BM Box 9190
Lonodn
WC1N 3XX
Tel/Fax 44 171 835 225
The historical bond of the Afar and Tigray peoples is over and above our political differences with the TPLF/EPRDF
The regime of TPLF/EPLF is currently paying a price for its political errors but with it the Afar and Tigray peoples are paying immense sacrifices. As the saying goes, "whenever two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers".
The Afar nationalists organised themselves in armed resistance mainly to liberate of the Western Red Sea Afars from the military occupation of the EPLF and incorporate the region with its mother land. It was not the main objective of ARDUF to raise arms against the TPLF/EPRDF regime to force it to deliver the democratic rights declared in its Charter and Constitution. This is why ARDUF was not initially waging military operations against the TPLF/EPRDF regime of Ethiopia.
Yet because of its short sighted military accord and unholy alliance with the EPLF government of Eritrea, the State of Tigray, on behalf of the Ethiopian government, has been engaged in an incomprehensible political oppression and massive military campaigns against the Afars and their vanguard Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) throughout its border and else where in the Afar Region. This was immediately after the fighters of ARDUF abducted Italian tourists from within the former Italian colonial border in March 1995. Since then the two regimes co-ordinated their military efforts but failed to annihilate the Afar armed resistance.
Amazingly soon after ARDUF foiled in October 1997 the so called Afar Conference designed by the regime of TPLF/EPRDF, the Afar region witnessed a political manoeuvre of a new type. It was long ago before the two governments of Asmara and Addis Ababa surprised the world with open military conflict that ARDUF knew of rift in the relation between its opponents who joined hands to annihilate the Afar popular resistance. It was back in November 1997 that the two regimes made attempts to win over ARDUF and use the Afar armed resistance for their own political ends. But ARDUF turned down their political ploy.
Yet ARDUF and the Afar people are eyewitness to the invasion of Alliteena by Eritrean government forces on Saturday 30 May, 1998. At this battle of Alliteena which continued throughout Sunday 31 of May 1998 as usual it was the civilian population that suffered most. The clans of Adgade Ari (Adgade House) of Erob ethnic minority group in Tigray were devastated. This is exactly the fate that awaits the Afars and other civilian population in the confrontation areas. It is at this point that ARDUF has decided to break its silence and declare that:
1. ARDUF not only condemns the aggression of the Eritrean Government Forces on Tigray but also declares unilateral cease fire with the Government of Ethiopia
2. Setting aside its political differences with the TPLF/EPRDF regime, ARDUF invites the Afar National State for constructive dialogue to seek means and ways to protect the Afar people and minimise civilian causalities in this war that is imposed on the region.
3. ARDUF calls on the Ethiopian political forces in opposition and the regime of TPLF/EPRDF to engage in a meaningful political dialogue.
4. ARDUF calls on the international community to make its pressures felt on the Eritrean government seek non military means for its internal political and economic problems.
Mohammoda Gaaz
For executive Committee of ARDUF.