The Late Seyoum Mesfin: A “Statesman” Abroad, A Fugitive at Home

Editor’s note: Writing on reactions to the death of Seyoum Mesfin, the Queen of Sheba says “To those who care about justice, honesty, decency and integrity around the world, and most certainly in Ethiopia, such underserving eulogies are no more than a fictious piece.”

The late Seyoum Mesfin during an interview with Demtsi Woyane , hinted TPLF action, about two days before TPLF forces attacked the northern command of Ethiopian Defense Force. (Photo: screenshot from DW video from youtube)

The Queen of Sheba

January 29, 2021

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ethiopia in November last year, the news, information and narratives on the country have been so appallingly distorted that it has become nearly impossible to tell the facts and the truths from lies and fabrications. The disinformation campaign has been well orchestrated by TPLF cabal remnants, their sycophants and conflict entrepreneurs around the world.

This article focuses on the late Seyoum Mesfin, the former foreign minister of Ethiopia for a quarter of a century, who was killed in a shootout with the federal army as he and his forces resisted arrest in the treacherous hideout caves in Tigray. We have witnessed a stream of unwarranted homages and eulogies from his long-time comrades, friends, and allies. We have also heard from his cronies, benefactors, and beneficiaries, ad nauseum.

This piece intends to put things in perspectives by presenting a contrasting account by recalling a few disastrous and embarrassing accounts during his incompetent and combative reign as the top man in the foreign ministry. To be sure, Seyoum in Ethiopia is widely known—and forever remembered—as a pathological liar. I will only draw just a few examples to provide irrefutable evidence.

The Ethio-Eritrea Border Ruling: The Jumbo Lie

It is to be recalled that Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody war from 1998 to 2000 purportedly on their disputed borders. At the culmination of the war, they agreed to take the matter to the international boundary commission where Ethiopia lost its case—and Badme, the major thorny front, was awarded to Eritrea.

Seyoum shot into notoriety when he audaciously, but shamefully, pronounced that Ethiopia won the case. He fooled millions of Ethiopians in a broad day light—fortunately, only for short hours, before he was exposed to his lies. He, and his TPLF cabal regime, once again, humiliated and hurt Ethiopians—in the most brutal way.

The liar-in-chief of Badme, who led the bloody putsch to overthrow the Abiy government and dismantle the constitution (which I am not a fan) that led to his demise, was eulogized by Alex de Waal, one of the chief shenanigans, as such: “Seyoum deserved to end his days in comfortable retirement with all the respect due to a statesman and patriot.” It is agonizingly dishonest that the criminal mastermind, who led, directed and financed the fatalistic insurrection of colossal calamity, obtains such a warm tribute.

Yes, such treasonous acts are termed as “statesmanship” in Africa, by apologist African experts in the West, as de Waal. These are, however, well known by their true nomenclature globally, and described as insurrection and mutiny, often punishable by death. 

GERD: The Sold Dam

The erstwhile foreign minister never repented for his sins during and after his time in office. As Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed took the helm of power—and the boundless authority and influence the cabal forces amassed for nearly 30 years have receded—Seyoum and his co-conspirators retreated to Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, to plot against the government—with impunity.

The aging and disoriented cabal forces dominated the airwaves in the Tigray region, openly antagonizing and daringly inciting war from their rendezvous in exclusive hotels—and pubs. They orchestrated, sanctioned and financed acts of treason in hundreds of millions of birr, while millions of Tigrayans withering under poverty and hunger. Seyoum, and a few notorious mouthpieces, made ghastly statements, warnings, and threats.

In his last days, prior to the breakout of the conflict and his demise, this failed “statesman” became visibly agitated and enraged—with more willingness to prevaricate at whim. In his relentless ploy to erode Abiy’s credibility and his global recognition, he astoundingly accused him of “selling the GERD” in such shameful manner, comparable to the Badme fiasco.

“The GERD has been sold”, he shamefully pronounced to the chagrin of millions of Ethiopians at home and abroad. Thank God, he lived to see the first fillings of the highly-anticipated dam.

