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TPDM on a short leash

Posted on , Updated on by EthiopianReview.com

By Elias Kifle

Some Eritrean friends are asking me why is it necessary for Ethiopian Review to start a public discussion on concerns regarding the disappearance of Ethiopian patriots in Eritrea and problems facing Ethiopian opposition groups. They are urging me to work behind the scene to find solutions. That is also my preference. For over a year, my colleagues and I were engaged in intense behind the scene discussions with Eritrean authorities regarding Ethiopian opposition groups inside Eritrea, and particularly the Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF). As a strong advocate of cooperation between the Eritrean government and Ethiopian opposition groups, I would not want to jeopardize the progress that has been made in the past couple of years despite enormous difficulties. However, a corrupt mid-ranking Eritrean official named Col. Fitsum, who is assigned to advise Ethiopian opposition groups, has ran amok and it seems the Eritrean government is unwilling to control him. The rogue colonel has been trying to block the effort to revamp EPPF — an organization that has not moved an inch in its 10 years existence — and when he noticed that he is losing ground, he has launched a disinformation campaign using the Asmara-based EPPF radio and web site. He has also tightened his grip on EPPF more than ever. A few months ago, I and several others had finally decided that locking horn with a rogue, albeit powerful Eritrean intelligence officer in Eritrean territory is not worth it and decided to take a different route. This move seemed to have threatened the colonel even more and he started to take desperate actions, including the arrest of those who are thought to be involved in the new movement. He has also called an urgent meeting and ordered the dismissal of several EPPF central council members, including those who had already withdrawn themselves.

We will take a more in-depth look at EPPF another time. Here, I will try to illustrate that EPPF is not the only organization that is facing difficulties in Eritrea. In Ginbot 7’s case, for example, Col. Fitsum has dispersed most of the soldiers who had defected from the ANDM wing of Woyanne and arrived in Eritrea in early 2009 to join the new movement by turning them against each other. He forced the few who remained in Eritrea to create a new group named Amhara Democratic Force Movement so that they would not join Ginbot 7. With the exception of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), all the other Ethiopian groups are in the same boat. The only reason ONLF is facing little or no problem in Eritrea is that Col. Fitsum cannot get involved in their affairs. As a result, ONLF is the only opposition group that has been able to carry out serious military actions against Woyanne.

One of the Ethiopian armed resistance groups that seems to be by far the strongest is the Tigray People’s Democratic Movement (TPDM). I visited one of the TPDM shelters in Oct. 2009, and I was impressed by the sheer number of its troops. The first question that came to my mind while visiting the TPDM army was, why are we not hearing about any major military offensive by the TPDM forces against Woyanne? TPDM could easily make Tigray ungovernable to Woyanne if it is allowed to fight. ONLF doesn’t have 1/10th the number of fighters TPDM has, and yet it is consistently bleeding Woyanne’s nose until every one in the world knows about it.

I asked the TPDM leadership this very question. They were too afraid to give me an answer, but it was not necessary. I could read the frustration in their faces. Instead of fighting Woyanne, TPDM fighters currently spend their days toiling on farms without pay. The fighters want to fight. The leaders want to fight. But fortunately for Woyanne, they are put on a short leash by their Eritrean “adviser.”

130 thoughts on “TPDM on a short leash”

  1. To me you, Tezibt, are the one who is smoking Ganja. From what I can see, to this minute, unless you reading from different page, 77 is written under your name 76 is written under my name, which is waiting moderation. So, it looks like you are calling to yourselfer smoking ganja.

