Birtukan Suspends politics; to leave for the US
The newspaper reported that Birtukan and her six year old daughter, Hale, will leave for the US probably in March. Capital mentioned her close family members as source for this breaking news.
Moreover, the paper discloses that the prominent opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa will officially unveil her final decision to end active political participation for unspecified period.
Birtukan Mideksa, the leader of the main opposition party- Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ)- has reached a decision to suspend her political career. According to the weekly Ethiopian English newspaper, Capital, she will leave for the United States in a few weeks time.
The newspaper reported that Birtukan and her six year old daughter, Hale, will leave for the US probably in March. Capital mentioned her close family members as source for this breaking news.
Moreover, the paper discloses that the prominent opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa will officially unveil her final decision to end active political participation for unspecified period. It is to be recalled that her party UDJ selected the former president Dr, Negaso Gidada as a new vice president. The party has not yet commented on Birtukan’s decision yet.
Addis Neger online sources confirmed Birtukan’s final decision and travel plan.
So sad! But why the News is revealed now? Interestingly it is the ‘Capital Newspaper’ which got the privilege of reporting this breaking News.
She was a promising leader of the future generation. Meles Zenawi tried to kill the spirit of the youth by incarcerating her under dehumanizing condition and humiliating her in front of the whole world. This is a crime which all the Ethiopian youth should never forget. All Woyanes should pay for this crime.
Birtukan will always be remembered and will come back and lead the Ethiopian people when the time is ready. It is up to the youth to bring a condition where genuine and dedicated Ethiopians like Birtukan will take the leadership and bring democracty and prosperity to the country.
BIRTUKAN IS OUR EL-BARADEI, I AM CONFIDENT THAT SHE WILL COME BACK AND LEAD A PEACEFUL AND DEMOCRATIC ETHIOPIA!!!!!
Sad ,so sad .It reminded me of Winnie Mandela and our mogul who did the same thing to BirtuKan.
Let us hope she would keep her daughter safe and then rejoin the politics. I wish that is what is on her mind.
Molla,
What a donkey name. Birtukan is our El-Baredei kikikikik how? she is a she. El-Baradei is a he?
i am so sad yes she will not leave the poletics and the people at the moment what she has going to do?
Don’t worry!
She will not leave politics! Hope she struggle for our cause(freedom,equality and democracy), but she can not do that in Ethiopia. It seems that she want go out and express herself,enjoy freedom and try to struggle.
In Ethiopia it is hard to say what the government do not want, and if u talk what u feel, you will prosecuted on treason/ genocide, and will end up in jail for the rest of “Woyane’s life” in a closed and dark single room. She can not do that cuz she had a nasty experience.
BRAVO BRTUKAN
Please Addis neger on line we urge you to initial a credible and independent inquire about this news. I know that some of Addis neger journalists have a close relationship with Birtukan and I believe that is not a difficult task.
Why at this point in time Birtukan wants to quit politics while the diaspora politicians were living in fantasies of a huge uprising like the Egyptian and Tunisian style revolution? …..Lol
Molla and Mahlet
What is this ridiculous comparison of Birtukan with El-Baradei and Winne Mandela?
If indeed such a provision exists, then it was fundamentally wrong and flawed.
You can’t back up your claim but Still you are preaching us that Birtukan is also among the prophets?
please Keep your dream alive, though she saying you Good Bye once and for ever.
She is pathetic and a case study. I will keep my fingers cross for her.
I am amazed, Finally her political life find a solution in this dram of sort. Actually it was we who gave her a high league politics that she didn’t deserve at all.
Tesh
Admirer of ruthless leader Melese. Of course for TPLF you have to be violent to be a leader. You have to use force and be willing to kill as many as necessary to march to power wipe out all dissent by force that is what you will call a leader. Indeed a person with conscience will not be a leader in the land of TPLF. So for you a person of integrity and courage like Birtukan is not a leader. A ruthless person like Melese is a great leader. Now we know.
just want to wish her a peacefull time with her doughter. Some dumb ass called hent try to give us a grammer lesson thank u from the bottem of my foot . Pls dont judge somebodys name while having a meaningless one
I reckon that she is bought by Weyane! Why didn’t anyone say like that? After all, she is a human! Why people so afraid to say this? I didn’t hear any positive word from her after her release! Why people only mention the other side (torturing, intimidating…)? Is it to keep the optimism?
