The title of the present article taken from a reggae song correctly fits the way the Eritrean forces were wiped out of Badme by the Ethiopian forces. It also puts a dent on the arrogant and defiant behavior of the Eritrean leaders, specially that of Issayas. Since the onset of the present crisis between Eritrea and Ethiopia nine months ago, the Eritrean leader, Issayas, has been bragging, telling the whole world that the Ethiopian leaders were bluffing and that they would not go to war with Eritrea. Ridiculing the patience and the restraint shown by the government and the people of Ethiopia, Issayas has even gone to the extent of saying that the Ethiopian defense force would not engage the Eritrean military until the year 2000. He would say, to whoever wanted to listen to his insanity, that the Ethiopians were just empty kettles, that they only wanted to impress the international community and that they were no match for him. Today, people who chose to believe him are disgusted; they have come to the conclusion that Ethiopia was showing wisdom and not fear. They have understood that Issayas's bravados were only hot air!

By uttering such and other nonsensical and childish statements, Issayas, time and again, has put to test not only the patience of the Ethiopian government and the people at large but also various well intentioned leaders and heads of organizations by refusing to heed to any call for a peaceful settlement of the crisis. Mediations efforts accepted by Ethiopia were ridiculed by the Asmara authorities. Issayas was viciously rebuffing any peace deal until the day 'his invincible army' in big numbers was crushed and kicked out in disarray from Badme by the heroic Ethiopian forces.

Issayas had proclaimed that withdrawing from Badme was unthinkable, that withdrawing from Badme meant that the sun would never rise again; there we are! Now he has been thrown out, and none too gently, and the sun continues to shine. The harder his troops came, the harder they fell.

The harder they come, the harder they fall_

Operation Sunset was a resounding success for the Ethiopian defense forces and the people at large who participated at the rear with every means at their disposal. The Ethiopian people, more united than ever, showed to the entire world that determination and strong will could not be broken by the defiant and insolent behavior of the Eritrean quarters.

The surprising element, however, is that Issayas has not as yet publicly acknowledged the defeat he encountered at Badme. On one hand, he is announcing to the international community that he has accepted the OAU Framework Agreement; on the other hand, he is telling the Eritrean people that the move from Badme was a tactical retreat. Let us at this point analyze the lies that the Eritrean leaders are feeding to their own people:

The following is a statement issued by the Eritrean Defense Forces after the Badme fiasco:

".... Although the Eritrean Defense Forces has made some changes in its defense lines, it has inflicted heavy losses on the attacking army during the last four days. A total of 9,000 Ethiopian soldiers were killed, 12,000 wounded, 170 including a battalion commander captured, 41 tanks destroyed, three captured, and a M1-24 helicopter gunship shot down." And it goes on saying:

"... the Eritrean Defense Forces would like to assure the people that the casualties suffered on its part are minimal. It left behind two tanks that were burned and another two which were broken down. These facts stated above could be verified by anyone and attested to by Ethiopian soldiers. The Eritrean Defense Forces would like to once again assure that their promises and devotion to defend the sovereignty of Eritrea against the expansionist Ethiopia's regime continuous invasion and transgression remain intact."

This statement issued by the Eritrean Defense Forces was meant, as always, for domestic consumption. It was meant to make a mockery of the Eritrean people; how can such a statement be issued by a defeated defense force? What are the Asmara authorities really promising their people? in reality, they are promising, if the insane behavior of Issayas is not put to rest, more dead, more wounded and more maimed. How long are the Eritrean people going to be fooled by their leaders? How long will they be the victims of Issayas's sick propaganda that is costing them the lives of their sons and daughters? It is true that being defiant is paramount to being a traitor in the Eritrean context; it is true that the Eritrean leaders are quick to take punitive measures for they do not have an iota of respect for their own people; it is true that their only concern is to prolong their stay in power regardless of the cost incurred by the Eritrean people.

The Eritrean leaders while the battle was raging in Badme, and while Eritrean lives were being lost in thousands, had the audacity and cruelty to have Eritreans dance in the streets telling them that they had killed thousands of Ethiopian soldiers. This is utterly sick! this is the coronation of the disdain that the Asmara authorities have for their people! this is something that they will have to answer for to their own people who will ask one day where their offsprings are and who will remember that they were celebrating when their children were dying.

