By Dawit WoldeGiorgis
I read Neamin Zeleke’s recent article, The Imperative of Ethiopians Dealing with Eritrea, about his reflection and opinions on the future of Ethiopian and Eritrean relationship. I would like to compliment his very wise observation on this very important issue of our times. I believe that not relating with the Eritrean government is a misguided position. Let me explain why based on my own personal experience.
After a rigorous three-year military training in the Haile Selassie I Military Academy I spent my entire military career in Eritrea. I was there as an infantry training and operation officer in the 2nd infantry division for six years. Even after I left Eritrea to attend university, I went back to Eritrea every summer to proudly serve in the army.
I was in Eritrea during and after the federation. During the last day of the federation I was there in Asmara on security mission watching the Eritrean Assembly when they were voting. It was unanimous vote. The Eritrean elites were the first to express their joy. There was in fact a competition within the Eritrean elites to send telegrams and messages to Emperor HaileSelassie expressing their joy and congratulating him.
There were some disgruntled elements that felt excluded from the new dispensation and therefore expressed dissatisfaction for personal reasons — the loss of power and influence. I was there celebrating with the Eritreans the long awaited unity of Eritrea with the mother land. It was an unforgettable moment. There was spontaneous and almost universal rejoicing by the entire Eritrean population. Undoubtedly, the response was genuine. I have gone across the length and breadth of Eritrea and experienced the outpouring of joy over the decision to unite with Ethiopia. Throughout Eritrea, and I have been to every big and small village, there was a sense of exuberance for the few years after the union. Whatever happened after that is completely inconsistent with what the people felt at the time. It suggests that there was a serious mishandling of the federal arrangement and the union that followed. If it had been handled with caution and without haste, things might have been different today.
I was there with my troops at the door step of the police headquarters when the first dissent had its first causality, General Tedla Ekubit, the Eritrean police commander. I was there during the most critical times in the development of the Eritrean rebel forces. I was there as troop commander when the first conflict started between the government troops and the rebel forces (then they were just bandits) because they did not have any political agenda. They were just a band of people headed by Idris Awate, a notorious shifta imprisoned by the British and then escaped to continue banditry act. He was again pardoned and was living peacefully when the newly established ELF recruited him and he went back to do what he had been doing all his life. I was there when he was captured and killed.
I was also there when in September 1956 (Eth. Cal.) our troops suffered their first causality at a place called Haikota, close to Agordat. The ELF took out peaceful soldiers on leave from a public bus and executed them. Until then Eritrea was peaceful. Even after that until the coming of the Derg and its draconian military and security polices, the EPLF did not control a single village or area in Eritrea except the rugged mountains of Nakfa. The EPLF did not enjoy any meaningful support from the population. Despite the fact that the process of uniting Eritrea with Ethiopia was flawed with technical and strategic errors, the people of Eritrea believed sincerely and sometimes manifested in extreme ways that I have not seen anywhere else in Ethiopia. (Refer to my book Kihdet be Dem Meret).
As a soldier, I have been involved in military operations. We were seven young officers, the first of the kind, in those times to come to Eritrea to train the troops. We used to be called Para Commandos, airborne and special force. (After three years in the military academy, few months airborne and a year in advanced infantry school in USA. That was a lot of military training.) All my six colleagues died in the service of the country. I am the only survivor from this pioneer group. For us the sanctity of the flag, the unity of Ethiopia was paramount. It was not questioned and dying for it was a cause to be celebrated. That is how most of the people I worked with in Eritrea and most of the soldiers I knew much later in life lived and died. They were in hundreds of thousands and all died with a smile on their face: because the cause was the flag and the unity of Ethiopia.
I came to the USA for my graduate studies and after the overthrow of Emperor HaileSelassie I returned to Ethiopia. I was an active part of the revolution which I sincerely supported until a certain time. But throughout the times I worked under the Derg I was very close to Eritrea. I followed the situation very closely until I was finally appointed as its governor (the party’s representative) for three years, 1980 to 1983.
When I was governor for three years, my task was to pacify the rebellion and stop people from supporting the EPLF. And indeed, as many who were there at the time would testify, we succeeded to the extent that the EPLF leadership later admitted to me and my colleagues that it was one of the toughest times in their war against Ethiopia. Suddenly young people stopped joining the rebels and many started deserting from the EPLF and joined their families. It was not a miracle nor was it a complicated task. The wisdom is simply treating the Eritrean community as citizens with certain inalienable rights. When we stopped arresting people at random, established the rule of law and treated people on equal terms, people stayed in the country and once again Asmara became bustling metropolitan and other major cities returned to their former status. What we proved was the eternal truth that the major cause of the rebellion was the oppression of the population by successive governments in Addis Ababa. The EPLF and the ELF grew out of the atrocities committed by the Derg and to a certain extent during the Emperor’s era. It became clear to us that the reason why many joined the rebels was not because they really believed that they were not part of Ethiopia but because they were denied their right to live without fear of being persecuted, arrested and tortured and executed. At some point in the history of the Derg this happened routinely. (for more detail refer to Red Tears)
During my tenure as governor, I was convinced that the Eritrean situation could be reversed if we could do less of military and more of governance and rule of law. I also suggested that we recognize the EPLF and engage with it. This created an outrage. Even after I left my country I have been condemned by my closest colleagues of suggesting that Ethiopian government recognize the EPLF and engage it in dialogue. My proposal for dialogue put me in trouble with the military establishment. As the records would show, I had serious confrontations with the then military leadership over this. Key Kokeb was not about war. Key Kokeb was about multifaceted approach for the Eritrean issue. HULEGEB ZEMETCHA. It was hijacked by the military and it launched an all out war which ended disgracefully and my showdown with the military ended with me leaving Eritrea and being assigned as the Commissioner of Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.
After I left the Derg at the end of 1985, I became actively involved in the effort to overthrow the regime through the movement we had established, The Free Ethiopian Soldiers Movement. The first attempt was the failed coup of the generals. I and my colleagues did the external arrangement for the coup. During those times I went into the area controlled by the EPLF in Nakfa. We discussed the role of the EPLF and suggested to EPLF leaders to participate in a transitional government in the post Derg period. EPLF agreed that it will unilaterally implement a cease fire and participate in the transitional government to negotiate the future of Eritrea. After this attempt failed, I was again involved in another similar effort. The EPLF’s position was unchanged. The EPLF was willing to participate in a transitional government of Ethiopia. And this was only a few months before TPLF marched into Addis Ababa. We were about to try once again, but the TPLF rejected the proposal and the attempt was aborted. Throughout these activities against the Derg, my colleagues and I worked very closely with the EPLF leadership. Despite the fact that I was an ardent supporter of unity, an officer who fought them, a governor who condemned them at every available opportunity, my relationship with the EPLF leadership was cordial and constructive.
