An Open Letter to the TPLF/EPRDF sympathizers

10 May 2002

The Eritrean dictator made unprovoked aggression and threatened to destabilize our nation with an adventurous military campaign back in 1998. Eritreans all over the world spread his false propaganda campaign. They raised millions of dollars thinking that the ‘black Israeli army’ or the ‘invincible Eritrean army’ has the capacity to destabilize all Eastern Africa echoing what their dictator told them. He labeled the town of Zalanbesa to the degree of unimaginable destruction motivated by a deep hate to the people living around. He warned repeatedly that the Tigray people will pay a high price and will suffer to the degree of a greater damage if they don’t give what he is asking. He also dropped cluster bombs against innocent school children of Mekele along with their parents, killing hundreds of them at once in a cold blood. He could have been used a Nuclear Weapon if he was able to do so, to kill every civilian as much as it gets them. For Ethiopians, then, there were only two options, either simply to let him do what he wanted or to defend our people united as we did in Adwa in 1896 against Eritrea’s master, fascist Italy.

Perhaps, the greatest damage Eritrea ever incurred remains to be the unbelievable humiliation it suffered and the loss of moral of its ‘invincible army’. The strength of its army has been built on purely propaganda, boasting, and fabrication grounds far from reality. Based on Eritrean propaganda, no one in the west believed that its army will be crashed within a short time span as little as 4 days. It has received a heavy blow to an imaginable degree, and its defeated army which built thousands of kilometers of trenches for protection, was buried in it. Its remaining army began running away in a state of shock to escape from the gallant Ethiopian soldiers to any direction which was open. The San Francisco Chronicles, published on 2000, which still have in our hands, showing the collapse of the western command center, Barentu town, on its front page, reported that 50,000 of its ‘invincible’ army fled to Sudan in a state of total disarray and in a single day alone. We made an astounding and a shinning victory to reverse Eritreas’s aggression in the fight for Badme and other places forcefully occupied by Eritrea. We also proudly say that we killed the Eritrean moral to the extent the world laughs for ever not to initiate any attempt again. Ethiopians were also laughing when citizens of Eritrea cried out loud and caught on the camera on London streets, calling for help and intervention, when things had gone wrong contrary of their false predictions without knowing what the Ethiopian people are.

Having said that, during the war, dominated by the dissidents, we didn’t know what Meles has in his mind, but, at least, he was clapping his hands as everyone else in a low profile mood, to pretend as if he was on our side. But now, after he made a successful coup-ed-tat against his rivals for questioning him how he handled Eritrea’s case as a leader, he turned himself a 180 degree and saying that the war was wrong. The most astonishing evidence of Meles and his associates support for Eritrea is revealed on his governments official statement carried out by its media agency, ENS, and put on the Internet by its mouse-piece of the Walta Information Center. The official statement about the war with Eritrea and their comments regarding the burning issue, the question of Asseb, was published on April 17, 2002, and reads the following:

“In spite of the call by some elements including the group which had dissented from the TPLF for an all out offensive against the entire people and sovereignty of Eritrea, EPRDF, has dealt with the aggression of Eritrea in the time with measures that has guaranteed the national interest and the sovereignty of Ethiopia”.

“The Ethiopian people value their democratic rights more than anything else, and will never surrender to a dictatorial system that functions under the pretext of emitting Ethiopia to a sea outlet.

The leaders of EDP have been forced to denounce democracy because their intention to cause chaos following the announcement of the ruling commission has failed to materialize “.

