Last year, in June 2011, I published, in this site, an in-depth analysis titled ‘Terrifying the Press Signals Defeatism’. The immediate cause of the article was (the implication of) the absence of an official statement regarding the detention of two members of the media.
Though the article was – almost entirely – a criticism of the government’s handling of the private press, it briefly noted the ugly face of the latter as follows:
“At one end of the spectrum, you find irresponsible newspapers, like, the now-defunct Askual newspaper, owned and edited by Eskinder Nega. For instance, it regularly added ‘(an Oromo)’ whenever it wrote Prof. Andreas Eshete’s name. It is a common knowledge that Andreas is an Amhara from Northern Shewa, a locality that was allegedly a stronghold of the All Amhara People Organization(AAPO), of which Eskendir Nega was(still?) a vice Chairman. Andreas Eshete didn’t care to correct it, but it is obvious Eskinder Nega was doing it purposely – whatever the motive.
Well, this is nothing compared to the fact that Askual newspaper run a series, at least for a year or so, a column that directly and unequivocally attacks the Tigray ethnic group. It had written, in one of its issue in 2001, that ‘the German Nazi must have been annoyed by the Jews as we are by the Tigrayans that must be what pushed them to carry out the Holocaust’. This is a direct quote! And, despite the passage of time, I am quite sure of it, as the person directly responsible for it was member of a central committee of an opposition party – of which I was then a member and later resigned after demanding his demotion.
On the other end of the spectrum, we find Addis Fortune, Addis Admass, Ethiopian Reporter and the now-defunct Addis Neger. Of course, they leave much to be desired. Yet, their drawbacks and merits are resultant of the skewed growth and gradual maturity of the press, respectively, as much as the personal preference of the owners/editors.” [See here (link)]
(Note: About 15 hours after the publishing of the article, the government issued a statement on the grounds of the detention and has started doing so immediately after subsequent arrests. Commendable, though the article asked much more than that.)
No Ethiopian or foreigner openly challenged the veracity of my statement regarding Eskinder (quoted above) to date, though recently I learnt some have doubts.
Months later, in September 2011, Eskinder Nega was detained on suspicion of terrorism. This blog reported his detention, yet remained silent to date on the debate that followed. Because, a meaningful analyses of the detention of Eskider and other opposition activists would require reviewing the evidences and/or a theoretical discussion of the legality of a revolt. (Two of several key topics – on which I am guilty of procrastination). Anything below that would either be an uncritical reiteration of other’s arguments or a mere repetition of the concerns I already raised in the June 2011 article.
The beatification of Eskinder Nega
Shortly afterwards, however, the western media incredulously decided to make Eskinder Nega the poster child of the Ethiopian media and free expression.
The Economist magazine featured Eskinder Nega in its article titled “the tightening noose on Ethiopia’s press freedom”, at the end of September 2011, weeks after Eskinder’s detention. Worse, it mentioned Eskinder Nega’s newspapers as if exemplary ones. I was flabbergasted, thus compelled to comment under the article by simply copy-pasting the above-quoted statements of mine about Eskinder’s newspapers. About an hour or so later, the economist removed a family photo of Eskinder Nega from the article in an apparent attempt to distance themselves. An inadequate, yet a commendable, when compared to others.
In December, CPJ (Committee to Protects Journalists) posted an article claiming ‘it would be hard to find a better symbol of media repression in Africa than Eskinder Nega’. CPJ’s article portrayed Eskinder as a principled man who spent the last two decades defending human rights and currently facing an imminent death penalty. I didn’t bother to make a lengthy comment this time – as I had known that they were aware of my June 2011 article. Yet, I simply asked, in a tone much softer than common to me, whether they are unaware or supportive of the genocidal rhetoric of Eskinder’s newspapers and whether an insider tipped them that the prosecutor will propose death penalty, as the trial was at an early stage. They simply deleted my comment. Yes, CPJ censored me! Even strikingly, they were not even curious enough to contact me for clarification or evidence, though I commented, as usual, using my real profile.
Of course, as intended, that article on CPJ website was the main reference for subsequent articles and statement bestowing on Eskinder Nega the titles of ‘blogger’ and ‘human rights defender’ who is ‘facing death’.
A notable case, based on CPJ article, is the January 2012 article on the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof which claimed Eskinder could be suspected of none but advocating free speech and the end of torture. (Kirstof was also very incensed by an Ethiopian court’s prison sentence on two Swedish journos to the extent of engaging in racial profiling.)