Sometimes when we talk about the heroism of our forefathers in defending the motherland, we forget that a significant number of Eritreans sacrificed their lives for the defense of our independence against colonialists. How can we talk about the heroic struggle of our ancestors without acknowledging the key role that Eritreans played? For me it is ridiculous to say, We Ethiopians, in the context of history, without including Eritreans.
When, for example, we write and talk about Ras Alula and the battles he fought and won, we must remember that the bulk of his troops were Eritreans and their sacrifice was enormous. As well documented, almost all our external wars came through the Red Sea. Eritrea had always been the frontline for almost all the wars fought against the invaders. Eritrean patriots and Tigreans were part and parcel of these wars against foreign aggressors. Eritreans have always been at the forefront of the wars fought to preserve the independence of and unity of Ethiopia. During the war of resistance against Italian invasion, thousands of Eritrean patriots fought alongside mehal ager arbegnotch. The head of the military of the Black Lion was an Eritrean Colonel Haileab. Eritrean patriots shaped the foreign and military policies and structures after liberation. The first and second foreign ministers were Eritreans. The first ambassador to the UN was an Eritrean. Eritreans played key roles in organizing and modernizing the Ethiopian Armed Forces. There were more than 20 senior Eritrean generals at some point in the Ethiopian armed forces ranging from chief of staff, ground force commanders, air force commanders and division commanders. General Aman Andom was the most prominent among these senior commanders of Eritrean origin. It must also be remembered that considerable percentages of the soldiers in the Army were Eritreans.
During the war fought between the Ethiopian troops and the EPLF/ELF, there was a special Eritrean commando force which proved to be one of the hardest and in fact most brutal of all the forces of the times. The Eritrean militia, like the most wonderful people of Kohayne, fought to the bitter end until the country was taken over by the EPLF. (Refer Khidet be Dem Meret)
It is hard to understand how this center broke from the whole. Perhaps it was because the Eritreans have been exposed to many kinds of propaganda and external interests. Unlike the rest of Ethiopia which was ruled by successive kings and kingdoms, in the Eritrean coast land and at a later phase in its history, in the highlands, the Turks, the Egyptians, the Italians and the British have played some roles in shaping the minds of people. These experiences have left some imprints which influenced the growth of different kinds of political thoughts and alliances.
Throughout my stay in Eritrea as a soldier, and later as Deputy Foreign Minister and then governor of Eritrea, I have delivered many speeches on the unity of Ethiopia, that Eritrea was part of Ethiopia and asking the question if Eritreans are not Ethiopians then who else is? Eritrea is Mehal Ager. It is the center of our civilization and faith, the source of our culture and literature, the place where Ethiopiwinet began. I believed in this and every Eritrean I spoke to at the time believed in this ultimate truth. For me, it was my passion. I grew up taking the unity of Ethiopia and the inviolability of its frontiers as sacred oath not to be broken or questioned. But this oath, this timeless sacred alliance between us and the spirits of our ancestors, hundreds of thousands who died defending this cause, has been brutally ravaged by a bunch of arrogant self-righteous ethno centric individuals who are at the helm of leadership to destroy this unique legacy.
It must also be understood that the cause of Eritrean independence was supported by the student movement for years. I remember I was in New York’s Colombia University in early 1972-74 and I used to participate in student movement meetings. It was fashionable to talk about self determination up to and including secession. Anybody that did not support the cause of the Eritrean struggle was labeled as reactionary. I tried to explain in some meetings why our soldiers are fighting in Eritrea and why it is wrong to condemn them for protecting the unity of Ethiopia. As usual, I was labeled as a reactionary soldier who has been serving the interest of the feudal regime and my concern was dismissed. There is some credence to the claim that the student movement unwittingly allowed itself to be used by forces that had inimical agenda to Ethiopia’s interest.
When I was in the foreign office and later governor, and even when I was the Commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation, I had meetings with the EPLF in some European countries organized by some NGOs, usually the Red Cross and Scandinavian human rights activists. The main purpose was to negotiate the opening of peace corridor in the conflict areas to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population trapped by the conflict. These meetings were not sanctioned by the government because it would be considered treason for anybody to have this kind of communication without the knowledge of the government. The once that were done with government’s knowledge had heavy pre-conditions. It was almost demanding the surrender of the EPLF. It therefore did not go anywhere. Ours was an effort by groups of concerned people who were trying to explore options to this endless war. When I and my colleagues met with the EPLF in very informal settings, they were and have always been very open to options besides full independence. There was no doubt in my mind then that EPLF would have accepted some sort of federation. But the Derg/WPE regime was never prepared to discuss this. I was even more certain about the position of the EPLF after my latter encounters.
After I left Ethiopia the first thing that I and my colleagues did was to establish a movement to overthrow the Derg. In this Eritrea was a key factor. I met the leadership of the EPLF and current President Isaias Afwerki several times in Europe and America and ultimately in Nakfa , through the back door into those parts of Eritrea controlled by the EPLF and meeting the leaders , the very people I have been fighting and condemning for years felt weird to me. That was the time when we were trying to coordinate the external factors with internal preparations for a coup. In an official agreement the EPLF stated that when and if the coup takes place, it will immediately cease fire and be part of the transitional government to discuss the future of Eritrea. True to their words, at the time the coup attempt was taking place, they did a unilateral cease fire and asked us if there is anything that they can do to make the coup successful. They could have taken advantage of the confusion in Eritrea when the commanders were killed and government troops were in disarray, but they did not. They were in constant touch with me and they were very disappointed by the failure of the coup.
A few years later, we tried to make another change from the inside before TPLF went too far. Again, we had discussions with EPLF and TPLF several times. We had completed preparations from the inside and what was needed was for the fighting forces to agree to implement a cease fire and be part of the transitional government. Until April 1991, two months before the TPLF entered Addis and EPLF Asmara, the EPLF supported the idea of making the change from the inside. They agreed after several meetings that they will be willing to stop fighting and participate in the transitional government and discuss the future of Eritrea. As the war continued, it became difficult to get the same kind of agreement from the TPLF. We had several meetings but eventually they sent us a long letter stating that they are heading to Addis Ababa and they asked us to be part of the EPRDF. Of course, we refused. That is when they established their own Free Ethiopian Officers Movement in order to confuse our followers in the military establishment.