But this did not detract the “statesman” from taking other dives for adventurous lies.

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Abiy was like a dagger on the heart of the TPLF cabal. While the rest of Africa and the black race celebrated his prize, the cabal scrambled, conspired, and petitioned against it.

In his yet another epic lie, Seyoum told the world—fortunately from his little corner in a studio in Mekelle—that the Nobel committee was considering to revoke Abiy’s Prize. When the firecracker of this fabrication hit its climax, the Nobel committee released a counterstatement which brought the futile attempt of dethroning Abiy to its miserable end.

So much for a “statesman”—when he was nothing but a wicked bogeyman.

In a recent piece I wrote entitled (Un)Nobeling Abiy Ahmed: The Burden of Couching an Old Goofy Dog, I observed: “It is interesting that—from the “deranged” leader in the highest office in the United States to those serving humanity in the atrocious trenches of the world—many have been seen to be moaning, salivating and raving about this particular prize awarded to Abiy. To be sure, while his prize is a proud moment—and accomplishment—for most Ethiopians and Africans alike, its revocation, though impossible, would be a no big deal.”

The Tigray Debacle: The Treacherous Trend

To those who care about justice, honesty, decency and integrity around the world, and most certainly in Ethiopia, such underserving eulogies are no more than a fictious piece—cobbled up by a sycophant foreign enabler of a defunct cabal force—only worthy of a trash can.

At the birth of the TPLF, the cabal and its henchmen kicked off with the swindling of a relief intended for drought and famine victims. Martin Plaut*—a former BBC reporter who now turned a surrogate spokesperson for the cabal—wrote in March 2010, “Millions of dollars in Western aid for victims of the Ethiopian famine of 1984-85 was siphoned off by rebels to buy weapons, a BBC investigation finds.”

At its death, the cabal remnants are plotting comparable misdeeds. They are refusing to transfer the funds generated for those afflicted by the conflict in Tigray region—even through third-party humanitarian agencies. They have openly declared—as stated by one of its notorious mouthpieces—that the funds instead would be channelled for lobbying. No wonder some of the shenanigans and paid operatives are not jumping ship—yet.

One should seriously question if there is any reason for lobbying on behalf of the dead TPLF whose coffin got struck with the last huge nail. The critical funds could instead be used to help better the lives of hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans—whom they pretend to represent.

The same conduct that enabled the emergence of the cabal brought its demise.

While the belligerent cabal remnants are relishing in their cosy residences in the US, Europe and elsewhere—which many of them acquired through looted wealth from Ethiopia—their countrymen, women and children are suffering from a conflict they torched and cheered. To add insult to the injury, they are now committing the humanitarian funds to line up the pockets of lobbyists and conflict entrepreneurs—to resurrect the dead miserable horse.

It is not in the DNA of the TPLF cabal and its crumbling remnants to heed such humanitarian, civil and diplomatic calls. If they did, they could have ruled Ethiopia—which they typically referred as “the country”—for many more decades.

Thank heavens that this mortally greedy, shamelessly arrogant, dizzyingly condescending, callously conspiratorial, brutally cruel, morally corrupt, and revoltingly provincial cabal—which never assumed statesmanship—refused such calls. Or else, it would have continued to devour the flesh, suck the blood and corrupt the soul of the nation—for a long, long time.

In Conclusion

Seyoum Mesfin was one of the chief humpty dumpties—and architects of the cabal. No amount of the king’s horses, no amount of enabler mules could save him from unceremonious demise.

Oh, yes, no amount of eulogies—either by a foolish fan, a foreign chum or a paid sycophant—could wash away his brutal crimes, nation-shattering lies, and monumental sins.

As lies are for earth, the sins are for hell.

I, for one, am not rushing to wish Mesfin a rest in heaven.

The Queen of Sheba may be reached at QueenOfSheba2020@outlook.com | @TheQueenofSheb5

* It came to my attention that the Martin Plaut twitter account which refers to Sebhat Nega in this piece is a bogus. While the oversight is regretted, it would in any way diminish neither the content nor the facts of the piece (as exhibited here).