Ginbot 7: Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy Special Statement and Call for Action – We Are All Andargachew Tsege!!!

Ginbot 7: Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy

Special Statement and Call for Action

We Are All Andargachew Tsege!!! ( pdf )

The long and bitter struggle has now transitioned to a new chapter designated as “We are all Andargchew Tsege”. This communiqué briefly describes what this new chapter is about and what it constitutes. The tasks outlined here are not to be read and set aside rather a series of concrete plans to be put into action.

What does it mean to be Andargachew Tsege? Andargachew Tsege is our leader who stands for justice, freedom, democracy and equality, who has been paying and still paying the immeasurable sacrifices that the struggle requires. To be like Andargachew Tsege means to be humble but determined, patient but persistent, visionary and wise and always ready for action. What it means to be an Andargachew Tsege is to be that person ready to take the necessary measures to get rid of the brutal regime systematically destroying our country. To become an Andargachew Tsege means to be the salvation for our beloved country and our generation.

One of the reasons why the minority regime of the Tigrai People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has targeted Andargachew Tsege is because he is a leader who has managed to establish close ties between the armed Oromo, Afar, Ogaden, Gambella and other ethnic based organizations and Ginbot 7, our movement in a manner that renders ineffective the tribal junta’s propaganda. Above all what has become a thorn on the side of the TPLF is the strong working relations that he has created with The Tigrai People’s Democratic Movement (TPDM). By collaborating with TPDM, Andargachew has made TPLF unable to ride on the backs of the people of Tigrai. Therefore, to be an Andargachew Tsege also means to be free from ethnic hatred. What it means to be an Andargachew Tsege is to whole heartedly believe in the struggle and work with strong conviction for equal rights for all Ethiopians.

To be an Andargachew Tsege does not necessarily require being a member of Ginbot 7. To be an Andargachew Tsege only demands readiness to pay the price for the success of worthy objectives, irrespective of which organization one belongs to. To be like Andargachew Tsege is to comprehend fully that a resolute struggle needs to be backed by a strong organization.

Finally, to be like Andargshew Tsege means to be Okilo Aquagne, Andualem Arage, Reeyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega, Bekelle Gerba, Olbana Lelisa and the countless other heroes and heroines of the struggle.

While we will frequently update the focus of the “We Are All Andargachew Tsege” campaign, the focus of the initial stage of the global campaign that will be implemented immediately is presented in three stages.

The Focus of the First Stage of the Campaign

This first stage will focus on three areas: – Yemen, UK and the TPLF regime

I- Yemen

The Government of Yemen has, in contravention of international law, illegally abducted and extradited our leader to suffer at the hands of the monstrous regime. The appeals made to the Yemen Government right from the beginning were not given due attention. To date, the Government of Yemen has not officially admitted the fact that they have abducted Andargachew Tsege and handed him over to the brutal regime in Ethiopia. According to the evidence / information we have it is the Yemeni spy agency which is directly accountable to the President of Yemen which has carried out this act of banditry from detention to illegally rendering him on a special flight to Ethiopia. As a result of this criminal action the Government of Yemen has committed a grave historical mistake which can neither be forgiven nor easily forgotten. The Government and people of Yemen have to understand that their ill-advised and illegal actions will have major consequences.

The objective of our campaign is to express our outrage not only to the President and Government of Yemen but to the Yemeni population as well. The following activities are stated below as examples.

1. To write strongly worded letters addressed to the President of Yemen and send it via fax and e-mail to various governmental organizations and embassies in Yemen, in particular, the Embassy of Yemen in Addis Ababa. We advise those of you who are participating in the campaign in Ethiopia to exercise caution. When you send internet and fax messages you must do it in a way that will not expose you to danger.
2. To flood Yemeni embassies with protest rallies capable of disrupting their activities. Burn the effigy of the President and the Yemeni flag. This action should be taken only outside of Ethiopia.
3. To write letters to Yemeni communities based abroad and encourage them to protest against their government’s criminal actions; inform them clearly and categorically that if they do not protest against the illegal actions of their government, we will consider them as having sided with their government and declared war on Ethiopia
4. To boycott Yemen Airlines and all Yemeni commercial and business entities.

This is a major task that should be performed by Ethiopians within as well as those outside Ethiopia.

5. To single out Yemeni businesses in Ethiopia and boycott their products and services. Products (cookies or cigarettes made with Yemeni investment or imported from Yemen ) are considered to be goods tainted with the blood of our compatriots.

II- Britain.

We do not believe that the Government of the UK has done all that it could have done and should have done. The measures taken so far or are being taken were not prompt and speedy.

Therefore, our campaign objective as regards to the UK is to accuse the British Government of not giving serious attention to the matter and badger them so that hereafter they will give the matter immediate attention and follow up in order to have our leader released. The following activities are listed as examples.

