Authoritarian Ethiopia turns out military dictatorship

Major Corporations and Ministries being run by military officers, graduates

By Ankober,DebreBirhan Blogspot's Staffer

December 10, 2010

Ethiopia is slowly changing. It is slowly but surely changing into a full-blown military dictatorship. An arduous investigation conducted by this writer proves the fact. The overhanging notion of a military dictatorship is when the leaders governing the country wear military clothes and militarise their appearance . The late Sadam Hussien of Iraq, General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan , Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan and Romeo Vásquez Velásquez of Honduras are some of the most recent and popular military dictators fulfilling the above characterisation. The militarisation in Ethiopia is different one.

The situation in Ethiopia is one of a Khakistocracy; the military rule of a country often in collusion with the elite and business classes and also a full blown dictatorship. The ever staggering report that has come out of the Ethiopian military since the Meles regime came to power was the recent revelation of the domination of over 96% of the Military’s top brass by one ethnic group. This time, though, the news is of a completely contrary genre. Ethiopia’s major Ministries and Corporations are on the verge of falling under the hands of military cadets and officers. These organisations are Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC), the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) (Ethio –Telecom) and The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo).

1. Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC)

Nine industries; Dejen Aviation, Bishoftu Automotive and Locomotive, Hibret Machine Tools Engineering Complex, Homicho Ammunition Engineering Complex, Gafat Armament Engineering Complex, Power Engineering, Hitech Industry, Metal and Fabrication Industry, and Adama Garment Industry, some public and some non public have recently formed the Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC). MetEC is mandated to undertake the design, manufacture, development, and supply for projects for both state owned enterprises and the private sector and is headed by a Military General from Ethiopian Defence Forces (EDF). MetEC has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCo) to repair and maintain its transformers and diesel generators as well as manufacture electro and hydro mechanical equipment. It also signed a 950 million Br deal with Anbessa City Bus Enterprise for the import and assembly of 500 buses, the first ever form of bid and budget in the country. Such agreements and contracts leave the annual budget (four Billion birr) of the Defence Force to another investigation. Of the nine companies' combined 7,000 employees, 1,750 are engineers; most of coming from Defence Engineering College.

“If truth be told, putting private enterprises in the same table of competition with a fully financed and favoured governmental Corporation is demeaning. Moreover, run by military officers, who posses both the psychological and power dominance, it is morally unfair to expect us to make deals and work with them’’ laments a Mechanical Firm owner in Addis Abeba via telephone to this writer.

The top management of this Corporation is now fully held by Generals and high ranking military officers from the Ethiopian Defence Forces and Defense Engineering College now Defense University College.

2. Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) (Ethio –Telecom)

The second Corporation that is in the process of being managed by military officers and staffs and graduates from the Ethiopian Defence Engineering College is the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) , now (Ethio –Telecom).Last week, it was reported that The Ethiopian government has relinquished the management of the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) to a French company: Orange. For the two years contract the Arcueil based company will be paid 30 million euro.
The French Company which will be doing the scientific management of Ethio-Telecom will soon be proffered with new management staffs coming from the top military brass of the Ethiopian Defence Forces and Ethiopian Defence Engineering College. More than 75% of the current ETC Higher Management Members namely; Amare Amsalu, Worku Guta, Tesfu G/Michael, Frehiwot Tamru, Endashaw Getachew, Zelalem Bekele, Hussein Kuru, Engedayehu Tinsaye, Tessema Gadissa, Tsegu Heruy, Efrem Tilahun, Araya Manaye, Jemal Mohammed, Melaku Kassahun, Tasew Abitew, Chalew Demilie, Gosaye Demissie, Tariku Demissie, Tadesse Mola, Abdulhafiz Ahmed and Woldegiorgis Woldu and other middle level staffs will be replaced by the new comers from the Forces and Colleges.

“Most of us at the ETC are worried. We were being told that as soon as the French company kicks of the management in full gear, we might be transferred into regional offices. This is going to affect me big time. My young daughter is in a primary school here in Addis and my wife also works here, so if they transfer me into another region, my family will breakdown.” a senior Administrative staff of ETC informed this writer. Last week students and graduates from Ethiopian Defence Engineering College visited ETC’s head office and met with Orange and they are supposed to take up the places. These novices from Defence will be fashioned as to Orange’s management approaches and continue the management when the Company leaves after two years.

3. The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo)

The third Corporation on the threshold of military governance is EEPCo. One of the most incompetent and failed Corporations in Ethiopia, EEPCo is also going to be called to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s Office, sources disclosed. Similar to the other two Corporations, most of EEPCo’s Executive Managing Directors ; Miheret Debebe, Abdul Hakim Mohammed, Melaku Mamo, Girma Mekuria, Mesfin Birhan, Kibrom Kahsay, Shiferaw Telila, Beletu Befirdu, Legesse Dabessa,and Takele H/Meskel, will soon be replaced by military officers from the Ethiopian Defence Forces and graduates from the Ethiopian Defence Engineering College. Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) has a plan to produce 13472 MW of power at a cost of 58 billion birr in the next five years.

Tom Shiferaw studied politics and has been following the political developments in Ethiopia closely, he says “a military dictatorship may be official or unofficial, the Ethiopian Defence Force in its ethnic formatted organisation has been wielding a very strong influence without being entirely dominant in Ethiopian politics. Thus unofficially, the Military has been indirectly dictating citizens psychological, political and socio-economic freedom. The current state of affairs of putting Corporations and Ministries under the hands and management of military officers and graduates makes the unofficial military dictatorship, official and absolute’’

Writers attest that military regimes usually have little respect for human rights and use whatever means necessary to silence political opponents, who are viewed as opposing the army as enemies. A military regime is also rarely willing to leave power unless forced to by popular revolt, whether active or imminent. All typically evident in today’s Ethiopia. The country has turned from its authoritarian form into a military dictatorship with a ‘civilian governments’ in power. As if no other college or university in the Country was graduating professionals in the fields, the reason for preferring ‘indoctrinated’ military graduates is still indistinct.

Further details coming....