Breaking My 6-Year Silence on Eskinder Nega & Why My Position Has Changed
I’m writing this with a genuinely heavy heart.
I once believed deeply in Eskinder Nega. I defended him when many were against him, advocated for him when he was imprisoned & met with him during the #IAmFano protest in my area. I literally begged him to stay in the U.S. & help Fano organize. I respect what he contributed to the struggle. That is precisely why it hurts to say what I’m about to say.
Cadres have been spreading unverified claims that Eskinder is dead, raising concerns that his fate could be exploited to create divisions among Amharas.
Ironically, as I write and preparing to share this, Eskinder has appeared on DW Amharic confirming that there was an attempt on his life. DW is a German based media platform that is controlled by Amharic speaking Oromos. DW Amharic reports has repeatedly sought to undermine, discredit and divide Fano. Yet Eskinder himself chose that platform to confirm the attack. Identifying the Abiy government as the obvious suspect while stopping short of discussing whether others including the possibility of an enemy within could also be involved. Whatever the circumstances, I sincerely hope he is safe.
But I also have to be honest about where I stand today: Eskinder has become a liability to the Amhara struggle. And saying that genuinely pains me.
If it weren’t for the divisions created along the way, I believe Fano could have moved much faster toward the kind of unity and political clarity this struggle desperately needs. It feels like Fano takes two steps forward, only to be pushed one step backward by yet another internal dispute.
PEOPLE ARE DYING!!!
This is not about who gets power. It is not about who gets credit. No one is above the Amhara people. NOT Eskinder, not any commander, not any organization, NOT EVEN ZEMENE.
Eskinder returned to Ethiopia before the war intending to resume his political activities. He later left Balderas exposed all the Amhara elites who supported him in Addis. Then got arrested himself and was released after significant public pressure in the Amhara region. After the war began, he announced the formation of APF and attempted to position himself within Fano leadership without the support of FANO already fighting on the ground. In my view, this contributed to division at a time when unity was desperately needed.
After enormous sacrifice, Fano eventually moved toward greater consolidation. Rather than supporting that unity, Eskinder once again chose a separate path, creating another orgs called “Addis Ababa Media Council” people who’re involved with Eskinder’s new orgs appears more interested in pushing feminist& Welkait agendas while Addis itself faces growing pressure from the Oromuma agenda.
I won’t revisit every detail because focus should be on the people who are dying right now and we cannot afford to keep dragging this struggle backward because of political gain.
There are also questions that deserve honest scrutiny. While Abiy’s government was arresting influential Amharas, Eskinder was able to leave and reenter Ethiopia through Addis Abeba International Airport even after publicly announcing his decision to join Fano. I don’t claim to know the explanation. But it is reasonable to ask questions.
And to Eskinder, if something happened to you while you were imprisoned if there is trauma you are carrying from that experience please PRAY, Go to ጸበል and seek professional help. There is absolutely no shame in that. You have been through things most people will never understand.
But please, go home to your wife and son. Live. Rest. Heal. You have already contributed to this struggle. You do not have to carry it forever and the Amhara people cannot afford for this struggle to be prolonged because Amhara children are being found injured beside their mothers’ lifeless bodies in Ethiopia.
Pray for #Amhara people in #Ethiopia
End #AmharaGenocide &
The genocidal #WarOnAmhara
@MemiAsrat@ef_rem122b OMG! This animation should be shared widely across all social media platforms. It is an exact depiction of the OPDO led Ethiopian parliament. Hats off to whoever is behind it!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
This video exposes the deeply destructive and exclusionary politics promoted by Oromo elites an agenda that seeks to erase Amharic from public life and undermine Ethiopia’s unique calendar and other longstanding national institutions. They want to destroy Ethiopia’s national identity and dismantling elements of its shared heritage. 😊
While public attention is focused on the @EthioNDC discussions in Addis Ababa, Amhara civilians in Wellega, Oromia Region, are reportedly being killed, homes burned, and property looted and destroyed. The perpetrators reportedly include Qeerroo, Gadaa Commandos, militias, and other regular and irregular forces.
𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮. Restrictions on information from the area raise further concerns that these atrocities are being concealed. These crimes must be exposed, documented, and independently investigated.
#AmharaGenocide
@hrw@UNHumanRights@USEmbassyAddis@ECLJ_Official@Europarl_EN@EUSR_Weber@AJEnglish@AP@BBCWorld@Reuters