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By The Rev. Tesfamariam Baraki An Irob-Ethio-American Priest Washington, D.C. March, 2002 Blessed are the Peacemakers! I am an American citizen and native of the Irob tribe, and I was born in Dowhan (Alitiena) in 1946. I have just returned from visiting the Irobland in the northeastern part of Tigray State in Ethiopia. As an Irob descendant, I'm greatly concerned with the rest of the Irob people in the homeland and in the Diaspora about the upcoming decision and verdict by the Boundary Commission of the UN at The Hague on the delimitation and demarcation of borders between Ethiopia and Eritrea in April 2002. The Irob Community and I are terribly worried about the possible unjust and unfavorable adjudication against Ethiopia and about the possible consequence it may entail and trigger on the already victimized Irobs. Irobland is a "disputed" area both by Eritrea and Ethiopia. As matter of fact, Eritrea invaded and occupied the Irobland in June 1998 claiming as her own territory in dispute. However, there is no historical evidence that substantiates or supports the Eritrean claim on the Irobland or the Irob people. The Irobland is divided in three administrative districts, known as Adgadi-Areh, Bocnaiti-Areh, and Hassaballa. The administrative center of these three regions had been Alitiena for years until the TPLF Government of the Tigray State decided to move it to Dowhan about four years ago. In other words, the disputed Irobland has been always integral-territory of Ethiopia, even before the creation of Eritrea by the Italians in the nineteenth century. Therefore, the Irobland has never been part of Eritrea. Eritrea's claim and invasion of the Irobland in 1998 was not justifiable or right then or now. Eritrea had been Italian Colony since 19th century, but the Irobland (as an integral-part of Ethiopia) had never been colonized or administered whether by the Italians or later by the British rule during the ten years of British protectorate of Eritrea after the Italians were expelled from Eritrea by the Emperor Haile-Sellassie with the help of British during the World War II. Then, why did Eritrea claim and invade the Irobland that never ever belonged historically, administratively, or politically to her whether before the colonization, during the colonization, or after the colonization era of Eritrea by Italy? And what was the justification for Eritrea to invade unjustly and occupy by force the Irobland in 1998, claiming as her own territory, which had never been from the start? Eritrea must take full responsibility for the unjust invasion and destruction caused in human lives and property in Irobland I was able to witness in person the socio-economical and psychological effect of the 1998 Eritrean invasion and two-year-occupation on the Irob people. I had to agonize in hearing the saddest stories and memories of my elderly mother of mid-80s and other elderly women of similar experience who were abused verbally as well as physically by the invading forces, who expelled them from their hamlets and villages, after confiscating their livestock and other belongings. In fact, my elderly mother, who lost everything during the invasion and occupation, had to seek a refuge in the mountains of Awo area in the southern Irob for about a year; then she was forced to flee to Adigrat town, and from there to Mekelle along with her young grandchildren to escape the war. In the process, she and her grandchildren had to face all the risks of the displaced people without shelter, food, or any support system available to them in those places. Though, my mother and her grandchildren were considered among those luckiest ones for being able to obtain refuge in safer places like Mekelle away from routine shelling and dangerous landmine-infested war-zones in the Irob area. Most of the unlucky displaced Irobs, instead, had to live for two years with poisonous reptiles in caves, under trees, and under plastic tents in remote mountains without adequate food, water, or health care attention. Those Irobs under Eritrea's occupation in the northern region of the Irobland, including the abducted priests and nuns of the Diocese of Adigrat in the Irob areas, had to suffer for two years all kinds of mental and physical tortures and lack of freedom of movement from village to village and the right to gather for worship and receive religious services in accordance with their faith. Now my elderly mother refuses to return back to her village after all those saddest experiences and memories. In 1998 and 1999, my mother and my older brother lost over 70 goats, 20 cattle, and number of beehives to the invading forces of Eritrea in Dowhan village. My mother's house was totally vandalized and sacked. Similar stories go on with other people of the same destiny during those two years of Eritrean occupation of the Irobland. As a result, the bitterness and resentment towards the unjustifiable and inexcusable invasion and occupation of the Irobland and the Irob people by Eritrea is felt deep and seems to remain that way. I also witnessed with my own eyes with deep sadness and unbelievable shock the deliberate and heinous destruction by Eritrea of the border town, Zallambessa, including an Orthodox church and a Catholic church, Catholic schools, clinics, priests' residences, and a former convent of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, which I knew very well. I was deeply affected to discover the destruction of my youngest brother's new house in the town, which was completed just before the Eritreans invaded. Now, the wreckage of Zallambessa town is a living monument of evil, hate, aggression, and bitter memories for the entire world to see. By vocation, I am a clergyman and religious, and I hate and condemn any form of racial bigotry and violence against humanity in anywhere in the world, including in my native land. It is immoral and unethical for any human being to condone or reward aggression and evil that terrorizes humanity like that in the Irob land and Zallambessa. Justice must be fair and swift for the victimized peoples of the Irob and