By Haileselassie Girmay, June 5, 2000

Alexander Last claimed he was driven to and given a pair of binoculars to zoom in and see for himself about twenty burnout Ethiopian tanks. All these watching of twisted metals and hardware around Tserona was to prove to the world the mangled bodies, some without heads strewed allover, were but the unfortunate Ethiopian soldiers who foolishly charged in towards well dug and heavily fortified Eritrean defense. However, not a word Mr. Last has ever uttered about the plight of the Ethiopians in the hand of the Eritreans. Be this as it may.

Likewise Cathy hasn't either said a word about the sufferings of the Ethiopians in the hands of the Eritreans.In fact Cathy's audacity goes beyond limit. On the eve of Zalmabessa's liberation from the marauding Eritrean force of violence she claimed to have reported from the town of Zalambessa itself only to prove that the Eritreans were in control and things were going Eritrean way. This too, be it as it may, except we know now it did not.

Now the Jenkins & the Lasts reporting from the scene of the conflict zones have duty bound to answer to their listeners the world over some hard questions. If, and there is no doubt that they are, the company and its foot soldiers on ground were culpable of unscrupulous and nauseating, often cushioned with lies, a lot of lies, reportage of bloated and decapitated bodies to support the cause of an aggressor why didn't the likes of Cathy Jenkins (yes especially Cathy who has claimed she has been to Zalambessa), Alexander Last, David Hirst, Dan O'Connell show the world the town of Zalambessa razed to the ground by its invaders in a manner Peter Biles (BBC 25 May) did when he said, "the Eritrean army had systematically destroyed the town from the face of the Earth."

This assertion of Peter is supported by CNN (27 May) when it reported: "...But the Ethiopians' victory was bittersweet -- nothing but rubble remains of the key mountain border town on the road between the capitals of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Eritrean army destroyed every home in the little town, bulldozing their rock walls to nothing. Shops, factories, the customs house -- all lie in ruins along streets where Ethiopia soldiers now march toward other battles in the two-year-old war."

Now, shouldn't the Ethiopian people bring to justice not only the Eritrean leaders but also such reporters for misinforming and hence abating to a crime against humanity? Short of that, at least in the foreseeable future shouldn' t we deny? such reporters attempting to eat with two hands? It is intolerable for the sake of honesty and openness that journalists who worked so hard to see Ethiopia destroyed be allowed at any point in time to touch the soil of the country they were determined to see destroyed.

On other serious issues: we know there is magnanimity in victory, and there is no doubt the Ethiopians have shown they have plenty of it, and acronym in the face of defeat the Eritreans have to endure for their unwise decisions to be part of uncalled for wonton destruction of properties and lives of peace loving neighbors. What is interesting to indicate is that in the face of atrocities committed by the Eritrean leaders against Ayder School kids the Ethiopians did not respond in the manner of eye for an eye by attacking Eritreans living in the vicinities of the scenes of the crime? Contrary to the Ethiopian self-collected deportment in the face of brutal aggression committed by the Eritrean air force against civilians, some Eritreans are now reported to have committed act of violence on prosperities and lives of Ethiopians living in different part of the country. To date, leaving aside those who have been imprisoned, tortured, Killed and forcefully conscripted to wage a war against their own country, 750 Ethiopians are reported missing and their whereabouts not known. If the Eritrean shielded behind their retreating forces were not to refrain from committing such unacceptable act of violence then it would be the duty of the Ethiopian Armed force to take measures to stop this happening. Nothing is out of reach from the Ethiopian Defense Force to exact justice. Had it not been for its civility and concern for the people on the other side of the face the Ethiopian people and its defense force could have inflicted major damage Eritrean lives and properties; but it did not, it will not it had never done in its history. The Eritreans ought to know this for fact; they have been part of us and witnessed the good nature of the Ethiopians. If anything, the Eritrean people must now do the right thing. It should not welcome the retreating force of aggression to trench among its midst and use it as a human shield only to expose it for yet another dire consequences. In fact the Eritrean people must call a section of its lawless army which is left with a bit of reasoning to admit defeat and bring an end to their suffering - every one's suffering. They should learn from history that they would not escape justice if some Eritreans were to committee atrocities against Ethiopians behind the back of their crumbling and retreating army.

Also read: Rama Weep No More