ADDIS ABABA, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Eritrean opposition groups trying to bring down President Isaias Afwerki plan to set up a government in exile for the Red Sea state, an opposition leader said on Monday from the Ethiopian capital.
A coalition of 13 groups will meet in Ethiopia in March to elect a leader, cabinet and parliament, said Adehanom Gebremariam, chairman of the Eritrean Peoples’ Movement.
Adehanom said the group would decide on a strategy to overthrow Isaias, who has ruled Eritrea as a one-party state since it won independence from arch-foe Ethiopia in 1993.
“Our aim is to transform a one-man dictatorial rule now prevailing in Eritrea into legal and democratic governance,” Adehanom said in a statement. Eritrean officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Eritrea and Ethiopia routinely accuse each other of supporting opposition groups.
The two Horn of Africa nations have had bitter relations since a 1998-2000 border war, and have been locked in a dispute over their shared frontier since an independent commission gave Eritrea the flashpoint town of Badme in 2002.
Critics scoff at Eritrean opposition groups for meeting inside arch-foe Ethiopia — Eritrea broke off from its former imperial ruler in 1991 after a 30-year independence struggle. Independence was formally declared in 1993.
Last week, the Eritrean government accused Ethiopia of using “terrorist elements” to carry out a bomb attack killing one person and wounding 8 others in a town on its border with Sudan.
In December, Eritrea opposition groups met in the historic city of Axum in northern Ethiopia to call for Isaias’ overthrow. Eritrea says it has no opposition. (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse, editing by Matthew Tostevin)
_______________
EDITOR’S NOTE
Woyanne is creating an Eritrean government in exile composed of Eritrean opposition groups, according to the Reuters’ report above. Ethiopian Review has been urging Ethiopian opposition parties create an Ethiopian government in exile or a shadow government. The Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) can serve as a good platform for the creation of such government.
10 thoughts on “Eritrea opposition to set up government in exile”
Elias, I agree with you. Due to the injustice that has been exercised by the minority group against the majority over the last seventeen years, the people of Ethiopia are tiered of Woyane. The objective condition is ripe. Translating the people’s reaction against woyane into success only needs a coordinated leadership from abroad. The opposition movement in country can do nothing other than decorating the Woyane drama on democracy. The people’s effort needs to be well planned and managed. I suggest Dr. Birhanu to form Kinijit in exile; and join AFD. This alone is enough to effectively mobilize, coordinate and lead more than 80% of the population. We should not wait until all the oppositions join AFD and we should not expect that to happen. The idea of a transitional government in exile would be excellent but at this point it may not be feasible, given the confusion among the opposition. Once AFD is able to demonstrate effective leadership capable of mobilizing the people and lead the peoples struggle to topple the woyane regime, then it will be easier to form a transitional government in exile.
God Bless Ethiopia!
Elias,
Since when does ER post reports from Tsegaye Taddesse?
Posting articles from Tsegaye is like posting from Aiga or Walta.
Its time for all Ethiopian opposition parties to come together and formulate a shadow government to take over woyane. I recomned inviting all opposition groups except Eng Hailu Shawel, Dr.Taye and the entire Chikashum tribe.
If I am not mistaken , this is another Woyanne comedy routine.The comedy caravan started with the Woyanne godfather Sebhat Nega and Meles outbidding each other as to who was more for Eritrean Independence. The second act was the Gebru Asrat bringing Assab back to the motherland drama to be followed by the coast to coast reconclliation fiesta of Comrade Siye Abraha. Not to be left from his comrades in crime, the Woyanne propaganda minster, Bereket Simon, was busy last week heralding the premature demise of Kinijit. The crown jewel of their routine i.e. the formation of an Eritrean government in exile, of all places in Ethiopia, under Woyanne sponsorship, is a sick joke. The Eritreans at the present time might not object to the idea of erecting a Chinese Wall between them and the Tigrians. In fact the Eritreans might be open to the idea of hosting a recncilliation conference of all Ethiopian progressive forces similar to what the Somalis are doing now.It is high time for the Ethiopian progressive forces to rise to the occasion for Ethiopia is calling.
Shangee,
Yes, this is another of Woyanne comedy routine. No surprise and nothing new there.
What is new is for Elias to post a report prepared by Tsegaye Taddesse, a known Weyane dog. Just because it is on Reuters, it doesn’t make it genuine.
Mind you, non of the Eritrean “oppositions” mentioned that but here you have it Tsegaye writing it at the orders of Weyane and Elias bought that.
I guess, Elias knows it is a fabricated story but he wanted to use it as a bait to encourage the Ethiopian oppositions to form one, just like that: a government in exile.
Obviously Tsegaye Tadesse choose the wrong career! He should have become a Comedian.
Aren’t most of the so called “Eritrean oppositions” relatives to Meles? Aren’t they are the one advising Meles wether it is for the benefit of Ethiopia or Eritrea on daily basis? You may hoodwinkle the Ethiopian people but behind the closed doors the so called “Eritrean opposition” are the primary advisers of Meles and his stooges.
Government in Exile” Oh yea? And who might these losers be? The Jihadists and regionalists who appear to be waiting for the right time to sell their mothers to the highest bidder? While, the Weyane would certainly do what they can to stay in power a little longer, what could these sellouts expect from such formation or announcement to the reported formation under the guise of the Adwa boys when both the Eritrean and Ethiopian people couldn’t stand them? I guess there is always some joke of the day and today might their day!
The worset thing to do for the so called “eritrean opposition”, if they realy exist, is to align with the weyanes!!! These are the same criminals who killed, raped & deported thousands & thousands of eritreans & ethiopians of eritrean origin. The weyanes are the enemy of eritrean gov’t but worest enemy of the eritrean people. So, for any opposition to align with the weyanes is like for Obama to support O.B.L hoping to win the election!!!!
In short, it’s ok for opposition party exist but aligning with the weyanes is sentencing yourself a death penality!!
Peace!!!
Oh God, I have never laughed like this in my life!
Eritrean opposition form a government? Hahahaaaaa, God these people r getting out of their mind.
We Eritrean poeple, be it bad or good we love someone who is true Eritrean and who don’t sleep with Weyane.Go to hell, with ur midget Chimp u traitors!
U can form 10 governments, it is all comedy anyway.Thaks for making me laugh like this after years!