia about the forced expulsion (or as some have described it “ethnic cleansing”) of Amharas from southern Ethiopia and zapped his critics for their irresponsibility in reporting and publicizing it. Zenawi denied any expulsion had taken place, but explained that some squatters…
U.S. Africa Policy: Empty Words, Emptier Promises (This is the second installment in a series of commentaries I pledged to offer on U.S. policy in Africa under the heading “The Moral Hazard of U.S. Policy in Africa”. In Part I, I argued that democracy and human rights in Africa cannot be subordinated to the expediency…
This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post 3/22/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ethiopia-broken-contract-_b_838793.html Over the past week, Meles Zenawi has been waxing eloquent on contract and leasehold law. Asked by a local journalist whether the winds of change blowing in North Africa could make a detour to Ethiopia, he said that was impossible because he and his party…
Originally appeared in the International Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Fall/Winter 2010-2011), pp. 27-51 The May 2010 parliamentary election in Ethiopia was a meaningless exercise in political futility. The ruling party ” won ” 99.6 percent of the seats. The final election report of the 2010 European Union Election Observer Mission to…
This is my third commentary on the theme, “Where do we go from here?”, following the rigged elections in Ethiopia last month. In this piece, I urge Ethiopian intellectuals to exchange their armchairs for the public benches and leave their comfort zones of passivity and silence to become advocates of peaceful change and democracy in…
Press Release / May 24, 2010 On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day observed on May 3, 2010, President Barack Obama reminded the world of the “critical importance” of a free press “in challenging abuses of power, identifying corruption, and informing all citizens about the important issues that shape our world.” He noted: Last…
May 4, 2009 A Plot Here! A Plot There! A Plot Everywhere! April, 2009. “The ‘desperadoes’ are here! They are going to ‘assassinate high ranking government officials and destroy public facilities and utilities!’” Some forty individuals are officially said to be arrested for “terrorism” (but the real number may be at least five times as…
Will the Real James Inhofe, Please Stand Up!? Al. Mariam (11 August 2008)– Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Republican Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, defender and self-described “brother” and “friend” of dictator Zenawi and arch nemesis of H.R. 2003 in the U.S. Senate, is a champion of human rights! Don’t laugh. It is true. I think. Oyez! Oyez!…
Special Commentary We’ve met the enemy! Editorial commentator: Alemayehu G. Mariam | July 28, 2008 [Originally posted in Ethiomedia] Lately, there has been talk about “The Enemy.” Some say, the Woyane regime of Zenawi is “The Enemy.” Others say it is not. If woyane is the “The Enemy,” what to do? If it is not,…
