A few months ago, Ginbot 7’s research team presented an extensive list of the top military commanders of the Woyane regime including their names, their position in the military and their ethnic background. That meticulously researched study showed how the current military of Meles Zenawi’s regime is totally dominated by one ethnic group where by some 95% of the top brass of the military emanate from the Tigrian ethnic group representing about 6% of the population. While this was a shocking revelation to Ethiopians and foreign observers alike, some apologists of the Woyane regime, presented this as a natural development similar to the dominance of the Shewa Amharas during the imperial regime and the broader ethnic Amharas that supposedly dominated the Derg regime. We felt at the time that this argument was problematic for two reasons. First, the nature of ethnic dominance that is observed during the Woyane period seemed to be more purposeful, calculated and certainly more excessive than any of the regimes in the past. Second, even if there was systematic ethnic dominance in the past, it surely does not justify the perpetuation of dominance by a new group, which would only increase ethnic animosity and destabilize the society further. While the second point is self evident, our first point needed some investigation to present a solid proof for our contention. At the time, we promised to do a detailed study of the military command and personnel of the earlier two regimes for comparison with our study of the Woyane period. The first portion of that study is now complete. We will briefly summarize the main findings below, and present two tables for the reader to go through the detailed observation. A note on the data is also available to make it easier for the reader to follow the information on the tables. This study has been conducted with the help of a large number of people mainly involving former military officers who know the institution well and the people involved. We have involved a significant number of people to verify the accuracy of our description of the people involved and their role in the military. We are very thankful for their assistance and we hope their cooperation will continue as we do the second phase of the study involving the lower ranking officers at the Birgadier General level. We also thank some family members of these officers who helped us in cross checking the ethnic identities. Main findings: Contrary to the long held claim of the Woyane propagandists, this careful study reveals that the top military brass of the Ethiopian state, although not directly proportional, was much more broadly representative of the country’s ethnic configuration than is commonly claimed. When seen along with our earlier study of the top military brass of the Woyane regime, both the Derg and the imperial periods showed a much more representative picture of the country’s ethnic mixture in the military leadership. As can be seen, persons of various ethnic groups successfully made it to the highest positions such as Chief of Staff and Commanders of Armies (Serawit/Hayiel), Command (Eze), Core (Kore), and Division (Kifle Tore). With one notable exception, we took officers over and above the Major General level for this study because of the significant actual power they hold in the military rank at their time of service. There was a very close correlation between military rank and actual power at the time. A cursory look at the data shows that broadly speaking the Amharas dominated the imperial army top brass holding 55.5% of the top positions, while the Shewa Amharas, who supposedly were in control of the state represent only 20% of the military leadership during the imperial period. The second largest representation was that of people with mixed heritage with 15.5%, followed by Oromos with 13.3%. Eritreans and Tigreans with 11.1% and Gurages at 4.4%. The Derg period brought a significant improvement from the imperial period not only by including hitherto unrepresented groups to the top brass (Wolayita and Harari) but also by spreading the representation relatively more evenly. Accordingly, the Amhara representation, although still high compared with the size of its population, was decreased to 45%, of which the Shewa Amhara representation decreased further to 17.5%. On the other hand, Oromo representation increased to 25% bringing it closer to its proportional size to the population. Indicative of the increasing inter marriage between ethnic communities, those with mixed heritage account for 17.5% of the top military brass during the Derge period followed by Gurage (5%), Tigray/Eritrea, Wolayita and Harari each with 2.5% representation. We encourage the reader to look at these figures along with the ethnic distribution among the whole population. We also wish to direct the reader to read this numbers with the earlier study of power distribution in the current Woyane military. We have presented the detailed table below for the reader to check the veracity of this study and reach his/her own conclusion about the nature of