The EPLF until the last days believed that the best option was to negotiate with the transitional government that would be established after a successful coup. And they know that the negotiation would not be about independence. I was aware that they were ready for some sort of federal arrangement. I was sure about that.
Besides the misguided policies of successive governments in Ethiopia, and the failure of the military to defend against the breakup of the nation, the overriding factor that eventually led to the independence of Eritrea was the policy of Woyanne. It gave away independence in a silver platter.
Now, if from early on the student movement had supported the secession and made it possible for the EPLF to be a strong internationally acknowledged liberation movement, if the Derg in the name of national unity committed atrocities that alienated a big portion of the Eritrean population, and if Woyanne regime eventually gave away the independence without consulting the Ethiopian people, why should the Eritreans be blamed for it? Why should we create animosity with the Eritrean people?
We have to remember that throughout the period of war between the government troops and EPLF and ELF, there had never been a war amongst the people. It never reached a level of civil war like in other parts of Africa. It was a war that went on for several years between the EPLF/ELF forces and government troops but never a war between the people. I am a living witness and can clearly testify that the war had never affected the relationship between the people. While the war was going on in the mountains, Amharas, Oromos, Tigres, and other ethnic groups lived together in peace, intermarried, helped each other, shared whatever they had and lived nothing less than a harmonious life. Over most Ethiopian troops in Eritrea were married to Eritreans. There are hundreds of thousands of their off springs today all over Ethiopia. Internal conflicts in Ethiopia have always been about power and not ethnicity. To my best recollection, the Tigreans in Gondar used to call themselves first Gonderes and vice versa. It is amazing that after years of war in Eritrea, the relationship between the people was never seriously damaged. It never went to a level of civil war. That is the greatness of the Ethiopian people. It demonstrates how deep our culture, our understanding and levels of tolerance have evolved over the centuries. This bonding between the people was broken by Woyanne. The Woaynne incited hate. It started sawing the seeds of ethnicity not only between the people of Eritrea and the rest of Ethiopia but amongst the Ethiopian people, too. This is indeed the saddest moment in Ethiopian history.
Eritrea is now independent. That reality cannot be reversed by force. There are two things that need to be done.
1. The national security and interest of Ethiopia have been and will continue revolving around three man issues. The Nile, the Red Sea (Eritrea) and Somalia (the Ogaden). Since they are very much interrelated, they could be considered as one. I have explained this in my book Kihdet be Dem Meret. There is no need to do that here. In all this, Eritrea plays a vital role. Ethiopia and Eritrea have a common destiny. Whatever happens in Eritrea will affect Ethiopia and vice versa. Whoever wants to hurt Ethiopia uses Eritrea as stepping stone. Arab Chauvinism (expansionism) and Islamic Fundamentalism have always been real threats to Ethiopia, and Eritrea can possibly turn out to be the main conduit. Therefore, any responsible Ethiopian government will have to develop a policy of peaceful co-existence with Eritrea and go even further and ensure that Eritrea remains a stable, peaceful and independent ally of Ethiopia. And this can only be done through diplomacy and not confrontation.
2. Whatever the policies of current governments may be, the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea are one people. We cannot and need not live apart. Our genes, our culture, language and history are identical. There are no people on earth that are closer to Ethiopians than the Eritreans and vice versa. We are destined to live together. Therefore the effort should be not to allow politics to change our historical oneness but to work towards integration. The will and conviction of people is mightier than the sword and we will beat the ethno- centricity and be once again one people. There needs to be a conscious effort by civil society groups to bring the two people together despite the politics in their respective countries.
The national interest of Ethiopia can be packed into three major issues.
1. The inviolability of state frontiers (territorial integrity)
2. The unity of the Ethiopian people
3. Freedom of its people
Our relationship with Eritrea should be based on these three fundamentals. If the Eritrean government respects the above fundamental principles and is willing to agree on polices that promote peace and development in order to create the necessary conditions for the union of the two people, then there would be no reason why Ethiopians of any group should not establish relationship with the government of Eritrea. Likewise, Ethiopians of all groups should recognize the sovereignty of Eritrea and work towards the fulfillment of our common aspirations.
After what I have done and spoken for most of my life, it has been difficult to swallow the reality that Eritrea is now an independent country. But I have to face the reality like many of us and look beyond. The reality of today and tomorrow should be on how we can advance the interests of our people in the context of this new reality. We might or might not agree with the policies of the current government in Eritrea. The relationship of the people outlasts leaders and their polices. We should therefore strengthen the foundations of our historical relationship and be careful not to be the victims of the poisonous propaganda by Woyanne. Meles Zenawi has attempted to define what Ethiopiawinet is and what Eritreayawinet is in his own terms and based on his own interests. The truth is: there is no drawing line. His own identity and that of his trusted advisers are testimonies of this reality and truth. It is only the governments that are two. The people have been one and are one. All responsible Ethiopians and Eritreans should endeavor to up hold this truth and reinforce it by focusing on what binds us together rather than what divides us.
As a neighbor with vested interest in Eritrean affairs, Ethiopians can only take hard positions when the steps being taken by the Eritrean government violates the fundamental principles of our relationship and endangers our peace and security. The current government has emphatically stated that it will not violate these principles and, in fact, it will be willing to work toward the building of a stable Ethiopia. I believed earlier that Eritrea was trying to strengthen its economy and its standing in the region at the expense of Ethiopia. It was my impression that Eritrea wanted a weak Ethiopia that is divided and not capable of posing any threat to Eritrea. This might have been true at some point in its existence. But I believe that Eritrean government realizes now that destabilizing Ethiopia will only bound to hurt it more and will not be in the best interest of the people and the government of Eritrea. Ethiopians are already angry that Eritrea seceded, and for it to go beyond that and try to destabilize Ethiopia will evoke greater anger that could justify conflict. It is wise for Eritrea to adjust to realities and work hard for peaceful co- existence which acknowledges mutual interests. Neither side should try to destabilize the other. Eritrea and Ethiopia can prosper in a peaceful co-existence with each other. Eritrea’s security can be guaranteed through a good relationship with a much stronger Ethiopia. The free movement between the two countries will further strengthen the unity of its people possibly leading to some sort of political union. Eritreans and Ethiopians can’t hide from the truth. No matter what is being written and being told, we are one people with common history, common enemies, common threats and interests.
