Dear Editor:

I read the article titled "Meles Zenawi and His Distortion of Ethiopian History by Tecola W. Hagos May 15, 2010" with great interest and excitement. I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact I was proud and delighted that some one of his (Proffesor, Hagos� caliber) responded to such gross generalization and politically manipulated response by Meles. To me Meles sounds still angry with a sense of compassion as though he is still in his gorilla fighting status - defending Eritrea.

In terms of:1) �He represented the history of Ethiopia without ever mentioning the history of Italy�s war of colonialism against Ethiopia and the status of Ethiopia prior to the Italian occupation of the Ethiopian territory that is now known as Eritrea. [what Meles is doing is like �awko yetsishgen beteruth abeit ayeliem� ] 2) He never mentioned the types of colonial period international exchanges of notes and treaties or agreements that took place between Britain, Italy, and France individually or jointly at different times with Ethiopia in full recognition of the legitimacy of the Empire of Ethiopia by those Western powers. Italy occupied the Asmara after death of Emperor Yohannes IV in 1888 and ruled an unchartered nebulous territory whose border was never demarked despite the fact that there were international instruments, treaties signed by Italy and Ethiopia for the demarcation of borderlines.� Isn�t he known for saying �Ethiopian�s history is 100 yrs. Old?�

3 �Meles Zenawi does not seem to appreciate such rudimentary truisms/ideas, and as a result he is constantly sliding back and forth from his wishful thinking to historic realities.�You are so generous in giving him the benefit of the doubt, Meles� response is to belittle all Ethiopians and perpetuate interethnic hate. His quoting repeatedly Abebe Aregay as though that was the Ethiopian nation stand including the State of Tigre is laughable and deliberate.

Nonetheless, I just want to reiterate my delight for the author to educate young readers about the facts of the Ethiopian history as many of us know it. My hope and prayer is that, some day the same reporter will interview Ethiopians like Proffesor. Hagos or some other elderly Ethiopians who had firsthand experienced of that history before all are gone.

Also, my sincere desire and prayer is that, for God to help all Ethiopian politicians to tell the truth but nothing but the truth.
Lemlem Tsegaw, [email protected]