Meles has ridiculed all those who embarked on a peaceful transformation of Ethiopia. He had frequently uttered carelessly: “If you consider yourself a man, go to the bush and fight for freedom like one.” And to those who warned his resistance to a peaceful negotiation may encourage an armed struggle against his dictatorial leadership, he always responded by saying: “mengedun tcherq yargilachew” – which means “I wish you an easy ride."

Meles Zenawi has held Ethiopia at ransom. Those who peacefully opposed his despotic regime are all charged with unheard crime that carries either death sentence or life. Whether life or death, the sentence is all the same. If Meles is allowed to succeed, no one of those charged with treason will come out alive. The Ethiopian Patriotic Front (EPF) is offering a solution.

It was while Ethiopians in London were demonstrating in front of the US Embassy on 17 February 2006 that the news of the Chairman of EPF’s visit to London started circulating. When the rally started heating up, invitation letters were handed out to some. This reporter was lucky enough to be invited. Next morning those invited convened at a venue in North London to listen to Ato Thowath Pal Chay, the Chairman of EPF had to say.

Thowat Pal Chay is an amazing Ethiopian. He is polite but not politically correct. He is humble but not submissive. He is educated but not a boast. He is articulate but reserved. He is down to earth but very firm in what he believes. He doesn’t tell you what you want to listen, but he presents facts as they are on the ground. His alpha and omega is the survival of Ethiopia. He believed everything else is secondary said the man London met for the first on Saturday 19 February 2006. Therefore, it was only fitting to appoint such a man to head The Ethiopian Patriotic Front because from what the audience saw, heard and felt, that man was a patriot Ethiopian to the bone.

The entire philosophy of Thowat Pal Chay is constantly dished out of Ethiopian history. In every sentence he made, every statement he constructed, he backed it up by evidence from the Ethiopian history. Preachers refer to their bibles, but for Thowath Pal Chay all answers to every question was in the history. He seemed totally captivated by the Adwa Battle and Victory. Thowat said: “When the colonialists brewed their shrewd conspiracy to divide and enslave Africa, our ancestors, the Ethiopians, stood on their way and thwarted their dream.” In doing so, Thowat asserted that Ethiopians did not depend on any one but their own people and God. That victory made both the colonialists and the colonised think twice. The colonised realised that it was possible to resist evil and actually defeat it. The colonialists were forced to drink the bitter pill of defeat in the hands of the people they thought inferior compared to them. What Ethiopia started wiped out colonialism from the face of Africa. If the forefathers could challenge and defeat colonialists at the Battle of Adwa, Thowat believed their was no reason why their children would not repeat it. It was then the colonialists that rose up to destroy Ethiopia. It is now their local hired mercenaries that rose up against Ethiopia with that very first blue print of colonialists as point of reference. The victory Ethiopia was crowed with over the original colonialists could be successfully repeated over their hired treacherous domestic mercenaries. Thowath Pal Chay explained that the Ethiopian Patriotic Front has taken up the mission of getting rid the messengers of colonialists and it counted only Ethiopians as the source of power from which the fuel should obtained. Therefore, he said each and every Ethiopian should be ready to carry out their share of duty and be prepared for psychological transformation to face the challenge of the time.

A more interesting and lively discussion took place after the break, where the audience was served tradition meal and refreshment.

To the question why there were so many groups that call themselves “Patriotic Fronts”, the Chairman EPF responded by saying most of those groups were working together at one point, when the Sudanese Government was in contradiction with the Meles regime. Most of them were members of the “Kefagn” Ethiopian Patriotic Front. However, Meles and the Sudanese government patched up their differences, the group had a problem of operating from the Sudanese soil. In fact, there was conspiracy to hand over the fighters to the Meles regime as a present for their newly found honeymoon. Some of the leaders of the Front were jailed. At that time, some crossed the border into Eritrea. Others crossed border into Ethiopia and entrusted themselves to the hills and mountain ranges of Ethiopia. Others went south into other neighbouring countries. The Ethiopian Patriotic Front that has elected Thowath Pal Chay had been in the field for the last 14 years and is not expected to change its name or its logo. As long as Thowath is concerned he had no problem with the similarity of the names as long as they stood for the same cause remain patriots. Any one who stands for the freedom of Ethiopia is a patriot and an ally of EPF.

