Ethiopia: Beware of the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing !

By Lebenu Feleke
Alelignaknaw@gmail.com
Recently, I came across with tactics and dangerous disguises some people attempt to use in the cyber world by writing and publishing articles that are hypocritical and loaded with political agendas that they officially appear to oppose. The case in point is an article written by a man named Tadeos Anteneh and posted on Ethiomedia and Nazret.com under the title "Is Tigray the Problem?"
Although we can all agree on the idea that every person and website have the right to write and publish anything they wanted, it is also expected that they present complete and credible news that is in line with the political opinion that they officially promote. However, the attempt by the writer mentioned above and those who published it to covertly promote certain political agenda by falsely attacking the opposition using fictitious information and naked deceit is very sad. Such attempt to use scare tactics is simply intended to propagate the idea that Tigreans are in danger and the only shelter they have is getting behind TPLF. This, however, is the most dirty politics that one resort to and it is condescending in every aspect. I have long worked in the TPLF led EPRDF administration, and therefore, I have the information that enables me, and as a result others, to differentiate fiction from reality; propaganda from truth, and what is from what is not based on the points raised in the article Is Tigray the Problem?
Misrepresentation of the article,
The writer claims that Diaspora opposition groups and anti-government websites promote the idea of Tigray ethnic group domination of the socio-economic and political life of the Ethiopian state which in turn is used as a means to the development and growth of the greater Tigray region. Refuting such arguments as “misleading and inflammatory” the article suggested that Tigray region is still underdeveloped, and even compared to other regions it is still less developed. Furthermore, the article pointed out “… focused and single-minded attack (against Tigrayans) also validates widespread myths about how a particular ethnic group (in this case the Tigrean ethnic group) is forging way ahead of the rest of the country in infrastructure development, health care, employment, agricultural production and other spheres of national life at the expense of the rest. This is of course not true.”
To begin with, it would be reasonable to suggest that the article is written proactively rather than as a reaction, which the writer attempt to convince us, with the intention of accusing some opposition groups and web sites for being anti-Tigray for the simple suggestion they make that TPLF has dominated the political and economic spheres in the central government, which in fact is a public knowledge. I am saying this because of two reasons. One reason is that the article is very weak in terms of reference and completeness. The writer have not mentioned cases where by opposition groups and websites bashed Tigray in general for what has happened and/or happening due to TPLF led EPRDF rule. It did not even mention the parties or web sites who suggested the idea that Tigray region has developed well ahead of other regions due to TPLF rule. If the initial reason to write this article was because other opposition groups and web sites are wrongly bashing Tigray in general, then the first thing the article should do is provide cases by which opposition groups and web sites have done that and when. The only clear reference the writer mentioned in this respect was at one point and that says “Such indiscriminate and purposeful targeting probably reached new heights when in May 2009 Ginbot 7 accused the whole of the Tigre ethnic group of dominating key posts in the Ethiopian army.” The rest of his reference is general and with out a clear example. The second and even ridiculous reason is that on the quoted statement the writer mentioned May 2009 information to charge Ginbot 7 as being one of such opposition groups engaged in Tigray bashing. If the article were written reactively to current developments, as it suggested, then it would have been expected that current data would be used. Owing to these facts one can simply realize that the article is written to accuse others of being anti-Tigray, and therefore, be able to mobilize Tigreans behind TPLF using the usual TPLF scare tactic. Continued