ethnocentric distribution of power during the two regimes. We wish to note here that our aim in doing this and the earlier study on the composition of the Woyane military brass, is not to argue that ethnic identity and proportional representation along ethnic lines should be the basis for appointing career military officers. Far from it. We actually would like to see an Ethiopia where the capability of citizens shall be the most important criteria for appointing public officials in so far as the process is fair, equitable and transparent. We also note that before Woyane’s usurpation of power in Ethiopia, previous regimes never openly and officially used ethnicity as the criteria for government appointment. It is Woyane who brought the issue to the fore, claimed to bring ethnic equality in the country and shamelessly made ethnicity the quintessential criteria for defining one’s identity. Woyane insisted on being measured by the criteria of equitable ethnic distribution of power as a justification for its rule. Our aim is therefore to show the hypocrisy of this ethnocentric mafia group that claims to bring ethnic calculus as the sole criteria for distribution of power in the country while allocating the lion’s share of power to the benefit of its own minority ethnic group. What is amazing about this group is its audacity. A group that represents 6% of the population claims 95% of the top military brass in the country, and blames previous regimes for playing it unfair. It is this same group that purportedly fought for 17 years against the Derg regime in the name of bringing ethnic equality. It is now clear what it really wishes to achieve. To use ethnicity to divide the nation and maintain its hold on power, while using this power to bleed the country dry for the benefit of the small group of bandits that are shamelessly stealing the resources of some 80 million poor souls. This simply cannot, and should not stand. Finally, It is also our aim to show the slippery nature of ethnic based politics and the danger it poses to our collective survival as a free and stable multi ethnic society. Surely we should all be sensitive to issues of equity and social justice. We should always be ready to lift those that have been left behind because of the trajectories of our history. We should commit ourselves to justice and the equality of all citizens of our country. But, we should also know that it is only when we are united as citizens of a free country whose rights are respected and who are ruled by people of our own choosing that we have a chance to achieve these lofty objectives. We should have little room for those who appeal to our basest instincts for the purpose of dividing us and subjecting us to live under the yoke of intolerable tyranny. Current Ethiopian Army by Ethnic Tigrean officers High Ranking Military Officials Principal Defense Departments (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Smora Yenus Tigre 2 Armed Forces Head of Training Lt.General Tadesse Worde Tigre 3 Head of Logistics Lt.General Gezae Abera Tigre 4 Head of Intelligence Br. General Gebre Dela Tigre 5 Armed Forces Head of Campaign Major General Gebreegzher Tigre 6 Armed Forces Head of Engineering Lt.General Berhane Negash Tigre 7 Chief of the Air Force Chief of the Air Force Tigre Heads of the Nation’s four Military Commands (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 Central Command General Abebaw Tadesse Agew 2 Northern Command Lt.General Saere Mekonene Tigre 3 South Eastern Command Lt.General Abraha Wolde Tigre 4 Western Command Br. General Seyoum Hagos Tigre Army Divisional Commanders (Woyane) Central Command (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 31st Army Division Colonel Tsegaye Marx Tigre 2 33rd Army Division Colonel Kidane Tigre 3 35th Army Division Colonel Misganaw Alemu Tigre 4 24th Army Division Colonel Work Aynu Tigre 5 22nd Army Division Colonel Dikul Tigre 6 8th Mechanized Division Colonel Jamal Mohammed Tigre Northern Command (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 14st Army Division Colonel Wodi Antiru Tigre 2 21st Army Division Colonel Gueshi Gebre Tigre 3 11th Army Division Colonel Workidu Tigre 4 25th Army Division Colonel Tesfay Sahiel Tigre 5 22nd Army Division Colonel Teklay Klashin Tigre 6 4th Mechanized Division Colonel Hinsaw Giorgis Tigre South Eastern Command (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 19st Army Division Colonel Wodi Guaae Tigre 2 44st Army Division Colonel Zewdu Tefera Tigre 3 13th Army Division Colonel Sherifo Tigre 4 12th Army Division Colonel Mulugeta Berhe Tigre 5 32nd Army Division Colonel Abraha Tselim Tigre 6 6th Mechanized Division Colonel G/Medhin Fekede Tigre Western Command (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 23rd Army Division Colonel Wolde Belalom Tigre 2 43rd Army Division Colonel Wodi Abate Tigre 3 26th Army Division Colonel Mebrahtu Tigre 4 7th Mechanized Division Colonel Gebre Mariam Tigre Commanders in Different Defense Departments (Woyane) No Job Division Name & Rank Ethnic Group 1 Agazi Commando Division B.General Mohammed