Alfred Nobel Howls from the Grave: “Revoke Abiy Ahmed’s Nobel Peace Prize!”

Norwegian Nobel Committee. PHOTO: Nobel Media/Ken Opprann
By Hassan Keynan

The complex and immensely talented Swede, Alfred Nobel, was methodical in the manner he went about doing his business both when he was alive and after his death on 10 December 1896. He left little to chance or speculation.

However, the meticulous inventor and investor was unusually quiet about one specific issue: why he hand-picked a Norwegian Committee and bestowed upon it the privilege of awarding only the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the Norwegian Nobel Committee (NNC) itself expresses astonishment regarding the reason Nobel ‘left no explanation as to why the prize for peace was to be awarded by a Norwegian committee while the other four prizes were to be handled by Swedish committees.” 

Whatever reasons that led Nobel to pick a Norwegian Committee to be the arbiter of global peace, he would probably never have even contemplated the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi joining the exclusive Nobel Peace Laureates League in 1991. A Nobel Peace Laureate who stands accused of being complicit in the most egregious crime in human history, genocide, would be anathema to Nobel. He must have turned and protested in his grave at least twice recently.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s pick for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize was also a controversial choice. Abiy Ahmed Ali is on course to be an embarrassment to the Nobel Peace awarding Committee and a huge disappointment to the global peace movement. Just months after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Prime Minister Ahmed signed a pact with the demons that have violently convulsed Ethiopia for decades and ruined the legacy of his predecessors: illusions of power and grandeur, the bane of Ethiopia’s political class.

In addition to being the youngest and most inexperienced leader in Ethiopian history, PM Ahmed seems to be profoundly insecure and delusion-prone. These dangerous dispositions can easily lead to gross miscalculations and catastrophic errors of judgement. Such a character is not only a threat to his country as is evident in the tragic events currently unfolding in the Oromia Region. He is also a menace to the peace and stability of neighboring countries and even the entire Horn of Africa region.  In December 2018 the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, Mr. Nicholas Haysom, expressed concern and questioned the legality of Ethiopian troops’ illegal and violent intervention in Southern Somalia. Seven months later, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ethiopian Defense Forces dispatched planes carrying special operations commando units from the Eastern Command based in Harar to the coastal city of Kismayo to overthrow the Jubaland State Government with a view to rigging the planned elections there. And shortly after he was declared the winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace, the Ethiopian Prime Minister was accused by the UN of destabilizing the fragile states of Somalia and South Sudan. The 2019 Nobel Peace Laureate is not a man of peace.

No one expects the gray minds and majestic contemplations of the lords of global peace to be flawless and perfect. That is asking too much. However, members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Parliament which appointments them must devise a mechanism to recall a Nobel Peace Prize when it is awarded wrongly to the wrong individual. Unfortunately, members of the NNC seem unable or unwilling to reconsider or rethink their verdict once they delivered it. The current Chair of the NNC, Berit Reiss-Andersen, ruled out any scenario in which the prize could be revoked. “We don’t do it. It’s not our task to oversee or censor what a laureate does after the prize has been won,” she said. “The prizewinners themselves have to safeguard their own reputations.” She made this remarks in the context of a global petition to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. She most probably holds the same view about and expects the same from the 2019 Nobel Peace Laureate.

To err is human. Many, including myself, initially fell for Abiy Ahmed’s fairy tale story beneath which lurked a Janus-faced tyrant. However, to insist on not rectifying a mistake or a tragic error of judgement, especially one that turns out to be heavily consequential, is NOT. Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee can muse leisurely in their iconic and hermetically sealed enclave not far from the North Pole. But the millions whose lives and hopes have been recklessly ruined by tyrants crowned as Nobel Peace Laureates must continue fighting for justice even if it is delayed.

Struggles for justice and human dignity may be hard and long. And the temptation to give up or give in quite strong, often irresistible. But occasionally they bear fruit in the most mysterious ways imaginable. Imagine the ghost of Alfred Nobel visiting members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in a dream on 10 December 2020 and revealing to them an amendment to his Will secretly locked in the basement of a law firm in San Remo, Italy. Imagine the dream coming true, and after protracted, ferocious and costly legal battles confirmation that the amendment was authentic. And in it, Alfred Nobel spells out protocols for revoking Nobel Prizes awarded to individuals who do not qualify and do not deserve.

