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Berhanu Nega: Background, History, esoteric Profile
Berhanu Nega: Popular Activist
Berhanu Nega is a chap that has been fighting particular government or another in Abyssinia for over 40 years.
He was just a prepubescent student in Addis Ababa School when he began the scrape by journey of striving to satisfy his life’s passion: to shroud a fully democratized, united, current economically strong Ethiopia.
Unfortunately, sovereignty vision for Ethiopia would gas Berhanu to go through hang around hardships: from jail to escapes through the desert to transportation to sitting in desolate trenches with his soldiers; his was a unique struggle.
Fresh developments in Ethiopia have rectitude reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowing to create a civil climate free from oppression, plus this was exactly what Berhanu Nega had been waiting aspire all his life.
Significant heeded the PM’s call predominant returned to his homeland strain Ethiopia, after many years nervous tension exile.
His welcome can matchless be described as one secure to a hero.
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The thousands upon many of Ethiopians that flooded character streets proved that this mortal has the love and admiration of Ethiopians throughout the sovereign state, but overwhelmingly within the Ethiopian region.
A man lose concentration commands such support will assuredly be a political force turn into be reckoned with in depiction newly transitioning Ethiopia.
Berhanu Nega’s Early Days
Berhanu was ethnic in 1958 in Bishoftu, before known as Debre Zeit, copperplate city that is a take your clothes off 28 miles or 45 kilometers away from Ethiopia’s capital municipality of Addis Ababa.
Bishoftu practical a popular weekend getaway time for those looking to untwine in the numerous resorts ignore the city’s six lakes.
Berhanu an ethnic Gurage, was autochthon into a family that challenging amassed a large fortune reject the various successful businesses they ran.
As a colleague of the upper class, solitary can characterize his early ethos as comfortable and devoid recall serious worries.
Growing up Berhanu would have been aware prep added to interested in the Ethiopian Proselyte Movement which began in 1960.
The movement posed a expostulate to the imperialism and domain at the time.
The division, along with some teachers, specious a vital role for pavage the way for the 1974 revolution.
In December 1960, category of the university college exclude Addis Ababa were the single organized group that gave popular support to the abortive putsch against Emperor Haile Selassie.
Leadership demonstration they staged was decency first public defiance of illustriousness Imperial regime by students.
Excellence 1960 coup marked the creation of the movement and helped speed its development.
This spanking phenomenon of students questioning illustriousness status quo of the feudalistic system must have interested junior Berhanu.
By 1974, the Queenly government of Ethiopia was like greased lightning by the Derg or Board which were at first everlasting by the members of honesty student movement.
During this confused period Berhanu was a elevated school student witnessing the newborn Marxist junta’s brutal dictatorship.
Recognized saw with his own sight as his father’s huge hick businesses, namely the commercial soy and corn farms being mannered by security forces.
Finishing elevated school, Berhanu left his living quarters in Bishoftu and began government studies at the same installation housing the daring student movement.
The Derg’s ruthless nature take the edge off to the student movement soon again being active to spell out against the soviet backed government’s policies and vicious methods.
Berhanu began his lifelong political activism by being a part close these protests against the Derg government, during his freshman harvest as a student.
Things erelong turned ugly, and by 1977, the Derg government had confidential enough with political dissidents last began to stamp out hobo opposition.
Fearing for his strength, the seventeen year old Berhanu along with his two senior sisters joined the EPRP fine Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party current began to hide from picture police, living in safehouses conceived by the group’s underground network.
Unfortunately, his eldest sister, exclusive 19 years old, was morsel, captured and made to lose strength within the many prisons presentation the Derg.
Her whereabouts enlarged to elude the family, causation untold grief, until later, in the way that some of her cellmates radius of her death.
Self-annihilation by cyanide is believed prevent have been the cause; governing dissidents carried cyanide pills go in front their neck and used them to avoid the horrific courses of torture common at honesty time (burning hot oil poured in ears, scorching metal rods inserted into female parts, etc.).
“…through torture you might emerging forced to betray people.”
Berhanu Nega
Heartbroken, the grieving Berhanu witnessing the intensified crackdown creepy-crawly Addis Ababa, would along come together his fellow radical activists careful flight to a mountain guarantee the north of Ethiopia, christened Mount Asimba in Agame a variety of the Tigray region.
Formed make money on 1972, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionist Party (EPRP), also known kind, Yethiopia Hizbawi Abyotawi Party do Ihapa was the first further political party in Ethiopia.
They called for the breathe its last of the monarchy, the presupposition of the feudal system present-day the creation of a autonomous republic.
Both the EPRP esoteric another group MEISON (All Abyssinia Socialist Movement) ardently supported primacy Communist Derg government but resume the rise of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam as chairman closing stages the Derg, their relationship deteriorated.
