Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel disinvited from King birthday celebration

Hailu Shawel disinvited from King birthday celebration
December 21st, 2007 |
The Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday celebration organizing committee in Atlanta disinvited the estranged chairman of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) from giving a speech.
The committee decided to take this action after learning about Ato Hailu's dictatorial action last week against members of the Kinijit executive committee.
The committee instead invited Prof. Alemayehu Gebremariam to address the gathering in Atlanta to celebrate the civil right leader's birthday on January 15, 2008.
Martin Luther King's birthday is a federal holiday in the United States.
Ato Assefa Dires, who introduced himself as Hailu Shawel's "chief of staff," appealed the committee's decision to the King family and friends, including prominent civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery. He argued that Hailu Shawel is still the chairman of Kinijit. As evidence he presented Kinijit spokesperson Dr Hailu Araya's interview with the VOA earlier this week. Chief of Staff Assefa was simply told that Ato Hailu's action is contrary to the teachings and principles of the civil rights community.
When Kinijit delegation led by Bertukan Mideksa went to Atlanta in October, they had visited the King Center and met with Rev. Joseph Lowery and other members of the civil rights community in Atlanta.

Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel gang disrupted Kiniit council meeting in Addis Ababa

Hailu Shawel gang disrupted Kiniit council meeting in Addis Ababa
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/1663
http://www.zikkir.com/zena/2007/zikkirNewsService12232007.pdf
December 23rd, 2007 |
A group of unknown individuals claiming to be followers of Hailu Shawel blocked Kinijit supreme council members from entering their party's office to attend today's emergency meeting. Some of the individuals pushed around Dr Hailu Araya and Ato Muluneh Eyoel, and tried to take away their cellphones. The security guards also told the council members to go way saying that the office belongs to AEUP, not Kinijit. Ethiopian Review will interview Kinijit spokesperson today at 2:00 PM EST. The interview can be listened live at
ዝክር የዜና Aግልግሎት
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የቅንጅት Aመራር የድብደባ ሙከራ ተደረገበት
በዛሬው Eለት ቸርችል ጎዳና በሚገኘው የቅንጅት ለAንድነትና ለዴሞክራሲ ቢሮ ጉባኤውን ሊያካሂድ
የነበረው ቁጥሩ ከሃያ በላይ የሚሆን የፓርቲው የላEላይ ም/ቤት Aባል የመIAድ Aባላት ነን በሚሉና
ቁጥራቸው ከ15 በማያንስ ወጣቶች የድብደባ ሙከራ ተደርጎበት ተበተነ ፡፡ጉዳዩን ሲከታተሉ የነበሩ
የAከባቢው ነዋሪዎች Aይዟችሁ ሲሉ ተደምጠዋል፡፡
ከቀኑ በ 8፡00 ሰAት ጀምሮ በቢሮው በራፍ ላይ ጉባዔውን ሊያካሂዱ የተሰባሰቡት የላEላይ ም/ቤት Aባላት
የጽ/ቤቱ በር Eንዲከፈት ያደረጉት ሙከራ Aልተሳካም፡፡ዋና ጸሀፊው Aቶ ሙሉነህና ዶ/ር ሃይሉ AርAያ
ቢሯችንን ክፈቱልን ቢሉም ‹‹Eነማን ናችሁ? Aናውቃችሁም!››የሚል Aስገራሚ ምላሽ ከጥበቃዎቹ
ተሰጥቷቸዋል፡፡
በዚህ ሁኔታ ያዘኑት የላEላይ ም/ቤት Aባላት ቀጥሎ የተፈጸመውን ነገር ፈጽሞ Aልጠረጠሩም ነበር፡፡15
የሚሆኑ ወጣቶች ከቢሯችን በር ላይ ሂዱ በማለት Aመባጓሮ Aስነሱ፡፡ሶስት ወጣቶች ዶ/ር ኀይሉን መገፍተር
ጀመሩ፡፡በዚህ ወቅት ቃል Aቀባዩ ፍጹም በተረጋጋ መንፈስ ‹‹የኔ ልጆች Eናንተ Eነማን ናችሁ?
የምትፈልጉትስ ምንድነው? ››የሚል ጥያቄ Aቀረቡ፡፡ምላሹ በዙርያው ሁኔታውን የሚከታተለውን ህዝብ
ያሳቀ ነበር፡፡
‹‹Eኛ መIAዶች ነን፡፡መሪያችን ጀግናው ሃይሉ ሻውል ነው፣Aሁን ቢሯችንን ልቀቁ ያለበለዚያ…››ከማለት
Aልፈው በትህትና Eያናገሯቸው ያሉትን ኀይሉን ሞባይል ለመንጠቅ ሞከሩ፡፡ዶ/ር በፍቃዱ ማህል ገብተው
ለመገላገል ሲሞክሩ ጉዳዩ የለየለት Aምባጓሮ መሰለ፡፡በሌላ በኩል የAቶ ሙሉነህ Iዩኤልን ሞባይል
ለመንጠቅ የሚታገሉ ወጣቶች ታዩ፡፡
በጽህፈት ቤቱ በር ላይ የነበሩት ጥበቃዎች ከወጣቶቹ ጋር ያደርጉ የነበረው ምልክታዊ ንግግር ደግሞ በጣም
Aሳፋሪው ገመና ነበር፡፡ዘጋቢያችን ያነጋገራቸው ዶ/ር ሃይሉ ትግላችን በዚህ የሚኮላሽ የመሰላቸው ወገኖች
ካሉ በግዜ ተስፋ ቢቆርጡ ይሻላል ሲሉ በጽናት Eንደሚታገሉ ገልጸዋል፡፡የላEላይ ም/ቤት Aባሉ Aቶ
ታምራት ታረቀኝ በበኩላቸው ይህ ክስተት የተወሰኑ የፓርቲው Aባላት የሚፈጽሙት Eርባን የለሽ ተግባር
መሆኑን በመግለጽ በትግሉ ላይ የሚያመጣው ለውጥ Eንደሌለ Aስታውቀዋል፡፡
በሚቀጥለው ሳምንት ተመሳሳይ ጉባኤ Eንደሚደረግና ኮረም የማይሞላ ከሆነ Aንድ ተጨማሪ ሳምንት ተሰጥቶ
ጉዳዩ Eንደሚቋጭና ህዝባዊ ትግሉ በስፋት Eንደሚቀጥል ስራ Aስፈጻሚው ገልጻል፡፡

