Ethiopian Review will hold a discussion with Ato Zewdalem Kebede on cooperation of Ethiopian opposition groups with the Government of Eritrea Saturday, Dec. 22, at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST. Ato Zewdalem has visited Eritrea and met with high level government officials earlier this year. He will talk about the positive attitude Eritreans have toward the Ethiopian opposition groups and their willingness to assist pro-unity Ethiopian forces.
The discussion can be listened live at Ethiopian Review Radio Network (click here).
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at 1:00 PM EST
34 thoughts on “Discussion on Ethiopian opposition relation with Eritrea”
I’m looking forward to listening to what Ato Zewdalem has to say about his Eritrea visit . No doubt Ethiopia Review will provide a great discussion next Saturday . Thank you!
ልንሰማው እየጠበቅን ነን
I am sure supporting the AFD will have the united goal for the Ethiopian people multiparty coaltion. I believe AFD will bring peace to our people.
Thank you
Emmanuel.
A confidence will be developed if and only if there is an open discussion with the people. Otherwise, it is a propoganda.
Eritrea’s support to eastern Sudan rebels has produced results to easterners to get fair deal from the governemnt. The eritrean support to Somalians also bearing results…
we are much closely affliated to Eritreans. Infact we are one people and getting support from our eritrean to fight the number one enemey of ethiopians and eritreans is indeed indespensible one.
The only people that don’t want to see eritrean support to our arbognoch are weyanes and those wolves in sheep skins-i.e, weyanes in closit!
They should know that chewetaw abeQtewal!! our arbognoch will solicit help from the devil himself let alone from our brothers eritreans! if you can’t swallow this then you can bite the dust!
As a matter of fact, dictators can undestand only languadges they have been with. Whether we like it or not, there is only one option to democratize ethiopia. Armed struggle for each part of the country(AFD is the way out).
It is an affront to the dignity of mankind that the great people of Ethiopia are enslaved by the weyanne regime which is a bunch of bandits and scavengers. I have never been a supporter of Isaias Afwerki, but I feel Eritrea and Isaias are sincere in their efforts to build bridges between the Ethiopian people and the Eritreans. Our beloved people have been dispossessed, forgotten and abandoned by the world, especially by the USA. I firmly believe the Ethiopian opposition groups must seize this opportunity now and work together with the Eritreans to end the misery of our people. The violent days that have seen the deaths of so many Ethiopians and Eritreans must end and end soon. May God bless the people of both countries. And God may bless you too, ER. Mesfin
Thank you Elias for your effort to bring the truth forward in the open.
Despite the new allience of the Woyane-Derg-Fuedals who want the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea to see each other as enemies for ethernity, this WILL work. No amount of these groups’ cry will scare us from working together for a common goal to get rid of the enemies of both nations.
ELIAS, would you give us some information about these parties? who are the leaders of these parties? are these parties free from an influnce of eyassu’s EPRP? WHERE IS BASE? IN ETHIOPIA OR IN DIASPORA? what is these parties realtion with kinijit? please brief us, UEDF & Hibre-Hizb Merger Conference Resolution
Elias, it is very likely that people of different nationalities are going to listen to your upcoming discussion on Saturday. So the question is… wouldn’t it be more appropriate if ER conversates in english with Ato Zewdalem Kebede so that even he Non-Amharic speaking audience understands what you guys are talking about? Please think about it. I wish you the best.
All means of removing the bucher of Adwa, globaly known lier Mr Zenawi is getting to dead end, unless someone has better plans. Each move any opposition taken the bucher and his death squads took unwavering double moves. Therefore, here after, what is remains of Ethiopian oppositions is weakest links amongst as well as against Zenawi death squads! assuring tyranny to overtake all stake holders of Ethiopian affairs.
I find we Ethiopians are not quick problem shooters nor brave as we try to make ourselves. We all are guilty by cowardice and absolute incompetence, some for greed based interests. Mr. OBANG METHO very well highlighted all of those our soft points clear and crispy on his recent rebutals of who we are. Read it the man is telling us to wake up do something for enslaved Ethiopians as well as purchased desporas.