Today, the issue is Woynne and not Eritrea. For Ethiopians as well as for Eritreans, Woyanne is a threat. Remove Woyanne and Ethiopians and Eritreans can breathe a sigh of relief and begin a new relationship based on mutual respect and working towards unifying the people. Assab is negotiable. Badme is negotiable. As President Isaias stated, “the sky is the limit.” Knowing how the Eritreans are straightforward and consistent in their words and deeds, there is no reason to suspect that his statement is one of a political gimmicks.
A friend of mine sent me the following e-mail on the issue:
I did not say that we should not engage — what I said is that our assessment of Eritrea’s intention should not be based on the assumption that the current leadership would like to see “a strong, united and democratic Ethiopia.” Their own history has evolved to the extent that an apparent state of paranoia has set in, and by all indications of their regional engagement in the region, we cannot escape this conclusion. However, it does not, by any means suggest that we should not engage them.
Why do we believe them? We don’t have to. Relationship with the Government of Eritrea for a common cause needs to be built, of course, in the framework of our fundamental interests outlined above. If they cannot translate their words in to deeds, they will be the losers, too. Ethiopians sooner or later will get rid of Woyanne and will come out stronger from this tragic political impasse. I am inclined to believe Eritreans because there is simply no option at this time except peaceful coexistence. The initial problem with the Eritrean elites was recognition. It seems now that most Ethiopians have taken this bitter pill and accepted that Eritrea is an independent state.
Woyanne cooperated in the drive for the independence Eritrea. But it now wants to manipulate Eritrea and make it surrender to its will. Woyanne cannot dupe the Ethiopians by false sense of patriotism over peripheral issues like Badme. Today, the issue is the survival of Ethiopia as we have known it and as it should be. Woyanne is destroying the fabrics of the Ethiopian society by bringing back a Bantustanisation policy from the junk yards of African history, by introducing ethnic politics and dividing people along ethnic lines, slicing our land and giving it away, unleashing poverty the kind that has not been seen in our history, arresting and torturing political opponents, perpetuating a dictatorship by a few Tigrean elite people from Adwa, Axum and Shire, facilitating the spread of fundamentalism and creating hostility with the Muslim world with whom we had a carefully crafted cordial relationship for decades. Woyanne has made Ethiopia technologically the most backward country in the world. Certainly and unequivocally Ethiopia is in grave danger.
The history of Ethiopia has been about winners and leaders. It was so during the times of the monarchies, was so during the time of the Derg, and has been so now. Our genuine historians had to dig a lot to bring the truth out and popularize it. It has not been an easy task. Once again, Woyanne is rewriting history. Great weight must be given to the damage that will be caused on the younger generation if we allow this distortion to continue unabated. At some point, it might have served a purpose, but now that we are talking about the two people living and working together, we have to design a relationship between the people that will facilitate the truth to be told. The two people have been one and need to be one for more than one reason. With truth there will be no losers but winners. Our destinies are inextricably tied to each other. Those of us who have lived long enough know and understand the truth but the new generation is exposed to the history of denial. The truth will only make us stronger in pursuing our common interest. Emotions must subside and give way to pragmatism. We have to work very closely with our Eritrean brothers and sisters to get rid of Woyanne and establish a new era of peaceful co existence, common prosperity that will lead to a reunion of our people. And this must start from the streets, the restaurants, the clubs, churches and various forums in Ethiopia, Eritrea, America, USA and Africa.
At one point, I was discussing with the leader of the EPLF, the current President of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki. I asked him why instead of partitioning Ethiopia, he does not become the President of Ethiopia. He gave me some reason why this would not be possible but assured me: “You can be certain, Mr. Dawit, that if and when we get our independence, our priority will be to unite the people under some sort of federal arrangement.”
83 thoughts on “The way forward for Ethiopia and Eritrea”
Dear Shaleka Dawit,
In the past, all we heard was the dismissal of the roles played by Eritreans, and the belief that the union benefitted only the Eritreans.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to read the acknowledgment of the tremendous part played and contribution made by all kinds of Eritreans in the development of Ethiopia. This is the first time I heard it from an Ethiopian brother, and it takes a lot of courage to say it. For this I thank you and respect you a lot.
There will always be some disagreement here and there between us, but as long as we are honest and respectful to one another, we will both be OK.
Elias and Sleshi, I thank you for breaking the ICE. You will always be my brothers, and Heroes. My home in Eritrea is always open for you.
May the ppl of eritrea and Ethiopia be prosperous and peaceful.
“In an official agreement the EPLF stated that when and if the coup takes place, it will immediately cease fire and be part of the transitional government to discuss the future of Eritrea. True to their words, at the time the coup attempt was taking place, they did a unilateral cease fire and asked us if there is anything that they can do to make the coup successful. They could have taken advantage of the confusion in Eritrea when the commanders were killed and government troops were in disarray, but they did not. They were in constant touch with me and they were very disappointed by the failure of the coup”
Thanks Major Dawit. You are always brilliant. I think we don’t need any evidence better than the above that proved again how President Isaias and his EPLF colleagues are genuine and sincere with regard to Ethiopian unity. On the contrary, the Woyane clique is always selfish, narrow-minded and number 1 enemy of Ethiopia.
i just wish both people, ethiopians and eritreans, to leave peacefully as good neighbors for generations to come.
Well said! Shaleka Dawit
Dear Dawit:
I am an Eritrean and I read your article with a great interest and I really congratulate you. I was in Eritrea when you were a Governor of Eritrea. I observed you in many occassions that how articulate and intelligent person you are.I know very well that you have helped some political prisoners to be released from the Eritrean prisons. I really support the idea both Ethiopia and Eritrea to have a good and strong ties in any aspect as two sister nations. But my question to you is, do you think this relation can be achieved through the Issayas Regime?
Amesegnalehu!
Fessehaye
Thanks Mr. Dawit,
It is an eye opening article, I hope this will benefit of both nations. However, when many people write about the Eritreans, they only had in mind the high Landers of Eritreans, which have much in common with the Amharic and Tigrigna speakers of Ethiopia, We should never forget the non Tigrigna speakers of Eritrean (tigre, bilen, saho, kunama, rashaida….) and the none Ahmaragna and Tigrigna speakers of Ethiopia (welayta, oromo, adere,…..) those people have nothing in common with each other. The bottom line is, let’s stop saying the sample people, and let us only concentrate for a common goal and mutual interest.