1. To initiate a legal suit against the Government of Britain (This is something that will be carried out by the Secretariat of the Movement and the details will be made public later)
2. To write letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and send it to British embassies in large numbers especially the British embassy in Addis Ababa. Those compatriots who participate in the campaign in Ethiopia should take the necessary precautionary measures.
3. To hold protest rallies at the gates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in London as well as British embassies in other countries.

III- TPLF Regime

The struggles against the TPLF regime must be aimed at throwing them out of power. It is the action oriented movement of those Ethiopian compatriots and popular forces who, instead of being humiliated and enslaved, have decided to give their lives as well as chosen to fall while strangling and being strangled by the brutal regime for the sake of freedom and justice, that will contribute the biggest share in the downfall of the tyrannical minority regime. Let us join them.

Compatriots who for various reasons cannot join the decisive struggle should organize themselves, while protecting themselves from the spy network of the TPLF underlings and prepare themselves to support activities which help this effort. It should be noted that the contribution of such activities is significant in terms of naming and shaming the TPLF cadres and supporters wherever they are found, denying them relief, exposing the crimes that they have committed to the public, depriving them of friends by exposing their identities to their partners or co-workers, weakening their financial strength and bankrupting their companies. The following activities should be undertaken from this perspective.

1. To get organized and work diligently to bring to justice the criminal TPLF officials and their supporters who are residing under various covers in the West as well as those who travel freely using the appropriate legal mechanisms in each country.
2. Create a situation where the TPLF regime’s embassies all over the world will not be able to perform their tasks.
3. Identify TPLF members and supporters wherever they may be (in their communities, universities, in their business) isolate and shame them as well as deny them access to any business or community contacts and expose their nefarious activities. Isolating members of the TPLF and their supporters from all contacts and not cooperating with them should also be carried out widely within Ethiopia.
4. Expose and humiliate TPLF officials (civil, military and security) visiting any country for business or pleasure and restrict their freedom of movement and make them the target of people’s anger for all the crimes they have committed. Within Ethiopia people should get organized and carryout surreptitiously and shrewdly similar activities without exposing themselves to attacks by TPLF security forces.
5. Boycotting the goods and services of TPLF owned companies and businesses including Ethiopian Airlines; and carrying out negative agitation campaign against them; becoming an obstacle and sabotage their activities in various ways in an organized manner and based on investigation and judiciousness. This must be carried out by all both in Ethiopia as well as outside of Ethiopia.
6. Avoid using Western Union, Money Gram as well as various currency exchange organizations established by the TPLF supporters in the US, Europe and the Middle East to send money to Ethiopia; find alternative methods of sending money in your local area; where alternatives do not exist use creative ways of sending money through friends and relatives to deny the regime access to funds; investigate all the available means of drying up the sources of foreign exchange, one of the major pillars for the fascistic rule of the TPLF, and weaken, undermine and demolish their financial and economic capability which is built on looting, ethnic favoritism and massive corruption.
7. Put pressure on foreign organizations working with the TPLF to cease their partnership, if they refuse to cut their ‘unholy alliance” carrying out major propaganda campaign against their businesses. (Specific details to be issued soon)
8. Strongly urge universities of Western countries to examine their relationship with Ethiopia; especially those universities and colleges that are engaged in granting TPLF officials fake degrees; inform their students what their university is doing. Write and fax letters requesting that the University of Greenwich terminate its relationship with the International Leadership Institute as well as review the Masters degrees it has given out to date. Send similar letters to Open University and other institutions working in partnership with the TPLF regime
9. Although this current campaign targets only the TPLF commercial enterprises and companies connected with wealthy domestic or foreign citizens, individuals will also be targeted by the campaign (A complete list will be issued soon)

Finally, we believe that other methods not found in this list but which are, nevertheless, effective ways of expressing protest, will emerge from the infinite creative capacity of the youth. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the campaign with ideas and creativity in each specific situation. This campaign should be launched with the understanding that it will intensify as time goes by and until the brutal TPLF regime is thrown out of power. Therefore, we will, from time to time, add new topics and strategies for the struggle.

We call upon the Ethiopian people, the global Ethiopian diaspora and all Ethiopian democratic forces to rise up armed with a unity of purpose and to get ready to work shoulder to shoulder for an action oriented struggle.

This campaign will bring about the desired results only when coordinated with the long and arduous struggle on the ground to get rid of the tyrannical regime of the TPLF. Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy makes a global call to all those who care about their freedom, dignity, and the dangers facing Ethiopia under the Fascistic rule of the TPLF to renew their commitment to the struggle to bring about the downfall of the TPLF regime to participate in this all around campaign of civil , disobedience, non-cooperation, and popular resistance to the full extent of their ability. Our struggle will succeed if we all stand together and pay the necessary sacrifice for the common good.

Victory to the Ethiopian People!