  2. #84 Dr. Bekagn Alegezam says

    “I want to respond to you because, you seem to be living in an illussion filled world. Let me shade some light, I hope you would benfit from this.”
    Everybody knows that who is living in an illusion world? Are you for real? People like you are the most confused human beings on this planet. From your shallow writing and analysis you look obsessed with Eritrea and Isseyass. Try to fabricate stories about everything regarding Eritrea and Ethiopia. Your cheap propaganda about the war in 2000 is really laughable. Isseyass called Meles to SAVE him…. What a trash analysis. I know you would not believe this but it is a fact on the ground that happened in 2000 war. I was there stationed in Teseney with mechanized brigade. First of all, weyane`s intension was not about Teseney or Barentu as you stated to fabricate it. It is about Asseb! Period! They start the war in 5 fronts of the second WWI style humanwave (using Oromo as a cannon fodder) but lost big times in Asseb and Tserona. These two places are the most militarily strategic places in an all out war. The biggest mistake shaebiya does is they underestimate weyane and Ethiopians …… they did not prepare for an all out war since the contested border conflict war in badme ONLY! Once thousands after thousands march towards the PLAIN trenches — the biggest tactical strategy was to withdraw from the unsafe and uncomfortable places. The Ethiopians lost 170,000 Oromo while the Eritreans lost 19,000. We have done that in our history in 1978 when the DERG brings Russians, US, CUBA we left ¾ of our land and stationed in Sahel. Second, from Barentu to Asmara is around 240 km and the Ethiopian soldiers could have been buried in the desert of Akurder. Read history please …. It is not easy to teach Amhara because of too many fictitious stories in their head. But this is the FACT plain and simple.
    “Reading your comment, I am rather convinced that you are not ERITREAN. I can almost say that with 100% certaintiy.”
    I care less about my Identity and nationality my friend because I know who I am and who I belong too. I am just writing you assuming an Ethiopian. I care about your argument and analysis. Forget this issue it is crap propaganda of Amharu, Weyane etc.
    Assume I am an Eritrean! Period!
    “I arrive at that conclussion becuase you don’t have a centeral theam to what you are saying but you are jumping up and down with an attempt to creat this iedea that Eritreans hate Ethiopians thus you want other readers here to think, badly of ERitrea, that trick comes not from a true ERitrean but from some one that hates Eritrea, and you know who those are, so I am not even going to tell you where you are becuase now you know exactly what am talking about.”
    This is foolish my African friend. I came from Egypt oky because of my name is Yassin. You came from Madagascar too. The original people are people from the ancient Axum. Eritrea and part of the current Tigray people are the sole owners of the geez script, culture, etc. This current Ethiopia exists only 100 years ago with Menelik rise to power. Just tell me since when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. Read history after the fall of Axum Eritrea was an independent land called Barhe- Negash and with often invasion of the Ottoman, Egypt, Italy Ethiopians etc. Read more and more about the history of Eritrea. Forget Asseb! Or swimming in the red sea!
    I am jumping from one topic to another. You are wrong; in fact you are the one does that. I said I left military because I have a strong stand on Ethiopia that parallels the fundamental people like you that want to invade Asseb. Asseb = nine mini states of Ethiopia to me. As long as the Amhara did not stop looking for Asseb we will not stop our policies from happening that. True Eritrean or else … this is crap and I don’t buy it.
    “But for the sake of argument let us assume you are Eritrean as you say you are…”
    I like that! No Eritrean is fool!
    Born and raised in Asmara Shikor! Travolo near Alaskala Hotel!
    “You see, Eritrean oppostion if there are any, at the moment are just opportunists, they are not real oppositions, they are parked in addis, eating with melese, they are just a means to an end for Melese”
    I am not an opportunistic or that crap Weyane beggar. I am a well fed family guy unlike you. Education, Money and Nationality please put aside. Talk about ideas and arguments.
    “I am not going to waste time talking about if war breaks with eritrea and ethiopia becuase it is not going to. not now, now while melse is in power.”
    Your true color comes! That is the main reason I hate Amharu. I am a strong advocator of strong stand on Ethiopia. Broke the backbone of the snakes
    No culture, except raw meat and Zeraf.
    “You don’t even understand your leader very well, you actually supported my argument with out you even undrestanding what you are saying.”
    I don’t care about what ever crap arguments except wipe from the earth those who argue the invasion of Asseb. In particular Ethiopian educated. No amhara in power for the coming 1000 tears. We know how snake you are guys during 2000 war. You support the crap weyane. You can call me narrow minded or else but that is my stand. Never again they will be slaves in Ethiopia forever. Weyane will be gone soon but will be replaced with TPDM. I hate Isseyass does not mean I hate my ancestral land Asmara. If war broke out in the near future which is likely after Meles or while Meles is in power I will join the military. What makes me surprise do you think Elias will change your Image about Ethiopia.
    “You said, you left Issays cause in 2000 war you were disapointed for him firing the GENERALRS. lol that is so lougphable”,
    May be you are retarded but shaebiya is not ONLY about Isseyass ….we Eritreans were disappointed with the reason he gave us to arrest and fire those brave Eritrean generals. They are die-hard Eritreans which advocate the dismantling of Ethiopia. Majority of Eritreans support them.
    “why do you think he fired them? that is because Issays is not working for you, HIM and melese thought they were just having a skerimish that was suppose to be a pretend war, but the poor generals on both side who didn’t get the real memo of the war, wanted to really fight, so you saw the result, wake up and harnes your self with facts and reality rather than empty bravado, that has only let you to starvation and defeacting the very leader and country you supposedly support and want to salve for, though you have run away from sawa.”
    Fired them because of their policy on Ethiopia and his long term strategy of human suffering of Ethiopians….. Just power struggle among them but he outsmart them. Very simple!
    I like one thing about him because he is your nightmare —- Amhara and Weyane.
    “And as for that war in 2000, if it was not for melese on 11th hr, did you forget the Ethiopian army was in BARENTU. not badme, not zalanmbesa, this are border towns, THEY WERE IN BARENTU WAY DEEP INSIDE ERITREAN LAND, I wonder where the 400,000 thousand solidgers where? “
    They are all dead according to your shallow analysis. That is what I was telling you before. You occupied a barrel of land until does not mean you killed all the soldiers.
    “and when they were with in 40 Killometer from Asamara about to embarck on the city like a christhmass light, there was a frantic phone call from asmara to addis abeba, I will try to summerize the phone call for you:”
    Ye tela werie! 40km south of Asmara is Dekemhare; 40km north of Asmara is Adi Tekelezan (Barentu is 220km from Asmara), 40 km east is Gindae). Read geography Amharay.
    “ Melese goes” Issays tergaga, Ayzoeh tinsh yene wotaderoch moralachew tenesto ke kuteter ej hedewal, gin ayszho atefera, I will call press conference now and call off the war. Issays goes please do this soon very soon”
    Do you really have a PhD?
    PhD in Yetela Bet Werie … be mature please.
    Open University … just like your brother Meles
    “So people have to rise up beyond this simple hate they have for each other and look at what is most important in order to change the lives of the people they care about. Eritreans are coming by the thousand every year to Ethiopia defecting, for a better life, and I am very happy to see them come home, and even go to university in addis abeba”
    We have 100,000 Eritrean soldiers inside your soil in case war broke out. Information is power! Send any new development about Ethiopia to Eritrea…
    Every month 10000 Ethiopias left or die. People migrate from place to place that is a natural phenomenon in this new globalization. HIV infected country.
    “Melese goes” Hello man lebel” issays on tigraya on the other side he said it on tigraye i am translating it in amharic ” Ante sewye menkaha, lechersgn new ende,”he is talking very fast breathing 30 per minute, kuna kuna eye tenfese, what are you doing, asmera legebu eko new”
    Please shame on you …has a mercy for you 170,000 people that died in the battle. You are depressed human being …..
    “So my friend stop deluding your self with fals reality and the sooner you accept what is and not what is not, the sooner you will be okay.”
    Thank you Akeke Zeraf …..Do not forget the Article 39 though. Pray for Ethiopia