Thanks,
Abesolom
Unlike other articles posted on Ethiopianreview-forum ,or ethiomedia, I read this article in its PDF form on eppfonline.org. Obviously it is some what lengthy if people are rushing, but this is NOT YOUR DAILY GRIND OF LONG ANALYSIS tolerated may be mostly by academia. There is no word or idea to be skipped or skimmed. It keeps you focused. (Just allow time to read it). Although familiar with the author, I was curious how and why eppfonline.org posted it (so I started there). Coming here to comment, I was not sure what the “public’s” opinion of at least Ethiopianreview readers was going to be. It is also posted on other website-forum media outlets.
Without exaggeration, may be, this is ARTICLE OF THE YEAR IF NOT ALL TIMES, I have personally come across on the issue.
A must to read for any one and every one. Beautifully written first hand account of Ethiopi-Eritrea relation. If many people, especially the civilian population idea of “military”, is just blind SHOOTING, this author gives a well balanced penmanship, military, national, political and very unbiased assessment in high level thinking and experience.
Dear Dawit Woldegigorgis:
Thank you for sharing an eye witness and experienced, fact filled HISTORY: AND BEING THE PEACE MAKER. I am not sure if your book KEHDET BEDEM MERET is well circulated among the wider public, although it was posted on some Ethiopian websites.
Bravo. the people must hear this! i am sure Ethiopians and Eritreans will adhare to your proposal.
The weyane cadres are in full attack mode. First it was the interview by Elias and Sleshi to Isayas and now this woderful article driving this weyane puppets nuts and I am loving it. I Just ventured out to other websites and I found them crying uncontrollably. This is too much for them to stomach because they lack wisdom; courage and the intellect to challenge the article in a civilized way, that’s why they resort to name calling and using vulgar languages. Any how, vey soon their masters will shipped back to dedebit where they came from and there will be peace in our country.
Major Dawit we are lucky that you survived from the monster regme of mengistu. There is no enemity between brotherly people in south and north Ethiopia. One day we will Stand together and build our historical nation again. Bravo Dawit !!!
It is an interesting article, dear dawit. i was born and grown up in asmara and left in 1990. if there was a political leader at that time who was respected by Asmara people, it was you. Though we didn’t know much about what was going on at the top of the derge leadership, at the same time you were one of the military leaders who tried to make and keep Eritrea part of ethiopia by any MEANS possible. From sticks to Russian weapons and generals. why did it take you 30 years to respect and admire Eritrean people and “accept” Eritrea as an independent state? Wasn’t it the word unity which brought us to war and caused destruction of human beings and properties, and made so many kids homeless and orphans, left so many people their homeland and migrated to anywhere they could, etc? I just can’t understand you have been at the top from the unity till the independence of Eritrea, and now you are again advocating unity? you know what unity brought to both people. How do u think to come to the table, let alone to unite the people, after both nations have lost so many of their beloved citizens because of you and your comrades? What makes you accept Eritrean independence? Is that because you run out of options or you honestly believe Eritrea should never be annexed? Why are you giving your readers false hope? is that again because you have no idea what we eritreans think about our own identity, language, culture, religion etc? do u really believe that there will come a time that we Eritreans want to be governed from other place than from Eritrea? i feel like Dawit in the 50s and dawit in 21 century share the same dream.
I am an Eritrean and i believe everything dawit said in this article except about idris awate. Idris died in 1962 by drinking expired camel milk. dawit saved the lives of many Eritreans including my friends and my family. dawit is very good man. if everyone was like dawit Eritreans would have not been fighting for Independence.
Dear Dawit,
First and foremost, thank you very much for sharing your wisdom. It was implausible to read articles such as the one you posted after the bitter war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. I guess it is safe to assume now that the paradigm is shifting. It is shifting for the better as we all have been witnessing for the past few months. Without a doubt, both Ethiopia and Eritrea have a lot in common and share common values that will always bind them together. Unfortunately, they also share a common enemy. That enemy is Weyane! The time has come for the people of both Eritrea and Ethiopia to work together to remove, as many of you call it, the “Cancer”. It is just a matter of time before the Weyanes disappear like a bad cold. We just need to make sure we remain prudent until that time comes.
As most of you would agree, it is about time both ordinary Eritreans and Ethiopians start a dialogue that will eventually lead them to not only remove their number one enemy but to help them start the healing process. I believe the political dynamic in the horn Africa will change forever once the people of both nations come together. Perhaps, this may not be a well-received phenomenon by the west and it takes a lot of political maturity on both sides to triumph over any potential obstacles. For the first time, in a long time, I feel confident that these two nations’ people will ultimately breaking their old tendencies and develop a trust between them.
Confident
As an Eritrean, I’m all for a peaceful and constructive relationship with our neighbors, especially Ethiopians. However, when I read some of these articles, I can’t help but think to myself that some Ethiopians have yet to accept and respect the sovereignity of Eritrea.
To say “the overriding factor that eventually led to the independence of Eritrea was the policy of Woyanne. It gave way independence in a silver platter”… is simply outrageous! Eritrea’s independence came through the bloodshed of my dear brothers and sisters. Everyone has lost atleast one member of their family, and to tell me that my country’s independence was handed to me in a silver platter is to spit at every Eritrean mother’s face. Simply put, very disrespectful!
Eritrea’s independence was inevitable. It was bound to happen one way or another; sooner or later.
I realize that part of moving forward is to discuss history and analyze what went wrong/right, but the other part is to give up the attitude of self-conceited arrogance and show respect to the country/people that you’re trying to form alliance with.
God bless Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Dear Dawit, I don’t want to pick and choose what suits me. I consider your article as positive and thoughtful, and a starting point for engagement.