To the suggestion, while he was abroad why shouldn’t meet up with the other groups that claim armed struggle, Thowath Pal Chay was up front. He left his people behind and travelled to Europe to solicit support for his group from Ethiopians living abroad and not to negotiate with those who claim to have army and fighting Woyyane. If there was a need to discuss why should he travel all the way to Europe? The place to meet up and discuss would have been in the field, out there under the shade. The Ethiopian Patriotic Front had never had any problem with the other groups and is ready to discuss strategies in the field and not on the round table in Europe. Where the is no problem, he did not see any need for negotiation apart from mission tactics.

There was also a question regarding armed v peaceful struggle. Thowath Pal Chay emphatically argued the two are complementary and not mutually exclusive. The two dovetail each other in today’s reality. His organisation believed peaceful struggle alone would not bring Woyyane, the determined enemy of Ethiopia, to its knees. According to him, Woyyane is not civilized enough to understand the value and meaning of peace. Otherwise, it would have not illegally detained those innocent peaceful opposition leaders and charged them with treason. Treason is in fact committed against Ethiopia by the regime that had fought along the side of separatists, helped Eritrea break away, volunteered to be the first to recognise it as a state, ran on the corridors of OAU and UN begging for the recognition of the newly curved out of Ethiopia state and condemned the nation to be landlocked. Woyyane never asked the opinion of Ethiopians when it toiled day and night to secure the break away of Eritrea but when the two quarrelled while sharing the loot, it appealed to the Ethiopian people that their territorial integrity was violated. As far he was concerned, Woyyane was responsible for the violation of the sovereignty of Ethiopia. He wouldn’t understand why the Ethiopian people listened to the Woyyane when it called to defend Ethiopia from its own self-created monster. At the end of the day, the Ethiopian Patriotic Front sympathised with those who fell victim of Woyyane while attempting to bring change peacefully and believed if the Front is supported by the Ethiopians and start delivering results, Meles’s regime would probably start seeing the merit in the peaceful struggle.

Some one pointed out to the division among the opposition and how his organisation cooperates with others, Chairman of EPF had to say that there was no time to entertain differences while Ethiopia is on the verge of destruction. Everyone should put its grievances and differences on the hold and rally around to rescue Ethiopia from Woyyane’s destructive onslaught. Differences had always been there throughout the history of Ethiopia and will be there in the future. However, Ethiopians have developed this art of ignoring differences at the time of crises and rally around to save their country. It is time to save the burning house first rather than getting bogged down who should take which room. Thowath Pal Chay drew everyone’s attention what Emperor Menelik did at the time of Adwa. Italians counted on the then existing differences in Ethiopia, to bring that proud nation down to its knees. However, Menelik called every citizen to save the motherland by saying:

“Sinqihin be-ahiyah
Amelkin beguyah keteh teketelegn!”

“Load your food for the road on your donkey and stick your bad habits under your armpit and follow me!”

Thowat Pal Chay suggested every Ethiopian should follow that principle, to stash away our differences and line up to fight for the salvation of Ethiopia, the motherland.

Ato Thowat Pal Chay, as a person is an interesting individual to an observer. He is tall like all those who come from the region he comes from. His hairs have turned white than grey. His teeth shine like white gold with smiles that can attract attention. However, his eyes are absolutely out of this world. He could stare at you, as if he was looking through you. He twinkles them, then roles right and left and concentrates on the person who asked the question and delivers the answer with precision, regardless the person agrees or not. This was evidenced when a provocative question was asked about his past.

