The greatest title that can be bestowed on a man is the title of "Peace Maker" (as one prominent world figure once observed). Making peace however, as it has its own dividends, also entails a certain amount of price to pay.

First and foremost that price perhaps demands a certain level of integrity in one’s own soul and having an open mind to listen to the voices of other people, and showing the courage to rectify mistakes if there are any.

It is now quite some time since the issue of the Assab port and its implication to our long-term survival has again come to the attention of all Ethiopian citizens. As most independent minded people could judge, the issue of access to the sea is not some thing that can be shrugged off very easily and all citizens of the country have a right to ask their government as to how the issue is handled, and should also suggest solutions in line with the national interest of their country. Any debate on the issue should not thus be seen as a criminal act to cause noisy bickering here and there.

In the civilized world matters of national importance such as joining a certain regional integration (like European Union) or opting out from a certain currency arrangements etc are often relegated to a final decision by the people of a certain country in the form of Referendum.

What we are now witnessing from the inner circles of the Ethiopian government is however, any one who dares discus the issue of Assab port should be condemned outright, whatever the merit of his/her arguments is. The accepted principle from the government’s thinking line seems that no one has a right to debate the issue of Access to the Sea, specially if that debate could touch upon the interests of a former province called Eritrea.

No matter how Eritrea has illegally annexed the sole Ethiopian sea outlet in 1991, no matter how Ethiopia could have a strong case to contest her claim peacefully at international courts, the Ethiopian people are not allowed to raise the issue of Assab, because it is against the interests of Eritrea. At least this is the message that one can understand from the writings of people like Namerraa Gabissa, which largely reflects the existing government thinking line.

After reading his two articles on historical records on Assab, I asked Mr Nammerra, why he should stop half way in his endeavor in disproving Ethiopia’s rightful claim on Assab and its Red Sea Coast, i.e., why he didn’t mention the last border regime in Ethiopia, appreciating the fact that Ethiopia was the last colonial power in Eritrea. It is a well-known fact that Eritrea got her independence not from Italy, but from Ethiopia. The Referendum was held on the account that Ethiopia was the last colonial power in Eritrea. That was how Shabia put it throughout its independence struggle and at the time of the Referendum, and that was how the Ethiopian government accepted it in 1993. Hence according to the last border regime the province of Eritrea did not include Assab. Assab was an autonomous region by the time it was occupied by EPLF in 1991.

Then why is not the last border of Eritrea is not taken in to account for claiming Assab as an Ethiopian territory now? This is the question that Namerra Gabbisa could not answer and continue to avoid. Accordingly, not only he disregarded a major historical precedence on Assab, but also erred in law by selecting evidence and facts as they suit him. He selected only what he wants from history and ignored some others. This is not acceptable for any independent mind.

I don’t intend to bore the readers by repeating all what Namerra said on his latest commentary, for his largely biased and pro-Eritrean statements may have been a cause of dismay and outrage for many people by now. Namerra’s lamenting on unrelated issues and clinging on false accusations and diverting issues is disrespect to one’s own soul (to say the least) and a disservice to honesty. His boring and repetitive comments on his Oromo origin are uncalled for. As readers can judge for themselves, no one has mentioned any misgivings about his Oromo origin and the whole criticism on his previous writings have some thing to do on his loyal service for Eritrea. If any thing he was suspected of, it was an Eritrian origin. Nothing else. His attempt to divert the issue is thus profoundly based on compulsive lying and disinformation, which is typical of Shabia people. Failing to answer the questions put to him regarding the issue of Assab, such as strategic and economic interests of our country, he not only tried to play the race card so unashamedly, but also attempted to bring religion in to the picture. With all his apparent love and devotion for Eritrea, if Namerra calls himself an Ethiopian, I don’t know what defines an Eritrean. He has plenty to say about the well beings of Eritreans in his latest article, but not a single word about Ethiopians suffering in Nazi-type concentration camps in his beloved Eritrea.

Since he has come to unrelated issues in his latest piece, let me say a few words on some aspects of his fretful stricture. For the record, I am not a person who hates Ethiopians of any ethnic origin (as he tries to accuse me) or an individual who blindly condemn every thing and any thing what EPRDF has done. I certainly give credit for EPRDF in bringing down the dictatorial regime of the Derg, by taking the struggle out of Tigray to the center of Ethiopia. TPLF’s commendable effort first, in incorporating and giving shape for the struggle of the Northern Amhara peasants of Wollo and Gondar and later the other parts of the country has produced a great momentum in bringing down the much hated Derg/Esepa government. EPRDF has also introduced Free Press (one of the pillars of Democracy) for the first time in the history of the country. This will perhaps remain to be the greatest positive achievements of EPRDF in the history books. Although there is much to be done in irrigation agriculture the efforts being made to bring basic human facilities (clean water supply, health care, building roads etc) to the rural community is also another commendable job that EPRDF should be credited for.

True to all governments however, it doesn’t mean that the Ethiopian government doesn’t have any shortcomings at all. It is in line with this fact that citizens express their concerns in various policy aspects, and they have every right to do so. Starting from its assumption of power, one of the policy weaknesses of the government has been its harmful parasitic relationship with Eritrea, and the accession of the port of Assab (with its full facilities that Ethiopia has invested in for so long) to the former province called Eritrea, without making the slightest negotiation attempt to retain it.

The war with Eritrea, that was instigated by Shabia itself, has however created another opportunity for EPRDF to right the wrongs and stand for the interest of Ethiopia once again. After the devastating defeat of Eritrea’s army, every one including foreigners were expecting that Ethiopia could get the best out of its military victory, including the reclaiming of its port that was snatched from her so unfairly in 1991.

