Girma Birru, now special envoy of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to the United States, may no longer be a popular figure within the OPDO during a meeting the rank and file had a few weeks ago in Adama Town (Nazareth), gossip claimed.

He was one of the two senior leaders of the party whose glaring absence the cadres did not like; Abadulla Gemeda, former party chief, was also on the list of leaders the cadres took their frustration out on, gossip disclosed. Girma W. Giorgis, President of the Republic, also had his share of criticisms during this meeting, for his alleged habit of calling bureau chiefs in the region, on behalf of others, claimed gossip.

If Girma Birru was not in Adama a few weeks ago, he ought to have justifiable reasons, for he is one of the senior diplomats in North America assigned to accomplish a much higher mission than appears before a group of indignant cadres, his supporters argue in the gossip corridors across town.

The Revolutionary Democrats have been plotting their way for some time now on how to win the minds and hearts of their countrymen and women residing in the Diaspora, claimed gossip. In particular, they want a truce with the vocal opposition they consider a minority but which holds significant influence on what they often describe as the “silent majority.” For the first time since they assumed political power at Menelik Palace, they felt that it is time to overwhelm members of the Diaspora, with a high level mission led by no other than the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Desalegn Hailemariam, gossip disclosed.

It is not that there was no mission led by either a Deputy Prime Minister or a Foreign Minister before. There were, in fact, several; although they were small in size and focused on the particular identifications of regional origins.

In a few weeks though, a delegation to be led by Hailemariam and Arkebe Oqubay, special advisor to the Prime Minister with a ministerial portfolio, will dazzle North America, touring at least 13 cities, gossip disclosed. In a keen show of enthusiasm by the EPRDFites, there will be a senior minister and regional state chiefs promoting the plan for growth and transformation as well as a new document written by foreign policy wonks at Menelik II Avenue, the Diaspora Policy, according to gossip.

Ethiopia’s diplomats in Washington DC, Seattle and Los Angeles have been hyper busy over the past few months organising these meetings scheduled to take place in a few weeks from now.

At the heart of these efforts are attempts to persuade Ethiopians residing in North America “to participate in the development process of the country,” claims a senior official in the foreign office. This means running after their dollars to be invested in the form of bonds, with several other incentives included in the policy to be promoted. Ethiopians in North America and American citizens with Ethiopian origin will be lobbied to spend their hard earned savings buying bonds from state owned companies such as EEPCo, Ethio-Telecom, DBE, Sugar and Metal Corporations and several municipalities.

In return, several members of the delegation are anticipating challenges from the Diaspora in forms of demand, gossip discovered. These demands may stretch from requests for free plots to access to duty-free imports, popular demands from those in the Diaspora. However, there will also be more challenging demands (if not hostile confrontations) that will raise issues of governance, rule of law, human rights protection and political freedoms, claimed gossip. How far members of the delegation are prepared to go will come to light soon.