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Eritrea Strategy: Witnessing a United And Egalitarian Ethiopia

Shabait.com (Asmara)
NEWS
December 3, 2005
Posted to the web December 5, 2005
Asmara
The fact that the Eritrean Revolution, especially the EPLF, has from the outset
been siding with the uprising of the Ethiopian people, which time and again has
been fuming in many corners of the country, is well known and not merely a
matter of pomposity. The aim of this stand is to promote peace and harmony,
thereby strengthening the historical relationship between the people of Eritrea
and Ethiopia and consolidate the stability of the region. The extensive
military and material assistance given to the TPLF should be looked at from
such a perspective.
This conviction has been the correct strategy of the EPLF from the days of the
struggle up to now. Without being confined to military and material assistance,
the Peoples' Front had been engaging itself on ways and means of resolving
political problems in Ethiopia with the TPLF and other opposition
organizations. What is more, the EPLF made tireless efforts to ascertain the
unity and homogeneity of the people of Ethiopia and promote the setting up of a
provisional government following the fall of the Derg by extending support to
these organizations to broaden and tune up their views.
When Eritrea became a sovereign nation through the popular referendum, it is to
be recalled that H.E. President Isaias Afwerki paid an official visit to
Ethiopia from 28 to 30 July 1993. In that historic visit, a number of bilateral
agreements that focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the political,
economic and cultural spheres between Eritrea and Ethiopia were signed. These
bilateral accords were supposed to serve as gate openers for the peaceful
coexistence between the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Moreover, taking into
consideration the historical and brotherly relationship of both peoples, the
Government of Eritrea reaffirmed that the ports of Massawa and Assab will
continue to serve Ethiopia free of any charge. This gesture of good will not
only heartened the two peoples but was also a commendable development in our
region that inspired the international community at large.
However, the TPLF regime, after it assumed power, contrary to the wish and
expectation of the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia placed its advantages as a
prime agenda, rather than putting forward the aspirations of the people. By
enforcing a constitution that goes up to revoking the rights of nationalities
and using the so-called "federal administration" as a pretext, it pushed the
country along the path of conflict and decline. And by undermining the
conviction of those who believe in the unity of Ethiopia, the regime introduced
a mechanism, where the people of Ethiopia can no longer trust one another. It
also began to engage itself in ransacking the wealth of the nation by
establishing big business establishments administered by the top leaders of the
TPLF. Hence, if there was a drama that the people of Ethiopia were subjected to
witness in the last 12 years of the regime, it was that of laying the ground
for theft and other malaise. The TPLF regime by hording what it can, sought to
eventually establish the Republic of Tigray. However, the dream of the regime
i.e. witnessing Ethiopia explode bombarded by the tribal factor which the group
itself set in motion never became a reality. Everything cannot go as planned
and hence the political maneuver which the TPLF regime undertakes in order to
keep its marginal prosperity is accelerating its downfall, as all are presently
observing.
If a political movement is to be called mature and farsighted that really takes
care of its own people, it has to bring about peace and harmony.
Because peace and harmony are the basics of development, wealth and prosperity.
Hate, clashes and blood letting, destroy what is at hand and serves no other
cause. One of the factors that help peace and harmony among people is that of
enabling the people foster good neighborliness and relationship. If, however,
we are to review what opportunities were given to the people of Ethiopia during
the rule of the TPLF, it is but a tragedy. This period under the TPLF regime
has been a bleak one which forced the people of Ethiopia to engage in war and
destruction with its brotherly people of Eritrea. But it remains the wish of
all peace lovers that this tumultuous period will provide a lesson that would
enable the Ethiopian people acquire experience from this shameful and tragic
story of attrition and destruction; even now the strategy of Eritrea has not
changed. It will never change. The wish and dream of the people and Government
of Eritrea is to see that peace and harmony prevail in Ethiopia, and restore
the strategic relationships of the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia back to
normal, by negating the intransigent stand of the TPLF regime. And that is the
only sane path from, which the people of Eritrea, Ethiopia and those of the
entire region will benefit.

   

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