By the time president Isaias decided to invade the 'disputed' territories, he was counting on the fact that Ethiopia is divided along ethnic lines and EPRDF doesn't enjoy the support of Ethiopians (except of course in Tigray). He hoped the invasion would put a tremendous pressure on EPRDF and it would yield to its selfish economic demands. Even though this huge underestimation of the intelligence of the Ethiopian people on Isaias' part has put Eritrea in an entangled situation, he has also gained something from the war.

Which is diverting his people's attention from the internal political, social and mainly economic problems as well as re-igniting anti-Ethiopian feelings on which the identity of Eritrea is based. He now has found a justification for all problems: Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government ,similarly, managed to get big support from its people during this conflict, because people felt vindictive about what had happened to them. It was not because they were behind their government, which was instrumental in all the ill doings, but because they think that EPLF is their number one enemy.

However, we should not forget the numerous questions which EPRDF and its supporters haven't yet answered. The answer(s) should reveal the real cause of this conflict and should direct us to a possible lasting solution to our country. Some of these questions are:

• Why were so many Eritreans allowed to function in key government positions? (some may even use present tense in this case)

• Why were hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians fired from their jobs in the name of structural adjustment and without any compensation, while significant number of Tigrians and Eritreans were hired either in their places or in new positions?

• Why was Eritrea allowed to use Ethiopian currency after independence, which enabled them to buy re-exportable products and why were their banks allowed to offer higher exchange rates to gain hard currency unfairly?

• Why were Eritreans, who had voted for the independence, and had chosen to become Eritrean rather than Ethiopian, allowed to enjoy the same benefits, if not more benefits, than Ethiopians: benefits such as being able to attend the scarce public schools and universities without paying, own businesses or land without paying higher taxes as would other foreigners etc.

• In short why was Eritrea allowed to enjoy political independence on one hand and hang on to the economic and social benefits of being one with Ethiopia on the other hand?

The simple answer to these questions is EPRDF leaders were blinded by revenge and they did whatever the EPLF was demanding. At the same time, the international community gave its deaf ear to the suffering of Ethiopians and awarded both governments with loans and called them the leaders of the African renaissance.

However there were some things which both leaders didn't anticipate. As we all know both Eritrea and Tigray are not mainly suitable for agriculture. Because of this fact the EPLF's dream was to industrialize Eritrea and make it the business center of the region using Ethiopia's resources and huge market (60 million people), while the EPRDF was supposed to invest heavily in Tigray's industrialization to keep its base support. These developments unintentionally created concurrency between those regions. In other words EPLF wanted to get more of the looting. This conflict was born then.

Therefore, EPRDF is jointly responsible for all the losses of lives and the destruction of our scarce resources. Because, if it had handled everything based on its people's interest and listened to them instead of allying with EPLF, all the issues including currency, trade, port access, the status of Eritreans living in Ethiopia, the Afar question, border demarcation etc. would have been considered and debated during the referendum in 1993 and afterwards. This conflict could have been avoided.

A government which has betrayed its people, impoverished them and abused them in alliance with the EPLF cannot and should not be trusted to protect their interest. Doing so would be like recruiting a convicted child abuser for a day care job.

Even at the present moment, EPRDF is refusing to listen to the voice of the majority with regards to the Afar issue by not placing a peaceful claim on the Afar region. Why is our government continuing to abandon the Afar people while it finds it worth sacrificing tens of thousands of lives and enormous amount of resources for Badme and its environs? Are Tigrians more Ethiopians than Afars? Isn't it the duty of the leaders to speak on behalf of the Ethiopian people during the peace process? Don't they have a constitutional obligation to consult with the people they 'represent' prior to entering into any agreement that may bind Ethiopia. The answer is again simple: Our nation's interest is not EPRDF's priority. It has its own interest and its own agenda. Post-war EPRDF is the same 'Guaya' in different 'Joniya'. It is not changed and it will never change.

My conclusion is, despite the admirable willingness of the Ethiopian people to forgive the colossal mistakes and the betrayals which EPRDF committed, it still is not showing us any sign of improvement both in its ethnically based divisive internal policies and with regards to the way it is handling the peace process.

I believe the only way we can achieve a lasting peace and a sustainable development in our country is if the EPRDF is removed and if we manage to form a competent and accountable government which has its people interest as number one priority. I think we should all cooperate and works towards that goal instead of waiting for an impossible change of heart from a heartless government. It is time to materialize the slogan 'kebadme mels wede Meles!' peacefully.

Petros D. Woldeyohannes