Africa Beyond the Headlines

2010-09-15T10:48:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone, it's me Brook. Updates to my blog will be coming soon.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy Ethiopian New Year 2003!

Professor Brook Hailu Beshah

Political crisis in Madagascar: The aftermath of the creeping militay coup

2009-05-07T10:39:00.009-04:00

I was recently interviewed in mid April 2009 by a U.S.-based TV station called the Ethiopian TV Network.

This hour-long, comprehensive interview was on the current political crisis and updates on recent developments in Madagascar, an island nation found off the coast of Africa. The interview focused on the origins of the conflict; the contending positions and differences between the then-President Marc Ravalomanana and Madagascar's new president, Andry Rajoelina; and the positions SADC, the African Union, the mother colonial country France, the U.S., EU, and other countries took.

In this interview undertaken in Amharic, which is the official and a widely-spoken language in Ethiopia, I forward my ideas as to how to resolve this conflict and restore peace, security, and stability in Madagascar.

The interview was broadcasted globally and had generated feedbacks from Ethiopians across the U.S. and European countries. Enjoy and drop me your comment.

Please find the web links and the interviews loaded as Parts one, two, three, four.

Video footage from Q&A period from East African security forum

2009-04-30T14:31:00.006-04:00

Below are some videos with my and Paul's responses from the the Q&A period to our event on security and East Africa.

Event on East African security

2009-04-28T12:05:00.004-04:00

I participated in an event yesterday on East African Security with my colleague Paul Williams, associate professor of international affairs and associate director of GW's Security Policy Studies program. The event was moderated by Peter Penar, a senior at the Elliott School concentrating on international politics.

Below are my opening remarks at the event:

East African Security Forum with Brook Hailu Beshah and Paul Williams from Elliott School on Vimeo.

Here are Paul's opening remarks:

East African Security Forum with Brook Hailu Beshah and Paul Williams PART II from Elliott School on Vimeo.

Elliott School, GW lost one of its own

2009-04-15T14:24:00.004-04:00

I read an article in the GW Hatchet in which staff writers Carly Lagrotteria and Eric Roper reported on the tragic and untimely death of GW alumnus, Brian Adkins (pictured). Adkins was a Foreign Service officer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and he passed away this past February.

I came to know about Adkins from his former professors, particularly Ambassador David Shinn, a colleague who teaches at the Elliott School. I have also heard about him from a couple of his former classmates and friends. My students here at the Elliott School, knowing I am from Ethiopia, approached me when they heard the bad news. We discussed what might have happened, what might have gone wrong, and the issues, opportunities, and challenges inherent in living and working in a developing country.

As a person who has recently lost one of my own, I send to Dan Adkins and family my condolences and the strength to move on.

Brian, may you rest in peace!

Health issues in Africa and similar developing countries

2009-04-07T12:31:00.005-04:00

Recently, I attended and made comments in a meeting organized by the GW Elliott School of International Affairs' Culture in Global Affairs research and policy program. This program is directed by Barbara Miller, professor of anthropology and international affairs.

The topic of this interesting meeting, held on March 5, 2009, was "Dirt, Disgust, and Desire: Hand-washing and Health in Developing Countries," and the main speaker was Val Curtis, reader in hygiene and director of the Hygiene Center at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The significance of this well-attended meeting was the fact that in developing countries particularly Africa, where the lion's share of all the sicknesses and diseases result from improper hygienic practices and issues which are related to water. These issues are very large ones, affecting an even larger percentage of Africans than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other tropical diseases.

In her talk, Dr. Curtis focused on hygiene behavior in other developing countries, on her findings in regard to the health effects of hand-washing, and on the effectiveness of different approaches to changing hygiene behavior.

Here is Dr. Curtis' talk:

And here is my intervention in the question and answer session:

My interview on current political developments in Somalia with Alhurra TV

2009-03-27T13:37:00.010-04:00

Two days ago, I was interviewed by Alhurra TV about political developments in Somalia. You can listen to the interview here.

For the benefit of English readers, here are the main points from the interview:

I made an all around assessment of the current political situation in Somalia, emphasizing the challenges the government of President Ahmed is facing from within and without.

I focused on the struggle between the president and Parliament members over his proposal to implement Sharia law in Somalia, which I suggested was an attempt to appease the radical Al-Shabaab. I commended the resistance of a significant number of parliamentarians, who opposed it.

I argued that this would be opposed by the majority of Somalis -- and thus would not bring peace to Somalia -- and is counterproductive given the fact that Somalis tend to be moderate Moslems. Instead, I suggested that a good option to resolve Somalia's predicament would be to strengthen and support a broad-based government, composed of secular and moderate Islamist political groups. In addition, I underlined the fact that the government should be a secular government based on rule of law, leaving religion and religious matters to the traditional courts.