Quick thinkers, sharp idealogs, brave sons and daughters must join Eritrea by millions to free ourselves fast, or else start to take “mequte” to Mekelle land lords to be eaten along the bribes.
“Ke shee amet berrinet ye shalal ye ken nestanet.”
By vertue of our inter-ethenic mistrusts, we watched others being butchered infront of us, thinking that never happen to us type mind set. Now when we wake up, the braves of those died alone. Now, its your turn and my turn to be sucrificed.
down with dictator and shame on me.
In the name of god, the misery of Ethio-Eritreans should have been over in 1991; however, thanks to the avenge and revenge mentality of irresponsible leaders in Ethiopia (Tigry)I’m afraid things could go out of contro soon or later unless the people of Ethiopia wake up and tell these thugs, “enough is enough; Ethiopia made more enemies since you came to power and you must leave now or face the consequence”
ድል ለሰፊዉ የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ! ወያነ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክና ሃይማኖት በኣደጋ እየጣለ ነው። የኢትዮጵያ ተቃዋሚዎች የሚያደርጉት ትብብር ለኢትዮጵያና ለኤርትራ የሚጠቅም ነው።
ፕረዚደንት ኢሳይያስ ኣፈ-ወርቂ ታላቅ ኣፍሪቃዊ ናቸው።
It is heartnening to read the majority of the comments in support of solidarity of all Ethiopian opposition groups with Eritrea, from day one Eritrea always wanted close cooperation with Ethiopia because when work together the benefits are mutual, for that to happen there needs to be a mature political governance in Ethiopia that sees beyond unreasonable hate and need for vendetta agaisnt Eritreans.
Eritrea has no desire to tell Ethiopians how to govern themselves but as long as anyone in power in Ethiopia concentrates on colonizing Eritrea no peace will prevail in our region. If Ethiopians in the can only see life in Eritrea now, we are devloping our country through our capacity without being beholden to any outside interests, in my view Ethiopia can only benefit by working with Eritrea, improve the standard of living of its people and above all be masters of their destiny.
All Ethiopian rulers since Minelik II have always been puppets to European powers or the US and look where it got Ethiopia now, if there is one lesson you can from Eritrea it is being the master of your destiny, it will not earn you any prizes from UN, US, EU or any of those organizations whose sole objective is to make you a puppet for life. Look at Ethiopia and the so called democratic African countries who have been free since the 60s, they are racked with conflict, crushing debt, disease, malnutrition and lack of education. I applaud any Ethiopian individual or group who has the courage to work with Eritreans and look towards a prosperous shared future. We are proud and rich people be it Ethiopians or Eritreans, we have to work hard to be on par with Europeans, the US and the emerging Asian economic power houses. Good luck in this endeavour.
As long as Issias Afewrq sqeezes Woyannies neck hard and is willing to work with all forces who oppose the Woyannie’s Meles regime, we will support him. It was Issais and the Eritreans who condemed the Woyanie’s crime and massacre to the unarmed young students of Addis, Gonder, Dessie, Bahirdar … in the 2005 Woyannies humilating election defeat. It was the Eritreans in diaspora who cried with us while the Woyannie supporters were dancing on the top our fallen brothers and sisters in the 2005 massacre. Our relationship with Eritreans should be long term strategic as well as historical. It is easy to bring Eritreans and Eritrea with love. We did not deport a single Eritrean-Ethiopian but the Woyannies did. We don’t hate Eritreans, we always see them as part of us but the Woyannies did everything that the Eritreans leave Ethiopia by going to UN or by deporting them so as to suck Ethiopia alone.
AFD is the way. no elections no mass demonstrations. go for it, ethiopians
Unity among various fronts and forming comon Charter to turn the tide of repression, linchin, waves of unwarranted torture and killing around, must bring all who continue to suffer under fashism need to play centeral theme.
Eritrean co-operations does help in galvanizing the moves, yet its the will of the oppositions and people at home that can cement the deal to actions.
Here on what matters is how skillled acters can play the process speed up once for all. As we have learned time and again the eprdf genie has so many majic outmanuverings left in its bottle. Yet, in democratic process so much deceptions can be for given by those who claim to preach democratic values onto people who live in harshest tyranical state of Eprdf.