No one has expected that things will go to a Zero Start after so much blood sacrifice has been paid by the Ethiopian people. Even powerful Republican leaders in the US have cited over year a go the need for securing ownership of the Assab port by Ethiopia if a long-term peace has to prevail in that region and the US interest has to be protected permanently. To follow this trail and make an intense diplomatic effort was the responsibility of an Ethiopian government. The apparent military victory on Eritrea gave the government even much leverage for making a good diplomatic effort on the issue, to galvanize international support and prepare the world powers psychologically for any eventuality on Ethiopia’s legitimate claim of its territory on the Red Sea.

What followed later however was out of the imagination of all Ethiopians on the globe. After so much sacrifice and bloodshed, the war was not taken to its natural conclusions, and was prematurely called off, even with out rescuing Ethiopians suffering under a brutal rouge state concentration camps. The Shabian’s were given enough time and let free to take out their revenge on defenseless Ethiopians through out Eritrea. The government went out hastily to sign a peace treaty even with out securing the release of its own citizens from the Shabia dungeons. More people were picked up from where ever they live and work, herded like cattle, tortured, abused, robbed, killed and dumped to rivers. Even with full knowledge of what was happening to Ethiopian citizens in Eritrea, no one came to help them, while the victorious Ethiopian army was standing near by.

The crime was complete. The Shabians celebrated their crime by organizing various Eritrian festivals through out the world. They showed the video pictures of thousands of wounded and traumatized civilian Ethiopians as "prisoners of war" for Eritreans in those festivals. In some places the cheers and ululations of Eritrians on the pictures of those poor defenseless civilian Ethiopians was unparalleled. Honor gusts of EPLF government spoke so proudly, about the successful cleansing of "Woyane Spies" from the Eritrean soil, and in some cases the audience gave standing ovation for the Honor gust speakers of EPLF, with extreme joy and pleasure on the revenge taken on Ethiopians.

I don’t expect Namerra Gabissa (who has no a single word for this crime in his article) and the likes of him to be sympathetic to the sufferings of Ethiopians in Eritrea. His undying love for Eritrea will certainly surpass whatever feelings he may have for poor Ethiopians. The simple message here is that the interests of Ethiopia and Ethiopians are not put first until this very moment.

Even after so much bloodshed and crime by Shabia, the main factor in formulating government policy is still the interest of Eritrea and Eritreans. No matter the level of crime Eritreans committed on Ethiopians, as far as Namerra Gabissa and his likes are concerned, Shabians are free to go unchallenged. For sure, they will not be asked to pay for all their crimes including war compensations, thanks to the pro-Eritrean elements in EPRDF.

Leave alone a proper parliamentarian procedure for making decisions of national importance, even the collective leadership of TPLF that has seen so much success in the past is no more there these days. The Eritrea lovers in the government have detached themselves from accountability in a gradual but effective process, putting more power in their hands. That gradual process has seen earlier the elimination of personalities like the Ethiopian hero and anti Shabia figure, Haelom Araya, by the Eritrea sympathizers.

One person and his Eritrian-infested prime minister office (with handpicked Eritrean advisors) are now free to decide any thing and every thing in a matter of seconds. What ever they do, no one controls them. Since the guiding principle is the usual "Eritrea First!" slogan, any thing that stands against Eritrea’s interest will be trashed automatically by the prime minister’s office. The Eritrea lovers also try hard to isolate the Tigrian people from the rest of the Ethiopian people (who stood by them in those trying times, paying so much blood sacrifice) by various sinister moves that are unpopular in nature.

Namerra said he would not change his stand whatsoever. Well, no one has expected him to change his love for Eritrea in the first place. How could possibly an Eritrean, or Eritrea worshiper change his mind to be sympathetic for Ethiopians? Namerra has quickly come to the defense of Eritrea even before the blood spilled by the Eritrian aggression has not dried up and the wounds of the maimed innocent Tigrean farmers (from Shabia land mines) have not recovered. After observing his deep commitment for Eritrea’s interest, his total disregard for the enormous human sacrifice and the dislocation of people caused by the aggressors, his being oblivious for the robbed, abused, tortured, and killed Ethiopians in Eritrea, I can’t help but see him as a person dancing and singing with Eritrians on the graves of those Ethiopians murdered by Shabia. I can’t see him but as a soul who mocks and jokes on the wounds of bleeding civilian Ethiopians in Eritrea’s horrible prison camps. I am sorry if he has missed those Eritrean festivals in the Western Cities and didn’t celebrate the revenge taken on civilian Ethiopians in Eritrea. He should have been there by any means (if he was not already there)!

Mr. Namerra, also sounds upset on Walta for posting opposing views. Amazing! Even your extreme Shabia views (that suit Visafric more than Walta) are tolerated on Walta, so why complain on the rights of others in voicing their opinions? I don’t believe that you have an extra right or a moral authority to silence others from voicing their opinion on whatever medium they want, lest when you are arguing for the interests of a foreign country on an Ethiopian Web Site. You should have known by now that a Web Site can’t build respect and trust of its readers just by posting only similar, repetitive, boring and cadre type writings. You also claim that the Ethiopian people are happy by the loss of the port of Assab and that is why they didn’t demonstrate against the government’s policy on the issue. Do you really believe your own words that Ethiopians don’t mind the loss of their only port? Does silence always mean acceptance? What a convoluted logic!

Again (if you are an Ethiopian as you claim) the way forward is not standing for Eritrean interest at any cost, but dropping the all time slogan of "Eritrea First!" once and for all. Time will judge the rest of it.