Its one of the best article about the historicl realities of ethiopians and eritreans people ties . as its indicated in the article its imposible, and if it happens to be, its breakable to put physical barrior between the two people,due to inherent and natural bonds of two people. the writer of the article did very well in describing objective socio politcal cultural and economican realities of ethiopian and eritrean people and its severe consequences, if its not handled coutiously and timely.the writer stresses on the EPRDF government or “woyanne” regime with its policies as a reactive and distructive force for the relation of the two people and advise the removal and demise of EPRDF or “woyanne” as a sole and ultimate solution to the problems. the writer fully failed to explain or describe the policies of EPRDF or “woyanne” visavis to eritrea and eritreans people and its negative and distructive impact on the relation of ethiopians and eritreans people. from the begining to the middle of the article the writer seems to has centric stands.how ever, on its conclusion remarks any reader can understand the writer is one blind and irrational supporters of anti EPRDF or “woyanne” regime. i advice the writer to be inclusive if not centric, be rational for his critics aganist, EPRDF regime
Col. Dawit,
I must say that this is the best article I have ever read. There are some issues in your article that I don’t agree with, yet as a writer and previous member of the Ethiopian administration in Eritrea I like to forget my disagreements with you for a moment and I would give you an “A” for your analysis and honesty.Although symbolically important, the recognition of Eritrean independence by our Ethiopians brothers does not have any merit any more. I have lost three of my brothers for Eritrean independence and I strongly believe that, that sacrifice is the only reason why we have been an independent country for eighteen years and we do not have any fear that it will be taken from us any time in the future. As you mentioned it in your article the important thing is peaceful co-existence. As the president of Eritrea stated it clearly as to cooperation between the two countries the sky is the limit. Yet any government in Eritrea for that matter even in Ethiopia does not have the right to negotiate on sovereignty. If the broken bond between the two people to be healed then our Ethiopian brothers and sisters need to understand that the map of Eritrea is the map as delineated by the EEBC. The Ethiopian people have to understand that their army is sitting on Eritrean land. Given that situation I do not think there will be any peace between the two countries. So the withdrawal of Ethiopian soldiers from Eritrean land will pave a way for peace. As to the use of ports by Ethiopia the sky is the limit. Never been a problem and will never be. As to sovereignty of Assab it has been alrady answered. Eritreans do not negotiate on sovereignty.
what an article, Shaleka Dawit. thank you
Mr. Dawit is a good writer, and puts his points across clearly for that he deserves praise. But it is depressing that after more that 60 years of antagonism, Eritreans and Ethiopians still know so little about each other because those tasked with educating us are themselves stuck standing in their soap boxes. I would have been impressed if Mr. Dawit had spent his years in the wilderness finding out the percentage of those Eritreans who never felt part of Ethiopia or welcomed it and never will, and why. Dawit believed that the way to win the hearts and minds of Eritreans is not with the heavy hand of the military but by dispensing justice. The solution is really simple as one of the commenters said, let the two countries clean their messes first. God knows they have enough to last them a few generations.
This is a HEART BLEEDING issue for both Ethiopians and Eritreans, and let all views pour out from every direction. Another step for ward! Psy(sy)-defe-res Ay- tar- am (Amharic idiom: clarity happens after the cloud parts. Close translation: unless it is muddy, it does not get cleared).
You, Dawit WoldeGiorgis, keep writing. In due course of time, your responsibility is as much to LEAVE HISTORY DOCUMENTED the way you were a part of it. With all due respect to some of the believable contributing bloggers who responded to this document, please keep up as well; and express the way you “knew” it; or “understood” it.
If there was unintentional miscalculation from Col. Dawit in the past, nothing and absolutely nothing was as insanely miscalculated as some of Col. Mengistu’s actions. Some things also need to be assessed in the context of the times long gone. To have been a governer to a certain territory/province/region used to have its remarkable effect on the governers, extended families etc., because the place and people adjusts as part of their identity and vice versa. So, It is not surprising that Dawit ‘s experience uniquely his own and not uncommon for others in similar assignment.
I think, ultimately all of this process compounded on top of the wisdom of age could re create another version of life out of the writer.
Dear dawit,
your article is one of the most interesting and honest of all times.eeventhough i agree with most part of your comment, i will try to correct some part of it.
“It was not questioned and dying for it was a cause to be celebrated. That is how most of the people I worked with in Eritrea and most of the soldiers I knew much later in life lived and died. They were in hundreds of thousands and all died with a smile on their face: because the cause was the flag and the unity of Ethiopia.”
i have seen so many derg soldiers during my life in asmara, there was even a military camp in our neibourhood. I have never seen a single soldier smiling or laughting,while they were alive, let alone while they were dying. why would they smile? they were totaly isolated from the community,we were distant to them. they have missed their wives, kids, hometown, friends etc.they were loosing their commrades every day.IF YOU HAD LEFT THEM IN THEIR BELOVED VILLAGE OR TOWN, THEY WOULD HAVE SMILLED MUCH MORE AND LIVE MUCH LONGER.
“When I was governor for three years, my task was to pacify the rebellion and stop people from supporting the EPLF. And indeed, as many who were there at the time would testify, we succeeded to the extent that the EPLF leadership later admitted to me and my colleagues that it was one of the toughest times in their war against Ethiopia. Suddenly young people stopped joining the rebels and many started deserting from the EPLF and joined their families. It was not a miracle nor was it a complicated task.”
During the years that you were a governor of eritrea, there was a heavy fighting between EPLF and ELF groeps. as a result many of the fighters were disappointed and dicided to move to sudan and even some surrendered to the derg regime.That had affected the entire eritrean community and the young generation.that was the main reason why people hesitated for some time to join the liberation front.
“It is only the governments that are two. The people have been one and are one. All responsible Ethiopians and Eritreans should endeavor to up hold this truth and reinforce it by focusing on what binds us together rather than what divides us.”
we eritreans in eritrea and ethiopians have never been one at all, neither in our heart nor in our mind. That was also the main reason why we were fighting against each other.
God bless Eritreans and ethiopians with good will
Dear Ato Dawit,
Thank you for your views and comments on and in Eritrea. 1.Eritrean are people of words and deeds. After 30 years of war for independence, in 1991, not even a single Eritrean thought of heatreadness againt Ethiopian neighbours. It is a miracle to forget all masacars, destraction of villages, slautering pregnat mothers. The world has to lern from Eritrea, honesty and sincerity and of how to built friendship let alone with our Ethiopian brothers and Sisters.
2.There is no reason for Eritrea and Eritreans to see a wealthy and united Ethiopa. We believe on respect of each other. Eritreans respects the Unity of Ethiopia of all nations and nationalities, becuase it is an interest of Eritrea to have a respected Ethiopia. If any one looks otherwise, he/she is out of mind. We Eritreans expect the same respect and acceptance from our Ethiopians and other neighbours..
3.Regarding trade and use of ports. Our Sea Coasts are our natural given resources the same as Ethiopa is rich in water resources, agricalture animals etc…
We can not be proud of what was given to us naturaly. We are proud of what we achieve by our day today efforts.
Our Ports are for us as well as for our neighbour in a good
and for good relationship.
4. Respect of law, regulation are the tools of our caltural heritage in both countries. So the rule of law should be respected by the present govermet of Ethiopia regarding the borfer issue.
The way to peace is through respect of law between Asmara and Addis Abeba. No other way can bring us to peacefull solution os our proble.
