Fans say the reggae star was framed because his music was seen as anti-government. ‘You don’t know where the line is — until you’ve crossed it,’ says one Ethiopian. By Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, August 11, 2008.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Sequestered in a dank prison cell here, Ethiopia’s biggest reggae star awaits trial in a deadly hit-and-run case that has galvanized the nation.
Federal prosecutors say Tewodros Kassahun, dubbed the Bob Marley of Ethiopia, fled after striking a homeless boy with his BMW. They call it a case of celebrity bad behavior.
Fans say the singer, also known as Teddy Afro, is being framed because of his music’s perceived anti-government message. In one song, he accuses Ethiopia’s leaders of promising change, but bringing only “a new king.”
Fans also ask why Kassahun was not charged until April, though the boy was killed in 2006.
Kassahun’s controversial incarceration has spurred small protests, a rarity in this tightly controlled Horn of Africa country, and is fast becoming a national symbol of what some call Ethiopia’s latest democratic backsliding.
After a 2005 postelection crackdown, Ethiopia’s government tried to ease tensions last fall by pardoning thousands of jailed opposition supporters and allowing some independent newspapers to reopen.
“We’d hoped that was the beginning of an opening in the democratic space,” said Hailu Araaya, deputy chairman of the recently formed Unity for Democracy and Justice party. He spent 20 months in jail before his release in July 2007. “But the political space is contracting again. It’s clear the ruling party is determined to stay in power by any means.”
Government critics point to a string of new laws targeting political parties, journalists and humanitarian agencies.
Under one new law, political parties can no longer accept foreign donations and must disclose the names of domestic contributors. Opposition groups say that restriction has dried up their financial support because potential contributors fear government retaliation.
A draft bill would ban private aid agencies and civic groups from “political” activities, such as advocating human rights, if they receive more than 10% of their funding from foreigners.
A new media law permits government censorship and jail terms for journalists.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the reforms were an attempt to bring Ethiopia’s laws up to international standards, noting that U.S. rules also ban foreign campaign contributions.
“We are institutionalizing democracy and getting the law right,” he said. “I don’t think the political space is in any way being constrained.”
But critics said restrictions on foreign funding and political activism were particularly galling considering that nearly 40% of Ethiopia’s government budget comes from international donors and that the ruling party has hired a Washington lobbyist to attack U.S. legislation seeking to tie aid to Ethiopia’s human rights record.
“This is a nationalist charade,” Human Rights Watch attorney Reed Brody said. Opposition leaders and some Western diplomats say the new laws appear to be an attempt to consolidate power before the 2010 presidential election.
Ethiopia is eager to avoid a repeat of the 2005 election, when opposition parties won in many cities, including Addis Ababa, the capital. Postelection wrangling led to the government crackdown in which nearly 200 people were killed and more than 30,000 opposition candidates and supporters were imprisoned.
In local elections this spring, the ruling coalition won handily in most locations. Opposition parties boycotted the polls after complaining that the government prevented them from fielding candidates in many districts.
Negasso Gidada, a former president who quit the ruling coalition in 2001, blamed its members’ roots as former Marxist rebels for the government’s heavy-handed approach. “They don’t claim they want a socialist state, but the ideology is still there,” he said. “They don’t tolerate other ideologies.”
Meles dismissed as “hogwash” claims that his government is ideologically driven.
His government is under heavy pressure from Western donors to improve Ethiopia’s democratic record.
Over the last two years, Ethiopian soldiers have been accused of killing, torturing and raping civilians in their battle against an insurgency in the restive Ogaden region and of similar abuses in neighboring Somalia, where thousands of Ethiopian troops are propping up Somalia’s weak transitional government.
Meles denied any systematic rights abuses in either region.
Opposition parties and rights groups are calling upon Western nations, including the United States, to use their leverage to push harder for reforms. The Bush administration, which sees Ethiopia as a key anti-terrorism partner in Africa, has dramatically increased aid to the country in the last two years.
“The international community espouses ideas about good governance, transparency and human rights, but then they help a regime that flouts and violates those fundamental rights,” said Araaya, the opposition official.
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto defended Washington’s support, noting that most of the $800 million in Ethiopian aid this year is for emergency food and AIDS drugs. About $13 million is budgeted for military assistance.
“I don’t think the American people or the Congress are going to accept decreasing food when there are photographs from Ethiopia of starving children,” he said. “They are going to ask, ‘Why aren’t you helping these starving kids?’ ”
On the streets of Addis Ababa, some Ethiopians say they’ve noticed political improvements. But fear of government intimidation remains strong and many have interpreted the arrest of Kassahun as a warning against speaking out. Two Ethiopian journalists have been arrested for writing sympathetically about the singer’s case.