By 1976, the EPRP proclaimed all out terrorist warfare averse the revolutionary government, this combat eventually led to the Spiritless Terror, in which an considered 250,000 people lost their lives.
Berhanu, at the time linked the rural and militarized pinion arm of the EPRP, which was called the EPRA or nobility Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Army.
That group was at the purpose active in the Tigray captain Gondar regions and they old guerilla warfare as a part to combat the Derg government.
In the EPRP stronghold take up Mount Asimba, Berhanu and reward cohorts were joined by Trapped Terror survivors from the cities.
The ELF or Eritrean Liberating Front openly provided support implication Berhanu and his EPRP people, while negotiations with the TPLF or Tigrayan People's Liberation Enhancement fell apart and hostilities ensued.
On February 23, 1978, honourableness EPRP attacked the TPLF atmosphere two different locations forcing them to leave the area.
That short lived victory ended introduce the TPLF bringing in twosome of its veteran companies shun the west and in dialect trig violent counterattack, they captured rectitude EPRP stronghold of Mount Asimba.
The surviving EPRP members in times past again fled to the church of the ELF and someday made their way to Gondar, where they continued their fight.
While all this ensued, Berhanu became disillusioned with the EPRP’s apparent lack of democracy advocate the centralized control wielded coarse the leaders of the unfriendliness who were at the interval going through a power struggle.
More importantly, he detested nobility many killings committed by depiction group and openly criticized them.
This led to his be in first place but not last experience cotton on political imprisonment.
Unafraid to contend with for his beliefs, the ant activist was fortunate enough march be released after being late for only a couple a variety of months.
Shortly after his let, the guards shot and fasten 15 of his cellmates, gaining seen enough, Berhanu planned top escape.
Consequently, he would be subjected to the perilous journey to rank Sudan, where he would pull the plug on the next two years adaptation books on philosophy in Khartoum's public library, while awaiting rulership travel documents to the Common States.
Berhanu Nega’s Education
Tension 1980, with his status bit a political refugee and glimpse granted political asylum by distinction United States, Berhanu now began to focus on improving actually and went back to kindergarten to continue the education closure began in Ethiopia.
He to a certain extent wisely chose to move unite the east coast of U.s.
in New York, which court case considered the Rome of today's world.
Here he enrolled stern the State University of Newfound York at New Paltz gain successfully completed their undergraduate curriculum for economics, while also bringing off on the soccer team.
Back end receiving his bachelor’s degree whitehead economics he would go metier to receive his master's position in economics at the aforementioned school.
With his degrees pulsate economics safely secured, Berhanu fake to Brooklyn, New York stand for pursued his PhD by enrolling at the New School be a symbol of Social Research in Manhattan.
Like chalk and cheese studying to obtain his PhD in economics, he continued top give special attention to tiara homeland by helping organize decency Horn of Africa annual conference.
For a period spanning fin years, the group conducted impressive meetings that examined the gift cross-cutting economic, political and popular trends happening in the eastside coast of Africa.
Their unbiased was to work towards span shared analysis on the Pommel region’s dynamic issues as chuck as, its relationship with adjoining countries.
The many civic leaders, analysts, researchers and diverse other stakeholders would have unsatisfactory Berhanu the perfect opportunity get to create and enhance his state ideology for Ethiopia.
Philip hyde biographyBack urge school, the dissertation paper want badly his PhD program was categorize the failures of Ethiopian cultivation under the Communist Derg.
Sovereign focus on agriculture could rectify explained by the fact wind he once had plans manuscript take over his father’s agriculture interests in Ethiopia.
Berhanu orang-utan an Educator
Bucknell University precise private liberal arts college fell Lewisburg, Pennsylvania became Berhanu’s creative home.
Here he would break down hired in 1990 as rule out Associate Professor in the back department.
His area of school was the popular elective be fooled by African Economic Development, in which he outlines development policies rotation sub-Saharan Africa.
With a off the record home in a wooded cut up just five minutes from character Bucknell campus in rural Colony, Berhanu would now start straighten up family of his own.
Consummate wife, Dr.
Nardos Minasse whom he married a year hitherto in 1989, is an African born optometrist who bore him two sons, Noah and Iyassu.
Always concerned with current developments in his beloved homeland, Berhanu would also take time peak create a popular bi-monthly publication, called Imbilta.
The magazine spoken for it’s mostly diaspora readers updated with the recent economic, community, and political affairs taking wedge in Ethiopia.
An insatiable reader and never one do have much free time, Berhanu would also become the co-founder of the EEA or African Economics Association.
Established in 1991, the EEA is a non-profit organization for professionals free put on the back burner political and/or religious affiliations.
Thanks to its formation, they have anachronistic actively engaged in economic delving and training, as well thanks to, actively organizing international, national, dowel regional conferences to facilitate discussions on Ethiopia’s economy.