A week later, a UN Rapporteur expressed her concern for the ‘human rights defender blogger facing death’. Yes, she was referring to Eskinder Nega.
The ultimate prize must have been the mention of Eskinder’s name on the heading of the State Dept.’s June 27 press statement – issued following the criminal convictions of opposition activists. Though, oddly, Eskinder’s name was absent in the the body of the statement.
Oh, yes. Just for added effect, there was that press release by PEN American Center on April announcing an award for Eskinder. PEN’s officials went beyond a blanket praise of Eskinder by phrases like – ‘that bravest and most admirable of writers’. They made explicit endorsement of his papers noting that he was ‘the general manager of Serkalem Publishing House, which published the newspapers Asqual, Satenaw, and Menelik’.
The Hypnosis
Giving a face to a story, rather than reporting it in general terms is a useful tool of advocacy. I am not oblivious to that. Again, the need to push the Ethiopian government to re-think its handling of the private press as well as the non-transparent blocking of websites is not lost to me – as could observed here, here and elsewhere.
Indeed, I don’t endorse cherry-picking facts and hyperbole to advance an agenda – like, hiding from readers that all, perhaps except one, of the imprisoned, including Eskinder, were active members of a political party. But this could lead to a debate on the borderline of a news report Vs. a petition and journalism Vs. advocacy as well as on questions of ethics – like – whether the end justifies the means.
The afore-mentioned points, including mediocrity, might partly explain why the western media and organizations are comfortable with the beatification of a man like Eskinder Nega. Though, I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t pick others as a poster child of their advocacy – say, journalist Wubshet Taye – the only one, among the arrested, with no official affiliation to a political party; or columnist Reeyot Alemu, a woman and presented with charges the least compelling evidences than all.
The matter has now reached an absurd level.
The hypnotic effect of the non-stop media praise of Eskinder Nega created the impression that praising Eskinder is a synonym to supporting press freedom. Even otherwise rational individuals are observed seeing a disapproval of Eskinder Nega as a support of all recent (perhaps also future) arrests of opposition activists. Though, that is a completely unrelated topic.
Recently, tired of explaining why I don’t share his saint-like image of Eskiner Nega, I posed a direct question to a foreign journalist: That is his frank opinion of my June 2011 remarks (quoted above) regarding Eskinder’s newspapers. He responded by saying:
I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think it is true. I don’t read Amharic and wasn’t here around 2005. However, the quotes you used may have been taken out of context. Maybe it could be argued he was anti-TPLF sentiment, not anti-Tigrayan. Knowledgeable, impartial people tell me he isn’t a person who advocates violence or sectarianism.
Granted, there were some inaccuracies in my June 2011 statement – as I learnt after weeks-long searching for the copies of the newspaper.
* The Holocaust related remarks were not as implicit as I indicated. Rather, they were made very explicitly and with frequent emphatic assertions that ‘a cancer race or community should be eradicated’.
* Again, the genocidal remarks equivalent to the one I quoted (in my last year article) were made not in a single edition in 2001, rather in at least five issues in 2004.
* The anti-Tigrayan series didn’t run only for a year, rather for at least four years, since year 2001.
What stroke me most in the journalist’s response, however, his doubts of the veracity of my remark. Mind you, this is from a sensible guy who is well-placed to observe my intelligence and genuineness. Not to forget, the option available to him, as well as any reader, to observe that this is not a blog for concocted claims and, when practicable, to demand evidences. In fact, I wondered why the guy visits this blog if he expects an ‘error’ or misinformation of this margin and gravity?
This was the last straw that made me to comb newspaper archives – for several weeks – to find the outrageous writings published on Askual Newspaper.
The outcome was not a mere sentence or paragraph that corroborates my June 2011 remark. Rather, a series of unequivocal, explicit racially inflammatory writings that needs to be brought to light. Which, I am going to publish – both in Amharic and English – in this blog.
***********
P.s. – This article was drafted on the first week of July, when Eskinder was awaiting Court verdict at the time. I decided to delay the publishing to preclude any claim of foul play, though the Court case has no direct relation to the matters raised in this article. The subsequent two months had their own surprises, thus entailing further delay.
Check the Human Rights archive for related posts.
This specific article On Eskinder Nega | Setting the record straight « Danielberhane’s Blog, possesses genuinely excellent info and I discovered specifically what I was looking for. Thanks.
Dear Daniel, thank you very much for being upfront. Your blog is so informative. Thanks for letting us know about Eskindir Nega. Keep up the good work!
