Ethiopia At A Decisive Stage Between Its People And The TPLF(Part VIII)

Ethiopia’s Economic Collapse During the TPLF Era

In previous parts of this presentation, an attempt was made to outline the TPLF regime’s narrow-minded strategy of derailing the just and legitimate goals of the oppressed Tigrayan people to advance its own agenda as well as the regime’s outdated racist policy that plunged the entire peoples of Ethiopia into chaos never witnessed before and incite regional confrontations that claimed the lives of many Ethiopians. However, as it is said ‘you reap what you saw’, the TPLF regime as a result of its evil strategy both inside Ethiopia and in the region, as a whole has become the black sheep of Ethiopia and the region at large, which accordingly is now doomed to a similar trend of history as the past tyrant rulers upon setting the first steps towards the cliff of its demise. As the entire past tyrant regimes however, the TPLF regime is leaving Ethiopia plunged in deep economic quagmire. Although being endowed with big rivers and other rich natural resources, Ethiopia was compelled to become a reference of famine as an example in various dictionaries owing to the severe drought that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives during the Haileselasie regime and again in millions during the Derg regime. Indeed, because no prosperity or development can be ensured in times of chaos and lack of harmony, Ethiopia was yet again unlucky during the TPLF rule that failed to heal its wounds and further plunged the country into deeper economic crisis and poverty. Woyane’s Ethiopia has therefore become one of the first four aid expectant countries in the entire world and Number One in Africa. In the years between 1999 and 2004 alone, statistics show that Ethiopia received an average of over 700,000 tones of relief food aids every year. Nonetheless, the drought wounds Ethiopia sustained were not even with the enormous flow of the said aid. Even at this point in time, around half of that country’s population, which statistically approximates over 30 million of people, is experiencing continuous drought threat and malnutrition. Accordingly, close to 15 million of Ethiopians are annually vulnerable to the death threat because of famine.

Although Ethiopia received a total of 30 billion dollars in development assistance and over 12.6 billion dollars in loan from 1980 onwards, the two major things that have been consuming all such enormous amount of money flow that should have gone to the drought-affected population are known; namely, war and corruption. Again, because these two major causes of Ethiopia’s backwardness gained momentum during TPLF rule, international news reports indicate that Ethiopia has become Number One from among the 49 poorest countries in the world both in terms of poverty index and human development. If there is any country in the world that cannot survive a single day without relief aid, it is definitely Ethiopia. Hence, it has become a must for the country to take 600 million dollars loan annually and cover 70% of its annual national budget from aid.

Internationally, it is proven that people with an annual income of less than 900 dollars are living below the poverty line. Accordingly, it would be easy to imagine the severity of Ethiopia’s poverty if we take in to account the fact that the per capita income of Ethiopia does not exceed 80 dollars. Having been a recipient of huge relief aid, 75% of the people of Ethiopia do not have access to potable water and 80% are still in the realm of illiteracy. Not only that, Ethiopia is also a country where 200 mothers out of 1,000 face miscarriage during delivery; next to South Africa and India, Ethiopia is the third country in the world in the number of HIV/AIDS victims and 73% of its population is vulnerable to various other diseases due to lack of health facility provisions. The only people who do not have any clue about dress are in Ethiopia. Again, if there is any country with its streets full of exaggerated number of beggars and the homeless, it is Ethiopia.

Shameless of its ill-deeds that pushed Ethiopia into a hell of continuous poverty, the TPLF regime rounded up beggars and homeless Ethiopians and took them to concentration camps to avoid witness of the so-called visitors expected to come for the Ethiopian millennium celebrations’.Having been seated in its current position of leadership in Addis Ababa due to the support of the people of Tigray, like the rest of Ethiopia, the TPLF regime has plunged the Tigrayan people into deeper quagmire of chaos and economic crisis. As development and prosperity cannot be expected from a party that toils to disrupt peace and harmony, the people of Tigray not only did not gain anything, but also lost much from the last 16 years of TPLF leadership. Had peace reigned during the TPLF rule, the Tigrayan people would have thrived and developed province without any support from the TPLF Administration.

Now the Tigrayan people are facing the immediate consequences of the destructive policy the regime is pursuing in Somalia, Eritrea and inside Ethiopia itself. The regime’s corrupt officials are laundering and funneling the country’s money to their personal accounts, crumbling Ethiopian economy to set up their own companies, bulge their bank accounts and fulfill their other personal desires. It is indeed ironic to consider the Tigrayan people, who have gained nothing, except vain and poverty. It was not for this cause the people of Tigray paid off their lives. In fact, it is a very tragic ending to see the handful in power gain from the legitimate and just struggle of the people. It is by far an event that highlighted the betrayal of “Lekatit” and “Dedebit” at the same time.