There We Go Again! Ethiopian Chauvinistic Attitude Towards Eritrea´s Independence
Berhane Alazar
June 30, 2009
It is amazing how some Ethiopian intellectuals or those in the Diaspora in general seem to love living as "Hostages of history" to use President Isaias Afwerki´s phrase, on the recent interview he gave to Ethiopian Review/Ethiopian Peoples Patriotic Front websites.
When I read the article titled "The way forward for Ethiopia and Eritrea", by Shaleka Dawit Weldegiorgis, I thought it was the reincarnation of TPLF's Sebhat Nega recent interview by sounding more caring for Eritrean people than the EPLF/ELF freedom fighters ever were! What in the hell is this guy talking about? The only thing that made sense to me was his unconvincing appeal for Ethiopians to work with Eritrea. I am saying "Unconvincing", for he purposely and willfully butchered up the proud history of the Eritrean people. When one gets to the jest of the matter, one can clearly sense that there was some deep seated anger coming from this not so innocent army commander who directed a war machine against Eritrea and the Eritrean people which makes one wonder, do Ethiopian intellectuals ever seek some genuine reconciliation with their Eritrean counterparts short of trouncing over the inalienable right of the Eritrean people for political independence, which we got through tremendous blood and sweat?
To start with Ato Dawit, as a direct participant of the horrendous crimes that were committed by the regimes that he was part of against unarmed and defenseless Eritrean people, can not have the moral high ground to pretend that he cares about the Eritrean people by shedding some crocodile tears. He is simply jumping in the "Work with Eritrea" bandwagon for simply an opportunistic exercise.
Ato Dawit, as commander of a sizable part of the then largest army in Sub-Saharan Africa, and governor of a state that was under the subjugation of his country, should have known better than simply regurgitating the old and tired line of lie after lie that was perpetuated by the Ethiopian regimes with the blessing of past American Administrations.
For the record and to remind the Ethiopian chauvinist,
The majority of the Eritrean people wanted and fought for nothing less than complete independence when they saw their national identity and democratic rights being eroded one by one. Even during the precursor to the ill conceived Ethio-Eritrea "Federation", it is a known fact that the members of the "Independence block" were, at least, twice that of the Ethiopian supported and abated "Unionist Party" members.
Eritreans objected to the then British Administration to Eritrea´s evil suggestion to partition the country between Ethiopia and The Sudan.
The Eritrean fighters were genuine freedom fighters and showed it by some hard to believe self sacrifice and iron clad determination and won their independence against all odds by beating the then largest army in Sub-Saharan Africa - and they were not common "Bandits" as the irresponsible criminal stated.
There was a show of sadness and unhappiness on that ill fated day , November 14, 1962, - the day the Ethiopians unilaterally abrogated the so called Federal arrangement and annexed Eritrea with out any say by the Eritrean people – not a sense of jubilation as the dishonest Ato Dawit would like us to believe. The members of the Eritrean Assembly "vote" was carried out under duress and that they were not allowed to vote their conscience as it should have been. Ato Dawit knows only too well that there was no reason for many Eritreans to vote "Union" with Ethiopia after all the suffering and agony they have gone through – all in the name of Ethiopia. Ato Dawit knows very well that Ethiopia was carrying out terrorist activity against Eritreans it suspected supported Eritrea´s independence, whose victims of its scorched earth campaign invariably included women and children. Many Tigrean elements who were residents in Eritrea have served Emperor Haileselasie very well in that category. Does that sound familiar?
There is nothing to negotiate about either Badme or Assab for they are both Eritrean sovereign territories as are the rest of other localities within Eritrea. Ato Dawit, "You can´t have your cake and eat it". The time to "dialogue" short of our hard won political independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, would have made sense before your visionless and corrupt government (that now you seemingly disavow after you apparently became ´persona non grata´) decided to attack a peaceful Eritrea with the many of the comatose Ethiopian Diaspora celebrating a hollow "Victory" slogan the ever- deceptive Weyane thugs proclaimed. You failed to reoccupy Assab and that was not for lack of trying. In fact, you tried to re-colonize at least a portion of Eritrea. In spite of the overwhelming support you were receiving from various external players, your Weyane army was soundly defeated at the hands of the gallant Eritrean Defense Forces. And that is a fact you can take to help you wake up from your apparent dozing.