Let us focus on the beginning statement first. Is he and his group are saying that the war was waged without the interest of the Ethiopian people in general, and the Tigrai people in particular? Or his group is saying simply it was carried out by the leadership of the dissidents without his group’s support or approval? If that is the case, then, Why was then the paper tiger and the propagandist Foreign Minister, Syoum Mesfin, boasting louder and portraying himself as a ‘nationalist’ to reverse aggression and calling young Ethiopians to fight?. Didn’t the Meles group say that the confrontation and the clash between the dissidents and their own group was not because of the Eritrean issue? Aren’t they admitting now what the remaining TPLF cadres gave Legesse Zenawi and his associates the benefit of the doubt when he bring the corruption card to cover his deeds? Well, blind sympathizers perhaps may differ from our analyses, but to the best of our knowledge the hidden interpretation of the above bold and Italics formatted statement as a whole tells us the following:

· The war Ethiopia fought with Eritrea to defend its people and sovereignty is wrong, because it was waged against the people and the sovereignty of Eritrea. Even though, it is a hard-sell to say it publicly, we the palace group believe that Ethiopia is the aggressor, but not the vice versa. After saying that, however, what the EPRDF (our group and its elements) considered the appropriate way of safeguarding “Ethiopian’s sovereignty” was to accept Eritrean terms and negotiate with them no matter what areas were under siege. Because, pushing Eritrian soldiers from Badme, Zalambessa, or Burie, or other places was not respecting Eritrea’s sovereignty at all. Instead, the palace group of the TPLF/EPRDF was trying to accept the so called “Technical Arrangements” to sit on the table with Eritrea, while Ethiopian lands are under siege. But some groups (the dissidents) extended the war to break the Eritrean moral and badly hurt our group’s feelings. Therefore, you have to understand why we believe that Eritrea should get more land and that is why we are celebrating the outcome based on our expectations. Asking a sea outlet for Ethiopia or unwillingness to ratify the boarder decision or the agreement made in Algers, based on colonial treaties is undemocratic, based on our own definition. It is raised only by dictators and trouble makers, such as EDP, who wanted to jeopardize the sovereignty of Eritrea as well as its benefits. Raising such a slogan also make us upset. Let the EDP or anybody cry foul. We have the power to silence the people.

Well, are the Tigrai people listening? Nobody expected Meles and associates to come out in the open and say this statement to denounce our heroes/heroine who gave up their lives to defend their people and nation in the face of a blatant aggression and humiliation, where our land was under siege and hundreds of thousands of our people living in caves.

Given this fact, we don’t know what the TPLF/EPRDF cadres who still support Meles, have to say reminding their wrong perception of the split with in the organization itself, and the propaganda campaign they made to support him. Within this camp, there are people who sold their pride for greed and power at any cost, betraying the voiceless Tigray people on the issue of Eritrea, to be on the side of the winning group, which are labeled as the Yes-people of Meles; and on the other, those who still have a wish-washy stand and don’t have a complete attachment. Perhaps, members such as Dr. Solomon Ekubay, who fits on the second sub-group, well educated, and wrote articles explaining the causes of the conflict and Shabiya’s arrogance in detail, as well as called several thousand young Ethiopians to join the holy war, has to tell us what that means. We neither know if he still is one of them who denounced the war nor see his comments regarding the official statement we mentioned above.

We also like to point out why the border decision ends up on Eritrea’s favor. First, we are not making this up, but you have to read it yourself what the Eritrean agents in Addis Ababa has done on the negotiations behind door, thinking that the commission will not post what they testified on behalf of Eritrea and give up the land we gained on the blood bath of our youngsters in the combat against the evil deeds of Isayas Afeworki. The Ethiopian delegates sent by Meles and Syoum Mesfin, deliberately told the commission that it is irrelevant to talk about most of the places where the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea had been started, since all are in Eritrean territories; so that the commission can interpret all the areas as undisputed Eritrean territories. It was done as simple as that. The outcome, then, helped Eritrea to gain a large area of Badme’s environs unchallenged. In addition of losing a large territory to Eritrea, this open admission has put Badme Wereda and even the tiny village of Badme town, to be controversial again. Although we do not know about the final verdict of the village, its ownership would not heal Ethiopian wounds, given that all the surroundings are gone. Meles might think of diverting our attention on the village and forgetting the loss in general, including the question of Asseb, but we would not.