The job of AFD actors must be, to keep belaing heat until the iron of tyranny melts down slowly. Zenawis change of constitution to fit his opressive mechanism is part of melting iron one at the time.
AFD need to play swift and faster moves to enlighten the care free western audiences that in no democratic process that one man can be the king, judge, lawmaker, butcher, robber, leader of the army, the holder of the national treasury at his desposal for personal benefits only!
Brave thinkers must close their personal wishes and persue all and every means to press for more heat in the country, all over the world.
Soon we will read more of melt-downs such changing the constitution that does not worth the paper it was written on” Dr. Asrat.
If it can be altered every day, by one person, its not constitution at all, its mechanism/ tool to enslave nation without its consent under phony scheme.
Currently, Ethiopian constitution states that land can not would not be sold for its national property, but but, yet, Tigreans are selling the entire farm land to foreigners and
personal wealth hunters, while farmers are being driven off their years of farm lands. This another face of constitution that is melting its credibily each day. The money from the sale goes to the coffers of Top EPRDFITES.
ETHIOPIAN CONSTITUTION MUST BE WRITTEN by the farmers who are the largest in number to favour the farming communities across Ethiopia. Meles is not a farmer have no value in farming communites, he is invader, outsider who cares for his own circles of butchers, he need to melt down before further damges take Ethiopia to more unrepairable damages.
Skillful players needs act fast to save Ethiopia from disintigrating before our own very eyes due to sham activities that harm citizens to survive.
Dear Readers,
I wish the relation between Eritrea and Democrat opposition would go smooth, productive and unchain the deadlock of hatred protracted by TPLF. To be more Ethiopian, punish Eritrean TPLF methodology will to end too.
Cheer
Dear Elias:We are so blessed to have you and the only fair,unbiased,true news out let,the Ethiopianreview. In my view an honest dialoge with the Eritrean government(with all its shortcomings)is crucial to find a common ground to combat the terrorist regime of Meles Zenawi.But lets not forget the regime is so good in hiding it self like a chamellon.They have somehow convinced the out side world by pretending that they are harmless sheep while infact our people know they are a dangerous anti-peace clique.So we have to work day and night to expose their true nature.we have to tell the world who they are.It is immoral to sit back while our people are suffering under the hands of the Weyane junta.Now is the time.
May God bless our country and the Uniteed States
As an Eritrean, I feel very happy to see most Ethiopians developing the willingness to work hand in hand with Eritreans to end the misery of the people in the horn inflicted by the minority, genocidal and ethnocentric regime in Ethiopia. But I would like to advice my Ethiopian brothers that the support they can get from Eritrea or any other party is only supplimentary. Ethiopians have to rise in unity and devotion to the pass the challenges ahead of them. Victory to the opperessed people!!
Woyanne’s time is near. It is no surprise that when they are desperate, in the end, they will start a war with Eritrea hoping they can fool the Ethiopian people for the second time. In the end, they will not defeat the Eritreans. The Ethiopian people will see the light of the day soon, so will the people of Eritrea.
For many years Isayas Afework and Meles Naziawi were inseparable fugitives involving in anti-Ethiopia criminal activities by cooperating with historically known external enemies of Ethiopia to bring Ethiopia and Ethiopians to the current dispecable and digrading situations.
What if Shabya and Woyanne criminals were as friendly as they were for many years, what would the position of Ethiopians would have been in fighting for Ethiopia?
What if Meles Naziawi honored to all agreements that the two criminal organizations’ leaders aproved and signed to while they were in Nakfa cave, would Ethiopians’ position with regard to their country’s situation be different?
Would Ethiopians face a different dilema than they do today?
Would Ethiopians capable of facing twin enemies of Ethiopia?
Since when has shabya leaders and their supporters and followers been working hard and deligently in favour of the teritorial integrity of Ethiopia and the wellbing of millions of Ethiopia?
Whay did Shabya leaders strategically devise lethal weaapon called ethnic federalism for Ethiopia not for the socalled Eritrea?
Why did Shabya leaders created anti-Ethiopia organizations such as OLF, ONLF, and many other anti-Ethiopia organizations, if they were truely respect the unity of Ethiopia?