It could happen. Believe me. Miracles could happen in the land of midnight sun.

keynanhassan@yahoo.com
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WAR CRIMES IN THE OGADEN MIGHT JINX THE 2019 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE*

1991 Nobel Peace Laureate

By Hassan Keynan


Does the name Aung San Suu Kyi ring any bells? The cool and charismatic dissident in Myanmar was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize “for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.” The clean and saintly image is no more. Aung San Suu Kyi currently cuts the lonely and miserable figure of a global pariah, as she stands accused of being complicit in and even excusing the most egregious crime in human history. It was her duplicitous and shameful stance vis-à-vis the brutal repression and, according to the UN, “genocide” of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State in her own country that led to her precipitous and spectacular fall from grace. More importantly, Aung San Suu Kyi has contaminated the enduring symbol of peace and hope across the globe, disappointed the global peace movement, and still haunts the Nobel Committee itself.

In fact, Myanmar’s leader is at this very moment at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ). She is expected to address the Court tomorrow to defend her country against accusations of genocide.


2019 Nobel Peace Laureate

Fast forward to 2019. In October, members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee gathered in their iconic and hermetically sealed enclave not far from the North Pole and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2019 to Abiy Ahmed Ali “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.” In

Abiy Ahmed’s assumption of power has lit a glimmer of hope in a country steeped in tyranny and misery. A key element in PM Abiy’s reform package was his decision to end the border conflict and seemingly endless state of war with Eritrea. There were sufficient grounds to assume that the new, young and relatively inexperienced Prime Minister has displayed some of the basic attributes of an inspirational, even transformational, leader in the making. Many influential global actors, among them the Norwegian Nobel Committee, therefore, quickly jumped on the magical Abiy wagon, and showered him with accolades to reward him for his courageous initiatives, and more importantly, to encourage the young leader to stay on course.

However, the true measure of a genuine national leader cannot be taken solely on the basis of personal qualities and achievements. A great deal of his/her fate is inextricably linked with that of the nation he/she leads. Here in lies the accursed corner that brings the 1991 and 2019 Nobel Peace Laureates together. The plight of the Rohingya ultimately revealed who the 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate truly was, and probably sealed her fate and legacy. For Abiy Ahmed the War Crimes and mass graves in the Ogaden region might catapult him into an ugly limelight as an eternal companion of the most notorious and arguably most evil Nobel Peace Laureate in recent times.

The Ethiopian State under the leadership of its ruling party EPRDF had perpetrated a savage campaign of collective punishment and mass murder in the Ogaden region for 23 years, especially between 2007 and 2017. The notorious jail Ogaden served as the central specialized torture and terror clinic for refining and perfecting new techniques tailor-made for the innovation in genocide pioneered by the EPRDF-led Ethiopian Government. The current Prime Minister was a senior intelligent officer in the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) at that time.

The plight of the victims of the two-decade long state-sponsored terror in the Ogaden region probably never featured in the minds and majestic contemplations of the lords of global peace. However, the Ogaden debacle might transform the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize into a jinxed affair for both the recipient and giver, presenting a haunting sense of déjà vu all over again.

There is credible evidence that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed in the Ogaden region as documented by reputed human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch. Some organizations even went as far as accusing the Ethiopian Government of “genocide” in the Ogaden. Most importantly, an international case against the Government of Ethiopia’s gross and egregious violations in the Ogaden is currently under consideration in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights based in Banjul, Gambia.

However, PM Ahmed’s fate and legacy need not be exactly the same as those of the 1991 Nobel Laureate. He can avoid that terrible eventuality by coming clean as to what happened in the Ogaden region between 1994 and 2017. When he came to power, PM Ahmed told members of the Parliament that the Ethiopian state terrorized its own people. This was the first time ever that an Ethiopian leader had taken such a courageous stance on the side of truth and justice. He therefore has what it takes to reveal to his own people and the world what he knows about the war crimes in the Ogaden region and take all the necessary measures to address it.

In this connection, PM Ahmed may consider the following steps:

  1.  Set up an independent international panel of experts to establish the facts about what transpired in the Ogaden region. The independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar might provide some tips.
  2. Act upon the verdicts and recommendations of panel of experts.
  3. Make sure that the victims get justice.

I wish PM Ahmed well.

Keynanhassan@yahoo.com is a retired former senior UN Official who worked in Africa, Asia and Europe

*This article was originally published on Wardheernews on 10 December 2019, the day Abiy received the Prize in Oslo.

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OPEN LETTER TO UN SECRETARY GENERAL RE: SITUATION IN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

UN Secretary General António Guterres

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

The events unfolding in Ethiopia are deeply troubling. Following the assassination of Haacaalu Hundeessaa, a popular artist and activist, by unknown assailants in the capital, Addis Ababa, late on Monday night, mass demonstrations erupted across the country. Tension is very high and tens of thousands of protesters are on the streets to express their outrage about the senseless killing of their beloved icon. Prominent opposition leaders from Oromia have been arrested. Internet is shut down as are some private media outlets.

