he Tale of the ‘Trojan Horse’ and Ginbot-7 By Daniel Mehari Tigrai Onlne - July 31, 2014 (Part One) On his recent interview on BBC’s ‘Focus on Africa’ program, the FDRE Prime Minister Ato Hailemariam Desalegn was asked about the terrorist ‘Ginbot 7’ movement General-Secretary and the now in custody Ato Andargachew Tsige. The response of the Premier was short and concise – “The man (Andargachew Tsege) is a ‘Trojan horse’ for the Eritrean government …” And I tried to understand what the Premier exactly meant by it by asking myself, “What does the ‘Trojan Horse’ tale have to do with Ato Andargachew’s terror activities?” However, it didn’t take me much time to understand that, “Trojan Horse” wasn’t only meant to describe the person that has been in working relationship with the Asmara’s regime honcho Ato Isaias Afwerki. So, I was inspired to write this article to my dear reader because the premier’s comment has a more deep and underlining themes behind it. The ‘Trojan Horse’ is an amazing historical tale that happened in ancient Greece. The story chronicles around 1194-1184 BC, at a time when ancient Greece destroyed the city of ‘Troy’. The tale tells that after 10 years of war to seize the city of Troy; the Greeks were unsuccessful in their effort. So they devised a plan which included the making of a huge wooden horse. After this, they chose elite soldiers that would get into the huge wooden horse. Their plan was to put the “horse” in front of the gates of the city as a gift offering, and fooling the Trojans into wheeling the horse into the city as a trophy; and the Trojans bite their bait. During the night, the soldiers came out the giant wooden horse and opened the great walls of the city of Troy for all the Greeks soldiers to sneak into the city. After that they sacked and destroyed the city to ashes, changing the course of the war decisively. What we can understand from this story is that a ‘Trojan Horse’ metaphorically means a stooge and a lackey that works for the interest of others – being others’ vehicle while hiding its own objective. So, I think this is what Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn meant when he called Ato Andargachew a ‘Trojan Horse’. Of course, it isn’t only the man who’s the ‘Trojan Horse’. It’s obvious that all of our country’s terrorists and anti-peace forces that have either direct or indirect contact with the Eritrean regime, including his own banned (by the House of Peoples’ Representatives) terrorist group ‘Ginbot 7’, are all ‘Horses’ meant to be ridden by Ato Isaias Afwerki. Anyway let me take you, my dear readers, back to the ‘Trojan Horse’ acts of ‘Ginbot 7’; the main focus of this article… At one time this same group called a meeting in Washington DC. Though it wasn’t made clear and forthcoming, the meeting was called on the basis that it’s a matter of ‘life or death’ for the ‘Trojan Horse’ organization; so anybody who’s who of the group’s supporters were called. And the few Diasporas who have been drained for every cent of their hard-earned money, by the manipulation of the ‘Doctor Economist’ and his minions, was at the time thinking in a jaded manner, ‘what is this time they going to ask for our money?’ … As the self-proclaimed ‘Ginbot 7’, a terror organization, in addition to the money they swindle from the Diaspora, they, either knowingly or unknowingly, officially admitted to have taken 500 hundred thousand dollars for six month expense of its ‘Trojan Horse’ activities from the Eritrean government. As a consequence, many of its Diaspora supporters turned their backs on them. With this, it’s BANDA and traitorous act was exposed out in the open. Also, as they allocated 100 thousand dollars of the money to ‘ESAT’; their own hoax rumor mill mouth piece that spews harmful poison that have the potential to trigger a conflict between different ethnics in the mould of the Rwandan Radio ‘Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines’, it has lost its credibility as the Diaspora community are now aware that it operates under the sponsorship of Eritrean government and its set agenda. It made it clear that ‘ESAT’, the havoc and riot manufacturing institution, is not of ‘Ginbot 7’ controlled but a Shabiya sponsored network that works under the commands and wishes of Asmara. ‘ESAT’ is not Ginbot 7’s, but much in the vein of Eritrea’s national Television channel (‘EriTV’), a television network that carry out Shabiya’s agenda through ‘Trojan Horses’ that have betrayed their country… Truth be told, ‘ESAT’ is a two-fold (dual) BANDA channel – in one side its controlled by our own “Doctor Economist” - the ‘Trojan Horse’ of the Eritrean government – and its money sack, while in the other side it’s also controlled by Shabiya from its Asmara offices through its own personal remote control. At this time, the game of this hoax rumor mill; who wants to set fire on our