Are Shabya leaders trustworthy to give our hearts and minds and of course, leave Ethiopia in their hands to take care of?
Let’s us see everything in retrospective and ask ourselves this question. What should have we been doing for the last many years that we missed the opportunity of keeping our country intact?
What did terrible mistakes we make that we failed to protect Ethiopia from being fallen in the hands of shabya and woyannetplf looters and criminals?
what could possibly ethiopians reward shabya if indeed, we believe that shabya would extend a helping hand in removing woyannetplf from power? What about the Alger’s agreement that Shabya repeatedly told woyanne it is firm and abiding? Do we agree with shabya that it is indeed,firm and abiding?
What about our legitimate waters? are we going to give up our rights to the red see in exchange receiving a helping hand from shabya to remove woyanne form destructive power?
We must have a clear achievable goals independent of any external forces or factors.
Who knows, shabya and woyanne may become friendly if they narrow down their differences leading to the position that they were while attacking Ethiopia from different corners for the past many years.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
(yetelatie telat wedajie new) yilal yagerie sew.
It is a nice message for those who understand it correctly.
thank you.
yigermal
12.22.2007.
Kalubicha Zerbkud, you are spewing lies in order to degrade the Eretrean president. For example, the OLF and ONLF were not created by Isias Afworki. These rebels have been fighting for independence from Ethiopia for decades. The only groups that has been “created” by Eritrea is perhaps the EPPF. The EPPF has medae it clear from the onset that it is fighting to keep Ethiopia united. When are weyannes going to stop lying?
As long as Issias Afewrq sqeezes Woyannies neck hard and is willing to work with all forces who oppose the Woyannie’s Meles regime, we will support him. It was Issais and the Eritreans who condemed the Woyanie’s crime and massacre to the unarmed young students of Addis, Gonder, Dessie, Bahirdar … in the 2005 Woyannies humilating election defeat. It was the Eritreans in diaspora who cried with us while the Woyannie supporters were dancing on the top our fallen brothers and sisters in the 2005 massacre. Our relationship with Eritreans should be long term strategic as well as historical. It is easy to bring Eritreans and Eritrea with love. We did not deport a single Eritrean-Ethiopian but the Woyannies did. We don’t hate Eritreans, we always see them as part of us but the Woyannies did everything that the Eritreans leave Ethiopia by going to UN or by deporting them so as to suck Ethiopia alone.
Kalubicha,
You don’t know what you’re talking about. The Woyanne, not Shaebia, brought ethnic federalism to Ethiopia. Woyanne is a cancer. Shaebia made a mistake by trusting these cold hearted cowards. The TPLF thought it could do whatever it wanted with Ethiopia since it shed the most blood. That’s not how things work. They were never on the side of justice and equality and the Ethiopian people will never stand for this. Shaebia on the other hand, has stood for justice and equality since day one. Once this border gets demarcated, the Eritrean political process will march on forward. Once the TPLF is removed from power, the Ethiopian political process will march on forward. Demarcate the border and down with the TPLF!
dear friends, Eritreans never hate Ethiopians,belive me they care about ethiopia more than the cold blood weyane,Even now Eritrea needs peace more than any one,if the opposition are honest and genuine,Eritrea have the majic power to remove weyane,take my word,weyanes days r over. The bloody weyane have to go back to pre 1991.they deserve it,for they r the blood suckers of the horn.
you guys,
here i am now…it seems that you have found the road to freedom and libration from tyranny…armed struggle. dicators understand and speak only one language and that is the language of the barrel.
the TPLF ,knowing that the peoples of ethiopia and eritea are not on its side, is panicking. meles himself is saying 100 times that he will not go to war with the mighty forces of shabia who trained the TPLF FORCES. He knows that he will not win war with eritrea and ethiopian opposition forces.
please expain this to those who are paranoid about the peaceful struggle. This people are in wishful thinking and hope that one day woyanne may come to its senses and relinguish its power.
that is why the TPLF is laughing. What the peoples of ethiopia and eritrea want is not ahypocite in the name of peace, but a hero who can raise arms and start firing the first bullet on any woyanne solider who kills people not only in ethiopia, but also in east africa.