“Before, when we were operating in a full-fledged dictatorship, you knew what you could and couldn’t do,” said one Ethiopian, who was afraid to be identified. “Now there is more openness, but you don’t know where the line is — until you’ve crossed it.”
edmund.sanders@latimes.com
August 11th, 2008 at 9:01 am
poor teddy he looks like sad. why in the worled some one who have no power can try to insult or to fight to the power fulls. look what hapen to
the blady bull trys to fight the lion in the midle of the night he tough the other bulls will help him. but his friends were so smart to save there on life from the backbon breaker lion. but the foolish bull continue to fight to the king of all animal. after 1hour fight the king lion break him dowen to death. i am so sorry for thos ppl who is not smart enough.
look againe what hapen in georgia. pls ppl be smart do not talk too much for nathing. god help teddy afro.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Teddy Afro didn’t fight anybody. Refusal to submit to Ethiopian’s national bully, Meles Zenawi, when the latter engages in the most blatant kilet (ignominy) is not fighting the lion, but rather refusing to submit to injustice. Teddy Afro only refused to be an accomplice in the looting and oppression of Ethiopia with Woyane thugs, the same way Aster Aweke and Efrem Tamiru succumbed. Teddy is not interested in fighting anyone but only to be left alone to do what he is best at doing: creating songs and singing them. If some of his songs are critical of aully and thugs then the bully should stop bullying.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Mr. Sanders,
Thanks so much for writing the realities by taking your own deep assessment from various angles. You have written such an informative article so that I was able to acquire the fundamental images of Ethiopia under the current regime ( weyane). As you have clearly indicated that the current regime is not going to be willing to give up power, instead this regime seems very determined to damage the entire Ethiopia by any means possible. At the same time I can see that the main remedies to overcome these problems have to be designed by Ethiopians. We Ethiopians have a big responsibility to save our country from the ongoing criminal activity that is orchestrated by the current regime ( weyane).
Mr. Sanderes for your information we Ethiopians can’t afford to be damaged by the current regime anymore and we have organizing ourselves in different strong opposition parties like Ginbot 7 to completely fight this regime by any means possible for the sake of our beloved people. As you have noticed there is not going to be a gap created by this government to make a free and fair election in the country. Though we have to creat a democratic Ethiopia that justice will remain above all. In order to gain our goals we Ethiopians are concentrated our ideologies to remove this regime form our country. However, we urge the United States to stop supporting the regime in the name of food aid and military support. We all agree that our people need a food assistance in various areas, however the illegitimate government of Ethiopia won’t allocate the aid money for such purposes. Instead the regime will directly split the money among the members of the Tigrian People liberation front (TPLF) members and their own businesses and they allocate some of the money to reinforce their own security forces that are killings innocent citizens in Ethiopia and Somalia.
Again, Mr Sanderse thanks so much for sharing us your own observation supported by many other peoples witness and their truth assessments towards the regime. Continue to reveal the truth about Ethiopia under the current regime. And hopefully soon you will see a better Ethiopia with full justice and democracy once Ethiopians together remove the TPLF current regime under the umbrella of one the best strong opposition party Ginbot 7.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:28 am
THANK YOU Mr. Edmund Sanders for taking time to write this article. And as always You Americans fail to address the irresponsible act of your own people(not George Bush). George bush is a scape goat for your evil actions. You are like pigs with devouring appetite and greed. Your article could have been be more palatable if add a couple nuggets of your inner truth. Mr. Edmund Sanders, you didn’t need to come to Ethiopia to help us fix our problem. We know our problem and also know how to solve it. You could help us by keeping your troubles with you. The world has learned the hard way that you Americans as the mercenaries of greed, immorality and chaos. We don’t need your sympathy and we will fight to free Teddy and all Ethiopians from the hand of America and TPLF. Mr. Edmund Sanders, please go to Somalia and see the other accomplishments of your immoral people. Your actions is catching up to you and your evil partner ,TPLF.
Go G7
Cheers,
Peace and unity to the people of the HORN.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
hagos araya and tesf. is one guy.
LOOK LOOSER SHABIA I TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES TO SHUT YOUR DIRTY MOUTH. ITS NOT YOUR PROBLEM TO TALK FOR OUR COUNTRY ETHIOPIA. YOU IDIOT SHABIA YOU THINK YOU ARE SMART BY DEVIDING
ETHIOPIANS FOR YOUR DICTATOR ISAIAS AFESERAKY. YOU PPL WILL SUFER MORE BY YOUR ON PIA. SO GO TO YOUR SHIT ERITREA LIVE US ALONE WEDY KEDAMIT NAY AREB. GO AND DIE IN THE MIDLE OF THE AREB LAND LIKE YOUR BROTHERS. YOU ARE NOT WELL CAME HERE.