Thowath remembered his childhood at school, when he was taught Ethiopian history and captivated by the bravery of our ancestors in defending Ethiopia. He grew up listening to stories of repeated attacks by her enemies and repeated repulsion. He vowed he would grow to be one of those patriots that would repeat the legacy one day if those who wished her destruction threatened Ethiopia once more. When the time came, regardless who was in power, Thowath Pal Chay presented himself ready to serve his country. Yes, he was picked up by the then regime and was built up to reach the highest possible government post in the region he was born. He was the administrator of Gambella region, First Secretary of the ruling Workers Party of Ethiopia. Whether one liked or not, to be in that position, one has to be a party member and did not see any problem at the time. Thowath Pal Chay regarded his time with the Dergue regime as one of the fruitful time of his life, when he took an oath to serve Ethiopia until he lived and just did put that in practice. He would proudly say he never abused his power but used it as an opportunity to promote what he believed good for Ethiopia. His main aim was to protect the interest of Ethiopia and he did it brilliantly. He took part in organising counter insurgence against those who played devilish role in destabilising his country and managed to make them drink their own bitter pills. Unfortunately while he was guarding Ethiopia from external enemies, those in the power failed to guard her from the hired internal traitors. As a result Ethiopia happened to be where she is now. Millions of dollars would pass through his hands when he was in charge of the region he administered. He was not tempted to be corrupted by that. Thowath said he was held by that oath he took to serve Ethiopia and that was what made him live in the bushes, deserts and mountain ranges of Ethiopia to this day than betray his country and live a comfortable life. There were two ways of ignoring the vow. One would be going into exile and live like every Ethiopian enjoying whatever the life in a foreign land would offer. The other would have been to completely betray Ethiopia and surrender to Woyyane to become its tool of destruction of the beloved country. He chose neither. There is no power in the world that would deny him dying a honourable death defending the interest of Ethiopia he vowed to serve. He said every one would be judged one day accordingly, but until then, he said no one should be prevented from defending the honour of his country.

Ethiopians listened to the above statement silently but with understandable emotions.

Some one demanded to produce evidence that The Ethiopian Patriotic front actual had an army. At this point, the cameraman tried to focus on the enquirer but the enquirer protested not to be filmed. Many members of the audience asked the cameraman to respect the wishes of the person. After that the enquirer continued asking for video evidences of captured prisoners or dead enemies soldiers and his army in action. He referred to how the Woyyane and Sha’biyya activist’s promoted their causes by selling video and similar evidences.

While the enquirer was still taking someone came brought in some sort of covered item. When revealed later, it a video deck with a TV set. The audience realised that answered the question. However, Thowath, who did not pay attention, went on responding to the enquirer. He told the doubting Thomas something unexpected. He said that living in a democratic country, the enquirer did not want to be filmed, to be seen on the video. How ironical he want to see the pictures of dead men or taken captives? Rather than asking for evidence to help, one should help first and ask for results and accountability.

To the question whether The Ethiopian Patriotic Front tried to approach the Western Super Powers to seek their assistance, Thowath Pal Chay beamed with a smile and made the following statement. No, they did not try to seek assistance from the Western Super powers and will not be going after them to beg their assistance. His organisation believed the remedy for Ethiopia should come from Ethiopians and not from anybody else. At the time of Adwa victory, Ethiopians did not go to beg the assistance of the West. They faced the enemy with whatever resources they had their disposal, like spears, shield, sword and rudimentary weapons. That should be repeated this time. Like at the time of Adwa, if Ethiopians would manage to tilt the balance of power with their own efforts, the Western superpower would be running after the organisation and not the other way round. Until such situation is created, nobody would take the opposition seriously. That was why he had to leave his men behind and travel to Europe to solicit support from Ethiopians. Therefore, Ethiopians should save from their food and support the Ethiopian Patriotic Front if they wanted results sooner than later.