Any comment on this greatly appreciated!
A lot of ppl expect her to go on sacrificing her life for them while they’re sitting behind their pcs and doing nothing.
She’s got her life, too.
@ calisto what are u trying to say ? I mean if she were bought we would have seen her advocating abt the gov. as we have seen so many people do so and of course I wouldn’t blame her if she did given i have my reason to say so . btw dont feel u r thinking right only coz u thought u r thinking differently in fact when ur statements were in total fallacy and against each other, otherwise come with a concrete reason why u felt so. besides what positive words were you expecting? I mean do u expect her say she haven’t been threated well or she haven’t still asked for pardon? I dont think she would be zat fool again coz she have learnt her lesson ,,, zat the Ethiopian people (In fact some samples I picked from z above comment-ors which generally reflect the mental status and capacity of most Ethiopians)dont deserve and wouldn’t understand what birtukan had went through to keep the social integrity and Identity of the society which is ” speaking of the truth and standing for once believe” , which we Ethiopians used to have. she could have said I have asked for pardon and run to USA or abroad and deny it as her fellow party members so called elites did. but she stayed in the country and shouted out she didn’t … thinking u people would learn a lesson about standing in what u believe, of all the least… and please dont tell me she is zis or zat as every body knows it is easy to say so hiding behind some computer screen. lets not discourage the coming generations thinking spirit with pessimism. I know I regret commenting here coz zer will be most out there who wouldn’t understand what I meant and reflect on it the poor way they did above arguing abt names ;although, the issue is abt once in a blue moon true Ethiopian.
better to fight this evil dictator WOYANE from abroad, I support Mrs. Birtukan’s decision. Shame to the leadres of ANDENET Party you never made Mrs. Birtukan’s detention as an issue when she was in prision. I hope WOYANE Agent NEGASSO GEDADA
will not be a president of the party,if he does it will be the end of ANDENET.
Hent thanks for your stupidity,from today on the donkey population is upgraded by one by accepting you to donkey family.
I wish Birtukan peace and happiness in whatever she decides to persue. She has done more than her share while the rest of us did nothing but talk. No one including those who dare to critisize her now did anything while she was suffering in prison for so long. If we Ethiopians want freedom and democracy we can’t expect someobody else to rot in prison for us for ever while we do nothing. May be it is a good decision that she decided to take a break until we gather our courage to stand behind brave leaders. Until that time, we have aboslutely no right to point our shameless finger at Birtukan.
we loss our leader by our fault.we did nothing /as expected/ when she was in jail.we will also pay some other decades …
in the first place she is not a great politician. Even I doubt if she has the skill to be a political leader (as she has no experience). What makes her known is the timng + prison. If going to prison makes some one ”great politician” Lidetu is the greatest one. He went to woyane’s prison morethan 5 times when he was immature politician like her. But one thing is clear. Birtukan made a smart decision. She has to stay away from the stupid and unhealthy politics of the diaspora. If she has to be a politician she has to make sure that her objectives and her personality are not more exploited by the hate mongers of the diasopra politicians. She is peace loving person. I hope she will be back to the politics after she got matured and make sure that she can work with the people of Ethiopia inside Ethiopia (not with the diaspora politicians). I think now she understood the real cause of Kinijit’s breakdown…. ! She found hersef !!
SELF FIRST birtukan said.This is the real color of the fake opposition.they give themselves priority before the people. scarification is known only by EPRDF.she is following the foot steps of her mentor berhanu nega to be in luxurious condition in US
I wonder whether the following quote applies to the situation,
“An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.” Simon Cameron (1799-1889)
@tobiya I think you misunderstood me, I was just attempting to raise awareness to this possibility.
I’ve always thought this is the right thing to do not only for her but also for all the so called opposition leaders. They all have to quite the politics which will give the people a false hope with no tangible result. This kind of honest decision like Birtukan’s from all legal opposition leaders would give the people to seek other means which can indeed bring a regime change instead of dividing the resources and hopes of the people.
I thank her for her honesty. As soon as she saw and realized that you will going to go nowhere with the so called peaceful struggle, she quits. This honesty is what we need from the others too.
