The latest " Queen of Carthage", the disposed first lady Leila Trabelsi, has many things in common with her counter part in Addis Ababa, Qedamwit Emebet( First Lady) Azeb Mesfin. Before forced to flee from the nation that she looted for over 20 years, Leila and her extended family had strong hold on businesses, contraction, and foreign investments. The first ladyof Ethiopia, her extended family and the TPLF have in similar ways controlled Ethiopia's wealth for the past 20 years. Leila was a hate figure in Tunisia for grasping corruption, so is Azeb and her mafia family.
In Tunisia, the first lady and her mafia family controlled land and other properties for the past 20 years. In Ethiopia, public land grabbing in the name of privatization , agriculture development,.. etc is displacing millions across the country. The first lady, her husband Prime minister Meles, and the Tigrean minorities are cashing billions out of illegal land transfer to foreign investors. In the latest land grabbing revolution, the Tigrean families are first class beneficiaries.The first lady, her prime minister husband, and the Tigrean minority mafias are invisible investors in all land grabbing revolution today. The Ethiopian poor farmers have no say in the multi- billion dollar land transfer to multi- national corporates from China, Middle east and India. In Tunisia anger from such looting of public wealth forced the first family to run to Dubai. In Ethiopia, the same public anger is hanging like a GIANT AXE over the head of the first family and Tigrean mafias. Without exaggeration, Azeb Mesfin has ranked her self along despised, monster , dictator wives such as Emelda of the Philippines, who when in 1986 fled to Hawai had memorably left 1000 hand bags, 508 gowns, 15 milk coats, lakes of perfume, and an infamous designers foot wear collection of 3,000 pairs.
Like
all dictator's wives, Azeb Mesfin deny existence of any excess in her life. She vehemently deny transferring any public fund to her account. In an interview she gave to ETV, she explained how she struggle to meet ends with the meagre salary she and her husband earns from their jobs. Every body in Ethiopia however knows that Azeb Mesfin is a groomed schemer who pulls string in big parastatals affiliated to TPLF party. One such parastatal is the giant Mega Corporation which Azeb runs. Pleading poverty while looting a notion's wealth is a defining character that many African first ladies share in common. It is also a traits common to dictators' wives world wide. Azeb's denial in fact proves this point. Her art of deception has several forms.To cover up her Empire wide control of the nation's wealth, she often appear on launchings of " do good" NGOs for poor communities. She also embraced environmental and anti AIDS movements to effectively mask looting projects she is running through out the empire.
Tunisian president Ben Ali invested heavily on military and police force during his 25 years in office to keep all forms of public uprising at bay. In Ethiopia, the first lady, her husband and the Tigrian elites have been investing the nations poor wealth on building dungeons and military complexes to silence all forms of public uprising. The military complexes and arms are not to provide security nor to protect any viable democratic rights and and liberty, for there is non in Ethiopia. It is to muffle the nation further.
Some similarities between Ben Ali and Meles Zenawi:
1). Both are on power for more than two decades, Ben Ali holding office from November 7, 1987, until he was forced to step down on January 14, 2011 and Meles Zenawi holding office from 1991 to now.
2).Both dictators' country has huge unemployment.
3). Both dictators were/ are protected by military, both have no public love.
5). Soaring food price in both countries, in Tunisia, soaring food price lead to public uprising which finally forced Ben Ali to flee. In Ethiopia, government is forced to put price ceiling on exponentially rising commodity prices.
6). On both countries, there is clear inequality between loyalists and the rest.
7). Both countries are known for endemic corruption.
8). Both dictators are mufflers of media and freedom of expression.Both Meles and Ben Ali have bad human right records, violent crack down freedom of press,
9. When it comes to elections, both dictators are best know for manipulating election results:
-In 1999, Tunisia held the first multiparty presidential election in its history, with three presidential candidates appearing on the ballot; Ben Ali gathered 99.4% of the votes
manipulation of elections and crack down on opposition
- Ben Ali was reelected with 100%( third term,1994), 99.4%( fourth term,1999), 89%( fifth term,2009).
- Males Zenawi claimed he was reelected for the fourth time to office last year with 99.6% of all the votes counted.
In Tunisia, public anger from dissatisfaction with government have forced the dictator to flee.
Today, in Ethiopia, rrising food prices and tough economic conditions have left many millions struggling. Official corruption is notorious. There is less and less opportunity for people to voice their feelings within the political system. The current trend indicates that the revolution pioneered by Tunisian is slowly but surely heading to other dictators in the Maghreb region. The situation in Egypt, unless addressed in time will soon get out of control. Lessons leaned will then used by Ethiopians to deal with the Tigrian Mafias who looted and muffled the nation for the past 20 years.
All attempts by peace loving Ethiopians to bring the Tigrean mafia to a peace table is over. The ultimate measure is to force them out of office , by public uprising, just the same way the Tunisian poor working men and women did.
Last month(Dec, 2010- Jan 2011), when protest gathered momentum, Leila Trabelsi visited the Tunisian central bank and instructed the bank governor to hand over gold ingots worth of $65 million.She then made her escape to Suadi Arabia on a lofty shopping plane. The gold ingot she looted at the last minute was in addition to what she has been robbing the nation off for the past 20 years when her mafia family were on power. It is only a matter of time before we hear that first lady Azeb of Ethiopia order one of the several Ethiopian Air Lines Boeing fleets at her disposal to join Ben Alis family. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things!