The other hullabaloo about how EPLF and President Isaias himself agreed with you that the Eritreans would settle for something "Less than independence" is a wishful thinking on your part and I will let the PFDJ authorities address that issue.
We have heard it all before and some Ethiopians will go the distance to create some fantasies to hide their crimes or crimes committed in their name against the Eritrean people. Apparently, Ato Dawit does not have the shame or even human decency to act differently.
We, the Eritrean people, have always stood by our words. Eritrea is a sovereign state. We believe in the voluntary economic integration or cooperation with Ethiopia and beyond. We say this because we think that is the prudent way to do in this days and age of Globization. The nations of the world have increasingly become ever dependent with each other. This is particularly true with countries with less than robust economy although one would be at a loss considering what has been happening to the economically giant players lately. More importantly, one doesn´t have to be as "Smart" as some Ethiopian cyber warriors would like us to believe that there is so many common interest and common destiny between our peoples that makes our cooperation in any field that much of urgency. I am all ears for that. However, no unity of purpose can be achieved unless such cooperation is based on legality, justice, fairness and the respect of each of the conveying parties with no ulterior motives. Unfortunately and sadly, that has been sorely missing on the Ethiopian side for a long time. It is like the proverbial "Ostrich burying its head in sand" thinking it may not be visible to the outside world.
The Eritrean people have been very magnanimous towards Ethiopians including the ungrateful Shaleka Dawit Weldegiorgis. They have decided to let bygones be bygones and opened the door to work with Ethiopia and Ethiopians. As President Isaias stated in his recent interview with ER/EPPF, "the sky is the limit" indeed! But as it takes two hands to clap, both parties must be in the same wavelength for such cooperation to materialize. Short of that, it is perfectly alright for Eritrea and Ethiopia to go about their own way until and when, perhaps, some sane minds reign on the part of some Ethiopian chauvinists. But, if Ato Dawit´s half hearted ceremony peppered with nostalgic sense of domination and subjugation is any indication, we need more than crossing our fingers to achieve a genuine unity of purpose of our long suffered peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"
When I read the article titled "The way forward for Ethiopia and Eritrea", by Shaleka Dawit Weldegiorgis, I thought it was the reincarnation of TPLF's Sebhat Nega recent interview by sounding more caring for Eritrean people than the EPLF/ELF freedom fighters ever were! What in the hell is this guy talking about? The only thing that made sense to me was his unconvincing appeal for Ethiopians to work with Eritrea. I am saying "Unconvincing", for he purposely and willfully butchered up the proud history of the Eritrean people. When one gets to the jest of the matter, one can clearly sense that there was some deep seated anger coming from this not so innocent army commander who directed a war machine against Eritrea and the Eritrean people which makes one wonder, do Ethiopian intellectuals ever seek some genuine reconciliation with their Eritrean counterparts short of trouncing over the inalienable right of the Eritrean people for political independence, which we got through tremendous blood and sweat?
To start with Ato Dawit, as a direct participant of the horrendous crimes that were committed by the regimes that he was part of against unarmed and defenseless Eritrean people, can not have the moral high ground to pretend that he cares about the Eritrean people by shedding some crocodile tears. He is simply jumping in the "Work with Eritrea" bandwagon for simply an opportunistic exercise.
Ato Dawit, as commander of a sizable part of the then largest army in Sub-Saharan Africa, and governor of a state that was under the subjugation of his country, should have known better than simply regurgitating the old and tired line of lie after lie that was perpetuated by the Ethiopian regimes with the blessing of past American Administrations.
For the record and to remind the Ethiopian chauvinist,
The majority of the Eritrean people wanted and fought for nothing less than complete independence when they saw their national identity and democratic rights being eroded one by one. Even during the precursor to the ill conceived Ethio-Eritrea "Federation", it is a known fact that the members of the "Independence block" were, at least, twice that of the Ethiopian supported and abated "Unionist Party" members.