Matthewtpf, are you serious? You said, ” The Nazis and Holocaust analogy is over-used by millions of angry people all over the world hoping to discredit their opponents in writing.” And you want to assimilate Eskindir’s clear genocidal comments as discrediting an opponent? Really?? We all know that every terrorist is also angry at something and have their own cause and agenda. And that is never underestimated so does Eskindir’s remark of destroying a certain race!!
Eskinder – Hero
Daniel – Zero
this is journalism at work. keep it up.
What kind of guy are you? Raising hatred, digging an 8 years old stench, just to tighten the noose around the guy. Kamagn yenegeregn.
Thank you so much for giving us opportunity to know the other side of z story. Keep it up!
Let me be said that all the power I sense in Africa should not be wasted and pulled asunder by those who stand as brothers and sisters at the time we should all be putting our petty beliefs aside for the betterment of all, be they Muslim or Christian. By God Man, look at your neghbour with love. and see only what makes us brothers, not which drives us afar, and you will see the the things only what can make us of the same belief. One love. Are we able to achieve this? If not, what makes us so hateful? Let us ask these questions before we cast judgement.
Bro yacob thank you i can tell you have read his article
READING THIS YOUR SO CALLED FACT I AM ASHAMED TO BE AN ETHIOPIAN BECOUSE ESKINDER WENT TO JAIL FOR PEAPLE LIKE YOU.GET YOUR FACTS STRIGHT.AFTER ALL ESKINDER IS MARRIED TO A PERSON WHOM YOU CLIAM HE DONT LIKE.SHAME ON YOU TIME WILL TELL ESKINDER IS A HERO FOR MANY. HE BELEAVE IN FREEDOM FOR THE ETHIOPIAN PEAPLE HE WILL DIE DOING THAT. I WISH YOU OR ME HAD THE GUTS TO DO THAT THAN ETHIOPIAN WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A BETTER PLACE.
SADDLY
Lewentferedu
Eskindir is one individual who tried to express his disgust to ethino-centric tyranny and in the process can make mistakes.. Never was his fan..am from Tigray and I hate many many things the sick leader and his pupates were doing for the last 21 years..Forget Eskindir, me a Tigrayan is ashamed of many things some Tigres and other opportunist cadres are doing…but unfortunately your effort is only to kill the fame you imagined Eskindir got ..after his first child was born in prison like sheet ..no word on the plight of Ethiopians …on the mis management of Ethiopia ..but going to a great length to discredit an individual who is already in hell…Eskindir might have a problem..but he is not the one making sure Ethiopians live in hell..you are just another pro/or against cadre who only has one side…
Daniel please deal with it Eskender Nega is out of your league he is by far a better journalist and a brave and kind human being who have been writing and preaching about peace and love however you are one sick wannabe journalist who is busy on accusing and defaming a hero who dare to fight a dictatorial regime. There are always sick and jelous people who doesn’t want to see people who excel than them. How did u accuse Eskender for the article written on his newspaper, You need to remember SATENAW was not a blog like yours it was a newspaper that different people express their view. Daniel first go and see a psycharist who can help you from the complex you suffering from. VIVA ESKENDER NEGA
Daniel I am surprised by the allegation you brought against Eskender for the article written on his newspaper which obviously not editorial. I can tell that you are suffering from the attention Eskender Nega received internationally and domestically that is why you came up with this bogus allegation which was written by someone on his newspaper. I felt sorry for the sickening jelous bothering you
NO! Its because its not a hate based webiste!
Ahh Alelign, don’t forget there are people like Dani who work for justice and truth! He is not like the Eskindir clan.
Here is part two:
https://hornaffairs.com/2012/10/14/eskinder-negas-newspaper-justifying-the-holocaust/
Daniel Birhane’s Blog is one of the Few websites which are not blocked by the Ethiopian Goverment the reason is it is Pro Goverment Blog
Otherwise every Poletical websites which are working Hard to make Multi Party rule a Reality in Ethiopiaand are Blocked in Ethiopia By the Ethiopian Government Using China made Repressive Techneology
Daniel, I think plenty of people are waiting for the article you promised to post. Anything wrong?
Although I don’t think Daniel is an ardent supporter of TPLF (government sympathizer is what he is usually referred by his critics), there must have/had been something uninteresting in the AAPO camp, and other similar political parties, that caused daiel to change his mind. One good example is the genocidal remarks by the likes of Eskindir Nega, as you can clearly see in this article. Ultimately, this is true in many other so called opposition parties in Ethiopia, and no wonder they are not successful, and people are abandoning them!