  4. አቶ ኤልያስ ፥ሁሉን አውቃለሁ የሚል ምንም አያውቅም የሚል አባባል አለ ። ስለዚህ ውጊያም ሆነ ውትድርና ራሱን የቻለ ሳይንስ አለው ፡ያውም ረዘም ያለ ጊዜ፥ እውቅት፥ ያስራ ልምድ፥ እምነት፥ ቆራጥነት ወዘተ የሚጠይቅ ። ስለዚህ 1ኛ ስለ ት ህ ዴ ን የጻፍከው ፥ ግንባር ሄደህ ካየሀቸው በፊት ተከልክለው እንጂ ያቢያንስ ትግራይን በቀላሉ በያዙ ነበር ብለሀል። ይህ ሀሳብ 0+0=0 ነው፥ምክንያቱም አንደኛ በደፈጠ ወጊያ ጠላትን ማደከምና የውገጊያ ብቃትን በማሻሻል የትጥቅ አቅምን ማዳበር ከዛ ውጊያውን ወደ ፊትለፊት ውጊያ በመለወጥ ትግራይን መቆጠጠር ይቻላል።እንደኔ እንደኔ ውጊያው እዛው ያልቃል።ይህ ሲሆን ወያኔ እንዳደረገው ሂድ ግፋ እያለ ከጀርባ እየተኮ ሰራዊቱን ማድፈጀት ሳይሆን ፥በአነስተኛ ሀይል ጠላትን መደምሰስና ህዝብን ከጥቃት መከላከል ያጠቃልላል።2ኛ ስለ ኦጋዴን ነፃነት ግንባር ፥ብዙ ብዙ ልዩነቶች አሉ አንደኛ 25 ዓመት ዕድሜ ፥ከፍተኛ የዳያስፖራ ኦጋዴንያ የገንዘብና የሞራል ድጋፍ፥የወያኔ ጀኖሳይዳል ጭፍጨፋ በኦጋዴን ፥ብዙ የኢትዮጰያ ሚድያዎች ኤልያስ ጭምር ለኦጋዴንም ሆነ ለት ህ ዴ ን ሚድያ ስርጭት ስለማታደርጉ ፡ለምሳሌ ስለ ውጊያ ውሎአቸው ፥ህዝባቸው ስለመበደሉ።ከዚህ ሌላ ለአንዳንድ የወያኔ አባላትና ለአንዳንድ ዘረኞች ማወቅ ያለባቸው ብዙ ውጥተው ወርደው ኢትዮጰያን ነፃ ለማድረግ የኢቶጰያውያን ጥምረት ለዲሞክራሲያዊ ለውጥ በሚል ስያሜ የተዋሀዱት 4 ድርጅቶች እና ሌሎችምድርጅቶች በምያደርጉት ትግል በየቀኑ አዳዲድ ድሎች እየሰሞን ወያኔ በቅርቡ ይደመሰሳል።