I also discussed relations between the Al-Shabaab and al Qaeda, and the consequences of those relations to Somalia, and I touched on the ways the region is relevant to the Western and U.S. global war on terror.

Another main issue which was hotly discussed in the interview was the whereabouts and disappearances of Somali youths from Minneapolis who are believed to have gone to join the Al-Shabaab.

It's time for the Pope to apologize to Ethiopians

2009-03-23T17:00:00.011-04:00

In an historical trip to Cameroon and Angola, Pope Benedict XVI made a stand by appealing to the African people and calling upon African leaders to rid the continent of corruption. For this he should be applauded.

On the other hand, he not only refrained from condoning the use of condoms to the dismay of many Africans, Europeans, Americans, and HIV/AIDS experts, but he even criticized its use to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, which has already claimed millions of lives.

The above stories made plenty of headlines, but another controversy surrounding the Pope's visit has eluded Western media.

I refer to the appeal of Ethiopians in the Diaspora to the Catholic Church to apologize for siding with the Italian regime in the 1930s, which killed hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians with chemical weapons.

The church claims to have a policy of transparency and to strive to correct past wrongs. Indeed, it recently apologized to the Jewish community for its failure to speak out against the Nazis and for supporting the fascist regime in Italy during the Second World War. For this, the church should be commended.

But it is also high time that the church address the outstanding issue of crimes committed against the Ethiopian people. For the first time, chemical weapons were used overwhelmingly and indiscriminately on the Ethiopian people and on the resistance. Isn't it time for the Vatican to apologize for that too?

After all, it is never too late to correct wrongs. The Bible even insists upon it.

Response to article in Chronicle of Higher Ed. on lack of African professors

2009-03-11T22:30:00.000-04:00

I read the important article, "Africa's New Crisis: a Dearth of Professors," in the Chronicle of Higher Education about a phenomenon that could become a very real problem: a lack of doctoral students and professors in Africa to meet growing demands for African educational institutions. It is vital that African universities get the adequate financial and human resources, funding, and opportunities to train the trainers.

Working for several years as the external relations office head of the oldest and still the largest university in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa University (official site), in the late 1990s, I was confronted with this reality and the problems indicated in the article.

It is for these reasons that it is so important for American universities to seriously reassess, bolster, expand, and strengthen their international assistance programs and to vigorously assume the responsibility of providing scholarships and research opportunities to African academics.

For African academics to keep up with their counterparts in Asia and Latin America, at a minimum, and to undertake effective research and offer their students a quality education which will produce a well-educated future generation of African professionals and leaders, Africa needs assistance in what I would call "capacity building measures." If the educators do not have advanced degrees well and above master's and Ph.D. degrees, they would be at the same level as the students they are teaching. Africa can not meet this challenge by itself.

Let’s hope against all odds that the crisis of Africa in the academic realm would improve and not ever exacerbate to the point of irreversible permanent damage. Meanwhile, kudos should go to such institutions like Partnership for Higher Education in Africa and similar ones who render assistance trying to rectify the problems faced by higher education institutions in Africa. Based on mutual interest and aiming to create a win-win situation, let's all of us pull together and chip in what we can.

Participated as speaker organized by The Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C., February 27, 2009

2009-03-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

I was one of the main speakers of a meeting organized by the Council of Foreign Relations, which was held in its office in Washington, D.C., on February 27th 2009, and which drew high-profile experts and officials.

The topic of the meeting was "The Future of US-Ethiopian Relations," and it was chaired by Ambassador Herman Cohen, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. My co-panelists were Ambassador David Shinn, adjunct professor of international affairs at The George Washington University (blog), and
Ephraim Isaac, a professor at Princeton University.

In my presentation I focused on the current Ethio-American multifaceted relations from the early 1990s to the present. I explained the complex nature of these lukewarm relations from the vantage points of both countries' national interests, the fight against regional and global terrorism, and the role and implications of Ethiopia's intervention in Somalia between 2006 and 2008.

In addition, the presentation elaborated on political and economic challenges of the Ethiopian political landscape such as:

The upcoming federal and state elections of 2010 and the challenges to the Ethiopian opposition parties

The state of the free press and the reports of CPJ

The human rights situation of Ethiopia and the U.S. State Department's annual report (link) which has just came out, and

The unfinished saga of the Ethiopian-Eritrean crisis.

