by Tedla Asfaw

On Thursday June 7, 2012 Tawakkol Karman a 33 year old mother of three, a Nobel Peace Prize Co-recipient for 2011, a

From left Tawakkol Karman and Birtukan Mideksa

Yemeni Political Activist and Journalist appeared at the Institute of Politics Forum, Harvard Kennedy School. Yesterday on June 18 evening I watched the program rebroadcast on C-Span. Unfortunately I missed the live stream which would have made this piece I am writing now to be younger by ten days.

I followed Tawakkol when she came to New York in October 2011 and made a passionate speech for fellow Yemenis at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of United Nations, New York City. She reminded me of our Birtukan/Orange Mediksa both in the same age range, both mothers, both in the front line fighting for dignity and freedom. They both are not afraid of the terrorist machine of the countries they are fighting against.

Tawakkol Karman started her struggle in 2007 while Birtukan in 2005. I am not sure if they have known each other. Both know each other dictator. The dictator of Yemen Saleh and Meles Zenawi have been best close friends and Ethiopian Television showed many videos praising Saleh for the economic growth of Yemen. Saleh was praised in the West as well as in the camp of dictators as a man who fights Al Qaeda in Yemen too. I will not be surprised if Yemen TV under Saleh run videos praising Meles Zenawi.

Tawakkol Karman exposed this big lie of fighting Al Qaeda in Yemen. She said in fact Saleh’s regime worked with Al Qaeda to create fear and instability to extort more money and aid from West. She said the biggest loser from the Yemeni uprising last year was Al Qaeda because the youth joined the popular movement for freedom and dignity. Do you remember the Christmas 2006 invasion of Somalia by Meles Zenawi?

This was the same Terrorism Syndrome. Recruiting oneself as an Al Qaeda fighter to divert attention from domestic, political, economical and social crisis. Meles after defeated in May 2005 election he was on a killing rampage in June of the same year. The Arab Spring came too early for Meles Zenawi and he has to play the Al Qaeda /Al Shabab card to the Americans. Both Saleh and Meles are reading the same book. Saleh like Tawakkol might not be fluent in English but sent his message through his translators that if he is out of power Al Qaeda will take over and threaten the national interest of USA.

Saleh was forced to give his power by popular uprising early this year but still not booked for his crime. Meles Zenawi the English Version of Saleh still enjoying party with the world leaders. This year alone he showed up at G8 in USA last month, he is in Mexico beaming with smile at this very moment. The shock treatment he got on May 18 at Regan Building in DC had not produced physical damage like his good friend Saleh who was toasted by bomb blast in Yemen.

Meles Zenawi is damaged from inside no doubt. His handlers are encouraging him to take it easy for the next three years until he recruits a man or woman to his throne. Tawakkol Karman never accepted power to be transferred from Saleh to his family members.The Yemeni people struggle will continue until Saleh and his cronies are out of power for good and all of them held accountable for their crimes.

Tawakkol might have embarrassed the USA policy makers who were dancing with Saleh since 9/11 as a man to work with at the expense of the Yemeni people. She told the audience that Al Qaeda can only be defeated by the people of Yemen not by Obama’s Drone. The empowered youth of Yemen is a bulwark against Al Qaeda. The beneficiaries from Al Qaeda are people like Saleh and Meles Zenawi who have fooled the West since 9/11.

The brave people of Yemen with a young generations of leaders are on their way to get their dignity and freedom. There should not be any compromise with a known human right abuser and killer regime of Meles Zenawi. Meles will preach until his demise without him the Horn of Africa will explode. Horn of Africa has been without peace for the last two decades because of people like him.

This was a good moment missed by Seye Abraha. As a student of the faculty and an experienced person he got an opportunity to ask question that matters for both Yemen and Ethiopia. I am sure he met Saleh when he was the Woyane General. He knows his old buddy Meles Zenawi has much in common with Saleh.. Both were challenged by women. Tawwakkol succeed in removing her dictator while our woman Birtukan Medikssa is not even free to lead her people here in the Diaspora. What does Tawakkol have got which Birtukan missed ? Nothing, Birtukan’s /Orange softness towards our dictators needs to be replaced with Tawakkol/Lemon Sour Approach. No compromise with our freedom and dignity.

This shift from “Orange” to “Lemon” can easily be achieved if men like Seye Abraha stand in unison in public with fellow Ethiopian woman leader like Birtukan Mediksa who paid dearly for the struggle. If we do not practice democracy in a free institution like Harvard and show the quality of our leadership how can we counter the allegations many Ethiopians have towards former Woyane leaders like Seye Abraha? When was the last time we heard from Seye Abraha? Many things has happened since then.