71. Shewainesh from MnewShewa asks: The Ethiopian Federal Government perp-walked Bereket Simon, former advisor to the PM, ANDM official, TIRET board Chair to Bahr Dar. What is going on?
Dr Newitol: That is not the most dramatic part! First of all, it is not just Bereket Simon but also Tinkishu. The National Enquirer part of it is that the judge (the judge!) took a picture of the two when they came to his court of law:
It was a stretch to believe the Amhara region has legal standing about the shenanigans of a private endowment, but now it may be thrown out on a technicality.
72. A “Concerned Eritrean” asks: why do you guys keep talking about Ethiopia? Are you Ethiopian? I want to know about Eritrea! Can you tell me something about Eritrea, specially, specially about my hero Sebhat Ephrem?
Dr. Newitol: Here’s everything you need to know about Eritrea and your hero Sebhat Ephrem…. with the headline “ሚስታቸው በኣንገቴ ገመድ ይገባል እንጂ: ባሌ ወደ ኤርትራ ኣይመለስም ብላለች” (I will hang myself before my husband is returned to Eritrea, is what his wife said) as told to you by, and I am sorry to say this, an Ethiopian broadcaster:
Well, sure, it’s often wrong: the shooter was not a disgruntled pro-justice Eritrean but a dispatch of Isaias Afwerki and, sure, Isaias Afwerki never visited Sebhat Ephrem in Abu Dhebi but the rest of the report is accurate. And you will never hear from the General ever again: he will join the very long list of disappeared Eritreans, for as long as you Eritreans keep using pen names like “a concerned Eritrean” instead of the one your daddy and mommy gave you and fighting instead of running.
73. Hawi-Hawi from Hmbrti Asmera asks: did you hear about Abiy Ahmed talking about an Italian deal, feasibility study, to build railway between Massawa and Addis Abeba?
Dr. Newitol: The phone connection from Asmera is really bad; it is so bad I thought you said an Italian company is building something in Africa, something it hasn’t done since the late 1930s. Any “feasibility study” done by Italy is going nowhere. This is a country that is so broke it is giving away houses for $1 USD, if you promise to renovate it within a year. Stop freaking out and write me when you hear about a Chinese company.
74. Fenkel from Massawa asks: February 8, commemorating the spectacular success of Operation Fenkel, EPLA defeating Derg, is right around the corner. I am already coping with the fact that its commander, Petros Solomon, is in solitary confinement for 17 years. Will Isaias Afwerki ignore this battle I am named after because he doesn’t want to offend his new best friends, the remnants and sympathizers of Mengistu Hailemariam?
Dr. Newitol: All you have to do is wait for two weeks to find out.
75. Abebe from Addis writes: There is ribbon-cutting ceremony in Addis Abeba today: Ethiopian Airlines now is in the hotel/hospitality industry and it…but that doesn’t matter. My question is: WHERE IS ISSU in the opening of Skylight Hotel? We can’t have ribbon-cutting, caps-thrown festivities here unless Isaias Afwerki is here.
Dr. Newitol: Maybe he will show up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Ethiopian Airlines Taxi Services? Ethiopian Airlines Houkah Center? Ethiopian Airlines Cruise Lines? Ethiopian Airlines Railway? Besides, don’t take it personally: Isaias Afwerki just ditched Uhuru Kenyata, who was supposed to be in Asmara on Thursday. Also, this building was NOT built by the Italians.
76. MedferiashWerq from Enarj Enawga asks: Why does the Ethiopian Tourism industry hate Ethiopia? Clearly only someone who hates Ethiopia can come up with this design for this building:
Dr. Newitol: There is just way too much hating going on here. A certain Robel said, “looks like Dubai and Kremlin had clumsy drunk sex behind some dumpsters and voila … the eyesore of a lovechild.” It is a beautiful building that has upset the Habesha expectation of rectangular buildings with holes. Look at the curves, look at the kaleidoscope of colors.
77. Araarsa from Mendi asks: Team Lemma has defeated Dawud Ibsa! After he put on a big show about how he will never disarm, how he will fight to his death, and then after he dies, he will be reincarnated as a warrior…he said he is disarming and resigning from politics. Why isn’t everybody talking about this?
Dr.Newitol: It all depends on whose ox is being gored! An innocent ox had to be gored for this peace treaty. Why do the oxen have to pay every single time for the foibles of man?Also, Dawud Ibsa’s org is, to quote an Oromo writer, “a rump of a once formidable movement.”
78. Yiakl from Mai Temenai says: ENOUGH! Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia! Isn’t this site called Eritrea Digest? Let’s talk about us. SO. Is there an update about the G-15? Why were they arrested? When will they get out? How many are alive?
Dr Newitol: The last update we have about the G-15 is when Yemane Gebreab was interviewed by Deutschlandfunk Radio Reporter, Oliver Ramme, who called him “THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL MAN IN ERITREA” in July 2016.
Here’s what the 2nd most powerful man in the world (who is so powerful he has never been to Eira Eiro, where the G-15 are held) says: They were jailed because they are all military commanders during the Eritrea-Ethiopia War (a lie) and they compromised Eritrean sovereignty and independence (another lie) and their families know where they are and why (another lie), and Eritrea should be commended for how it treated the issue (a whopper):
Yemane doesn’t tell you how many of the G-15, now that it has been over 17 years, are still alive and why they were really arrested but guess what? I am sorry to say that, but these days only an Ethiopian can tell you that:
79. Mesmer from Adi Mesmer writes: I have an Ethiopian friend whose single goal in life is to watch me go slowly insane. He told me that General Kassaye Chemede, the man who was in charge of the massacre of She’eb in 1988 where hundreds of innocent Eritreans were massacred (run over by tanks!), said in an interview that some of the crimes the TPLF government committed are so heinous, there should be no reconciliation with them: they should answer to the law. Clearly, he is making this up. Right? Right? RIGHT????
Dr. Newitol: You mean da jossy in da house interview? Your friend is not lying to you but that still doesn’t change the fact that he is trying to drive you slowly crazy:
80. John Smith from North Dakota: My wife and I like to visit Ethiopia, particularly on sacred days like Ephiphany (Timket.) This year we attended it at Maichew. Unfortunately, we don’t speak the language and some important man was speaking and we would love to know what his religious sermon was. Can you help?
Dr. Newitol: Sure! The man you are speaking of is Dr. Debretsion, the vice-governor of the region. He was telling the people of Raya that, on this occasion of baptism, (Timket), they should remember they are already baptized Tigrayans and shouldn’t accept new Amhara identity. So, in a way, it was about baptism? Then he did what all leaders of TPLF and EPLF do: remind them of the massive sacrifice that was paid for ____________ (blank stands for whatever the parties are demanding compulsory compliance with.)
