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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, NOVEMBER 2, 1984
PAGE 11
took Western pressure amid the sudden blaze of worldwide publicity to fi
nally shove the government into cooperating with international famine-re
lief organizations. In the October 28, 1984 issue of THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
appeared an article entitled "The Politics of Famine," by Gordon Brook
Shepherd. One paragraph was particularly poignant:
That six million of Ethiopia's 40 million people might die away
does not seem to have unduly troubled the consciences of the jun
ta, especially as so many of those threatened with starvation
come from the troublesome northern tribes. It is, at any rate,
hard to find words for the callous vanity of a regime which can
spend--as Mengistu did--no less than 30 million pounds on found
ing his "Ethiopian Workers' party," which was launched at his
10th anniversary celebration six weeks ago. A fraction of that
sum could have saved the lives of thousands of his subjects,
provided the money were properly applied.
All during September, in fact, Colonel Mengistu and his staff were busy
preparing, not for famine relief, but for the glorious tenth-anniversary
celebration of Communist rule. An estimated 150 to 200 million dollars
were s�ent on the festivities.
The government refused to permit
journal 1sts attending the celebrations to visit drought-affected areas.
Colonel Mengistu, in a rambling, ty�ically Communist, six-hour lon
5
speech
heaped praise on the founder of Ethiopia's first Communist Party-- ut made
no mention of the looming crisis. Instead he issued only a general appeal
for international aid for the millions of Africans affected by recurring
droughts around the continent.
Meanwhile Mengistu's "socialist" friends and allies have done little ta
help in humanitarian terms.
Since Ethiopia's revolution began in 1974
(interestingly, at another time of famine, which the late Haile Selassie
also tried to cover up), the Soviet Union has shipped anywhere from $2.5
billion to $4 billion in arms to consolidate the revolution--but a mere $3
million dollars worth of rice. Moscow couldn't help with much food aid even
if it were so inclined. Yet another poor harvest season means the Soviets
will themselves be in the market for huge amounts of grain.
The Ethiopian military will continue, despite the crisis, to get the lion's
share of the country's meager public resources. About 50% of Ethiopia's
national budget is now being spent on the military in order to support its
highly mechanized standing army of 400,000 troops. And to better control
the black market, says the government, the state trading company has
ordered a shipment of 40,000 cases ( nearly half-a-million bottles) of
Scotch whiskey.
Ethiopia's famine conditions are expected to be even worse in 1985 because
of such poor domestic harvests this year. Worse still, the government's
communization efforts will assure that future harvests will also be poor.
This is because the current ten-year plan calls for the incorporation of
half the nation's peasants and land into state farms and producers' co
operatives by 1994. Ethiopians don't take naturally to such collectiviza
tion. (Does anybody?) Thus, a more widespread rebellion against the cen
tral government is also assured, with continual disruption of food distri
bution even when the rains return to the parched, deforested highlands of
this troubled country.
--Gene H. Hogberg, News Bureau