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.