  6. EPPF IS FAKE FRONT ORGANIZED TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE FREEDOM LOVING ETHIOPIANS. EPPF NEVER FOUGHT AND WILL NEVER FIGHT. ALL IT DOES IS FEED SOME ACTOR LIKE FIGHTERS AND THEIR SHABIYA ASSOCIATES. WHEN IT COMES TO REAL FIGHTING IT BLAMES THIS COLONEL THAT PRESIDENT. EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES…THAT IS WHAT EPPF AND THE OTHER SO CALLED OPPOSITION FIGHTERS/ACTORS DO. MELES IS LETING THEM BE OPPOSITION JUST SO HE DONOT HAVE TO FEED THEM. IT WILL NOT TAKE EPRDF A SINGLE DAY TO FINISH OPPOSITION FIGHTERS WHEREVER THEY ARE.ALL WILL BE WIPED OUT BY SHABIYA IF MELES GIVES THE OK. THE BADME WAR WAS NOT BETWEEN MELES AND ESAYAS IT WAS MELES AND ESAYAS WIPEING THOSE CITIZENS THEY DONOT WANT TO FEED.

  7. Elias you are lossing it. First you said EPPF members was disapearing in Eritrea and we find out you were fired from EPPF. Second you said General Kemal was under house arrest, but OLF’s spokesman said that is not true. Now you are saying TPDM fighters are not allowed to finght against weyane, but today dec. 30/2010 TPDM reported kiling over 140 weyane solders even EriTV shoued some of the bodies. I think you should beg EPPF to take you back or shut the hell up. This really makes you a spoiled chiled. You should serously think about it befor it is too late.

  8. Elias, the one thing you seem to forget is that the host nation has an obligation for the security of its borders. For instance, it has to be watchful and take measures to prevent from hosting enemy agents amongst the guests. Why you chose to single out an Eritrean individual’s name and publicly assign blame, makes it clear that your handling of the situation is suspect. As far as I’m concerned you have lost credibility.

  9. Mr,Elias
    We told you from the beginning that any trial through Erteria will result in fatal failure. Do you remember when you were argueing in ECADF? Know stop fooling yourself. Shabia will never ever want to see united strong Ethiopia

  10. Dr. Bekagn:

    I am sure you will not waste your time writing replies for Dr Yassin. He/She is the most desperate but imbecile toy who has lost his/her already retarded metal balance by the eloquent description of facts. I would like to thank Elias to bring the facts to light and also pleased to get a fresh perspective of the matter from you.
    Please do not get dragged into discussions that are facts but that do not add to our efforts of achieving unity or are disservice to the common cause. Facts that are not timely to talk about or that affect the pride of others no matter how much enemies tried to infuriate you, poke you to say something that disengage some or many that have the same cause with us should be saved, I believe. Given the level of your analysis, I do not dare to advise you but I still want to exhort you not to fall in their trap of disheartening possible allies by being taken away by just love of sharing facts. My feeling is that Yassin somehow was successful in making you state some truth while you were trying to explain how his/her position was fallacious. Her/His comments were meant to be distractions and donot have any substance at all.
    In the mean time I will be very happy if you help me explain how Shabia’s support to ONLF and Al Shebab adds up to Melese and Isayas’s pact!

  11. Selam:

    Elias, for one reason or the other, you have basically placed yourself in an untenable position with respect to the most sophisticated political organization in the Horn. Obviously, those groups and individuals who have been part of the regressive forces have been congregating around the thread treating it as a session for group therapy. At least, this aspect does have some entertainment value– for politics buffs.

    Just to give you the benefit of the doubt, some did chose only to keep it to themselves and wonder what all the fuss has been about. Still, at this moment it doesn’t benefit anyone to either speculate what all this hurabura has been all about or to simply conclude that it is just another instance when typical Ethiopian politics is being played out; as in: afterall,what is new in Ethiopian politics and its proponents?

    Elias, whatever the latest dispositions may be, regardless, thank you for all your efforts and dedication; moreover, looking forward, it is incumbent upon yourself either to continue as part of positive change in Ethiopia and in our region or simply be another typical Ethiopian political activist from the old school.

    To reiterate, the forces for real progressive change do have their own ways and pace; all that and other unique qualities have been developed through decades of tenacious and tactful struggle. As such, those who aspire to take that route are expected to be not only intelligent, determined and tactful, but also positively humble.

    TRUTH shall Prevail !!

  12. 106#.T. J. says:

    “…THE BADME WAR WAS NOT BETWEEN MELES AND ESAYAS IT WAS MELES AND ESAYAS WIPEING THOSE CITIZENS THEY DONOT WANT TO FEED.” you wrote.

    Kikikikikikiki… You really made me laugh loud. :) Thank you great brother/sister for your great humor.

    I think that the opposite of what you wrote is the perfect TRUTH. That is to say, ” THE BADEME WAR WAS NOT BETWEEN MELES AND ESAYAS BUT A JOINT PROJECT OF WIPING OUT THOSE CITIZENS THEY WANT TO FEED ON.” The material and human resources and wealth to FEED ON comes from the vast Oromo and Amhara land and NOT from Tigrai and Eritrea. Please count Gold, Platinium, coffee, Oil seeds, staple ans cash crops, hides and skins, vast amounts cattle population, forest, wood, etc. Whom are you trying to foll like always?