A number of questions and comments were made in regard to my presentation. In my responses, I assessed likely scenarios of Ethiopian-U.S. relations under the new Barack Obama administration.

My interview with VOA Africa in Focus about HIV/AIDS 12/23/08

2009-02-24T19:30:00.001-05:00

I discuss HIV/AIDS in Sudan with Voice of America Africa in Focus' Todd Grosshans. Todd asked me about Imam Tarig Mohamed, of Kassala, the capital of the eastern state of Sudan, who has been preaching condom usage. I told Todd this is a "very bold move" to discuss not only secular, but even sexual matters in the mosque. I think many of Imam Mohamed's peers in Sudan will not support this move.

This interview was broadcasted to the African continent and was shown by many African public and private TV stations in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa.

Video posted with permission from VOA.

Interview with BBC World News 12/22/08 on Ethiopian troops in Somalia

2009-02-24T18:45:00.001-05:00

Above is my interview with BBC World News about the planned departure of the Ethiopian army from Somalia and the challenges that evacuation presents the African Union's peacekeeping force and other African countries. In the interview, I tell the BBC that the Ethiopian pull out leaves a wide-open door for the Islamist group, the Al-Shabaab to take over in Somalia. To succeed, the transitional Somali government must embrace moderate elements.

Video posted with permission of the BBC.

Declaration of good intentions in Darfur: one step toward a peaceful solution

2009-02-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hope for peace was rekindled for the people of the Sudan, and particularly the people of Darfur, when the Sudanese government and the main rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), signed a declaration of good intentions under the auspices of the Qatari government on February 17th.

Previously, the absence of the JEM -- the largest and most powerful rebel group -- from the political equation and from negotiations left the prospects for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Darfur remote if not altogether doomed from the start. The new declaration is cause for new hope, since the JEM is now aboard.

The following months will likely see hard-ball negotiations from both sides which will be further complicated given the mistrust and lack of confidence that have come to characterize their relations. It is time to bring the people who have suffered long enough to the center of the negotiation process and to create a win-win situation for both sides based on mutual interests.

Please take a look at this BBC report, which does a great job of throwing light on reactions coming from very different quarters, which differ in their 'takes,' their interpretations of what has unfolded in the Darfur region since 2003, and in their expectations of possible solutions.

A very difficult and a long, winding road to peace awaits the different 'stakeholders,' be it the people of the Sudan, of Darfur, or the different rebel forces of Darfur, which must speak with one voice. The Sudanese government itself is under pressure from different political groups, starting with those who insist that it not give in. (A case in point is the CPA agreement signed in early 2005 with Southern Sudan groups and which eventually brought peace). There are also those who feel Sudan needs long-lasting peace and cannot afford another protracted war for decades to come. For more information, take a look at the following.

In these testing and trying times, nothing is more important than wishing peace to the Sudan, whose continued existence as a state and as a political entity is being challenged, just as its eastern neighbor Ethiopia has been since the early 1990s. Wishes of peace are also in order for the people of Darfur, who ought to finally find some respite.

National Unity government in Zimbabwe: A good beginning so far, but is it doomed to return to square one?

2009-02-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

Zimbabweans, Africans, and many others committed to free elections and rule of law breathed a sigh of relief when the government of President Mugabe and the opposition MDC finally agreed to form a unity government last week.

But however optimistic the unity government looks, the Mugabe regime is continuing to reveal its true colors. Everyone had hoped against all hope that the regime would compromise and accept the people’s verdict by transferring power (the ideal and best solution) and/or sharing power with the opposition (the next best choice). Opening its doors to accept the opposition would provide a just and long lasting solution to a country which was once upon a time the ‘bread basket’ of Africa.

To the contrary, once again, this is becoming difficult if not impossible. Already the Mugabe regime has continued to harass and even jail members of the opposition, a case in point is Mr. Roy Bennet, who was an MDC minister nominated to serve in the newly formed cabinet. He was accused at first of treason and now is charged with weapons possession. The military has begun patrolling the streets in Mutare, as is indicated in this article and in this one. Is this déjà vu; are we back to square one? Only time will tell…

Image: Roy Bennett (right) was named as deputy agriculture minister but arrested shortly before the new Zimbabwe cabinet was sworn in Photo: EPA.

In defense of the independent media in Somalia

2009-02-05T16:23:00.000-05:00

The killing of Mr. Said Tahlil Ahmed, who was the director of the Horn of Africa radio station, is a big loss not only to Somalis but to all who aspire for a free and vibrant media in the Horn of Africa. In a region and continent where non-government controlled media are rare and few in number, the perpetuators should be condemned unequivocally.