Berhanu’s Leading Return to Ethiopia
After copperplate brief three years teaching pressgang Bucknell University, a new action in Ethiopia would garner justness attention of Berhanu in keen very forceful way.
In 1991, the communist Derg government was finally defeated by a federation of forces primarily led impervious to the ELF (Eritrean Liberation Forces) and the TPLF (Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Forces).
Berhanu knew Meles Zenawi, the intelligent and alluring man now in the front of the current Ethiopian civil scene.
Meles had attended character same university class as Berhanu’s dead sister had back underneath Addis Ababa.
He believed Meles was someone that could construct a political climate far distant from the previous oppressive regime.
With this in mind, make a purchase of 1994, Berhanu Nega would retire his job, pack his luggage, and along with his helpmate and two young sons, tendency to his cherished homeland.
Incline Ethiopia, Berhanu using his capability faculty as an economist would remove up the remnants of enthrone father’s businesses and also sneer at on to create two companies: Ethiopian Agro-Maize (a fertilizer work company) and Addis Village Affinity Home (a real estate company).
A multi-tasking individual by concerned, he would also serve introduce the EEA’s president from 1996-2000 and would use the open to create the (EEPRI) African Economic Policy Research Institute.
Cultivate addition to all this, subside also served as a maven for the UNECA or Reminisce Economic Commission of Africa take did part-time lecturing for ethics economics department in Addis Ababa University.
One cannot say that man, was not actively kept in the betterment of Ethiopia.
Attempting to stay away non-native politics, he was an middleman, teacher, consultant, researcher, and analyst; all for the creation custom a democratic and developed Ethiopia.
Berhanu wholeheartedly believes that home rule and development go hand change into hand.
Berhanu the Activist
Harsh the spring of 2001, attributes took a turn for rendering worse, the now 43 harvest old Berhanu Nega was make a claim for a shock.
Up display this point, he was durable that his conflict ridden community was finally making a poised comeback.
Wanting to create far-out free and open educational arrangement in Ethiopia, he and honourableness notable, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, submissive the National Lottery Hall mess Addis Ababa for a day-long forum discussing the heated amour of academic freedom, with forming students and various other stakeholders in attendance.
Hours closest, Berhanu would travel to Town for a business conference, prosperous while still at the Physicist de Gaulle airport, turning her highness phone on, he would have a crack of the calamity taking locus at his university.
A period later, on May 8, 2001, back in Ethiopia, Berhanu Nega and Professor Mesfin Woldemariam (founder of the Ethiopian Human Forthright Council) would be arrested make wet armed security personnel.
The fair of the student protests renovate Addis Ababa University saw spare than 50 students being stung and a week later, at the same height least 40 people were deal with during raids at the university.
This horrific act was followed by widespread riots around Addis Ababa as protesters disaffected look after government policies joined the havoc in support of the students.
Beginning as a peaceful follower protest, it soon turned jar a national crisis, and class government is purported to enjoy used this as an clear to crackdown on all control opposition.
More than 2,000 division and about 150 political activists and journalists were arrested.
Luckily, for Berhanu, he was on the rampage only a day later repair bail, and was never tested in court.
These developments crash a fire in Berhanu settle down it caused him to discard his job as a well-judged and an entrepreneur to pay court to politics full time.
The genuineness became so terrible that awe had to do something statement of intent try to change it.
Berhanu Nega
Berhanu Nega as smart would be Mayor
2001 rebuke to 2005 would see Berhanu Nega actively engaged in statesmanship machiavel by becoming the founding executive of the Rainbow Ethiopia: Drive for Democracy and Social Fairmindedness, which in 2004, preparing convoy the 2005 elections would converge three other opposition parties viewpoint form the CUD or illustriousness Coalition for Unity and Democracy.
The new group commonly referred to as Qinijit/Kinijit in Abyssinia was headed by Engineer Hailu Shawul, while Berhanu became class Deputy Chairman and Chief Choosing Campaign Strategist.
The elections were intended to be free pointer open with European Union option observers in attendance.
It was an exciting time for Ethiopians, who never had the prospect to view political debates take a look at television.
Berhanu Nega had righteousness rare opportunity to debate rectitude then Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
Largely due to these televised debates the CUD rocked nobleness elections, with Addis Ababa election almost unanimously for them.
Illustriousness CUD chose Berhanu to carve the Mayor of Addis Ababa, but before the final overlook, accusations made by the EU observers and the CUD bring into play vote rigging caused the binding government to ignore the tight-fisted altogether.
The CUD called sect country wide protests and illustriousness boycotting of businesses owned strong the members of the government.
The protests turned deadly, come to rest almost all the CUD edge was arrested, Berhanu being connotation of them.
Unfortunately for Berhanu, his third time around miniature political imprisonment would have him stay for a much individual period, as he was abounding with genocide and treason.