Esha Tigre 2 Addis Ababa & Surrounding Area Guard Colonel Zenebe Amare Tigre 3 Palace Guard Colonel Gerensay Tigre 4 Banking Guard Colonel Hawaz Woldu Tigre 5 Engineering College Colonel Halefom Eggigu Tigre 6 Military Health Science B.General Tesfay Gidey Tigre 7 Mulugeta Buli Technical College Colonel Meleya Amare Tigre 8 Resource Management College Colonel Letay Tigre 9 Siftana Command College B.General Moges Haile Tigre 10 Blaten Military Training Center Colonel Salih Berihu Tigre 11 Wourso Military Training Center Colonel Negash Heluf Tigre 12 Awash Arba Military Training Center Colonel Muze Tigre 13 Birr Valley Military Training Center Colonel Negassie Shikortet Tigre 14 Defense Administration Department B.General Mehari Zewde Tigre 15 Defense Aviation B.General Kinfe Dagnew Tigre 16 Defense Research and Study B.General Halefom Chento Tigre 17 Defense Justice Department Colonel Askale Tigre 18 Secretary of the Chief-of-Staff Colonel Tsehaye Manjus Tigre 19 Indoctrination Center B.General Akale Asaye Amhara 20 Communications Department Colonel Sebbhat Tigre 21 Foreign Relations Department Colonel Hassene Tigre 22 Special Forces Coordination Department B.General Fisseha Manjus Tigre 23 Operations Department Colonel Wodi Tewk Tigre 24 Planning, Readiness and Programming Department Colonel Teklay Ashebir Tigre 25 Defense Industries Coordination Department Colonel Wodi Negash Tigre 26 Defense Finance Department Colonel Zewdu Tigre 27 Defense Purchasing Department Colonel Gedey Tigre 28 Defense Budget Department Ato/Mr. Berhane Tigre NAME OF TEGERES TERRORISTS AND STOLEN FUND AMOUNTS AND NAME OF BANK 1, MELESE ZENAWI 41MILION BANK OF MALAYSIA 2,AMB BERHNE GEBRE-KIRSTOS=19MILION NEW YORK CITY BANK 3.ABADI ZEMO 22MILION SWISS BANK 4.SEBHAT NEGA 29MILION DEUTSCHE BANK 5.TEFERA WALWA 9MILIONBANKOF CANNADA 6.SHIMLES KIDIE 12MILIONBANK OF CANNADA 7.ADDISU LEGGESS 14MILION NEW YORK CITY BANK 8.PROF ENDRIAS ESHETE 7MILION NEW YORK CITY BANK 9.ARKEB EKUBAI29MILION BANK OF MALAYSIA 10.GENET ZEWUDE6MILION NEW YORK CITY BANK 11.ABAI TESHAYE 19MILION BANK OF MALAYSIA 12.AMBMOHAMMEDE DURI 4MILION NEW YORK CITY BANK 13.DR MARU YIREDAWU 11MILION DEUSCHE BANK 14.BEREKET SIMON10MILION DEUSCHE BANK 15.KUMMA MAEDEKSA 6MILION BANK OF CANNADA WHO CONTROLS THE MEDIAS? Shocking revelation: ETV Tigre dominance Post a reply Postby Ghirmawi » 20 Sep 2011, 06:45 We all know that ugums have no human hearts. We all know how they throw the famous Ababa Tesfaye out from a job that he loves most to the point of calling it his only life. Now he is begging on the streets of Addis. A lot of briliant TV personalities have been and are destroyed by the TPLF apartheid regime for just bieng from other ethnic group. Debebe Eshetu is a very recent example. Now, ETV is a dead organization with no coherent vision what so ever, and the values and qualities of this programs are detoriarating every single day. The main reason for this is of course due the the ill advised policies of the aparthied regime who is recruiting people not based on their professional integrity but pure on their ethnic background. Here are some of the people who are responsible for the dead of ETV, supposedly the longest running African Television. 1. Temesgen Beyene (Tegray) --------------- ETV Chief News Anchor 2. Kibrom W/Selassie (Tigray) -------------- Amara Kilil TV News Anchor 3. Eden G/Hiwot (Tigray) -------------------- ETV Entertainment Programme Producer 4. LeAlem Desta (Tigray) --------------------- Addis TV producer 5. Armelea G/Kidan (Tigray) ------------------ETV News Anchor 6. Hilina Mebrahtu (Tigray) ------------------ Amara Kilil TV News Anchor 7. Alganesh Teka (Tigray) --------------------- Chief Correspondent 8. Solomon G/Medhin (Tigray) ----------------ETV Debub Kilil Chief producer 9. Abrehet Adekm (Tigray) ---------------------ETV Chief Camera and editing 10. Daniel G/ezagbher (Tigray) ------------------ETV Debub Kili news anchor 11. Hirut G/Amlak (Tigray) ----------------------ETV Sports Programme chief producer 12. Metasebya Legese (Tigray) -------------------ETV correspondent 13. Kebkab Taddese (Tigray) ---------------------ETV correspondent 14. Atakliti G/slassie (Tigray) --------------------ETV chief photographer 15. TsegalUl W/Tsadik (Tigray) -----------------ETV programs supervisor 16. Rahel T/Yohannes (Tigray) -------------------ETV English news anchor 17. Sara Fesehaye (Tigray) ------------------------ETV progamme producer 18. Alemayehu G.hiwot (Tigray) ------------------ETV programme producer 19. Seyfu Aseged (Tigray) --------------------------ETV proggramme producer 20. G/micheal G/medhin (Tigray) ---------------ETYV programme vice supervisor 21. Tesfaye Mehari (Tigray) ----------------------ETV Amara kilil chief correspondent 22. Kiros Tsega (Tigray) ---------------------------ETV amara kilil correspondent 23. Frehiwot Zemicheal (Tigray) ------------------ETV chief ITC officer 24. Afewerki Kahsay (Tigray) ---------------------ETV programme producer
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 20:39:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015