Zallambessa areas. And the people of the Irob land in northeastern Tigray, Ethiopia, need a swift justice and compensation for the Eritrean invasion and forced occupation as well as the destruction of their properties and confiscation of their livestock and other possessions estimated in tens of millions of dollars during 1998 and 1999. The Irob peasantry and farmers who inhabit in remote mountains and lowlands of the Irob Region lack national and international advocacy regarding their human rights and due compensations for the war crimes committed against them by Eritrea. Over 80 innocent Irob farmers from the Irob area had been abducted in 1998 by the Eritrean military. Their condition and whereabouts are still unknown. Before any peace and compensation or border settlings, the international community must rectify their situation, at least on humanitarian grounds. Without putting these issues into serious consideration, the peace effort between Ethiopia and Eritrea brokered by the OAU and UN is deemed to fail or will be incomplete. The UN and the OAU are very eager to bring peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Their effort is commendable. For this purpose the UN Peacekeepers are doing their job in the Temporary Security Zone on the borders between the two countries in conflict. "Blessed are those who work for peace, for they shall be called children of God" (Mt. 5, 9). But the question is, will the United Nations secure a lasting peace in the Irobland of Ethiopia? For how long will the UN Security Council's peacekeeping forces stay and guarantee a lasting peace for the Irob area and for other areas in the border region? Will mere delimitation and demarcation of borders between the two countries in conflict bring about or warrant a durable solution and peaceful stability? Will all the affected peoples, from both countries in the border areas, accept positively the UN verdict to be imposed on them against their political will? All Irobs are worried about the outcome in The Hague and the establishment of peace in the area. The rumors and fear of the Irob people are that the United Nations' Court in Hague may end up awarding parts of Irobland to Eritrea as a compromise of peace settlement. In such a case, the Irobs are afraid that the long awaited peace may not be a reality for them. Even though they have been victimized by Eritrea's invasion and aggression in 1998, the Irob people still are interested in living in peace and harmony with their neighbors in Eritrea. They are eager to re-establish normal relations, particularly, with the Eritreans in the immediate border areas. However, they ask that the international community will award them a fair justice and compensation for the damages inflicted upon them by Eritrea. Indeed, the consequences of the war are that the two peoples, who have so much in common and have enjoyed for years close ties because of their blood relations, intermarriages, cultures, and religion, now live in a such animosity and conflict. Eritrean invasion and occupation of the Irobland and other parts of Ethiopia certainly has created a hostile environment and harmful relation between the Irobs and brotherly people of Eritrea. This is true especially in the border areas where they are forced to turn against each other as bitter enemies. Incidentally, I have a sister married to an Eritrean in Monoixoito village. After ten years of my visit to my family in Tigray, Ethiopia, I have not been able to cross into Eritrea and visit with my sister and her family. Sadder still, though, is the fact that her oldest son has conscripted into Eritrean army to fight against his own people, including his own grandmother, uncles, cousins, nieces, and many other relatives as well, just in the name of nationalism and border claims. As a matter of fact, this kind of situation that worries us that may happen in the future, if parts of the Irobland are awarded unjustly to Eritrea by the UN. That is why the Irob people are so nervous and concerned about the upcoming outcome of the verdict in The Hague about the Irob area. That could totally change the atmosphere of peace in the region adversely or favorably, depending which direction will go the adjudication of the UN's Boundary Commission to take place around mid of April 2002, according to the latest rescheduling from the UN Security Council. In conclusion, as a personal remark, I strongly believe that if the UN Security Council is interested in attaining a meaningful and lasting peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia, instead of focusing too much on how to delimit and demarcate those disputed borders, should concentrate on how to create a healthy and conducive atmosphere for reconciliation between the peoples of the two countries. After all, Eritreans and Ethiopians especially along the border areas are not aliens to each other: They are same brotherly people, that is, through intermarriages, blood relations, traditions, cultures, and languages. Therefore, I honestly doubt that without a true and honest spirit of mutual reconciliation of the two countries and peoples, the demarcation of the borders will not make much difference in bringing about a lasting peace and stability between the two countries or the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Probably the UN and OAU could assist the two countries toward payments of compensations and rehabilitations for the damages caused by the destructive war in the two countries since they may not be able to afford to pay for the damages by themselves. If it is desired to achieve a lasting peace and stability between Eritrea and Ethiopia, then, reconciliation effort should be seriously considered and be given a priority. There is great opportunity to explore and support the latest and the ongoing efforts and endeavors of the Religious Leaders of both Eritrea and Ethiopia towards a mutual reconciliation of the two peoples of the two countries. I truly believe that only that kind of initiative and process of reconciliation can lead toward a permanent peace and stability between Ethiopia and Eritrea and their respective peoples. |