Just quoting you below so that i can make my point clearly. Your diatribe while reading good has no sound basis. Two wrongs do not make a right. Imprisoning journalists, thinkers, activists or anyone that one fancies is plain stupid. Ethiopia is still lags behind much of the world because that my way or the highway mentality persists still in 2012 including in your blog.
Instead of my way or the highway. How about all of us have decency, integrity, commonsense, solidarity, respect and least but not last respect for ideas, free thought and being open-minded. Some hope that!
“Though, I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t pick others as a poster child of their advocacy – say, journalist Wubshet Taye – the only one, among the arrested, with no official affiliation to a political party; or columnist Reeyot Alemu, a woman and presented with charges the least compelling evidences than all.”
Daniel said he is going to come back with more evidence but he has produced none so far. What is up with that? This looks, sounds and smells like a hit and run job. Maybe he is looking for actors to produce his evidence on a video like what the government did to those Swedish journalists. Who knows. I don’t know how some one goes from AAPO member to an ardent supporter of TPLF, something is not right with that story. I think that story is a ruse intended to garner credibility for a slander campaign against some one who can’t defend himself. A cowardly act by any definition.
Thanks for the advice watch, however I am going to keep up my effort to stop everyone from hiding behind vindictive speech and propagandizing. all Habeshas do it. It is useless if anyone wants progress.
Americans think our toxic political discourse is bad, they have not seen the level of discourse in amongst Ethiopians!!
This is where the woyane puppies congregate. 🙂 So Mathew, don’t waste your time.
Daniel, you never fail to disappoint. I wonder what sort of material gain you are getting for propaganda pieces like this. What goes around comes around.
For the record, the only one that is hateful against people that aren’t Tigrian is Woyane. The only one that hopes to make Tigrian people hated by everyone else in Ethiopia is Woyane. The only one playing the victim card, too, is woyane.
The good news is, tplf has been kicked in the teeth by non other than God. Thank god for HE Hailemariam Desalegn.
Guest1, Ethiopia is my business. And If it were not my business, you have to realize that Ethiopia is not a country alone in this new global economy. It is a fact that all countries are having to cope with. Those who adapt best will survive.
I know plenty about the case of Eskinder Nega. He is scary to Ethiopia’s power elite because he has learned habits in the Diaspora that offend the sensibilities of Ethiopia’s very secretive culture. He is not afraid to challenge power directly. On top of that he is associated with Ginbot Sebat which is headed by another brilliant Ethiopian man with despotic tendencies. It is ironic that the TPLF and the EPRDF took the time to mark Dr Berhanu Nega and G7 as a terrorist organization when they are so much like the TPLF in their rhetoric. I find G7 and Berhanu an annoying and disruptive force for Ethiopia, but they are certainly not genocidal terrorists to anyone but the fearful TPLF and their gullible supporters. If G7 gained power in Ethiopia we would just have another period of a long tyranny. At some point this trend needs to stop.
Interesting blog. It’ll be interesting to see DB’s evidence in the next post(s).
Daniel How much do the TPLF Pay you to Post such A Comment on the Respected Journalist Eskinder Nega(Now in Jail by the TPLF)
Please We know who you are
You are Another Woyane (TPLF)
I agree with your last sentence and encourage you respectfully to mind your own business and leave us alone.
In a society with mature and stable democratic system a mention of holocaust is no more than poorly chosen analogy. But in a region of fragile peace and democracy where a week doesn’t go by without some skirmish breaking out at some corner of the country, such poorly chosen analogies appearing on successive publications over a span of two years could be a catalyst for ethnic strife that could easily progress to killings. In any case, if I am not mistaken, Eskinder is not accused of these writings; although, these can be presented as supporting evidence, the main reason is his direct involvement with Ginbot 7. The latter is an organization that works to remove the Ethiopian government by any means necessary.
My second point, If you decide to judge the freedom of press by the “real world” standards then you should also judge the journalists (Eskinder) by those same “real world” standards. Can anyone in the US claim to be a legitimate journalist and at a same time be vice chair of RNC or DNC and not only that but be involved with an organization that is bent on overthrowing the US government by force. “Eskendir Nega was(still?) a vice Chairman” of AAPO which is on of the leading opposition parties.
I do have my grievances against the government and there is much desired by many for improvement and this improvement will not come by promoting hate and vilence.
To Daniel, I enjoy your informative writings. Look forward to reading the news paper articls.