Elias Kifle on Guad Hailu Shawel's 'Yefiyel Wotete'

Guad Hailu Shawel's 'Yefiyel Wotete'
December 12th, 2007 |
Web sites affiliated with Woyanne and the Iyasu Alemayehu faction of EPRP are reporting that the estranged chairman of Kinijit, Ato Hailu Shawel, has issued a decree suspending Wzt. Bertukan Mideksa and four other top Kinijit leaders
Guad Hailu's decree (issued from his mansion in Minnesota) was read first at an EPRP-linked paltalk room. Then instantly it was posted on Woyanne and EPRP web sites such as debteraw. A few hours later, a web site hijacked by Hailu Shawel's friend, Ato Moges Brook, posted the seven-page statement that sounded like it came from ጊዜያዊ ወታደራዊ አስተዳደር ደርግ (Gizeawi Wotaderawi Asterdader Derg), with 'የፍየል ወጠጤ' ('Yefiyel Wotete') playing in the background.
The statement signed by Ato Hailu Shawel is nothing but an indictment against himself for it revealed how reckless and outlaw — not to mention out of touch with reality — he and his corrupt friends are.
In light of this latest development, the Kinijit Council must meet immediately and start a proceeding to impeach and remove Ato Hailu Shawel. He has done enough damage not only to Kinijit, but also to the struggle for democracy in Ethiopia, in general. If the Council fails to do that, i.e., enforce its own rules, it might as well disband itself.

Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel's house in Addis up for rent

Hailu Shawel's house in Addis up for rent
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/1706
http://www.zikkir.com/zena/?p=99
January 4th, 2008 | 6 Comments
The estranged chairman of Kinijit has put up his huge house in Addis Ababa for rent. The asking monthly rate is $6,500 USD (60,000 birr). This has intensified the speculation that Ato Hailu will not return to Ethiopia
የኃይሉ ሻውል መመለስ አጠራጣሪ ሆኗል
አምስት የቅንጅት ለአንድነትና ለዴሞክራሲ የስራ አስፈጻሚ አባላትን ከፓርቲው ህገ ደንብ ውጭ አግጃለሁ በማለት ህዝባዊው ድርጅት በገዢው ፓርቲ እየተፈጸመበት የነበረውን የማፍረስ ጥረት ከፍተኛ እገዛ የሰጡት ኃይሉ ሻውል ወደ አገር ቤት የመመለሳቸው ጉዳይ አጠራጣሪ መሆኑን የቅርብ ምንጮች አመለከቱ፡፡
ሊቀ መንበሩን መመለስ ከሚጠራጠሩት ወገኖች አንደኛው በቀድሞው የመኢአድ ጽ/ቤት በመሆን የአቶ ኃይሉን ትእዛዝ የሚያስፈጽሙት አባላት ጭምር መሆናቸው ጉዳዩን አስገራሚ አድርጎታል፡፡ በጽ/ቤቱ በሚደረጉ የውይይት አጀንዳዎች ላይም ይህ ሃሳብ ተነስቶ እንደማያውቅ ማንነታቸው እንዲገለጽ ያለፈለጉ የቅርብ ወዳጆቻቸው ገልጸዋል፡፡
በተለይ ሰሞኑን ሳሪስ አቦ የሚገኘውን የአቶ ኃይሉን ቤት ለማከራየት በደላሎች አማካይነት እየተደረገ ያለው ጥረት አቶ ኃይሉ መኖርያቸውን በዘላቂነት በአሜሪካ ሊያደርጉ ይችላሉ የሚለውን ጥርጣሬ አጉልቶታል፡፡ለዚህ የመኖርያ ቤት የተጠየቀው የኪራይ መጠን 60 ሺህ ብር (U.S. $6,500 በወር) ያህል መሆኑን የተከራይ አፈላላጊዎቹ ገልጸውልናል፡፡
ይህ በእንዲህ እንዳለ የፓርቲውን ሃላፊነት ተረክቦ ወሳኝ እንቅስቃሴዎችን የጀመረው የቅንጅት ለአንድነትና ለዴሞክራሲ ፓርቲ የስራ አስፈጻሚ አካል በእሁዱ ላእላይ ም/ቤት አባላት የተላለፉትን ውሳኔዎች ለማስፈጸም ከፍተኛ እንቅስቃሴ የጀመረ ሲሆን በትናንትናው እለት በመሰብሰብ በተግባራዊ ሂደቶች ዙርያ በሚያከናውናቸው አጀንዳዎች ዙርያ መክሯል፡፡

Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel's family business thriving under Woyanne

Hailu Shawel's family business thriving under Woyanne
December 18th, 2007 |
Shawel Consulting, Hailu Shawel's family business based in Addis Ababa, is one of the few thriving companies in Ethiopia that are successfully competing with Sebhat Nega's EFFORT and Al Amoudi's Midrock.
ER Research Unit in Addis Ababa has learned that recently, the Woyanne regime's deputy prime minister, Addisu Legesse, has helped Hailu Shawel's company, Shawel Consulting Firm, land a lucrative contract in the 'Amhara Killil' to upgrade Bahr Dar Airport.
Shawel's Consulting Firm started to get lucrative government contract particularly since 2006, according to ER Research Unit.
Prior to 2006, the company and Hailu Shawel's family were on a downward spiral financially, sources told ER Research Unit. Until the Summer of 2006, the Shawel family could not even keep up with the mortgage of their $600,000 house in Edina, Minnesota. Ato Hailu's close family friend in Los Angeles, Ato Moges Brook, had to pay over $15,000 mortgage from Kinijit's account that he and Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew control.

