Virtues of solidarity of Ethiopians with popular uprising in Egypt By Robele Ababya

“The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously”. The quotation is attributed to Henry A. Kissinger, former US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser – Nobel laureate in 1973.
Tunisians believed they had only one alternative, which was regime change and they succeeded; Egyptians are emulating that example to that end. Experience spanning over the last forty years clearly shows that Ethiopians have only one alternative left to secure freedom and dignity in a liberated country.
Irreversible uprisings
The last Pharaoh of Egypt is desperate to quell the wrath of the people, but that is impossible for no might can stop the popular movements whose time has come to overthrow reactionary regimes in the Arab world. It is time for them to go. Tunisians and now Egyptians, Jordanians, Yemenis et al have very rightly put freedom and human dignity at the center of their values in their spectacular struggle for democracy reverberating across North Africa and the politically volatile Middle East.
In the last 25 years, six hundred billion Great Britain Pounds were excessively spent on infrastructures like roads, high rise buildings and telecommunications-typical of corrupt despotic regimes grossly neglecting basic economic needs of the masses – jobs, food and health among others. The popular uprising is against corruption, lack of freedom and living under martial law for the last 30 years. No cosmetic reshuffle of the Cabinet by appointing ex-Generals will save the Mubarak regime.
Stake for Ethiopia
This is a good omen for Ethiopia because what was so far a bastion of Ethiopia’s woes is vying for democracy as a matter of necessity. Democratic Arab world would pose no danger to Ethiopia and a mutually beneficial relation would evolve once we get rid of our own genocidal despot, Meles Zenawi and his brutal security apparatus under his direct command.
The revolution in the Arab world is also good for the volatile region in the Middle East to do away with extremism and foster democracy and durable stability. Democratic Arab world would be trusted trading partners for a democratic Ethiopia for doing lucrative business in a free market. Read More