  13. #103 Dr Yassin Omer
    O my poor friend, you are screaming like a starving chiwawa, tergaga boy. there is a saying, ” Awoko yetega bek sekesut aysemam” My friend, if you insist in filling your brain with 100% fabricated reality, and fill good about your meaningless life that has left you with nothing, it is your provocative to do so. But it is truly sad, for you to be so angry with little information, and direct your hate toward people that are the cause of your and your peopl’s misery. You keep talking about ASSAB, you seem to forget, Ethiopia for the past 10 years lived with out assab, and yet is still doing okay relativley speaking, while Eritreans on the other hand, are starving to death, as it is a point in case people are living by the thousands, while people do migrage from place to place, they don’t migrate at the speed and amount that Eritreans are fleeing their country. It is a shame, for a group of people to strugle, fight for 30 years, and only to come home, to run away from again!!!!, this is a true travesity, I feel for you, and it is why , in my perivious writting i said, We forgive you, for you don’t know what you are doing, cause had you know what is goog for you, you for sure would have taken a differnt path in life. But it is what it is, and sometimes, people learn the hard way, and now it is very clear many ERitreans have realized, that so called indpendce was not what was amounted to be, you are indpendet that is true, you have assab and massaw that is true too, but you have no food. the youth have no life, they can’t even go to church. And don’t tell me the orthodox and catholics are operating, I am talking, a young Eritrean man, can’t go to the church of his liking, say he wants to be a pentecostal, or Jehovas, though his older brother fought for his freedom, his older brother’s death was not enough to give him, this simple yet crutial part of human libirty. So my friend, the realiteis are there for all to see, I wish, I truly wish, becuase unlike you, i have no haterate for Eritreans, I wish, they live free, I wish they had food to eath, i truly wish, the people get the freedom they deserve, but as you saw it your self, you couldn’t handle the hardship, so you run, good for you, you atleast saved your self, from the hell whole of the world!!!!. I wish more other ERitreans save themselves from the hell whole they are faced with. You might give it, all different rationale as to why you left your beloved country,, but the reality in the end is, quite simple, you couldn’t handle the hardship, it is that simple, the hardship that you thought was never gona be there, once you liberated your country, what a disapointement that must have felt. So i know you are angry, I know you feel the pain, and Thus you want to take your pain on some one, I feel you bro, i really do, so it is for this and other reasons, we take any Eritrean that comes home with open arms, let them go to school, put roof over their head, give them food to eat. Any thing, for it is the right thing to do, to help your brothers who are suffering in HELL. So there is like I said before no point about talking the war, bcause in what seems very miserable life that you are faced with, you have created this illusioanry fanatasy story about, a war that somewhow you magically took won killed all this people and this and that so you want feel you belong to this heroic group of peopel, and that is oaky to feel heroic, i understand your pain my brother!!!, but in the end, if all you feel is just fanatsy you are going to get hurt even wors . My friend, I don’t want to remind you about that 2000 war, but it is a fact, your leader, who said, it is easier for the sun to come from the west than for me to withdraw in pupblic, was the one in LESS THAN 72 hrs of the Ethipoian army marching deep in to his country, put a white flag like a sisy that he is, called the UN and said He accpeted the agreement for a dialogue, my brother, this man refused to seat for dialogue before the last war, he said it was easier for the sun to come from the west, well i guess just like you, he was living in illusion, and delusion that he was so heroic that the sun which for ever that has come from the east, would come out from the west, than for the Heroic Eritrean army to reterat in disarray. My brother, you know what happen, The sun came from the EAST as it usally does. And the heroic army of issays, run in disaraay, what a heroci army that is, saving their lives, i don’t blame them, when the lion comes your way, you have to move, it is just that simple. Real leaders, die in the battel they lead, learn from history of ASE Tewoderows, ASE YOhannes and many others, they never in disarry, they stand and fight and lead their people to victory, they don’t let if an inch of their land is taken seat and watch, as your leader is doing now. HOW come the heoric army if ISSAYS is not coming to take their court awarded land of BADME. AFTER ALL it was from badme that he refused to come out, so how come, your land it take away from you yet you watch talking garabage on tv and radio but nothing to show for. Atleast when issays were parked in badme, the ethiopian solidgres said, you are not going to seat in my land, cause that is ethiopian history and tradition, you don’t let an ememy seat on your land, you evict them, just as issays was evicted from badme. But in return, he is not capable of evicting back to take his COURT AWARDED LAND back, that must hurt. I know it does, so i know your hurt, but do you know the adminsteration that took badme from you, is not amhara, it is the woyane. AHYAWOON FERTO DAWLAWUN alu, it is the woyane that packed you and your family in the middle of the night and sent you home in 1998, took all of your people’s property, it was not the amhara that did that to you, it was the woyane that came after you and embarassed you to the world was never the amahara’s, but yet, you are crying, talking this trash about amhara this amhara that, and you are so childish that who do you think the TPDM are?? they are just another woyane. Ye gulcha mekeyayer woetun ayatafetewm alu, so my brother i could go on and on and on to show you, how you are just breathing hot air, you need to take easy, accept the reatly and apperciate that fact that atelast you are not in the hell whole, you are no longer, subjected to slavery under the scheam of ” nation building” what it really is, work for free program. Well I will write you some more next time, now let me let you digest tis my Heroic defective solidger friend. All the best for may be in the next life time, you will have a better luck!!!!! happy new year.