In Tunisia, the first lady and her mafia family controlled land and other properties for the past 20 years. In Ethiopia, public land grabbing in the name of privatization , agriculture development,.. etc is displacing millions across the country. The first lady, her husband Prime minister Meles, and the Tigrean minorities are cashing billions out of illegal land transfer to foreign investors. In the latest land grabbing revolution, the Tigrean families are first class beneficiaries.The first lady, her prime minister husband, and the Tigrean minority mafias are invisible investors in all land grabbing revolution today. The Ethiopian poor farmers have no say in the multi- billion dollar land transfer to multi- national corporates from China, Middle east and India. In Tunisia anger from such looting of public wealth forced the first family to run to Dubai. In Ethiopia, the same public anger is hanging like a GIANT AXE over the head of the first family and Tigrean mafias. Without exaggeration, Azeb Mesfin has ranked her self along despised, monster , dictator wives such as Emelda of the Philippines, who when in 1986 fled to Hawai had memorably left 1000 hand bags, 508 gowns, 15 milk coats, lakes of perfume, and an infamous designers foot wear collection of 3,000 pairs.
Like
all dictator's wives, Azeb Mesfin deny existence of any excess in her life. She vehemently deny transferring any public fund to her account. In an interview she gave to ETV, she explained how she struggle to meet ends with the meagre salary she and her husband earns from their jobs. Every body in Ethiopia however knows that Azeb Mesfin is a groomed schemer who pulls string in big parastatals affiliated to TPLF party. One such parastatal is the giant Mega Corporation which Azeb runs. Pleading poverty while looting a notion's wealth is a defining character that many African first ladies share in common. It is also a traits common to dictators' wives world wide. Azeb's denial in fact proves this point. Her art of deception has several forms.To cover up her Empire wide control of the nation's wealth, she often appear on launchings of " do good" NGOs for poor communities. She also embraced environmental and anti AIDS movements to effectively mask looting projects she is running through out the empire. 
Tunisian president Ben Ali invested heavily on military and police force during his 25 years in office to keep all forms of public uprising at bay. In Ethiopia, the first lady, her husband and the Tigrian elites have been investing the nations poor wealth on building dungeons and military complexes to silence all forms of public uprising. The military complexes and arms are not to provide security nor to protect any viable democratic rights and and liberty, for there is non in Ethiopia. It is to muffle the nation further. Some similarities between Ben Ali and Meles Zenawi:
1). Both are on power for more than two decades, Ben Ali holding office from November 7, 1987, until he was forced to step down on January 14, 2011 and Meles Zenawi holding office from 1991 to now.
2).Both dictators' country has huge unemployment.
3). Both dictators were/ are protected by military, both have no public love.
5). Soaring food price in both countries, in Tunisia, soaring food price lead to public uprising which finally forced Ben Ali to flee. In Ethiopia, government is forced to put price ceiling on exponentially rising commodity prices.
6). On both countries, there is clear inequality between loyalists and the rest.
7). Both countries are known for endemic corruption.
8). Both dictators are mufflers of media and freedom of expression.Both Meles and Ben Ali have bad human right records, violent crack down freedom of press,
9. When it comes to elections, both dictators are best know for manipulating election results:
-In 1999, Tunisia held the first multiparty presidential election in its history, with three presidential candidates appearing on the ballot; Ben Ali gathered 99.4% of the votes
manipulation of elections and crack down on opposition
- Ben Ali was reelected with 100%( third term,1994), 99.4%( fourth term,1999), 89%( fifth term,2009).
- Males Zenawi claimed he was reelected for the fourth time to office last year with 99.6% of all the votes counted.
In Tunisia, public anger from dissatisfaction with government have forced the dictator to flee.
Today, in Ethiopia, rrising food prices and tough economic conditions have left many millions struggling. Official corruption is notorious. There is less and less opportunity for people to voice their feelings within the political system. The current trend indicates that the revolution pioneered by Tunisian is slowly but surely heading to other dictators in the Maghreb region. The situation in Egypt, unless addressed in time will soon get out of control. Lessons leaned will then used by Ethiopians to deal with the Tigrian Mafias who looted and muffled the nation for the past 20 years. All attempts by peace loving Ethiopians to bring the Tigrean mafia to a peace table is over. The ultimate measure is to force them out of office , by public uprising, just the same way the Tunisian poor working men and women did.
Last month(Dec, 2010- Jan 2011), when protest gathered momentum, Leila Trabelsi visited the Tunisian central bank and instructed the bank governor to hand over gold ingots worth of $65 million.She then made her escape to Suadi Arabia on a lofty shopping plane. The gold ingot she looted at the last minute was in addition to what she has been robbing the nation off for the past 20 years when her mafia family were on power. It is only a matter of time before we hear that first lady Azeb of Ethiopia order one of the several Ethiopian Air Lines Boeing fleets at her disposal to join Ben Alis family. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things!
Garbi.
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