I hope and believe she will be joining G7 and could be used as a very uniting force for many young Ethiopians. Only outside of Ethiopia can she be an effective political weapon not inside. Look at all the oppositions inside. What are they saying or doing even during the uprisings of the Arab world? Nothing! Wayane killed them and they are dead as a stones.
On the other hand, G7 is organizing and reporting, informing, agitating through ESAT and motivating the youth to stand up. I mean she could be more effective in politics when she is outside than inside.
We have to be very pragmatic. Branging and playing the WONE drum etc won’t bring us anywhere.
I am glad she is leaving the country. She has paid a lot of sacrifice back home already and let’s not be so selfish to demand more from her in the most dire situation she is in. How many of us dare to go to Ethiopia to face Meles? I think she can lead and reunite the disgruntle oppostion abroad. I am sure that the reason she kept quiet for not declaring her acquittance of poletics is because she wanted to be a leader. The moment she leaves the country, she will tell us the truth. till then don’t rush!
Shame on TPLF/EPRDF/MELES I think she make a big decision, and I hope she may join
the biggest political party and the most famous in Ethiopia GENBOT 7 and the other fellow UDJ member will follow here foot step and she will be our LEDDER with the famous brilliant leader Dr Brhanue nega , Bertukane really u make excellent decision.
She needs to mature. She cannot handle the complex political landscape in Ethiopia or the world. She cannot be a game changer or transformational figure like Dr. Brihanu. This is a good decision on her part, which the AMERICAN Sara Palin should emulate
She decided to suspend her political career. Thats her decision. No one is allowed to suggest otherwise.
Molla,
Leadership is not when you want it and when you do not want it. Ethiopians are not goods. I have said from the beginning that this lady has been given unnecessary fame without doing anything. Those who did great are people like Engineer hailu. Even Lidetu is better except he became useless recently.
As you guys speak about a politically weak lady, Meles is now implementing KIZEN, a Japanse management model. You know meles tried so many models including BPR. Everything failed. Everything about meles is failure. Our fear only gave him space to rule ethiopia by iron fist. We need bold leaders like hailu and not talk and making good sentence constructions.
The struggle will not be suspended. However, it is a shame that she is suspending her political activity.
Hailu and Lidetu are known for making the most stupid political decision. It is interesting that Woyane appeasers are trying to promote Hailu and Lidetu as the best opposition leaders. This made me consider MEDREK as a real threat to woyane.
I am surprised the departure of an irrelevant “political leader” made the headlines. It speaks to the pathetic state the “opposition politicians” are in. More importantly, her departure says more about the lack of real cause to fight for. Those fighters with a real cause during the Dergue/CUD/UDJ era died, starved, lived in the bush etc for the genuine cause they believed in. What we see in Birhanu Nega, Birtukan Mideksa and Andargachew Tsige is some opportunistic losers who only clinge to politics when they hope against hope that there is a way they will be at the helm of political power in Ethiopia. When they realize that ain’t gonna happen, they flee to the west to lead their lives as amatuer part-time terrorists barking on ESAT and the streets of Asmara!
She must prepare herself for the coming REVOLUTION. YES! It is coming to Ethiopia. That is why Weyane cadres are nowadays very busy to hinder the revolution from taking place in the Ethiopian empire by using the fact that the peoples of the empire are not homogeneous, but different (the colonized and the colonizer), as an instrument of division and polarization. If the scare tactics, which they try to use, hinder the revolution, the only option we the colonized people do have is the anti-colonial armed struggle, on which we have to concentrate and invest most, even though it is a very difficult job, given the little support we do have from the international community. For the revolution possibilly not to take place, unfortunately also the pro-independence freedom fighters (the Oromo, Ogaden, Sidama… liberation forces) and the pro-unity freedom fighters (the Amhara, Gurage, Harari… patriotic forces) are still mistrusting each other. Both want to secure the direction of the move after the FREEDOM from Weyane (to secure the result after the revolution). The first bloc wants no reversal of the already achieved victory of a limited cultural autonomy on the way towards national independence (self-determination), whereas the second bloc wants to be sure that the empire stays intact and possiblly the process will be reversed back to the unitary country.