Second, did you also read about Tserona? Seyoum Mesfin and his delegates testified on behalf of Eritrea, while the Commission was trying to give it to Ethiopia. Why? Because the Meles group wants Eritrea to erect a monument around the town for killing Ethiopian soldiers during the early stage of the operation and tell their young ones that they defended it. Most Ethiopians knew that things have gone in the wrong direction when the dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi went to Algers to make the negotiations based on a nullified century old Colonial Treaties outsmarting and fooling the dissidents and ignoring the masses. 

Third, the Wayane/TPLF group used to agitate people for decades that Ethiopia is a colonizer, and the Eritrean question as a colonial question. If that is the case, then, he wouldn’t have to go to Europe to look for Italy, it rather has to do with Ethiopian terms, which is the last black colonizer. But Meles knows that won’t help Eritrea, because in 1987, Asseb was an autonomous region of Afars. To favor Eritrea, therefore, Meles and Syoum have to look for a white colonizer in Europe, so that Eritrea could get what it wanted. Stay tuned, we have more to say.

Fourth, the government of Meles also deceived its people by failing to hand over evidences to areas west of the Eritrean claim line at the appropriate time. If you read the document given by the commission, you can find it on the Western Sector ruling section, on paragraph 5.92. It stated the following:

· 5.92 However, there is one specific body of material to which the Commission has given careful consideration, namely, the Ethiopian evidence of its activities in the area west of Eritrea’s claim line. The Commission notes that no evidence of such activities was introduced in the Ethiopian Memorial. The evidence to be examined appeared only in the Ethiopian Counter-Memorial. It was not added to or developed in the Ethiopian Reply.

·

Interpretation: The Commission has given careful considerations to the Ethiopian evidence of its activities west of the Diagonal line, and asked Ethiopia to provide its historical documents (memorials), but it failed to do so. Ethiopia did not added and submitted it to the Commission during the first reply. The evidences were brought too late during the cross-examination (counter-memorial) period. This alerts the Commission.

What was the motive behind this? Perhaps, as usual to help Eritrea wins the case. Based on these findings, therefore, we should blame nobody, but Meles did it purposely to make Bereket Simon, Sibhat Nega, the fascist Yemane Kidane, himself, and other Eritrean agents happy in carrying out their mission in the name of the government of Ethiopia. Who do you think cares about the poor people of Tigray based on the above deliberately assembled give and takes? Meles still thinks for the long run (if he stays unchallenged) how to use the Eritrean infiltrators as before to crash any opposition, or assassinate known individuals as before, be it in Tigray or in central Ethiopia. Time will tell.

To deceive the Ethiopian people, Meles and associates did two contradictory things, when handling Ethiopia’s case in the international court. To pretend as if they are on the Ethiopian side, they gave the map of Ethiopian claims, but in writing and testimony they did the opposite to favor Eritrea, as described by the commission itself. To add insult to injury, they come out in the open and declared that Badme and its environs along with all what Ethiopia claims to be hers, has been awarded to us. What a shameful act! They think no one can challenge them, but in reality, it looks they are standing at the end of the road. A little spark seems to bring their downfall. 

Now, we know why our National Army was stopped by Meles, from its advancing positions, to save Eritrea. Like the Meles group, we blame the TPLF dissidents for lots of destruction to their own country when they were in power, including their stand to remain silent, when Meles prepared the road map to dismantle the country as we see it today. On the positive side, however, the dissidents were not scared to reverse Eritrean aggression as the palace group did. Meles, a guy who talks ‘smart’ to deceive naïve people, fearful in manner, always considers what he thinks is right. He is a man of shame who loves to use dirty words, such as Yebekete, Yetela, Yegema, Yeshetete, and so forth, to explain things and attack other view points. If we recall from his past, during the liberation struggle, herun away by the first shot when he led a squad to rob an Ethiopian Bank, located in Adwa (if we are correct about the location) leaving behind his comrades. Likewise, he scared Eritrea to death, and was burbling to convince people not to fight. The same happened on the issue of The Technical Arrangements. He preached to the dissidents that if they don’t accept, the international community will punish the victim, Ethiopia, in the form of economical sanctions or any other means available. Therefore, he suggested that Zalambesa, Alitena, Irob, Bada, and Burie, and some other places can stay under siege until Eritrea gets what it wanted by force of arms, while Ethiopia negotiates to beg Eritrea to leave. 