  14. Dr. Bekagh, your skin deep conclusion is childish. I am an Eritrean and oppose the rule of Afewerk totally. But predicting about the war between ERI.and ETH. i believe the loser will be Ethiopia. Facts are: Eritrea has a compact military more than before. If the war break out, if not all most Afewerk’s opponents will turn out to support him because it is the mother land’s cause. Eritrea can cause devastations to Ethiopian fighters through thousends of hols a long Ethiopian boarder with her neighbors. Ehiopia has a very long boarder starting from the east boardering Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan and Eritrea itself. Weyane can not controll all these range of boarder. Most Ethiopians, i mean, the opperessed peoples of Ethiopia will stand with Afewerk. Weyane fighters has only the Eritrean boarder to wage a war in which they will be buried. Weyane has a shallow support from the Ethiopian peoples and even from the neighbors. Today the Weyane fighters are considered as a mercenay from abroad occupying Ethiopia. Dr. i give you one example, no a single Ethiopian has seen Meles driving in public streets. Why ? Because Weyane know that they are hated by the peoples of Ethiopia. contrary to this, Afewerk is loved by his peoples and drives freely among his Eritreans.

  15. “TPDM fighters currently spend their days toiling on farms without pay.”

    Elias, that sentence alone will tell you the whole history and meaning of eritrea and shabia, the main thing that I believe you have been missing and still confusing you and wasting your precious time. “Eritrea can NOT exist without Ethiopia.” For Ethiopians, luck of resource is the only reasoning, and justification that we give to support that idea,just by looking at the worsening poverity, suffering, and refugee flooding of eritreans. However, there are many more social, economic, and other developments in the region that many of us have simply ignored or failed to notice. These unnoticed but fundamental problems are now walking by themselves and even knocking our doors saying ” hey, we can’t exist without you: we depend on your shelter,leadership, protection… etc etc). I will try to stick with only 2 points for now: labour and leadership that it’s a naked reality “Eritrea can’t exist without Ethiopia.”

    1, Labour:
    “TPDM fighters currently spend their days toiling on farms without pay.”
    In my opinion, as a person who happen to know the eritrean way of life, eritrea’s dependence on working man power is the main and very huge problem that they can’t survive bythemselves. As a matter of fact culture, if there is a huge gap between Ethiopians and eritreans, it would be “the culture of hardwork.”, a very short phrase, yet it determines once destiny. Eritrea lucks this very important culture in big time to the point that it jeopardize their existence as people.

    Eritreans know this problem very well and how serious it is, especially in the agriculture field where 85% of their population depend on for living. For the illiterate shabia gov’t, the only solution they found to this is to collect every Eritrean youth by force, throw them to sawa then to the farming fields to do a job what normally the farmers are supposed to do, instead of opening schools and teach them a lasting solution to their bad culture.

    To make things worst, eritreans have another bad culture, a culture of denial. I’ll leave this to the readers to do the judgment based on the number and type of responses to this or other comments on ER. One can also easily understand the idleness of eritreans just by looking the number of eritreans in any ethio-eritrean forum or social networks.

    It is like all 5 million eritreans are sitting online 24/7 when you see their population against ours. Honestly, What percent of Ethiopians can sit like that for nothing? Less than 0.01% is to me, knowing the #things that I need to have them done everyday.

    You know this very well if you are a YouTube user, just open a random 10 Ethiopian videos and do the calculation. I’m prety positive that you will find more eritrean comments than made by Ethiopians.

    In conclusion, as Elias has put it nicely, Ethiopian fighters in in Eritrea especially TPDM as they are the ones they can communicate with the farmers (Tigrigna), are simply being used by shabia as farmers, laborers, trainers to their idle population with out a pay or all the hassle trying to get a job done with a 6 years old sawa kid.

  17. It is silly to expect something good from shaebia. abso for ethiopia?? kkk.
    Let u forget what you call positive cooperation or stuff with them. We wont settle with these people until we get back assab port and they know it. that is why they dont want us to be strong and they are not wrong in their own way. stop dreaming.

  18. I Think this person Dr Yassin Omer is a person from Turkey I know one person who hates the Amhara people he always writes every bad thing whenever he get the chance to insult the Amhara people in every web sight because he thinks if the Amharas are not destroyed Ethiopia will not disappear as people like him they wish if he is not the Turkish person This Person might be Meles the ugly bisexual 60 years old fat wrinkled boy.