Hailu Shawel's $600,000 house in Edina, Minnesota
Recently, however, the family business is thriving. On top of the airport upgrade contract in the "Amhara Killil," Hailu Shawel's firm is currently working on another multimillion dollar construction project to build a large shopping mall. ER Research Unit is working to get more details and photos of this project.
Ato Hailu Shawel and Company have also been promised by Woyanne that they can freely operate in any part of Ethiopia and prepare for the next election as long as they do not use the name Kinijit. Ato Hailu has accepted the offer, but had to find a pretext to withdraw from Kinijit without causing himself and his group a public backlash. Before he departed for the U.S., he held meetings with former AEUP officials and created various committees that are assigned the task of reorganizing AEUP.
Asked by Kinijit officials Bertukan Mideksa and others why a bank account was opened under AEUP and the office rental contract was also renewed under AEUP, Ato Abayneh Berhanu and other colleagues of Hailu Shawel answered that Woyanne would not allow them to operate under Kinijit. When making such a decision, Ato Abayneh did not bother to consult with the Kinijit executive committee.
Currently, Ato Hailu Shawel and Company are busy preparing to participate in the upcoming local elections in April 2008 under the AEUP banner. Several teams have been dispatched to various woredas (districts) through out the country to re-open AEUP offices. Even the exiled Dr Taye Woldesemayat is returning to Ethiopia to help with preparations for the upcoming elections. He told Hailu Shawel's supporters at the Paltalk's Diaspora Room on Sunday that he is planning to go to Ethiopia soon.
All this is done by Hailu Shawel and gang while lying to the public that Kinijit is united. What these fools don't know is that, after they help Woyanne destroy Kinijit, Woyanne will turn on them. Woyannes have promised themselves never again to allow the 2005 type of election where international observers will be present.
All Hailu Shawel's corruption, business dealings with Addisu Legesse and other Woaynnes, reorganizing of AEUP, the campaign to dismantle Kinijit, etc. are not secret to Wzt. Bertukan and her friends. It is just that they are too timid to expose them. Wzt. Bertukan and crew are too nice to be politicians. Why don't they open a book store and smile all day? They have turned out to be ragdolls in the face of an all out assault by the AEUP feudalists-Woyanne-EPRP unholy alliance. As far as ER is concerned, they are toast — unless they clean up their act and start fighting back.

Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel gets a no confidence vote by Ethiopians in DC

Hailu Shawel gets a no confidence vote by Ethiopians in DC
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/1324
October 14th, 2007 |
Ethiopians in Washington DC said NO to dictatorship
Ethiopians in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area told Hailu Shawel on Sunday in no uncertain term that they do not support dictatorship.
The people expressed their opposition to dictatorship by not showing up at a public meeting organized by the Shaleqa-EPRP alliance (KIC) for Ato Hailu Shawel.
According to Ethiopian Review sources who were inside the meeting hall, only 300-400 people showed up. Of those who showed up, many of them were relatives and close family friends of Ato Hailu Shawel and his circle of crooked friends who have come from out of town. Ato Mogus Brook and friends have come all the way from Los Angeles for the meeting. Some of Shaleqa Yoseph's friends from Dallas have also been observed. The rest were EPRP members in the Washington DC area and Mirchaw Sinishaw's church members (yes, he has his own church named 'Urael' and a young priest).
The planned protest rally had been called off by the organizers after they observed that there were very few people who were coming to the meeting. Ato Hailu Shawel himself arrived two hours late. But there were 27 Washington DC police officers with riot gear on a stand by.
The audience was told that questions can be submitted only in writing. But later on, toward the end of the meeting, the moderator, Dr Taye, allowed six questions by those whom he hand picked. There was no effort by the organizers to even fake that it was a democratic meeting.
The funniest part of the event is the fund raising. Dr Taye announced that $120,000 have been pledged. This figure includes fake pledges ($1,000s, $5,000s and more) from paltalk rooms. An EPRP web site (ethiolion) pledged $1,000. Members of the KIC donated about $20,000 (recycling the money they stole from Kinijit). Wzr. Nigest G/Hiwot, whom Dr Taye brought from Ethiopia for the meeting, was promised two cars — one from New York and another from some where in Europe. Wzr. Nigest is scheduled to visit and hold similar meetings in about ten other cities. The way things are going, she can open her own car dealership and stay in the U.S.
Dr Taye was buying all these fake pledges from around the world, including some non-existent European country, and proudly announcing them at the public meeting. Where did Taye get his ph.d.? He should ask for refund.
There was also a financial report. Of the $1.2 million that the Shaleqa group diverted, only $12,000 remain, according to the report.
Ato Hailu made his speech 4 hours after the meeting started. It is hard to understand what message he was trying to convey. He was unfocused and incoherent. The medicines he is taking may be affecting him.
Sunday's meeting was aggressively promoted by the EPRP web sites and radio programs. Every known EPRP member was present at the meeting. Without the participation of EPRP members, there would have been less than 100 old people. Even with EPRP's participation, the average age of the audience is no less than 65 years old. Renaissance Hotel looked more like a nursing home on Sunday afternoon.
KIC (the new Derg) did not allow taking pictures, but Ethiopian Review was able to sneak out these photos below.