This radio station is largely heard not only in Somalia proper but also in the Somali part of Ethiopia, in Djibouti, and in Kenya and beyond.

Mr. Said Tahlil Ahmed was one of the well-known journalists heading this radio station serving all those thirsty for information and to those who were fed up with the ‘doctored’ government controlled media channels rampant in this region and beyond in Africa. Consequently 'Horn Afrik' radio station became popular and a source of information.

The killers of Mr. Ahmed, those who actually shot him and those who planned and organized his elimination, should know their act of silencing journalists can not halt the quest for a free and alternative press and media in the Horn. It is for this reason that we should speak out against such a despicable act and give support to and defend independent media in this region as well as in Africa as a whole.

Resignation of the Somali President Yusuf: a timely blessing in disguise

2009-01-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey Gettleman is quite right to point out in his New York Times piece of December 29 that the resignation of Somali President Yusuf, who had become a stumbling block in the efforts to end the paralysis of the ailing Somali government, was indeed a significant step forward for Somalia. I have made this point on several occasions, and even correctly predicted the resignation in my recent interview with BBC TV on December 21st [video to follow].

In the interview with BBC, I argued that Yusuf's resignation was both a viable and a possible solution to the crisis, with the subsequent formation of a national unity coalition government made up of different political groups plus the moderate elements of the "Islamic Courts" led by Sheik Sharif Ahmed.

I disagree with Gettleman's remark that Sheik Sharif Ahmed, whom he calls "a well-respected, moderate Islamic cleric who has struggled to walk the tightrope between negotiating with the transitional government and being dismissed as a sellout," could be the unifying figurehead that Somalia so desperately needs. He will surely be a rallying factor for Islamic as well as anti-Western groups and elements but not a unifying one. The moderate Islamic Courts though their nature remains unknown are better than the radical El Shabbabe. Whether Sheik Sharif Ahmed will prove a unifying force remains to be seen but leaving him and his supporters out in the cold and not drawing him into the Somali political system is for the long run detrimental to the Somali body politic.

Another pillar of the incoming and soon-to-be-formed national unity government is the well-educated and professional technocrat group, like the unceremoniously dismissed former Prime Minister Nur Adde. Adde must be given credit and be recognized for standing against the warlords and swimming against the tide to make a difference and to bring change. This group, along with the clan elders, has the potential to think transcendently, and it is perhaps the one last hope for Somalia's future.

During the BBC interview, I was asked whether Ethiopian troop's threat of withdrawal from Somalia is a bluff. I said it is no longer a bluff but a realistic last exit strategy of the Ethiopian government. The exit of Ethiopia in a hurry would leave a huge political vacuum, which would be difficult to fill by the national unity government supported by troops of the African Union. If that government is successful it would be the country's 15th or 16th government. My advice to that government is: Share power; don't monopolize it. Let all Somalis -- the Hawiye, Darod, Isaaq, Dir, and Rahanweyn -- transcend narrow clan mentalities and instead recognize the primacy of the Somalia they love and cherish. Only then will Somalia's future be secure.

My interview with Addis Dimts radio in Ethiopia

2008-12-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

A little while back, I was interviewed by the #1 Ethiopian radio station based in the United States, Addis Dimts radio. You can listen to the interview (which is in Amharic, a language spoken by at least 60 million people and all Ethiopians) here.

For English speakers, the interview focused on:

The challenges of African diplomats and the struggle between professionalism and loyalty to the party line of the regimes in power
The current Ethiopian political developments, focusing on Ethiopian foreign policy and diplomacy
Human rights and good governance in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe
The shortcomings and challenges of the African Union to challenge undemocratic leaders

My interview with International Affairs Review

2008-12-09T17:13:00.001-05:00

Please find my recent interview about important current topics relevant to the African continent.

Among the issues I discuss in the interview are: ways of solving the Sudan conflict; the piracy issue off the coast of Somalia and ways to mitigate it; the still unresolved Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict; the issue of statehood of Somaliland and the possibility and the reality of a new African state in the wombs of Southern Sudan.

Here's one quote in response to a question about Somaliland:

We live in the 21st century where self-determination and independence of peoples is respected. My expectation is Somaliland will be accepted—recognized by African, the USA and by the European countries in the immediate future.

To read the full article, click here.

My article in Wall Street Journal

2008-11-14T16:28:00.000-05:00

My article about the previous Ethiopian leader President Mengistu Haile Mariam appears in The Wall Street Journal.

My interviews on Zimbabwe with the BBC

2008-11-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

I discussed the Zimbabwe election crisis in two live appearances on BBC TV International News. To view the videos, click here and here.