ethioguide.com
Tumultuous Crowd Greets Ethiopia's Athletes
Back from the Sydney OlympicsStarting in my neighborhood which is near the Sar Beits, the streets are crowded with pedestrians wearing or waving the Ethiopian flag. Most vehicles are draped with the flag also.
Past Mexico Square, at the turn to the National Theater, a traffic cop stops me but waves me on when I tell him I am a journalist. A little further on another cop stops then waves me on. But by now the crowd is getting thick. I decide to park at the Ghion Hotel and walk over to the square. As I approached the square, a huge roar went up in reaction to what was being said on the PA.
Meskel Square was a sea of people as far as the eye can see. But it was surprisingly easy to move to the front. I suspect people who have been in the sun for hours were leaving.
Haile addressed the people, urging them to use the same type of excellence shown at the Olympics to other endeavors in the country. The crowd responded enthusiastically.
The grandstand was draped with a sign that read, "Ethiopia's reputation as a land of drought and famine would be erased with our Olympic victory."
I wanted to do a couple of interviews to get a small sampling of the crowd's feelings. I turned to a man who identified himself as Girma Gebreselassie, 27..
Girma Gebreselassie"Are you related to Haile?"
"By blood, because we're both Ethiopians," Girma laughed.
"Why are you here?"
"Love of country."
"What do you think will come of this?"
"I hope the world will change their view of us."
"What do you think this will do to the relationship between the people and the government?"
"The people have love and they want unity and they want to advance the country. But they need somebody to lead. The people's voice must be heard. The people want unity even though we're from different nationalities. As the prime minister said the other day, that's why we didn't become like Kosovo and the Soviet Union. In the constitution, there is Article 39 which gives the rights of secession but no one has tried to use it. I think it works."
"Do you think this government is leading the country in the right direction?"
"I think it's a good start. You can't change things overnight."
"Has your situation changed since this government came to power? What do you do for a living?"
"I work in construction. Yes, I am better off. I am working. There is work if you don't look down on work."
"Well, perhaps you feel this way because of your ethnic background."
"No, I am an Oromo from Arsi. Haile is also from Arsi."
"Do you have a wife, kids?"
"No, but I do have a fiancee."
Molla Bietew
As I was speaking to Girma, another man was listening to our conversation. I turned to him and said, "Would you like to talk to me? I would like to get diverse opinions."
The man introduced himself as Molla Bietew, 23.
When I asked Molla what he thought of the political situation, he appeared reluctant.
"Is it a problem for you to talk, maybe because of your family? Because if that's the case, I totally understand."
"It's not that, I just didn't understand what you're asking," he said.
"Well, I am writing for readers outside Ethiopia and they want to know what the average person on the streets thinks about the country's current situation. You heard what the person I just spoke to said. I am trying to get diverse opinions. I just can't say this is the way people think by talking to one person. So. Do you think this country is on the right road?"
"I will say we're on the right road."
"Has your opinion about the government changed?"
"I didn't really understand them when they first came, but after the victory over Shabia and now, I think there is hope for the future."
"Is your life better now that it was during the Derg?"
"Well, I was young during those times. But I came from the countryside where I was living with my family and I am going to school here. I go to Addis Ketema.""Where are you from?"
"Gojam."
"I thought you were Oromo. Isn't your name Bito?"
"No, Bietew."
"So what are your hopes for the future?"
"See, my father is an artist and that's what I wanted to do, too."
Taddesse Wedo
The third person I interviewed was Ato Taddesse Wedo, 46. He was a teacher from Awassa who was in Addis for business.
"I am truly overjoyed by what our athletes have done. Especially Haile who is a great hero to me. I think Derartu was also amazing. I am very proud to be Ethiopian," Taddesse said.
I then asked him what he thought of the current political climate.
"The political climate is good," he said. "But we need a political irque reconciliation."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, mistakes were made in the past but we've got to move on."
"What mistakes? Who made the mistakes?"
"During Haile Selassie's time and during the Derg."
"You think the government should forgive those involved in those governments?"
"Yes, we should move on."
"Even those involved in the Red Terror?"
"No, those who committed crimes should be tried for them. I am talking about those in trouble because of their politics."
I thanked Ato Taddesse and headed over to Ghion to pick up my car. There I discovered the athletes were also brought there.
There is marathon bronze medalist Tesfaye Tola.
I walked over.
