STOP FINANCING ONE OF THE TOP WORLD DICTATORS: MELES ZENAWI!!

STOP FINANCING ONE OF THE TOP WORLD DICTATORS: MELES ZENAWI!    URGENT!!

When asked about the World Bank's practice of lending to dictatorships, the former World Bank president, Jim Wolfensohn, answered "The easiest thing for me, for the bank would be to say, just wait until these countries are democratic, before lending to them." The New York Times. June 16, 2004.

Dear Mr. Wolfowitz,

We, the undersigned, do thereby ask you to discontinue the state aid to the criminal regime of Meles Zenawi, current Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Refusing to finance this villainous administration that kills, imprisons tortures and infects with AIDS and other tropical diseases the innocent civilians of Ethiopia, the World Bank will do a great service to humanity, accelerating the downfall of the atrocious government and liberation of innocent victims. In the name of human rights and the pain and suffering of Ethiopian people, we ask you to take decisive steps that will end the rule of the Ethiopian tyrant.

The repressed people of Ethiopia have noticed a certain discrepancy between what the World Bank says and what it does. The World Bank claims that its mission is to improve people’s lives. Yet it supports one of the top world dictators by a range of publications including the US magazine parade (January, 2006) and Internet publication www.DictatorOftheMonth.com. (February, 2006). Zenawi throws innocent people including opposition leaders, journalists, academics, and other innocent citizens behind the bars where they are subjected to inhuman treatment including daily torture, starvation, victimization, humiliation and tropical diseases. Powerless in the face of such a catalogue of abuses, the prisoners of conscience are denied any access to justice and essential medical attention they require for chronic diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, spinal chord pain and others.

Charged with state treason, these people have to fear for their life every day. About fifty thousands of detainees whose only fault is the courage to protest the rigged election of 2005 are kept in prison, surviving on a loaf of bread a day, forced to share a razor in the nation where the prevalence of AIDS is outrageous.  Zenawi does not hesitate to torture, imprison and kill Ethiopians to prolong the existence of his illegitimate government.

The repressed people of Ethiopia have noticed a certain discrepancy between what the World Bank says and what it does. The World Bank claims to be fighting corruption and it claims that its mission is to help reduce poverty. Yet, the bank is not hesitating to lend money to one of the top world dictators by a range of publications including the US magazine parade and Internet publication www.DictatorOftheMonth.com.  Despite repeated claims from officials that the situation is "normalizing," Ethiopia is far from peaceful and stable. According to a report done by Doctors Without Borders, more than 10 percent of children born don't survive their first year. The doctors' group estimates 5 million of the country's 69 million face chronic food shortages. Even though huge amounts of international assistance pour into the country, there is no way of knowing if it reaches those in needs.

We ask you therefore to put a stop to the atrocities committed by this criminal regime. By denying him financing, you will knock the ground from under his feet and help the Ethiopian people fighting selflessly for the overthrow of the dictator. We know that Zenawi has no scruples about sending lobbyists to world capitals in the hope to convince the world community that nothing extraordinary is happening in Ethiopia. These loyal lobbyists to Zenawi’s government use funds distributed through international programs to lobby against the voice of the Ethiopian people. Also they are circulating blatantly false accusation of the opposition leaders.

When asked about the World Bank's practice of lending to dictatorships, the former World Bank president, Jim Wolfensohn, answered "The easiest thing for me, for the bank would be to say, just wait until these countries are democratic, before lending to them." The New York Times. June 16, 2004.  Dear Mr. Wolfowitz, We hope that you will follow this same principle and give all of Ethiopian patriots hope that the cruel regime may finally be blocked from the financing sources that fuel its power and perpetuate the sufferings of thousands of Ethiopians. We ask you to pay close attention to the real facts of what is going on in our country, feel the misery of its people and take action to prevent further atrocities.

The fates of the Ethiopian people depend on you too and we ask you to use all your wisdom and compassion to decide the question of international aid. Meles Zenawi will not stop his atrocities since a person who has once committed crime of that scale is bound to slide further down the slippery slope, piling one atrocity on another. The only thing that can be done to save the Ethiopians is to remove him from power, and in this we need full support of the international community to blockade the immoral child murderer. Cancellation of international aid will be a powerful statement by the World Bank that will say “No” to ongoing massacre of innocent civilians. We ask you to translate verbal sympathy into strong practical action wielded against the government that can match Hitler’s Nazi administration in its bloody acts. Meles is financially dependent on Western governments, and ending this support will be a mighty incentive for him to consider the release of the prisoners of conscience from prisons where every day increases their chances of dying in jail due to medical negligence, starvation, inhuman conditions and could also increases their chances of leaving the jail infected with the deadly HIV virus and other tropical diseases.

For the sake of Ethiopia’s patriots kept in brutal conditions, we ask you to stop providing funds to Meles Zenawi, a heartless dictator who mercilessly destined thousands of innocent people to die in massacres and prisons. Please do this for the sake of humanity and the rights of the disadvantaged people of Ethiopia.

May God give us all the wisdom not to condone and support brutal dictatorship anywhere!! May God give us all the wisdom not to support dictators anywhere, in the name of ending global terrorism!! May God give us all the wisdom not to support dictators anywhere, in the name of defending national security interests!!!! May God bless you!!  

Respectfully & truly,

Deeply concerned citizens of Ethiopia around the world!!