people while sitting afar in the US, has been called out by our people here and abroad. Anyway, let us turn back to that fateful meeting that was called in Washington DC. … The leader of the group Dr. Berhanu Nega and its General-Secretary (and the now detained) Ato Andargachew Tsige were present to lead the meeting. Let it be noted here that these same people, by hiding their real master, were stating that they would be willing to work even with the devil if it means that it will get them to ‘Arat Kilo’… That day the General-Secretary of the terrorist group, Ato Andargachew Tsige admitted with his own words that he has worked as a spy and ‘BANDA’ since the days of election ‘97, where he and Dr. Berhanu Nega were the leaders of the havoc squad ‘Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD/Qinijit)’… At that meeting it was officially claimed in a direct and concise manner that the ‘Trojan Horse’ by the name of ‘Ginbot 7’ is ‘Shabiya’s Private Ltd. Company’ - with a shameful words “We have been and still are working with Ato Isaias”. As its known, Ato Andargachew is ominously present with an empty vault at every one of Shabiya’s money giving event. In fact according to those who deserted the terror group, he was married to an Asmara women as per the order of Ato Isaias – might be he was considered for his “ability” to work with all anti-Ethiopia forces including with those who have a different objective and agenda to theirs. Of course we should not be surprised with this as anyone or group who sells its country for money won’t amount to anything other than this kind ‘Trojan Horse’ activity. The main reason for that fateful meeting to be organized has to do with covering the terror group’s nervous cracks underneath, like it has now. And this can be seen from the contradicting rhetoric and the repetitive issues the group’s leaders raised during the meeting; a sort of ‘hail Mary of speech’. All in all, let me raise few points from this Washington meeting called by ‘Ginbot 7’ in its desperation… In this account of what happened at that meeting, I will try to probe into: what the terror group’s leaders (including the recently arrested Ato Anadagachew Tsige) are really like, the things they have carried out under their Shabiya-ridden ‘Trojan Horse’ activities and why they came out in the open about them being under Shabiya’s sponsorship, which til’ that point they claim to operate clandestinely. This will help shade light, for my dear readers, how desperate the terror group has really become. … The “Doctor Economist” was one of the pro-violent leaders of the now defunct ‘Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD/‘Qinijit)’ during the days of election ‘97. As it can be recalled at that time, he was jailed for his role in instigating riot and havoc aimed at dissolving the constitution and the constitutional order. This person was then only freed after the government gave him and his likes a pardon in response to their admission of their crimes. Unfortunately, as the demon of riot cannot easily be exorcised, the person has conceived his terror group in Pennsylvania USA and bears it in the terror world of Asmara. As per the group’s own declaration ‘we will use any forceful means’, it will not hesitate to work with Al-Shabaab, the East Africa wing of Al-Qaeda and a group branded by the international community as a terrorist group. This is because the leaders of ‘Ginbot 7’ are heavily drunk on power and are willing to be ridden as ‘Trojan Horses’ by anyone for his end. For this we can raise, as evidence, the accounts one of their stooges, like Brigadier General Tefera Mamo, in which he disclosed that the group activities to date, like every other terror groups, includes planning to kidnap and murder government officials and also arranging to bomb, at the request of others, major public institutions. This helps us understand how much this group, like Al-Shabaab is, anti-people and anti-this country. All in all, as this traitor group adheres to ‘the end justifies the means’ terror acts as a strategy, it has in the words of its leaders has worked with the bitter enemy of this country in the shape of the Eritrean government to protect their terror squad. Of course the fact that ‘Ginbot 7’ connodles with the Asmara government is not a new issue. The government already knew that even before their own disclosure in the Washington meeting about their riot-driven cooperation with Ato Isaias Afwerki’s government and their spy work for the Asmara administration. In fact I recall at that time there was evidence presented against the likes of Dr. Berhanu Nega. And this reality shows that the terror group ‘Ginbot 7’ aims to seize power through the support of Ato Isaias and other anti-Ethiopian forces and not through the consent and will of the people – it aims to seize power through the riot and havoc they are desperately