Thank you.
matthewtpf ( the ferenj?) in case you didn’t know some particulars, Eskinder Nega is not in prison now for his past newspapers and articles. He is in prison now for an alleged alliance with a terrorist organization . The questions that should be raised about Eskinder Nega’s current imprisonment should be like “is Eskinder Nega connected with a terrorist organization ?” “why is that certain organization termed as a terrorist organization?” etc and not issues about free speech ,media and so on.
If as you claim Eskinder published those articles on his newspaper he should be ashamed of himself. I don’t think any publication that endorses such genocidal view has a place in any society. Unlike you I don’t know Eskinder personally but I regularity read his articles on EM and found them to be informative. Having said that I still don’t think he should be in jail or his newspaper closed. I repeat, his articles are offensive but in a democratic society even offensive articles or speeches are protected as free speech. Unfortunately the government is not democratic no matter what it claims to the contrary therefore it jails those whose views it deems unacceptable. Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t Eskinder accused of terrorism or something along those lines?
Accuse Eskinder for instigating genocidal violence but terrorism, I don’t think so? You see when a government fabricates a story to fit its rigid laws it loses credibility. I disagree with Eskinder’s political views, for example, I don’t think dismantling ethnic federalism or getting rid of article 39 as he advocates is either wise or necessary but I still defend his right to hold those views. What the government should have done was to invite Eskinder to a public debate and show the Ethiopian people how wrong and regressive his ideas are instead it put him in jail and made him a hero. Undeservedly.
Tazabi, I suggest you are very suggestable. The Nazis and Holocaust analogy is over-used by millions of angry people all over the world hoping to discredit their opponents in writing. Anyone who uses the analogy for rhetoric for should be thrown in writer’s prison for being lazy. And anyone taking that as a serious threat should be sent back to first grade.
Daniel Berhane is good at making arguments by structure, but the evidence is so weak, you can tell he is writing this as a discredit piece, rather than serious “journalism”. I know that Daniel is favored by the powers that be in Ethiopia, so I hoping someday he will have the courage to use his skill to demand the government show its respect for the rule of law, as it was beginning to do until after the 2005 elections.
In the real world of an independent judiciary, this argument to prove Eskinder Nega is a terrorist would be laughed out of court. But in Ethiopia where the rule of law is trumped by the law of the rulers, it is acceptable.
If it is of any comfort to you, the US is even worse that Ethiopia when it comes to making insane arguments about how bad “the opponent” is. But we do not throw our knuckle heads in jail as long as they do not cause violence.
In Ethiopia, Meles threw some popular woman judge into jail twice, for God knows what trumped up charges, but all she did to be come popular was apply the rule of law when the Prime Minister wanted here to throw his friend into jail because they had a disagreement.
Yes, yes I know this ferenj, just can’t possibly understand the delicate nature of Ethiopian culture, and I should mind mine own business. Maybe someday I will.
I suggest you scan the holocaust excerpt , and with an English translation post it in an article on a known news site ( e.g All africa) with a title “CPJ Advocates Anti-Semitism” and wait for the results.
Thanks Daniel for the clear evidence based truth and matured analysis.
The quotations you site seem hardly worth a year in prison. If the standard were applied to European and American writers our prisons would be more crammed than they are now.
You claim not to be a paid EPRDF blogger, or at least you imply that it is not important of you are, but then you write in this article as if you are an important source of truth about the “freedom of the Press” in Ethiopia.
I often here EPRDF supporters speak of genocidal opposition groups that writers support. Is this the evidence for that? It is laughable. Please tell me there is more evidence.
WHat I see is over-inflated claims based on over inflated rhetoric.
Stop defaming the hero.
He far beyond your standard.
This is an old matter. Irrelevant.
Clear image of the misuse of press freedom……I still surprise that why knower’s fail to state the truth they have for people sake, I was quit impress by the gut and determination to tell the truth you demonstrate in your articles. It is worth mentioning to say, you always spit truth out that people especially in your area of occupation wants to ignore (does it because they fear the power of toxic Diaspora?) I did not know?, but how far they will go in this way…….how high is their high…….<<<<>>>>.
Thank you Dani your articles are informative and chronologically well-articulated! You are true son of Ethiopia! Those hidden under the disguise of free press like Eskindir nega have no room in current Ethiopia! Let justice prevail.
Thank you
I also suggest that you scan images of portions of the newspapers and post them, just in case there are further allegations of out of context re-writing !
Thank you Daniel for bringing us this important information. Keep updating us!