Eritreans objected to the then British Administration to Eritrea´s evil suggestion to partition the country between Ethiopia and The Sudan.
The Eritrean fighters were genuine freedom fighters and showed it by some hard to believe self sacrifice and iron clad determination and won their independence against all odds by beating the then largest army in Sub-Saharan Africa - and they were not common "Bandits" as the irresponsible criminal stated.
There was a show of sadness and unhappiness on that ill fated day , November 14, 1962, - the day the Ethiopians unilaterally abrogated the so called Federal arrangement and annexed Eritrea with out any say by the Eritrean people – not a sense of jubilation as the dishonest Ato Dawit would like us to believe. The members of the Eritrean Assembly "vote" was carried out under duress and that they were not allowed to vote their conscience as it should have been. Ato Dawit knows only too well that there was no reason for many Eritreans to vote "Union" with Ethiopia after all the suffering and agony they have gone through – all in the name of Ethiopia. Ato Dawit knows very well that Ethiopia was carrying out terrorist activity against Eritreans it suspected supported Eritrea´s independence, whose victims of its scorched earth campaign invariably included women and children. Many Tigrean elements who were residents in Eritrea have served Emperor Haileselasie very well in that category. Does that sound familiar?
There is nothing to negotiate about either Badme or Assab for they are both Eritrean sovereign territories as are the rest of other localities within Eritrea. Ato Dawit, "You can´t have your cake and eat it". The time to "dialogue" short of our hard won political independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, would have made sense before your visionless and corrupt government (that now you seemingly disavow after you apparently became ´persona non grata´) decided to attack a peaceful Eritrea with the many of the comatose Ethiopian Diaspora celebrating a hollow "Victory" slogan the ever- deceptive Weyane thugs proclaimed. You failed to reoccupy Assab and that was not for lack of trying. In fact, you tried to re-colonize at least a portion of Eritrea. In spite of the overwhelming support you were receiving from various external players, your Weyane army was soundly defeated at the hands of the gallant Eritrean Defense Forces. And that is a fact you can take to help you wake up from your apparent dozing.
The other hullabaloo about how EPLF and President Isaias himself agreed with you that the Eritreans would settle for something "Less than independence" is a wishful thinking on your part and I will let the PFDJ authorities address that issue.
We have heard it all before and some Ethiopians will go the distance to create some fantasies to hide their crimes or crimes committed in their name against the Eritrean people. Apparently, Ato Dawit does not have the shame or even human decency to act differently.
We, the Eritrean people, have always stood by our words. Eritrea is a sovereign state. We believe in the voluntary economic integration or cooperation with Ethiopia and beyond. We say this because we think that is the prudent way to do in this days and age of Globization. The nations of the world have increasingly become ever dependent with each other. This is particularly true with countries with less than robust economy although one would be at a loss considering what has been happening to the economically giant players lately. More importantly, one doesn´t have to be as "Smart" as some Ethiopian cyber warriors would like us to believe that there is so many common interest and common destiny between our peoples that makes our cooperation in any field that much of urgency. I am all ears for that. However, no unity of purpose can be achieved unless such cooperation is based on legality, justice, fairness and the respect of each of the conveying parties with no ulterior motives. Unfortunately and sadly, that has been sorely missing on the Ethiopian side for a long time. It is like the proverbial "Ostrich burying its head in sand" thinking it may not be visible to the outside world.
The Eritrean people have been very magnanimous towards Ethiopians including the ungrateful Shaleka Dawit Weldegiorgis. They have decided to let bygones be bygones and opened the door to work with Ethiopia and Ethiopians. As President Isaias stated in his recent interview with ER/EPPF, "the sky is the limit" indeed! But as it takes two hands to clap, both parties must be in the same wavelength for such cooperation to materialize. Short of that, it is perfectly alright for Eritrea and Ethiopia to go about their own way until and when, perhaps, some sane minds reign on the part of some Ethiopian chauvinists. But, if Ato Dawit´s half hearted ceremony peppered with nostalgic sense of domination and subjugation is any indication, we need more than crossing our fingers to achieve a genuine unity of purpose of our long suffered peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"
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