trying to instigate. This is why at this meeting the group’s leader was as usual heard saying “what we want is to only topple ‘weyane’ from power” – even though this kind of aim to seize power through the support of foreign regime (a regime at its own dying bed at that) by disregarding the sovereign power of own people is not possible on the context of this new Ethiopia. Truth be told, at that time there was one thing that surprised me. That is, except for a cover and to realize their hidden agenda, groups like the yesterday’s ‘CUD/Qinijit’ or today’s ‘Ginbot 7’ doesn’t have the aim to come to power through the constitutional and legal manner – not even for a second. They have also never tried their hand in a peaceful struggle. By the way, it’s not clear how someone can come to power in a “peaceful” and yet an unconstitutional way, in a country where democratic rights are taking roots and a constitution is edified through the sacrifice of the country’s nations, nationalities and people. As the idiom ‘history repeats itself’ suggests, I see stark similarities between the leaders and members of the opposition parties of the past and the recent jailed members of the opposition that claim to operate “peacefully”. All in all, as if the likes of ‘Mr. Terror’ himself didn’t say “we’ll operate within in a peaceful manner by respecting the constitution” during the days of election ’97, they admitted at the Washington meeting that they have been doing lackeying and spying job for Ato Isaias even during those times. And this terrorism obsessed outlook of ‘Ginbot 7’ is another evidence that confirms the group and its leaders were bargaining to betray and sell their own country to the highest bidder as far as ten years back. However, to think this type of heinous and ridiculous ‘Trojan Horse’ act will be tolerated in this new Ethiopia is being foolish. Our country’s nation, nationalities and people have never in their history bowed for foreign aggressors and their lackeys. Of course I need not tell the ‘Trojan Horse’ Dr. Berhanu and his likes about how the children of the new Ethiopia; who inherited the love for their country from their forefathers, brushed off foreign aggressors and their ‘BANDA’ lackeys. They at least are aware on how our country’s nation, nationalities and people stopped and sweep out their current sponsor from their invaded lands during the Ethio-Eritrean war, and their full out effort to realize the construction of Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam; fully understanding its historical significance. For me this barren-hope act that was conceived in the mind of the “Great” “Doctor Economist” is the same as winking at a girl in the dark – its pure fantasy. So, I say they should know, this kind of maneuvering, where on one hand they claim ‘to seek power by peacefully operating’ like it was in the days of election ’97, whilst declaring to seize power through unconstitutional ways by realizing Shabiya’s objective, when they feel like they’re being marginalized by the people, is no more than serving as a ‘Trojan Horse’. One of the things the terrorist doctor said which still baffles me is that despite his talks on how ‘Ginbot 7’ doesn’t have or need any kind of political strategy or program, whilst at the time claiming to bring a change in regime sitting in his chair. Of course it’s obvious that when the terrorist Doctor say ‘we don’t have foreign affair, education, health etc … programs or don’t need them’, he’s telling us in other words ‘our objective is only to carry out the agenda of Shabiya and other anti-Ethiopian forces’; that they are the big wooden Trojan Horses. What they are telling us is that it is their goal to realize Ato Isaias Afwerki’s barren hope of seeing a regime change in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, either I or any readers of this article don’t understand how a political change is possible without any political path or direction. So, I think we should suggest to the ‘Trojan Horses’ to stop their manipulative and maneuvering holler… Of course it’s understandable that the terrorist doctor Ato Berhanu and his peers are confused seeing as how his money-obsessed mind is only bent on how he’ll get his hands on the commission he’ll get from Ato Isaias rather than talking coherently. The truth is if we are to look inside either ‘Ginbot 7’ or its terror stooges background, we’ll find many anomalies that would put light on their hidden character/personality. The agendas set and disseminated to the Medias from ‘Ginbot 7’ and its mouth piece ‘ESAT’ are many. At the height of the Arab Spring, these so-called leaders of ‘Ginbot 7’ had been spewing prophetic like blabbers through their own Medias by saying, “very soon the Arab world like riots will break out in Ethiopia’. However, as the social realities that instigated the riots in the Arab world does