The end of TPLF is near and will be complete in the near future.
yours
Though I have made the following statement in another thread I feel this genuinly fits this discussion as well.
I said before that:
It’s quite rare that I give my 5 cents on Eritro-Ethiopian topics. But here I see very encouraging mind-exchanges taking place.
Rest assured, Eritreans in general have no ill intentions towards Ethiopians or the country. From day one we Eritreans wanted a united and a prosporous Ethiopian nation. Because it is to our benefit to have a stable and well to do neighbor. If you were (and still are) told differently, the only thing I can say is: It´s wrong and not true. Who ever does spread this false accusation might have it´s own agenda on mind. Before the madness started in 1998 Addis Abeba had major privileges for using Eritrean sea ports. That was the case then and when the time is ripe this could happen again.
But bear in mind, there is one thing Eritreans will never ever will have patience for. When anyone comes and debates and makes Eritrean sovereignty and it´s sea ports or pieces of it´s land a topic. There and then the cooperation comes to a halt. My Ethiopian friends you have to understand the Eritrean phsyche.
After 500 yrs of successive colonial powers. We are sick and tired of foreign ppl presiding over our destiny. We have seen Turkish, Egyptian, Italian, British and finally Ethiopian troops come and subjugate our ppl. That has stoppped for once and ever in 1991. We have paid long and costly to see this day of our dreams come true.
But all said and done we are willing to forget and focus on a bright future. And we are ready to reach our hands to true Ethiopians with peace and respect on their mind.The same as we have done with our Sudanese brothers.
Eritreans are a hard working and god fearing ppl, I can also say that about true Ethiopians. When we put our hands together we will reach the mountain top and make this corner the envy of the rest of Africa.
Where there is a will there is a way. Let the future beginn.
Thank you for your time!
Adulis
Thank You Elias, You are going to be remembered by both people of Eritrea and Ethiopia for decades to come or maybe century’s, more than you can imagine, you are a modern angel of this era. Again good luck and happy holidays from my family and the people of the horn. Peace for the people who work for it and down to the few individuals who choose chaos and slavery.
I offer my appreciation to Elias for the interview. I found it to be a very enlightening interview. Thanks and keep it up.
As an Erutrean, I follow every article you publish and the cooments every Ethiopian and eritrean posts. But, I have problem understanding many interviews which are held in Amharic. I belive there are many people like me who would like to listen to your interviews. Please, if it is possible can you present the interviews in English.
I appreciate from my heart for what you are doing for the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Peace for US. LONG LIVE UNITY OF ERITREANS AND ETHIOPIANS.
Keep it up Elias!
Elias
Thanks for opening the dialogue that shows light at the end of the tunnel. In the outdated political culture this discussion would have been rendered a taboo. However your platform has provided a window for the silent majority to express very forward looking constructive exchange of ideas. This will certainly disarm those the vocal minority woyane agents masquerading behind the facade empathy for Ethiopian soverignity and expose them for what they are -enemies of the democratic movement!
After all we have no permanent friend or permanent enemy – only permanent interest – for building a free democratic republic of Ethiopia. It is about time that we coordinate all our efforts with our Eritrean brothers and sisters and destroy woyane!!!
Elias – Thank you!!!
If anyone thinks in the end the opposition will defeat the TPLF through elections he/she must be naive (Abatu dangia liju kemaja know negeru). Therefore, we, Ethiopians should rise and work hand in hand with the region’s population and organizations be it Eritreans and/or Somalis to end the massacre taking place by the Weyanes in the region. Remember what happend:
* To the peaceful deomonstrators in Addis
* To the Ogadeni population who opposses the TPLP
* To the Ajuak population
* To the Kinijit leaders when they won the election
* To the many innocent youths who were sacrificed in the (1998-2000)senseless war with Eritrea (majority of them are non Tigrians)
* To the many civilians who have been bombarded with the Weyane’s mortar in Somalia
* To the many innocent Ethiopians who have been killed or disappeard since the weyanes came in power.
All these inhumanities will continue forever unless we do something now. We, the people of the region should unite to remove the evil from the region once and for all. This needs cooperation and trust with each other.
Victory by the innocent will prevail in the end!
Down with this barbarians who are hated by God and mankind!