  19. you Axumawi muscle head, you must be idiot Woyane from Dedebit. Don’t you remember what Meles your stupid leader said about Isayas he said it will be better to talk with Isayas for few hours than reading many books. So leave the Doctor alone and read your TPLF history, you bone head.

  21. Dear wadi-Algena #114,
    Its good that you are against tyranny that the merciless rulers of our own imposed on our nation that thousands perished their lives for but still seem to be living in fantasy Eritrea of yours that most of us have been living for years (very far from reality).I am an Eritrean too and strongly oppose the iron fist rule of the shiftas and fight with everything possible to get rid of them.I hope and always pray that war never breaks out agian with Ethiopia for it is sadly but surely we are going to be the losers.I also don’t understand what an impact army Eritrea owns because truly speaking Eritrea dosen’t have an army which is capable of defending the nation from any external invasion leave alone from a mighty and rich Ethiopia of today.What we have in Eritrea today is hundreds of thousands of hopeless and weak people held hostage under the point of a gun waiting for the right time to flee.This has been done deliberately by the dictator to weaken and destroy evrything Eritrean.If you doubt my assertion,you better visit the disease infested Eritrean refugee camps just across our borders in Ethiopia and Sudan.As far as your assertion that Eritreans in the opposition will support the tyrant incase war breaks out is simply bogus because the opposition has been calling on Ethiopia for a long time now to interfer and support in getting rid of the tyrant.Thta is the strategy now and it is going to be realized sooner or later.I hope you wouldn’t be freaking out by my assertion,afterall didn’t the tyrant did the same to get rid of ELF in the early 1980’s.You were also hulucinating about the shifta leader driving around freely in Asmara and how the people loves him.If you are talking about the few years right after the independence,yes I agree and I was one of the crazy supporters too.But today things have changed a lot and you better read the information leaked about him in wikileak recently.Your paranoid tyrant dosen’t even trust his own chef so he has to switch his food plates with a subordinate in an attempt to foil an imagined (not real)plot of poisening.So this shows how much he is hated and he knows that his days are numbered.We Eritreans will not hesitate to take him out when ever the time is right because he and his cronnies are responsible for all the woes our great nation is in today.
    Eziwedhanka,
    ‘Happy holidays for all’

  22. Fitihawi, you are pretending to be an Eritrean in the day light. We Eritreans konw that the wolf can change her fur, but not her character. We are sure that you are either tplf agent or one of those Derg’s chauvinists who is still reproaching the Eritrean peoples for the fall down of the best comminist rule in Africa. So if you believe that your boss will win the war, please tell him to start it as soon as possible. You will see again what your comarades have expernced in Halhal and Barka areas.

  23. In 1978 Mengistu’s propaganda of ” RED STAR COMPAGHN ” on Eritrea has ended with devastation on Ethiopians. There is no doubt that history will repeat itself.

  24. Wedi-algena,

    I know Fithawi put it very well the current situations and what will happen if war break between the two. But Eritrea nationalism and unity or HADNET is not the same as 20 or 10 years ago, the ethnics of Eritreans attitude towards Eritrea and the Shaebia rules is not the same as 20 years ago, the number of kebesa populations are not the same as 20 years ago and the number of military units 20 years and today are totally different make up, means today military majority members are outside of the kebesa people.

    Where as Ethiopia 20 or 10 years ago is totally different country within the same boundary, its economy is totally different, it military hardware and the potential to get any weapon immediately from anywhere is huge, the number of population to assemble as military to fight shaebia is very huge, the attitude of Ethiopians to regain Afar is enormous and most international communities are with Ethiopia today.

    If Ethiopia has a plan to dispose Issayas, Woyane will assemble and arm most of Eritrean ethnics like Kunama, Saho, Afar, Bilen and Tigre and deploy them in their own regions first and send the huge wave of Ethiopian forces to disperse Shaebia armies all over in order to make you ineffective fighters and swallow you so easily and very quickly. As the Ethiopian armies liberate lands the different ethnics of Eritrea already deployed in their region will spread propaganda to their own ethnic Shaebia armies to abandoned Shaebia and join their units and stabilize liberated villages and cities right behind Ethiopian forces and control their people and regions to create their own Kilil like Ethiopians. The Ethiopian army duties will be just to shoot and march forward to capture Asmara with out thinking of helping left out people in the liberated areas. Do not forget also right after the first bullet flies across Mereb, most of Shaebia armies will join their own ethnic fighters and the kebesa soldiers will flee to Sudan to join their relatives in Diaspora all over the world than fighting for Issayas regime in Eritrea. They know that the border will be closed again as soon as the fighting is over specially if Issayas remain in power and the Kebesa soldiers and civilians will completely flee from the lands they occupy today.

