By IPS Correspondents
ADDIS ABABA, Nov 9 1994 (IPS)

UNLIKE OTHER BEGGARS ON THE STREETS OF THIS ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL, 39-YEAR-OLD BOGALE BERHANU DOES NOT INVOKE GOD OR THE SAINTS WHEN HE ASKS FOR ALMS.

WHAT MAKES HIS PITCH UNIQUE AMONG THE THOUSANDS WHO SURVIVE THROUGH BEGGING IN ADDIS ABABA, IS THAT HE CALLS UPON THE EXILED FORMER DICTATOR OF ETHIOPIA, MENGISTU HAILE-MARIAM.

“IN THE NAME OF THAT NATIONALIST WHO STOOD FOR THE UNITY OF THIS ANCIENT LAND”, SHOUTS BOGALE, “I ASK YOU TO EXTEND TO ME YOUR HANDS OF ASSISTANCE … DON’T PASS ME”.

FEW COMMUTERS CAN RESIST DROPPING BOGALE A COIN, AND HE ATTRACTS A CROWD. BY SUNSET HE USUALLY COLLECTS NOT LESS THAN TWO DOLLARS, COMPARED TO 56 CENTS A GOVERNMENT WORKER IN THE LOWEST WAGE BRACKET MAKES A DAY.

“I HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEEN HARASSED AND WARNED BY THE POLICE FOR USING THE NAME OF MENGISTU, BUT I CONTINUE WITHOUT REMORSE. MY PATRONS LOVE TO HEAR THE NAME OF THE MAN,” HE EXPLAINS.

SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CLAIM BOGALE IS AN AGENT OF THE ENEMIES OF DEMOCRATIC REFORM UNDERWAY IN ETHIOPIA.

“WE ARE WATCHING HIM CLOSELY”, A YOUNG TIGREAN POLICEMAN TOLD IPS, ADDING: “HE CAN CONTINUE BEGGING, EVEN IN THE NAME OF HELL, PROVIDED HE DOES NOT CAUSE A TRAFFIC JAM”.

BOGALE HOWEVER IS TAPPING A VEIN OF HIDDEN PUBLIC SYMPATHY FOR MENGISTU. THE FORMER MILITARY LEADER IS TO BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA NEXT MONTH, WITH FORMER OFFICIALS OF HIS REGIME, FOR GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.

UNDER THE MARXIST DERG, WHICH OVERTHREW EMPEROR HAILE SALASSIE IN 1974 AND SUBSEQUENTLY KILLED HIM, AN ESTIMATED 200,000 ETHIOPIANS DIED IN ‘RED TERROR’ CAMPAIGNS WHICH HUNTED DOWN PERCEIVED ENEMIES.

HOWEVER, NEWS OF THE PENDING TRIAL, ANNOUNCED OCT. 27 BY CHIEF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR GIRMA WAKJIRA, WAS RECEIVED COOLLY IN THE CAPITAL.

“I AM ALL OUT FOR THE TRIAL, BUT ISN’T THIS GOVERNMENT ITSELF COMMITTING NO LESS CRIMES THAN THE DERG?” SAID AN ADDIS ABABA-BASED LAWYER WHO OPTED FOR ANONYMITY.

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