Ethiopia air force chief sacked signaling the escalating factional rivalry

November 5/2012 (Gulele Post): In a sign of growing rift between rival factions of the the ruling elites, Ethiopian air force chief General Molla Hailemariam has been fired from his post. He is said to have been replaced by General Mehari Tekele , who is reportedly of Eritrean descent.

The cracks are developing along the old fault-line of Tigreans of Eritrean origin versus those from Tigray (the so called authentic Tigreans).

Such cleavage has been with the organization from the very beginning culminating in 2001 with the departure of Seeye’s camp after accusing Meles of not taking tougher stances on Eritrea because of his blood ties.

After purging and sidelining the “authentic Tigreans,” Zenawi surrounded himself with those accused of deep Eritrean connections.Following his demise earlier this year, the old guard has rehabilitated several officers and political operatives that were purged during the 2001 rift.

Prominent among them is Colonel Ataklti Berhe,who was engaged in a public spat with Meles by threatening to march to Asmara during the war,  and Bitew Belay, the former minister of federal affairs. Belay was mostly known for his unofficial title as the ruler of the Southern region.

These developments indicate that the “Tigrean” faction is attempting to regroup in order to assert itself and fill the void left by Meles.But so far, the Eritrean faction led by Bereket Simon, the Minister of Communications, appears to be in command of most of the institutions of power.

The decision to appoint an officer of  Eritrean descent to the helm of the air force might be a preemptive strike by Bereket and Samora Yunus to reduce the growing influence of the rival factions. But this strategy is likely to backfire and galvanize the ‘authentic Tigreans’.  Bereket’s recent statement on Eritrean paltalk room saying the disputed town of Badme belonged to Eritrea has already enraged Tigrean nationalists.  If the factional tension continues on the current path,  its likely that,  in order to solidify their support in Tigray and rally the rest of Ethiopia on their side by driving up nationalism, the ’Tigrean” faction   would instigate another war with Eritrea.

The struggle between the factions is also blamed for obstructing Hailemariam from presenting his own cabinet to the parliament. Two cabinet posts, the portfolios of Foreign Affair and Civil Service remain vacant. The two factions are fighting particularly over the post of foreign ministry. The ‘Eritreans’ want to give the post to an Oromo in order win back OPDO  which, enraged at Bereket’s interference in their internal affairs,  has tactically thrown it weight behind the other faction. After Girma Biru turned down the offer, now they are promoting Mulatu Teshome, former speaker of  the House of Federation who is currently serving as an ambassador to Turkey. The ‘Tigreans’  are determined to retain the foreign ministry  but they do not  like the man currently inline to assume that post,   Berhane Gebrekiristos,  because he is seen as a loyalist of the ‘Eritrean’ faction.
Gulele Post