What about the foreign journalists stationed in Asmara? What about the Alex Lasts and the Cathy Jenkins? What were they reporting at the very beginning of the Badme battle? They were screaming loud and clear that the Eritrean side was winning; they were saying whatever the Eritrean leaders were feeding them; they were not acting like neutral journalists but as EPLF's propaganda mouthpieces! Alex Last went as far as reporting that the Eritrean forces had gone deep into Ethiopian territory ( 40 kms to be exact) and this while he was sitting in Asmara. He also said, relying on hearsays, that the Assab airport runway was not hit and that the water reservoir at Harsele was intact. Poor Alex! the Eritrean leadership took him for a ride and maybe succeeded in destroying his carreer! Maybe he should redeem himself and recognize that he was fooled from the very beginning!

He should understand that the Asmara authorities cannot respect him if they do not respect their own people! he should understand that if the Eritrean people are made a mockery of by their own leaders, that he cannot be spared! he should understand that serving as a journalist in Asmara is paramount to parroting whatever is fed to you by the authorities! Alex knows full well that his fellow journalist Ruth Simon was imprisoned by Issayas because she dared say something that he did not like! that they have killed close relatives of Ruth who dared ask questions about her incarceration! So in the future, if Alex wants to act as a genuine journalist, maybe the place to be is not with EPLF leaders!

Going back to Issayas, what did he do right after he was soundly defeated and kicked out of Badme? He thought he had an invincible force in Badme; the harder they came, the harder the trashing was from the Ethiopian forces.

The harder they come, the harder they fall.....

Waves of Eritrean soldiers, and Issayas and his cohorts know it, lost their lives in this battle; Issayas's air force, that he was bragging so much about, was incapacitated! His MIG-29s were reduced to dust! The millions he begged and got, heavens knows from where (although there are pretty good guesses) to buy his MIG 29s that he was going to use to hit at the heart of Ethiopia, were reduced to nothing by the Ethiopian forces. After he violated the air moratorium, he claimed that Ethiopia was the violator and that he was the good boy for not using his mighty air force! He knows full well that he tried time and again to use them and that the Ethiopian air force would not let him through! He knows full well that his planes would come ready to throw their deadly bombs but to no avail!

Issayas, a knife under his throat, went running to the Security Council after the Badme defeat. He shed tears claiming that he was accepting the Framework Agreement of the OAU. It is good to remind the reader that a week prior to the Badme event, a delegation from the European Union had paid a visit to Issayas begging him to accept the OAU's peace proposal! He sent them packing! So what happened now?

What is happening now is quite obvious! Issayas knows that if the international community does not stop the war, he will be engulfed in it. He knows that he needs time to regroup and come back at his dirty games. He knows full well that he is still occupying Ethiopian territories that he should withdraw from. He knows that at this point and without gaining time to regroup, he would be thrashed again and again! The harder he would come, the harder he would fall... and this time, as another reggae song goes: " ... you can fool some people sometimes, but you cannot fool all the people all the time" would apply. He knows that eventually his own people would hold him accountable for the loss of their loved ones! Soldiers who die for a worthy cause, soldiers who die in a winning war are martyrs! Eritrean soldiers who are dying just to serve Issayas's ego and sick ambitions would have died for nothing!

As far as Ethiopia is concerned, the prime objective should be not to fall to Issayas's lies but to ensure lasting peace and security for its citizens. The prime objective should be to regain all occupied territories and punish Issayas's military apparatus until it loses the capacity to threaten Ethiopia and the sub-region as a whole. If Ethiopia wants to eradicate poverty, if Ethiopia wants to live in peace, the Eritrean leadership should be taught a lesson that it will never forget.

Should the Eritrean forces chose not to surrender publicly and officially, Ethiopia should hit the Eritrean forces and not allow them to regroup and hit again! The Ethiopian people have begged for nine months, they will not beg anymore. The OAU Framework Agreement, if Issayas had accepted it, would have avoided bloodshed between the Ethiopian and Eritrean people. Unfortunately, this was not achieved and the situation is now totally reversed! So who is Issayas fooling? Certainly not the Ethiopian people.

Sunset Operation was only one battle. The war has not been won yet. Badme is the beginning of Issayas's downfall and not the end. The harder Issayas's forces come, the harder they will fall!

The harder they come, the harder they fall....

As sure as the sun will shine

I'm going to get what is mine!!!