{"id":1958,"date":"2018-09-13T11:54:54","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T11:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/?p=1958"},"modified":"2018-09-13T12:03:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-13T12:03:26","slug":"as-a-new-leader-rises-in-ethiopia-its-diaspora-dares-to-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/?p=1958","title":{"rendered":"As a new leader rises in Ethiopia, its diaspora dares to dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Rebecca Tan<\/a>\u00a0– September 12, 2018 at 6:00 AM – published on the Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ethiopians sing and dance ahead of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s speech at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington on July 28. (Salwan Georges\/The Washington Post)<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The last time Neamin Zeleke saw home was in 1986. He was 16, dressed in his only suit, waiting for a plane in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that would take him to the United States for high school.<\/p>\n

With a repressive communist regime running his country, he never returned. Instead, he settled in the Washington suburbs and remained there as the decades passed and the old dictatorship was replaced by a new one. He raised a family in Virginia and lost contact with relatives at home.<\/p>\n

Then in February, after three years of mounting unrest, Ethiopia\u2019s prime minister resigned. Abiy Ahmed, an outspoken 42-year-old reformer,\u00a0took office<\/a>. Since then, there has been a wave of stunning change.<\/p>\n

Abiy has lifted a long-standing state of emergency, ended a decades-old conflict with neighboring Eritrea and called for Ethiopia to transition into a multiparty democracy. For the many Ethiopians who fled the country during the long years of autocracy, the reforms have revived a dream they once thought impossible: going home.<\/p>\n

It was particularly unlikely for people like Zeleke, a leader in a resistance movement who agitated for change from abroad. In 2013, he was branded a terrorist by Ethiopia’s ruling party and sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison. He decided that even calling his mother was too dangerous for her; they haven\u2019t spoken in six years.<\/p>\n

But now Zeleke is dreaming. In August, he bought a plane ticket to Ethiopia, planning to surprise his mother, celebrate the Ethiopian New Year on Sept. 11 and visit relatives he hasn’t seen since he was a child. But after years as an activist, he is also clear-eyed about the challenges that lie ahead.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sixteen-year-old Neamin Zeleke stands outside Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1986, just hours before flying to the United States. Like thousands in the Ethiopian diaspora, Zeleke has never considered returning home until now. (Neamin Zeleke\/)<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Moves meant to expand political freedoms have also allowed old ethnic grievances to flare up, leading to\u00a0a new spate of violence<\/a>. The institutions that propped up the previous administration have been\u00a0working to undermine Abiy’s reforms<\/a>. “Even though they have lost power, we know they have money and guns,\u201d Zeleke said.<\/p>\n

But Zeleke is still eager to go back. “There\u2019s much to be done,” he said. “We have a new nation to build.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We were so mad for so long\u2019<\/h2>\n

That eagerness is common in the area around Washington, which is home to the\u00a0largest Ethiopian community\u00a0<\/a>in the world outside Africa \u2014 and some of the fiercest critics of Ethiopia’s rulers.<\/p>\n

Whenever news of a brutal government crackdown emerged, groups of Ethiopians staged protests outside the State Department or the Ethiopian Embassy. In recent years, Washington-area Ethiopians led a growing movement to provide accurate information about what was going on in the country, launching blogs and online television stations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so mad for so long,\u201d said Kenfe Bellay, a 61-year-old who lives in Silver Spring, Md.,<\/p>\n

Bellay fled Ethiopia in 1976 after the communist regime confiscated his father\u2019s farm and family home. He eventually settled in the United States and has regularly attended protests and candlelight vigils in Washington, hoping to raise awareness of human rights violations in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Supporters of the pro-communist Ethiopian Workers’ Party wave in front of portraits of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin in Addis Ababa in 1987 as they celebrate the anniversary of the Ethiopian revolution led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. (Alexander Joe\/AFP\/Getty Images\/)<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

On a humid evening in July, Bellay shuddered as he recalled the stories he had heard over the years \u2014 dissidents jailed by the regime, opponents tortured and unarmed protesters massacred.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt hurts, of course,\u201d he said. \u201cIt hurts no matter where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zeleke, as a member of a resistance group called Patriotic Ginbot 7, traveled throughout the United States and Europe to meet exiled political leaders and lobby international organizations to exert pressure on the Ethiopian government. He spoke regularly to PG7 members operating clandestinely in Ethiopia. When the group’s secretary general, Andargachew Tsege, was abducted in Yemen in 2014, Zeleke flew to Eritrea for weeks and months at a time to mobilize armed resistance units.<\/p>\n

Andargachew is now a free man \u2014 he and hundreds of other political prisoners were released by Abiy in May. Zeleke watched on television as his old friend was welcomed by rapturous crowds in the streets of Addis Ababa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve invested so much time, energy and money on this,” he said. “Now I feel, finally, I feel that part of what I\u2019ve struggled and sacrificed for is in the process of materializing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The optimism is deeply tied to the figure of Abiy, whose charisma and reforms have\u00a0captivated many Ethiopians<\/a>\u00a0abroad. “You know, I used to watch movies after work. Now I just watch YouTube videos of Dr. Abiy,\u201d said Tibebu Hailemariam, 50, the vice president of the Ethiopian Community Center of Maryland.<\/p>\n

