Rewarding Tyranny: World Bank Style

Days after Ethiopia and Eritrea were to formally end their conflict, the World Bank lavished 400 million on the regime in Addis Ababa supposedly to demobilize its huge army and restart an economy shattered by war. Few would disagree on the need for demobilization for Ethiopia, the poorest state on earth, can ill afford half a million army.

However, it is strange why the World Bank was so quick to appease a dictator who just oversaw the death of over 100,000 of its subjects for a patch of barren land. This action is even more troubling given Mr. Zenawi has nothing to show for the billions it received since 1991. Should one be rewarded for diverting scarce resources towards the military when millions were dying from starvation or held responsible?

Assuming demobilization takes place, who is going to be demobilized? Is it the Tigrean officers who were pulling the trigger on conscripts hesitant to walk on minefields? Or is it Oromos and Southerners who are no more useful? The soldiers Meles would keep are those willing to do the dirty job of eliminating domestic opponents such as the OLF. It is the latter campaign, already underway in Oromia, that the Bank is to finance, not the reduction of poverty, nor stopping the spread of AIDS, nor fixing the infrastructure.

It is often said that history repeats itself. As soon as the vicious 30 years old war ended in 1991, the seeds for a much more virulent conflict was planted when a minority regime was allowed to stand against a groundswell of opposition. Sure enough the empire was once again in a major war with its northern neighbor, not to mention the myriad low-intensity conflicts simmering throughout the empire. No sooner than the chilling images of famished babies walking half-dead in deserted villages disappeared from TV screens in 1984, the world awoke to yet another famine in 1999. Thus why not investigate the underlying causes of these ills? What is the role of government corruption in this tragedy? Should we not ask these questions before giving money to Ethiopia?

The Oromo Liberation would like to once again remind the World Bank that the 400 Million aid money released to the minority regime of TPLF does not and can not serve the cause of a lasting peace and sustainable development in Ethiopia. To the contrary, as it happened in the past ten years, it contributes toward exasperation of unstable political climate that has been holding back the productive capacity of the people. The regime has failed to build a democratic order conducive for sustainable development. Billions of financial assistance coordinated by the Bank and IMF has been used to benefit one party and a small segment of the society. This aid money enables the dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi to maximize the economic and political power to suppress the genuine voices of the public.

We protest the continuation of the present policy of the World Bank towards the TPLF regime and ask for the revision of the policy and stop financing the regime that is committing genocide against the Oromo people. We owe it to those innocent victims of Tigrean brutality not to sit idle while Meles renews his lease on power with World Bank money. We call upon our people to protest this mockery of justice as vigorously as possible.

Victory to the Oromo people!