But, why should these people worry too much about the situation after the revolution? Is the caution regarding the unity of the empire, which is lamented by the pro-unity freedom fighters, different from the scare tactics used by the Weyane cadres? The cadres go to Oromo forums and tell us the “worse will come = Amhara will take over and there will never be the reality of Aayyo Oromia, if you push for the revolution”; and then they go to Amhara forums and tell them “take care, the worse will come = OLF can take over and it will be the end of Imiyee Ethiopia, if you make a revolution”. Both Aayyo Oromia and Imiye Ethiopia are actually taken hostage by the Weyane. Whenever Oromo force is stronger, Weyanes threaten with the possibility of dismantling Oromia; and whenever Amhara force is stronger, they threaten with dismembering Ethiopia!
Weyanes use the opportunity of such division among the opposition to threaten both camps of the freedom fighters. If the revolution should happen, the two camps of the freedom fighters need to be bold enough to take risk of losing their ideals after the revolution and live with a possible compromise solution: the first bloc should be ready to lose for instance Oromia, Ogadenia… and the second camp should be ready to risk Ethiopia! Otherwise, in short, Weyane is really lucky, there will never be any revolution; and getting rid of Weyane through election is of course minimal, that is why armed struggle then will be the only option left. If both the public uprising and the armed struggle are not effective, shouldn’t we then be ready to be ruled by Weyane for the next one century? In short the scare tactics, which the Weyane cadres nowadays are using in forums and paltalks are:
- “if revolution happens, Amharas can take over and dismantle Oromia”
- “if revolution happens, Oromos will be in power and dismember Ethiopia”
- “if revolution happens, Weyane army is not like Tunisia’s army, but will massacre the civillians and take over power”
- “if revolution happens, there can be a mayhem against the Tigreans, like that of Ruanda”
- “if revolution happens, there will be absolute chaos and civil war among different ethnies”
Are the freedom fighters from both blocs (pro-independence freedom fighters and pro-unity freedom fightrers) ready to tacle this scare tactics of Weyane? Can they agree on the middle ground: FREEDOM and REFERENDUM (on self-determination of citizens and nations)? Those freedom fighters, who just sing about the UNCONDITIONAL independence of nations must cool down and accept the public verdict, as well as those freedom fighters who now cry for UNCONDITIONAL unity also should learn to be moderates and accept the public verdict. That means both camps must agree on first to get FREEDOM from Weyane fascists and racists, and then democratically decide for either Independence or Unity per REFERENDUM. That means, only democratic independence or democratric unity (independence or unity based on public verdict) can be a lasting solution. We like it or not, all peoples in that region are interdependent, be it they decide for political Independence or for political Union. The political WILL of the peoples in the empire/region is what matters at the end!
Unfortunately, there are still blind nationalists in both the Amhara and the Oromo camp, who yet couldn’t see the common CONVERGENT short term goal of the two BIG nations, i.e. the ‘FREEDOM from Weyane’s fascism’. Such blind nationalists concentrate on only their divergent long term goals: independent Oromia (Oromo’s goal) vs united Ethiopia (Amhara’s goal)! But the smart nationalists from both the Amhara and the Oromo camps are trying to forge an alliance to achieve together their convergent common short term goal and then to decide on their respective long term goals per public verdict (by REFERENDUM). The blind ones are too far from accepting and respecting the WILL of their respective public as a final verdict. That means, in short, the blind nationalists do preach democracy, which includes the referendum, but they are not yet ready to practice what they do preach! We hope the few smart and genuinely democratic nationalists in both camps, who try to practice what they do preach, will prevail to cooperate and make Weyane’s fascism be history! Here we also can call the blind nationalists as dictatorial nationalists. Those who want to achieve either ‘Independent Oromia’ or ‘United Ethiopia’ per public referendum are democratic Oromo nationalists and Amhara nationalists respectively. The others who just want to achieve their long term goal without a public verdict are purely dictators, who can talk about freedom and democracy, but know nothing what freedom and democracy really mean!