not correlate to our country’s realities on the ground, the ‘prophecy’ ‘Ginbot 7’ and its personal mouth piece ‘ESAT’ disseminated did not bring them anything other than to be called fake ‘messiahs’. The only thing their pseudo prophetic blabber got them was to lose their General-Secretary and second-in-terror-chief Ato Andargachew Tsige to the law – I wonder how the “prophets” didn’t see that coming and protected themselves. By the way, what is the limit number a person can go wrong in his prophecies - only the ‘Trojan Horse’ Doctor and his personal rider ‘Wedi Afom’ knows. Let me raise another failure of theirs. At various times there was no stone left unturned by the terror group and its mouth piece to instigate the public to riot using the rise in the cost of living, which was worldwide, and the artificial rise in inflation caused by some greedy businessmen as a pretext. However, the unprejudiced and unbiased people of our country, by understanding the problem is only temporary and believing the government it voted to office would solve the problem, it did not chose to hear the cries of team ‘Trojan Horses’. Although ‘Ginbot 7’ and ‘ESAT’ orchestrated a smear campaign by playing the concerned citizens role and stated “the Ethiopian government has not been able to control the price inflation; and the public is harmed in the mean time etc …” – however the unbiased Ethiopian people disregarded their calls for riot and havoc. This is because the public had the full confidence on the government to solve the problem as it has come to fully understand the government’s adhered developmental path within the last nine and ten years and also because the public has been benefitting from the rapid economic growth … The government in keeping up with its pledge not only lowered the inflation rate to a single digit, but its currently working hard to lower the rate even more. For instance, in order to protect the public from greedy businessmen, the government is opening up shops in various parts of the city that will provide the public goods and commodities in a fair price. After their rumors was foiled by the hard work of the government and its pro-people outlook, the likes of ‘Ginbot 7’, its personal mouth piece ‘ESAT’, ‘VOA’ (especially its Amharic program) next turned their smear campaign to the Land lease policy; a policy that benefits the majority poor society. However, seeing them torpedoing the poor should not surprise us considering the ‘Trojan Horses’ are terror forces that are in line with Shabiya to attack the poor. This type of sinister and ‘BANDA’ act is to be expected from ‘Trojan Horses’ who side with anti-public forces who are enemies of their own country. After they also failed in this endeavor, these forces shameless turned to distorting the demands of teachers. Of course these forces didn’t take questions like, ‘what exactly are the demands of the teachers?’, ‘what are the paths the government took to answer these demands’, ‘does the economic capability and realities of the country enable to answer these demands?’, into account. As their objective is to seize power through instigating riot that would even put the public’s safety in danger, they have tried to twist the teachers demand to their own advantage by injecting their own agenda on the issue, like ‘the teachers are about to stop teaching’, ‘the government is about to take’, and disseminating it through ‘VOA’ and its likes. However, just as one of their barren-hope efforts, this latest try ended up being another empty holler. This is because the estimated 99% of the teachers is satisfied by the reply of the developmental and responsive government of our country. This is also another failure on their part for the eon’s time. All in all, as our government believes every citizen of the country should benefit from the development the country is recording – as part of that belief the government has recently improved the salary of public servants including teachers. I am sure when the people of our country sees this practical action of the government, it will be ashamed of the ‘Trojan Horses’. In a way it’s not surprising, considering it’s an empty holler coming from an “organization” that can’t even protect itself. And the public is well aware of this. In their act as the ‘Trojan Horse’ and their role as a lackey for the Eritrean government, both the ‘Doctor Economist” and his organization did not get and produce any result. Considering the “Master Doctor” (sarcasm) don’t have the diplomatic savvy to begin with except to sell his country to the highest bidder, he has always been disappointed. Not knowing that his antics has no place in this New Ethiopia; a country in a fast lane to development, didn’t help his case either – he has only a contradicting agendas to show for all his efforts….
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 08:29:59 +0000