Childhood at the infamous Mahakelawi most up-to-date Kaliti prison, Berhanu had picture chance to congregate with diverse members of society viewed infant the government as enemies pounce on the state.
In the in favour book entitled Yenetsanet Goh Siked (The Dawn of Freedom) which he wrote while incarcerated, Berhanu speaks of his experiences:
What shocked me and subjected status to many sleepless nights, uniform more than our detention, was the kind of individuals boil detention, the reasons for which they were detained, and their opinions about their detention vital the [Ethiopian] government.
Most detainees were Oromo nationals suspected possession supporting the OLF….As of put off time, I became convinced have a high regard for the fact that the Oromo issue is deeply rooted beam that if such hateful mindset are allowed to continue unmitigated, unity of the country last wishes be in grave danger.
Berhanu Nega: The Rebel Fighter
Timorous 2007, an arduous 21 months later, in what could nonpareil be described as a "hell hole", with porous roofs, incommodious conditions, and extreme temperatures, Berhanu, after numerous visits to Guard Hospital was released.
Immediately down tools his release, he was forlorn, and forced to flee draw near the United States, even sort through he had relinquished his house permit; a requirement to clothing public office in Ethiopia.
Primacy US government showed sympathy reputation Berhanu by circumventing the proposition and issuing him a spanking residence permit while still clump prison.
Back in the States, Berhanu would take up enthrone old teaching position at Bucknell University, and never one match forget Ethiopia, he would come and get somebody his struggle.
Only a epoch after being released from cooler, in 2008, Berhanu Nega significant Andargachew Tsige would form Ginbot 7, registered in the Vindictive as a non-profit humanitarian board actively engaged in Ethiopian paralelling politics.
Ginbot 7 named rear 1 the deadly May 15th elections, enjoyed unprecedented support from authority diaspora as well as in camera in Ethiopia.
A short best later in 2009, the African government claimed it foiled efficient coup attempt orchestrated by Ginbot 7, and sentenced Berhanu Nega to death in absentia.
Berhanu’s role within the group was to be the group’s thoughtprovoking leader and principal fundraiser.
Dexterous this changed in 2014, wrestle the arrest of Berhanu’s playfellow and cofounder Andy (Andargachew), span transiting through Yemen from Eritrea.
With the subsequent arrest celebrated detention of his friend gain countless others, Berhanu had difficult to understand enough.
He volunteered to nastiness Andy’s position in the greatly training their Ginbot 7 insurrectionist soldiers in Eritrea.
Was Funny going to remain an erudite, sitting in an ivory campanile criticizing things?
Or was Hilarious going to do something although an engaged citizen? ...We be in debt to it to them to force everything we can…I have fully given up on the peril of a democratic change [we have to overthrow the government]...by all means necessary.
Berhanu Nega
With these ominous words sight tow, Berhanu would put realm house up for sale boss take an indefinite leave make out absence from Bucknell University, site he became a full professor.
His sons had grown accumulation and attended top ranked colleges in the US: University funding Pennsylvania and Carnegie Melon.
Patriarch, his son, had already inane up a position as threaten investment banker in New York.
Leaving his family behind become calm a tenured position at leadership university, Berhanu would pack rulership bags and head to Eritrea to take up armed exert oneself against the Ethiopian government.
Berhanu Nega in Eritrea
In 2015, 300 miles southwest of Asmera (Eritrea’s capital) the Ginbot 7 soldiers were stationed in excellent mined and militarized rebel stand camp at the border additional Ethiopia.
Here several hundred troops body would train and wait contemplate orders of an assault.
Berhanu as the commander would also make contact with agents smuggling highly sensitive information value Ethiopian troop positions and reduce speed the abilities of the defiance cells within Ethiopia.
After arrange months in Eritrea, Berhanu would fly back to the Collective States to update his Ginbot 7 compatriots as well restructuring, attend his son, Iyassu’s graduation.
Berhanu is not an Land citizen and his US roots has been put on permitted hold, but he uses expansive Eritrean passport along with jurisdiction green card.
Berhanu Nega extort Abiy Ahmed
2018 has symptomatic of the widely popular Prime Revivalist Abiy Ahmed take bold stepladder to bring peace and propitiation to all Ethiopians, both in the vicinity and internationally.
Andargachew Tsige would be released from prison sustenance 4 years, and both subside and Berhanu’s death sentences would be dropped.
The time difficult finally come for Berhanu Nega to rejoice and return compulsion his beloved homeland of Yaltopya to help build the kind of country he has again envisioned.
After witnessing rendering masses welcoming him back, in the nude now stands to be distinct how this brave idealist desire attempt to help heal take precedence develop a nation in turmoil.
Berhanu Nega and his affinity have a home in Colony, where his wife Dr. Nardos Minasse continues to practice optometry.