Those of us, who do have a cognitive ability to imagine something in abstract way, let’s just try to imagine a very big letter ‘Y’ and try to distinguish four points on the letter (the bottom tip, the middle junction, the left top tip, and the right top tip). Then let’s imagine that the bottom tip is the status-quo of Ethiopian politics, where both the Amhara and the Oromo are under the TYRANNY of Weyane; the middle junction is a point for FREEDOM of both nations from the tyranny; the left top tip is the point of Oromian INDEPENDENCE; and the right top tip is the point for Ethiopian UNITY. Then let’s imagine that this letter ‘Y’ is a route of the liberation journy for both the Amhara and the Oromo from the tyranny, from their present common situation, towards their short term and long term goals. Can we imagine that these two oppressed nations do have a possibility to move from the bottom tip (point of tyranny) to the middle junction (point of freedom) together? This is our common route of the journey towards the common CONVERGING short term goal (kaayyoo). Then after will come the two DIVERGING routes towards two different and diverging long term goals of the two nations: the left top tip = Oromian Independence (long term goal of Oromo) and right top tip = Ethiopian Unity (long term goal of Amhara).
Now if we could imagine this well, it is not hard to comprehend that we need the Amhara-Oromo alliance (the all-inclusive alliance) to move from the status-quo of tyranny to the point of Freedom, not to move together to the right top tip (together to the Ethiopian Unity goal of the Amhara) or together to the left top tip (together to the Oromian Independence goal of the Oromo people). After achieving our Freedom together, it is upto the Oromo public to decide per REFERENDUM which direction to move further: to the left top tip of Oromian Independence or to the right top tip of Ethiopian Unity. If the Oromo majority will choose to move to the right top tip, then our long term Kaayyoo will be similar to that of the Amhara. Otherwise, if the Oromo majority will choose to move to the left top tip, no Amhara can hinder the Oromo nation from achieving this Oromian Independence. May Waaqa/Igzabiher help us all to understand this move!!
Nobody should blame Bertukan. Not even Bertukan could reproach Bertukan.
You simply cannot blame the victim. You rather hold the perpetrator to account.
In the arsenal of the brutal Meles regime, extreme torture, both physical and psychological, have been some of the many cruel weapons employed to break the will of its opponents.
No doubt, Bertukan was subjected to singularly unimaginable and awfully cruel psychological treatment while she was incarcerated at Kality.
One could easily imagine how the trauma she received in her solitary confinement in that dark cell for months would dreadfully affect her mental health (What about her physical health?) and possibly make her see herself rather inadequate or even worthless. That of course was the purpose of her treatment. It was, as it were,the script written for her. But, she must not ‘internalize’ the script which is not the true account of who she really is and capable of.Although that might be the temptation, she should neither blame nor pity herself.
For God’s sake,this wasn’t her fault. Somebody else was and is to be indicted for her condition.
An inhuman political system that inflicts such dreadful wound against its opponents in order to stay in power and then cynically removes them by paving the way for ‘self imposed’ exile,like its Soviet ancestry,is not to be reformed.It must be destroyed!!!
And that is precisely why we need the kind of revolution unfolding in North Africa and the Middle East to do away with the Meles tyranny. It is unjust. It is corrupt. It is cruel.
The Fafa/Coca generation can’t go beyoned that…ትግሉ ሲመር ፡ አቢዮቱ ሲጠጥር በየፈርማታው የሚንጠባጠበው ታጋይ ይበዛል። “ጴጥሮሰ ደሮ ሳይጮኽ ሶስት ጊዜ ትክዳኝ አለህ ” እንዳለው።
No matter the decision she makes the whole Ethiopian peoples have an unlimited respect for the high intelligent and honourable judge Bertukan what the woyanne cult members and cod of conduct signatories
with the Ethiopian No one enemy with no less destructive spree woyanne are out of touch to say the least,and they will be taken accountable for the crime they have done to legitimize woyanne and prolong the sufferance of 80 million Ethiopians.
Ethiopia will prevail
Long live for the energetic courageous
and intelligent and charismatic leader judge Bertukan that we have long missed by dedebit thugs
I think everyone is entitled for their own opinion. As such, I believe it better to leave her alone in peace. Who are we to make judgement from a distance? It is totally immoral to judge her decision. Have you ever asked yourself about your contribution other than critics? She has done as much as she could and she is young ans has mother and doughtier to care about, as most of us do! You may say a national cause is greater than that of family and self interest…well, that is as written or said…none of us has tried to practice it.
Again, leave her alone in peace!