This is simply because any other way will includ the the interest of those who are on the way.
Let me put the your good words in my writting which is fundamental.
Likewise, Ethiopians of all groups should recognize the sovereignty of Eritrea and work towards the fulfillment of our common aspirations.
Thanks
Col. Dawit
I almost stopped reading articles written about the relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea until I came across your article. Although it has its own weaknesses the strong side of your article is it is based on realty. Many articles fail to consider the current situation and tend to assume that Eritrea is still the fourteenth province of Ethiopia; Assab belongs to Ethiopia, Badme belongs to Ethiopia etc. Such kinds of assumptions do not have any merit other than sending the message that the writer is leaving in a dream or fantasy world. The truth is both Assab and Badme belong to Eritrea and they are not negotiable. Thinking because Ethiopian army is sitting in Badme it will help Ethiopia to bolster its negotiating power is nothing but childish. Above all there will never be any negotiation between Ethiopia and Eritrea on Sovereignty. We Eritreans do not have any other map other than the one offered by the EEBC and no one has the right to change it. So the truth is our sovereignty is breached by Ethiopia and we have the right to defend ourselves. In your article you concluded that the mishandling of the Eritrean case by Haileslassie and Dreg led to the independence of Eritrea. I completely agree with you. The 65000 dollar question is what about now? Don’t you think it is even worse? What do you think we Eritreans feel when our land is occupied by a foreign army? Don’t you think that makes our hearts even harder? What do you think when a government that signed a peace treaty and pleaded to abide by a court ruling renegades because it feels it has the force and it is supported by foreign powers? Don’t you think there is a similarity between what the Derg did in Eritrea and what the Woyane is doing now? I strongly believe so. The only difference is Woyane is supported by the British and the USA and the Derg was supported by the USSR and East German. Why do you think even though the successive Ethiopian governments are at fault they are still supported by foreign governments? To be honest with you as an Eritrean what the current Ethiopian government is doing to Eritrea is worse than what the previous Ethiopian government s did. So I am afraid that as long as Ethiopian government policies are written and implemented `by foreign forces it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We Eritreans know that there are a lot of hurdles ahead of us. Yet our future is very bright. We also believe that our Ethiopian brothers have a chance to break the cycle of poverty and war if they are able to control their destiny. However the removal of Ethiopian army from Eritrean territories will be the main factor that leads to the normalization of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. If not Eritrea and Ethiopia will continue heading opposite directions and in the end we will reach at a situation where Ethiopia to Eritreans is not more than a neighbor country. In fact that is already started to happen. To those Eritrean who were born after 1991 Amharic is as strange as English.
Subject: The Eritrean Federation and the federal constitution
Mr. Dawit,
I have broadly given my view earlier in number 32 (to avoid confusion from another who is using the same screen name, I am using Mogos T). This is a follow up.
The Eritrean Parliament, the federal Eritrean constitution
and all the liberties that entailed with it and the Eritrean flag (blue) were abolished illegally by Ethiopia in 1962. Dawit presents these as if the members of the Eritrean Parliament willingly on their own without any duress voted to be unemployed and voted to be oppressed along with the rest of the population. Worse, he presents it also that it was unanimous. This is not true.
Still, no matter how you cut it, the Eritrean Federal Parliament did not have a mandate to abolish the federation. This was not one of its function as stipulated in the Eritrean Federal Constitution. Only the whole Eritrean population through a referendum could decide that very serious issue. Whether the vote to abolish the federation and unify with Ethiopia was unanimous, whether that was accomplished through intimidation and bribery is immaterial. It was simply illegal. It violated the rule of law.
If one were to look at it from a very commonsensical point of view too it does not make sense. After the Federation we were not allowed to use Tigrinya and Arabic. Free press was abolished. The right to organize became illegal. Our trade unions were banned. Our independent courts became lame, and slowly Tigrinya and Arabic speakers were replaced by Amharic speakers. We became foreigners in on our own land. Our traditional customary laws, the so called Higi Enda Aba which are very democratic, became inept. The small scale industries we used to have relatively advanced in the region were closed, (in order to force Eritreans to migrate out of Eritrea). Our students suddenly were put at a disadvantage since we hardly knew or were interested to know the Amharic language (may be slightly short sighted), since a good grade in Amharic was a requirement to enter the university or high school.
Suddenly in 1962 the whole world collapsed on Eritreans, we were left alone to fend for ourselves. Now, we should not allow anyone to distort historical facts how progressive and positive one may be towards the future. The future depends on the past. As to the war conducted by the EPLF and ELF, a French historian an authority on guerrilla warfare claims that the Eritreans are one of the best fighters as a cohesive unit in HISTORY. Mind you not in Africa or the present world but in history going back all the way to ancient Greeks. Dawit cannot whitewash that glorious history, because it claimed more than sixty five thousand Eritrean lives and more than hundred thousands maimed. I do not glorify war. But that war was conducted primarily to restore our civil liberties, languages and cultures. Mr. Dawit has to reconcile himself with history. This is not too much to ask. I hope Dawit gives us a better clarification.
Going forward I am for peace. and good relations. I am for some sort of economic integration. Still, I insist that the primary requirements for this is that the rule of law and democracy be established in both Eritrea and Ethiopia. And Ethiopians have to be very honest with themselves, if they believe that there is no rule of law and democracy in Ethiopia, then there is even a worse order in Eritrea than the order in Ethiopia. Otherwise you will be very disappointed, as you were disappointed in 1991.
Major Dawit W
I agree with your core conclusions that Eritrea is an independent sovereign country: and that there has to be a peaceful co-existance of both natons based on mutual interest and respect.
I also agree with you that the focus and concentration of Ethiopians and Eritreans minds has to be how to get rid of desperate Woyanne before they do further damage and destruction.
I have to say that you are economical with the historical facts and information of Eritrea and thier heroic arms struggle for self-determination. I will not dwell on this because Eritrea’s historical facts are well documented by neutral individuals.
I do not agree with your version of what has happened on the last meeting of the Eritrean Assembly on November 1962.
You called early Eriteran arm resistance as ‘bandits’.Woyanne calls Ethiopian arms resistance -EPPF, OLF, ONLF—as bandits or terrorists. Does it sounds the same.
Despite my reservation and judgment about DR Dawit”s role during the derg era on the dark side of colonel Mengistu”s atrocities I have found his article to be non political ,but honest and patriotic.