WEDI MAMEN ITALIAN SLAVE.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hagos Araya “lias Kefle”
I have no clue why Elias Kefle Shabya Agent uses multiple name. Even on his webiste he is the first one to post a comment under “Hagos Araya” Name
Dawn with Woyane & Shabya Agents
August 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hagos Araya “lias Kefle”
I have no clue why Elias Kefle Shabya Agent uses multiple name. Even on his webiste he is the first one to post a comment under “Hagos Araya” Name
Dawn with Woyane & Shabya Agents
August 11th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
VIDEO: Zenawi’s Tigray-built Empire thrives while more Ethiopians starve
check this out
http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2008/08/10/video-zenawi%e2%80%99s-tigray-empire-thrives-while-more-ethiopians-starve/
August 12th, 2008 at 4:38 am
አቤት…..በአገሪትዋ አንድ አርቲስት ቢኖር እሱንም አሰሩት::አርቲስትና ዘፋኝ ይለያያሉ:: አርቲስት ማለት አርት ማለትም ጥበብ ማለት ነው::ጥበብ ደግሞ ማለት መጤበብ ነው:: ቲዲ አፍሮ ጥበበኛ ነው:: ዘፈኑ ፍቅርን ይሰብካል ስለእውነት የናገራል የመሰክራል በራሱ ዘፈኖቹ ሁሉ ታሪክ ናቸው:: ቀሪዎቹ ደግሞ ዘፋኝኦች የባላሉ::ማለት ገጥምና ዚማ ይገዛል ለሙዚቀኝኣ የከፈላል በቃ ከዛ ዘፋኝ ተኮነ.. ሽራተን ይገባል /ሽራተን ካልገቡ በር ሜክ ማድረግ ስለማይችሉ/ ሻሽ ካለ ሻሽ ይታሰራል አሜሪካ የመጥኣል በቃ አስረሽ መቺው .. ወገኖች በአለም ላይ ካሉት በጥኣም ቀላል ከሆኑት ሰራዎች አንዱ ምን እንደሆነ ትቃላችሁ? መዝፈን ነው:: መጤበብ አይእለም . ጀስት ገጥምና ዚማ ገዝቶ መዝፈን በቃ ምን ችግር አለው ; አንድን ህጽኣን ልጅ ጤርታችሁ የፈለገ ነገር ብታዙት ሊከብደው ይችላል :: ሌላው ቢቀር መዝፈን ግን አያቅተውም::
August 12th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Attention Teddy Afro fans and supporters. It is going to be a rally in front of Ethiopian Embassy Friday August 29, 2008 @10:00AM -1:00PM. So lets us gather and express our support for Teddy and his family. For further information contact us at efulla2@hotmail.com. 202/341-1854.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Attention Teddy Afro fans and supporters. It is going to be a rally in
front of Ethiopian Embassy Friday August 29, 2008 @10:00AM -1:00PM.
So lets us gather and express our support for Teddy and his family. For
further information contact us at efulla2@hotmail.com. 202/341-1854ሸሽት 000
August 13th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Teddy’s crime is that he is loyal to Ethiopia and Ethiopians. That is all.
However this is expected to come from a dictatorial and tribal government that rules on the basis of divisions and shoving wedges between people.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
ሳሚ በጥኣም በጥኣም የምትመሰገን ነህ:;ከየትም ሁን ከየት::ሁሉም የ ኢትዪጵያ ህዝብ ይህን ለማየት ቢታደል እውነቱን መንኝኣ ይረዳ ነበር:: እንደተረዳሁት ከሆነ የወያኔ ኦፊሻልስ ተናግረው እንዃን ማሳመን የማይችሉ ደደብ በደመነፍሰ የሚናገሩ ተራ ቀበሌ መምራት የማይችሉ መሆናቸዉን ነዉ ::በጥኣም በጣም የሚያሳዝን ነገር ነው የተመለከትኩት::እነዚህን ይዞ ነው አሁን ልማት የሚባለው እነዚህን እየመሩን ነው ወይስ እየፈጁን? ያስቃልም ያሳዝናልም ያስተዛዝባልም::እኛ ብቻ ስንሆን ገና ትውልድ ያየዋል::አሳፋሪዎች::