The good thing was, the dissidents did not swallow Meles’s propaganda which was designed to scare Ethiopians. According to Meles, accepting The Technical Arrangements would give a face saving opportunity for Eritrea. He was disregarding an open aggression, because he is a half-Eritrean. Actually thanks to the dissidents, they reject his false propaganda. The dissidents were in the for-front with the army keeping its moral in high ground and supplying the rations it needed as well as defining military strategies to give Shabiya a hard lesson.

We Ethiopians thought and still believe that our young heroes paid their lives thinking that they were defending their country, believing that there are people behind them to support their cause. But now, to the least, Meles and his associates are distancing themselves from the war that makes Ethiopians proud. Even to the greater degree, they completely betrayed the Tigray people who support them to seize the state power they have today. They are telling us that the war was waged to suppress the Eritreasn people, and its sovereignty. Their statements seem more concerned to the Eritrean people and sovereignty than the suffering of the Ethiopian people and the interests of the country they govern.

If Meles stayed unchallenged, therefore, at least for now, let’s say that the Ethiopian masses, particularly the voiceless Tigray people who will leave behind the grave sites of their families, are the losers. The Eritrean agents along with their handful highly paid generals, cadres and Shabiya are the winners. But think for a moment, how it hurts a person throughout his life when he denied access to visit the land where his father or mother body rests in silence. If that was the design to bring all about, we congratulate the Meles’s TPLF sympathizers for selling out your pride, betraying your people and the several thousand dead martyrs.

Meles and associates said publicly that Ethiopia is awarded Badme and its environs.

But, forget its environs or large surroundings; even the village of Badme is still in limbo, or in a state of uncertainty. This seems not only suggest that Meles and his associates consideration of hurting the dissidents morale, who prepared the plot and mechanisms of the war tactics, but also to hurt the moral of the Ethiopian people in general, given the fact that the largest number of our youngsters had fallen in those areas. If they say openly what Ethiopia has carried out to defend its citizens and land is a wrong war, then what can you expect them to say more than this? Likewise, by saying asking Asseb is war mongering or undemocratic, they are safeguarding Eritrean interests. On the other hand, gaining the town of Zalanbessa, but still leaving behind its highest mountain above, which Eritrea used to flatten the town, with a complete encirclement, and along with the fortified trenches intact for Eritrea, doesn’t seem a fair deal. Again this is intended to sabotage Ethiopian victory, known the fact that a large number of our heroes had fallen on the vicinity of this mountain and trenches. If you understand all of these, then, you will know why Meles is blocking and fighting us on the question of Asseb more than the Eritreans themselves. 

Based on all these facts, then, except the blind followers, the Ethiopian masses are asking why a leadership living in our palace and its bills paid by the Ethiopian people has gone that far in disrespecting the sovereignty of the nation, selling out its interests, as well as ignoring the voices of the masses, by dictating the rule of law. How far he can go this way? Time will tell. Ask yourself what happened to the military commanders who did a lot to make us proud and help their country win the war with Eritrea, by Meles and associates, be it in the air-force or the ground army. Ask yourself if the border deal makes sense to you after losing tens of thousands of lives due to unprovoked aggression. And lastly convince yourself why Ethiopians are reclaiming their port, Asseb, raising the issue louder than ever before. You have a responsibility for the next generation. Stop Meles’s evil motive. For the security of your country and the safety of your people, we encourage you to oppose the deal in general. Be on the side of the people before it is too late.

Concerned Ethiopians in California