He had done a marvelous analysis on who and what is the true and present danger that Ethiopia as a nation and Ethiopians as a people facing at this moment,right now not year 2015,18…etc.Yes indeed weyane through his ethnic politics and dream of Abay tigray and to fullfill his evil intentions has to destroy Ethiopia nationalism and anihilate patriotic groups and replace with mercenary groups or hodamotches.I truly believe Col mengistu with all his brutality was a die hard ethipian patriot and dreamed of unifying Ethiopia and made it self reliant.His yeedget behbreet or zemecha was aimed at conquering literacy all over Ethiopia and let the young generation of Ethiopians know each other and serve their nation as a volunteers. I am not defending derg”s atrocities,my heart goes for the mothers who lost their babies including Eritrean moms.I feel while weyane is killing Ethiopia,derg killed Innocent Ethiopians,but not Ethiopia aspiration and dreams.
Col Dawit has make it clear that all Ethiopians has to focus on the danger that their country is facing and fight it.The danger that Ethiopia and Ethiopians facing is the disintegration of Ethiopia that is encoraged by weyane and cemented by the article 39 of the ethiopian constitution.Instead of focusing on the main issue and being diverted on excuses like Assab,Eritrea ,Somalia will not seve any purpose only will prolong the suffering and give weyane time.As for Eritrea thanks to our leadership we will march no matter how hard the road will be.Eritrea and Eritrreans only have a good will towards Ethiopians,but do not and will not have any role on the future of the country,since they are not part of it.I believe we are ready to crush and put the last nail on weyane”s coffin.As usual they have threatned our existence that is to say ERITREANISM,which is love of peole,brotherhood ,pride,against tribalism or ethnicity,for sure secular.independent never a mercenary or serve others,pay sacrifices when a nation asks,true warriors and defenders of motherland.I hope this culture that Eritreans cultivate during the 30 years of sewra will be passed to next generations.
The best article and the best service to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Major Dawit,
Thank you for well-written article. I really found it informative and educational. In concluding you wrote:
“We have to work very closely with our Eritrean brothers and sisters to get rid of Woyanne and establish a new era of peaceful co existence, common prosperity that will lead to a reunion of our people.” How about we work together to get rid off the dictator we have in Asmara. The evil regime in Asmara must go. The Horn of Africa will not see any peace as long as PFDJ is in power. Issaias Afeworki is an evil man that can not bring any peace in the region.
Thanks,
Yemane
I was also there…..
Dawit further claims: “I was also there when in September 1956 (Eth. Cal.) our troops suffered their first causality at a place called Haikota, close to Agordat. The ELF took out peaceful soldiers on leave from a public bus and executed them.”
I am hardly pressed to disbelieve this claim, if Dawit was there, he must have been the only Tor Serawit in Haikota. At that time, Haikota was manned by Eritrean police—Tor Serawit had not been stationed there yet though they passed through there a year earlier to pursue Awate who gave them a battle at Togoruba where the man with the ragtag group of “Bandits” came out victorious.
The date corresponds to 1964 European calendar and the people who executed that operation could still be alive. The Haikota operation is considered one of the first ever-daring operations the nascent ELF executed. The claim that the ELF killed peaceful soldiers from a public bus and executed them is either a dishonest recounting or an intended clever under the belt hit, I am not sure which. It didn’t happen.
That story is recounted by all veterans with so much pride and passion. Here is what really happened: The bus was stopped on its way to Haikota, the combatants in civilian clothes ordered the passengers to disembark. Then they boarded the bus and entered Haikota singing and clapping (traditionally, people on a trip to bring a bride from a different place traveled that way). They surprised the policemen in the Haikota station. They were not prepared for such a surprise; it could be because their trainers told them Awate and his group are a bunch of simple BANDITS. But the “bandits” stripped the station of all its arms and stores.
In any event, EVEN if what Dawit recounts is true (and it is not), where do these two acts fall on the morality scale: executing “peaceful soldiers” who were vacationing from their one task to kill you (the alleged victims in Dawit’s mournful tale) OR burning alive women, the elderly and children (which happened in Ona and is recorded by history)?
Respect is the way to any future cooperation between the region’s countries. To an Eritrean, cooperation is sought equally with all the countries of the region. It is good that Dawit has come to terms with Eritrea’s independence; but belittling the Eritrean struggle and repeating the old Ethiopian rhetoric, agitation and actions of the forties is a call to repeat the violent cycle that resulted the first time around.
Finally, I beg (it is only asking a favor) the Ethiopian elite to stop saying that the TPLF, “gave away [Eritrean] independence in a silver platter.” It is an insult to ignore the sacrifices and the courage with which Eritreans fought to gain liberation.
.
Colonel Dawit’s article is very enjoyable reading and as close as it gets to perfect, under the assumption that Ethiopians are the ethnic Amahara and Eritreans – just the highlanders.
If indeed Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic society and Eritrea has 50% of its population who do not feel any affinity to Ethiopia – for so many valid reasons, such essay would be meaningless. And it is to bring meaning to such narrowly devised idea that generations after generations went to such bloody wars and endless miseries.
How about new ideas on Pan Africanism? That might help brining new strategic relationships and neighborly friendship.
If we consider the true composition of Ethiopian and Eritrean ethnic groups, then the relationship between these two countries could not be different from that of, say, Tanzania and Nigeria, or Chad and Uganda.
Eritran hagerawi, Thank u shaleka dawit for your article. it is the era of freedom of speech and expression. How ever, I don’t agree with most of the contents of the article especially the hitory part of the article and the role of EPLF, Eritrean people contribution to our struggle. once again, we got our independence with our blood, hard sacrifice of beloved ones and our clear vision and eritrean sovergionty will never and ever be negotiated.I would like u to use the word econoic integration, co-operation, mutual understading instead of the word unity as it irritates Eritreans and convey wrong message to Ethiopians. any way, thank u again for recognizing the Eritrean independence and sovergeniety and we will march forward based on respect, swallowing the facts and accepting the true History; not the fabricated ones. Thanks, M. Hagerawi
As an Eritrean let me make two points, which Mr Dawit’s article has omits:
1. Eritrean independence was not granted by the TPLF. The TPLF facilitated the struggled to depose the Derg and legitimize the independence. But the TPLF could not refuse to do so because in 1991 they were at the mercy of the EPLF.
2. You paint Issaias as a reliable leader. I know Issaias personally and he is arrogant, self-centred, narcissist and evil person. He’s not only a dictator but also he works relentlessly to destroy both the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The man works for nobody but his power. I think moving forward with Issais in power is impossible.
But you have a number of excellent points that every citizen should heed to.