Bellay admitted that he is also prone to flipping through news items about Abiy while he mans the counter at Sidamo Coffee & Tea, the coffee shop he owns in Northeast Washington. Everyone he knows, he said, has been talking about the new prime minister for months.<\/p>\n

So when Abiy announced in July that he would tour the United States, his visit quickly dominated the attention of the community here. Ethiopians from as far away as Florida and Colorado booked tickets to Washington, where Abiy was scheduled to speak at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on July 28. Hailemariam visited the embassy multiple times in the hope of finding a way to participate.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on July 28. (Salwan Georges\/The Washington Post)<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The excitement swelled during the week of Abiy\u2019s \u201cgrand rally.\u201d Groups crowded into the lobby of the Watergate Hotel, where Abiy was staying, hoping to get an early glimpse of the new prime minister. Dozens of Ethiopian restaurants in the region prepared their kitchens to host parties scheduled for Saturday night, while those at home pored over road maps to determine the best routes into the city.<\/p>\n

When the morning of July 28 finally arrived, the line to see Abiy wrapped several times around the block. Families driving in from North Carolina and New Jersey honked their car horns and rolled down windows to high-five performers swaying their hips along Mount Vernon Place; those waiting in line cracked open plastic containers of curries and injera bread to share with neighbors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just like back home,\u201d said Fekadu Amanu, 46, who was standing near the front of the line with his three young children.<\/p>\n

Abiy’s speech,\u00a0delivered that afternoon<\/a>\u00a0in a packed and raucous hall, called for unity and the support of the diaspora in rebuilding Ethiopia. But the words were seemingly less important than his presence and what it signified.<\/p>\n

Bellay, stuck behind the counter at his shop, was not part of the jubilant crowd at the rally. But even at work, he said, the atmosphere felt different. Ethiopians streamed into the shop all afternoon to share stories of the speech and sip coffee; when Bellay traveled home to Silver Spring \u2014 the Washington area’s “Little Ethiopia” \u2014 there were large groups of people celebrating in the streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really exciting,” Hailemariam said. “I\u2019m 50 years old, and I\u2019ve never seen people like this. It\u2019s pure love.”<\/p>\n

Even Zeleke’s remaining doubts were erased after a two-hour meeting between Abiy and PG7 leaders in the evening following the rally. \u201cThe candor, the openness with which he shared details about the transition was astounding,” Zeleke said.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re very happy with what they\u2019ve managed to do in this 100 days. There\u2019s much to be done, but the progress has been very impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The road home<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

For Washington\u2019s Ethiopian community, the rally weekend in July was an unbridled celebration. But in the days and weeks that have followed, many in the diaspora have been left wondering how they will fit into this new era of Ethiopian history.<\/p>\n

Even with Abiy\u2019s open invitation, the path home is not straightforward. Zeleke hopes to return permanently someday. But with three school-age children who speak little Amharic, a visit of a few weeks is all he manage for now. Bellay, who has two daughters in college, is excited for his own trip back, but he believes there\u2019s nothing left for him in Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a home anymore. It was taken. I don\u2019t have anywhere to go, and my family, we dispersed years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ethiopians sing and dance ahead of a speech by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in July. (Salwan Georges\/The Washington Post)<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Hailemariam is more seriously considering the move back, but he also has worries. \u201cMoving to Ethiopia is very exciting, but I have to find my place first,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t go there and be a burden, so I need to see where can I contribute, what place and in what capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ethiopians abroad plan their next steps, they will probably look to those who have already dared to leave the United States for good. One of them is 36-year-old Mohammed Ademo, who until recently was one of the most prominent government critics in the diaspora.<\/p>\n

After spending 16 years in exile, Ademo saw Abiy\u2019s rise to power as an opportunity he couldn\u2019t miss. In June, just three months after Abiy took office, the journalist relinquished his status as an asylum seeker in the United States and booked a one-way ticket to Addis Ababa, leaving his wife and their 2-year-old son in Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony of it is I\u2019ve been away from my immediate family for 16 years, and the only family I had in the U.S. was my wife and my son. Now I\u2019m with my family, but my son and my wife are away,\u201d Ademo said by telephone from Addis Ababa. \u201cIt\u2019s hard, but this requires some level of sacrifice. If we want this country to change, we have to make these tough decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of work that needs to be done, Ademo admitted. But at least for now, he\u2019s taking a moment to relish being back.<\/p>\n

“It feels finally like this is mine,\u201d he said, the sounds of rain and conversation humming in the background. \u201cI enjoyed living in the U.S. \u2026 but I never really felt quite at home. Now I feel liberated. I truly, truly feel at home.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\nBy\u00a0Rebecca Tan\u00a0– September 12, 2018 at 6:00 AM – published on the Washington Post Ethiopians sing and dance ahead of…\n<\/div>\n
Continue reading “As a new leader rises in Ethiopia, its diaspora dares to dream”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-views-and-opinions","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1958"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1966,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions\/1966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyberethiopia.com\/2013\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}