By Hassan Keynan

Haile Mariam Desalegn (HMD) aided and abetted war crimes and crimes against humanity when he was Deputy Prime Minister to the late tyrant Meles Zenawi.

HDM perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity, including use of starvation and rape as weapons of war, when he was Prime Minister (2012-2018).

Haile Mariam Desalegn is the man who said he was unaware of the existence of Jail Ogaden and the two-decade long Crimson Terror unleashed across the vast plains of the Ogaden when he left power. He chose denial and deception over truth and justice.

The former Prime Minister of Ethiopia:

1) Has the blood of an estimated 60,000 innocent civilians who were murdered in the vast killing fields of the Ogaden. The actual number could reach 100,000.

2) Is accused of the systematic use of starvation & rape as weapons of war on his watch as confirmed by recently released diplomatic cables.

3) Presided over the ugly and criminal transformation of Schools and health facilities into military bases prisons, torture dungeons, and rape dominions.

4) Stands accused of mobilizing and deployed the entire machinery of the Ethiopian State in the service of state-sponsored terror and mass slaughter. On his watch, even the courts were complicit in the commission of these egregious atrocity crimes.

5) Is a coward who has no shame and lacks conviction and credibility. He doesn’t have an iota of moral fiber or a modicum of human decency in him. His status is a potential war criminal.

Jigjiga is the location of the notorious Jail Ogaden, the labyrinths of infernal terror and torment he helped created and ran with total impunity for a decade

His arrival and warm welcome in Jigjiga is an affront to human dignity and a disgraceful attempt to rehabilitate a war criminal.  The gut-wrenching cries of his victims and harrowing ululations of grief stricken multitudes that emanate from Hell Ogaden will be most certainly be louder than the sycophantic chants sang in his praise.

 

His only path to salvation is to come clean and shed light on the egregious crimes perpetrated by the criminal state he had led, and atone for his sins.

However, should he fail to do so, he may rot in jail in this world and burn in hell in the Hereafter.