To the question how he would see ethnic based organisations, that are officially functioning in Ethiopia and also those oppose the regime such as the OLF, Thowath said that up until the Ethiopian revolution, ethnicity was not a problem in Ethiopia. He said, in the history of Ethiopia, there were no ethnic conflicts as such. Any ethnic member might have fought against another representing not its ethnic group but in support of its leaders. Once the victor and the defeated are sorted out, ethnic groups live in peace together. Ethnic conflict is a new phenomenon that prevailed itself with the revolution that took a wrong turn. Educated Ethiopians, including himself, who had the opportunity to go abroad for education, brought back a confused notion of democracy, tainted with cold war propaganda. When the Emperor’s regime collapsed, the educated section of the society tried to establish its own version of democracy and ended up fighting as EPRF or MEISON. The Military took the opportunity and then bloodbath ensued. Such demoralised and disgruntled youth dropped the bigger picture and went to their locals (beyemenderachew) and started thinking as narrowly as possible, hallucinating up the concept of ethnicity, which is backward thinking and betrayal of the bigger picture. Woyyane came along and made it even constitutional, the catalyst needed to start fire.

As for the OLF, one should see component of Ethiopian ethnic groups, their interaction and their role in the building of the modern Ethiopia. The Oromos played a central role in the building up of modern Ethiopia. Thowath couldn’t see any special suppression that the Oromo people suffered differently which others did not face. Thowath Pal Chay would not understand where the notion those oppressive regimes came from the Amara ethnic group only. Leaders came from different ethnic groups at different times to rule over Ethiopia. Ethiopians loved brave men and not that or this ethnic group. Any brave leader could propel oneself to the leadership of Ethiopian power. Oromo leaders were in power at one point or another. They built the country and he wouldn’t buy the notion that the Oromo being different. In fact, if they were the majority in the country, then they are the foundation of the country. Thowath took analogy of a tree and branches. If the Oromos are the majority then they should be like the tree while smaller ethnic groups are like the braches. Whenever the wind blows, it is the branch that dances around with the current and not the main stem of the tree. The main part of the tree remains standing firm. It is the branch that may break off the tree and not the main part. It is understandable if the minority create a liberation front and try to struggle to break away from the majority, but from whom does the majority liberates itself? As far as Thowath was concerned he wouldn’t believe the Oromo people asked the OLF to liberate them from themselves and therefore the OLF should reconsider its position and take its right place at the heart of Ethiopia present history like the forefathers. If not, it would be considered as betrayal their forefather’s sacrificed blood and broken bones, sacrificed to safeguard the country for the future generation.

The Chairman of EPF did not hide his worries. The forefathers made history and handed down Ethiopia to this generation to protect safeguard and pass it over to the future generation. This generation has done nothing to pass it over. Ethiopia is in danger than any time. Therefore, he pleaded with the audience to be on guard and be ready to pay the ultimate price to save us from being condemned for not doing to save that pride of Africa.

As the video started playing, the quality was not good but barefooted solders were seen training and trekking. Thowat Pal Chay himself was seen and heard in the middle of his men, giving out instructions and encouraging.

The video was stopped and Thowath continued explaining the situation those soldiers were facing on daily basis. They have been organised in small regiments and trained in Ethiopia. They operated within the country and went on missions everywhere. What the audience saw was the Black Lion force. There will Menelik and Theodros in the in the forming in the North. They were doing a fantastic job but they were facing hardship. If they had to go on a mission they needed enough bullets, medicine and food. At the moment, the army can only eat once in three days. There are people who are ready to die for the right cause but they don’t have bullets to shoot, medicine to treat the wounded nor food to eat. He appealed to the audience such mission should not be thwarted due to lack resources. He thought the Diaspora could be their only hope to help them carry out the historical mission of freeing Ethiopia from tyranny and suppression and final completed destruction.

At the end of the day, Thowat Pal Chay seemed to get through. People gave their names to be committed for the cause the Ethiopian Patriotic Front stood up.

The Ethiopians shall triumph!