Evidence is sketchy and intermittent, but there are credible reports indicating widespread upheavals, including violent confrontations. The Government’s attempt to restore calm seems to have had little impact. In fact, it appears that the reaction of the security forces has deepened the frustration and anger of the grief-stricken masses. According to Human Rights Watch, the authorities’ heavy-handed crackdown ‘could make a volatile situation even worse.’ State media reported a death toll approaching one hundred. Other sources quote numbers that are much higher. The situation is such that things can get out of control easily. And the fact that the government blocked access to internet has added another layer of complication and anxiety.

The young and talented artist whose life was brutally cut short hailed from the Oromo people. Although they are the demographic majority, the Oromo people have been at the receiving end of decades of repression, humiliation, and slaughter. Haacaalu Hundeessaa’s cold-blooded murder has touched a raw nerve, deepening and further inflaming the historic grievances and resentment felt by the Oromo nation. This came on the top of the horrendous killing of Ariti Shununde by the security forces weeks back. The 32-year old Oromo businessman was shot in the back because his phone rang, according to Amnesty International.

The Oromo people feel that they are being targeted. And if the Oromo people feel threatened and marked for collective punishment, this could lead to unforeseen large-scale communal strife, even civil war. All citizens and all communities could be adversely affected, especially if law and order break down completely. Situations like these create environments in which purveyors of hatred and bigotry exploit and whip up primordial passions.

Ethiopia is a complex country with a long history of authoritarian regimes deeply rooted in a culture of violence and epidemic of protracted conflicts and repression. The latest manifestation of this grim reality became evident between 2007 and 2017 when the Ethiopian Defense Forces cordoned off the vast plains of the Ogaden and turned them into killing fields on the pretext that the government was fighting insurgents. Government forces perpetrated what Human Rights Watch meticulously documented as war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings, mass incarceration, widespread torture, burning of villages, rape as a weapon of war, economic blockade and starvation. The whole infrastructure and assets of the Ethiopian State were mobilized and deployed to target entire communities and mark them for collective persecution and mass murder. Tens of thousands were slaughtered with impunity.

The UN and wider international community fielded missions, conducted surveys, compiled reports, dispatched diplomatic cables to their headquarters, occasionally held muted press conferences, and engaged Ethiopian authorities in meaningless encounters. However, their preferred method swung between “quite diplomacy” that suited the government and silence. Some put themselves in situations in which they had come close to being complicit or compromised. I mention this because similar, indeed identical, scenarios are evident in some parts of Oromia. Innocent people are being intimidated, imprisoned, or killed by the security forces. The Ethiopian State suffers from a perennial affliction that causes it to see conspiracies and external enemies everywhere whenever it confronts determined homegrown opposition. It’s quick to label its own citizens and communities as agents of external foes as a pretext to violently suppress or even eliminate dissent.

With the 2019 Nobel Peace Laureate at the helm, poor and traumatized Ethiopians have hoped for the breaking of a new dawn, one that is heavy with promise. However, the ugly demons that have violently convulsed this country for decades seem to have quickly resumed their bloody and wrecking business. We fear the worst.

Mr. Secretary-General,

This is an urgent appeal to you to do everything humanly possible to closely monitor the dangerous and potentially calamitous situation unfolding in Ethiopia. As an intergovernmental organization formed by and accountable to sovereign states, the United Nations is severely constrained to directly intervene in the internal affairs of individual countries, although such action is permissible in situations where mass slaughter is imminent and international peace and security is at stake.

The state of affairs currently prevailing in Ethiopia may not seem too alarming to warrant the immediate involvement of the United Nations Security Council for now. However, it is important enough to deserve your attention and leadership. The UN has not yet fully recovered from the shame and humiliation of being associated with the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. We hope that complacency, indifference or tragic errors of judgement would not lead the UN to be saddled with another debacle, this time in Ethiopia.

The Oromo people need protection. All vulnerable communities in Ethiopia need protection. As the world’s Chief Diplomat, you are well positioned to mobilize and motivate the international community to help Ethiopia pull back from the abyss.

May peace, justice and freedom prevail in Ethiopia and everywhere where tyranny has a foothold.

Sincerely,

Hassan Keynan

keynanhassan@yahoo.com

Transmitted via US Postal service and electronic mail, 2 July 2020

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