Elias Kifle on Hailu Shawel arrives in DC where he faces angry Ethiopians

Hailu Shawel arrives in DC where he faces angry Ethiopians
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/2316
October 12th, 2007 |
Kinijit chairman Hailu Shawel has arrived in Washington DC Friday night. He was received at the Washington Reagan Airport by his friends, Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew and Ato Mirchaw Sinishaw.
Ato Hailu came to Washington DC to participate in a public meeting organized by the anti-Kinijit Shaleqa-EPRP alliance.
Earlier Friday, the Renaissance Hotel where the public meeting scheduled to be held had canceled the meeting over security concerns. But in the afternoon, the hotel’s manager for events (Tel: 202 898 9000) decided to reconsider her decision after being given a reassurance from the organizers.
The Sunday public meeting is being boycotted by all groups and most individuals that are affiliated with Kinijit, including Kinijit DC Metropolitan Area chapter.
Before coming to Washington DC, Ato Hailu was busy in the past two days making phone calls to former members of AAPO in the Washington DC area inviting them to meet with him privately Sunday night or Monday. Many of those whom he contacted turned down his invitation and expressed to him their disappointment at what he is doing.
Kinijit supporters in the Washington DC area are also organizing a protest rally outside the Renaissance Hotel on Sunday to:
1) Express disappointment at what Ato Hailu Shawel is doing — his recent dictatorial actions and attempt to cover up the Shaleqa group’s corruption.
2) Demand that Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew & Co. return the Kinijit funds that they stole and diverted to their personal accounts.
3) To ask Dr Taye Woldesemayat and EPRP to stop trying to divide Kinijit.
The protest rally will start at 1:30 PM in front of the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, Washington DC.
Sunday’s public meeting in Washington DC will be the first one where an Ethiopian opposition party leader to face protestors. All of those who will take part in the protest rally are the same Ethiopians who had been carrying Ato Hailu’s photos and marching in the streets of Washington DC appealing for his release from Woyanne jail just a few months ago. Those who are surrounding him now are those who were attacking him and the other jailed Kinijit leaders just as recently.
Ato Hailu Shawel’s current betrayal of his supporters and colleagues bring memories of his betrayal of Professor Asrat Woldeyes several years ago. After quitting the All Amhara People’s Organization (AAPO) over a minor disagreement, when Professor Asrat was languishing in jail for six years, Ato Hailu did not visit him even once in jail, and had never participated in any type of activity to help release the professor. For six years when Prof. Asrat languished in jail, Ato Hailu was making money and becoming a millionaire, without spending one minute of his time in politics. After Prof. Asrat died, Ato Hailu maneuvered his way back to the AAPO using his money. Once he became chairman of the AAPO, he had systematically pushed out most of the independent thinking leaders of the AAPO, including Ato Wondayehu Kassa, Ato Ali Indris, Col. Getahun Ejigu, and Ato Girma EnquSelassie. Many of these individuals had languished in Woyanne jails along with Prof. Asrat for several years.
Ato Hailu Shawel has also betrayed those of us who trusted him, and placed our hopes on him to provide an honest, principled, corruption free leadership. We were led to believe that he is a trust worthy, fair minded individual, a consistent, strong, unwavering leader. Little did we know that we were hoping against hope when all the signs were there — his crude betrayal of Prof. Asrat and all the other AAPO leaders. We were indeed fooling ourselves. The way things are unfolding now, it may turn out that he is the father of all corruptions, nepotism and bigotry.
As we look deeper into Ato Hailu’s past in trying to understand his current behavior, what we are finding is that his trail of betrayal, as well as his dictatorial behavior, goes way back. We will leave that for the history books. But what is now obvious is that when Ato Hailu told BBC’s Hard Talk two years ago that Ethiopians are double faced, we are now discovering that he was talking about himself.