    We know most of the Kebesa Tigrigna speaking populations are settled in the Setit and other lawland areas and as soon as the war breaks, the indigenous people will turn their guns against the highlander settlers in their region and they will be massacre and displacements. If war breaks with out Meles Zenawi leadership, Ethiopia will not stop or compromise or sign any kind of treaty but to take over once for all and give all the Eritrean ethnics their own Kilil. The next war between Eritrea and Ethiopia will be the demise of Tigrigna speaking Eritreans and the new beginning of chapter one history for all ethnics of Eritrea.

    The last thing Shaebia will not get any help from any Diaspora Eritreans or most of his old supporters of Arab countries except Egypt and Libya.

  25. Eritrean, kkk.
    Do you remember what isayas said during the badmie war? If we loose this war, it would mean the sun will not set!.hoping that you know about the sun and the recent war, let me tell u not to worry. it is only a matter of time.

  26. Halafi-Mengedi,

    theory is easier than practice as you are narrating an endless story. Today there is no something which is called Ethiopian soldiers. They have ended up with the fall down of the Derg. Always the racist Amharas hate mostly the Tigrigna speaking people. Don’t forget that if threats come the Tigrigna speaking peoples will melt together to withstand the Amharas rotten Chauvinism mentality. Your group want to exploit the present crisis between individuals Meles and Isayas.

  27. Eritrea: Expecting a Pigeon from a Snake egg!

    By Tibebe Samuel Ferenji

    It would have been easier to say “we told you so” and walk away; but putting our citizens in harms way is never an easy matter. Few years ago, some concerned Ethiopians warned that dealing with the Eritrean despot Issaias Afeworki was a dangerous and risky game. I was one of those who attempted to shade some lights by writing several peace to warn my fellow Ethiopians that Issaias is someone who cannot be trusted. Those who were stubborn enough to ignore our warnings are now learning the hard way that Issaias would not allow anything in Eritrea that he cannot control.

    “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King Jr.

    Reading various articles regarding the arrest of Colonel Tadesse Muluneh and others who joined the Ethiopian opposition group based in Asmara, I am amazingly surprised by the reaction of those who expected a different result from Issaias. It is unfortunate that individuals who lack vision and strategic planning are putting patriotic Ethiopians who could contribute a great deal to the struggle in harms way by trusting a despot whose sole interest is to put a puppet regime in Menlike Palace. It has been said that Insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.

    Other than to those die hard Issaias supporters, it is clear to the world that Issaias wants to build the shattering Eritrean economy at the expense of Ethiopia. In order to achieve this evil objective, Issaias has to create a government that he could control from Asmara. Either because of utter ignorance or vengeance some in the opposition quarter are dreaming to bring a democratic change to Ethiopia through Issaias Afeworki. Unfortunately, mixing the principle of Democracy and Issaias is like attempting to mix oil and water. Issaias ruled Eritrea with an iron fist and with brut for the last 20 years. If it was up to Issaias, the Eritrean people would not breathe without his permission. If Issaias is not allowing a democratic governance in his own nation, it is clear that he will not allow any sort of democratic governance in the neighboring country.

    It is unfortunate that those who relied in getting support from Issaias did not learn anything from EPRP’s relationship with Issaias. Issaias kept EPRA (EPRP’s army) from engaging in armed struggle after EPRA reorganized itself after a heavy blow by the Dergu military force in late 1970s. Issaias kept EPRA fighters under control of the EPLF army until EPRA became ineffective. The recent OLF history indicates the same pattern of behavior in part of Issaias. Several reports have indicated that Issaias have kept OLF leaders in Asmara under house arrest.

    Recently, we have learned that an opposition organization based in Eritrea has an Eritrean Colonel “adviser“. It is not clear to me why “Ethiopian Freedom Fighters” need an Eritrean advisor unless the Eritrean regime has an enormous interest in controlling and directing the action of the fighters. Why in the world Ethiopians invite the regime in Asmara to interfere in Ethiopian affairs? Time nada again, we have seen Mr. Issaias acting against the interest of Ethiopia. The notion that Issaias would be an ideal liberator for Ethiopians is not just a cruel joke but also an ignorance of history.

    Does anyone expect a Pigeon from a snake egg? Expecting Issaias to contribute anything for the true freedom of Ethiopians is not any different from expecting a pigeon from a snake egg. Issaias is someone who should be charged for crime against humanity in a court of international law; he is not someone who can be considered a trustworthy partner. Some in the opposition quarter who think politics is a child play because of their utter stupidity or ignorance do not seem to learn their lessons yet. It is bad enough that they put several Ethiopians in harms way and at the mercy of this brutal murderer, yet they are telling us that Mr. Issaias is not responsible for the detention of Colonel Tadesse Muluneh and others. They tell us it is because of Mr. Issaias’ subordinates that Ethiopian opposition organizations based in Eritrea have become impotent. They tell us that some rogue colonel is responsible for their dysfunctional organization failure to move forward even an inch for the last ten years. Until the recent terrible news coming from Eritrea, these same individuals were painting a rosy picture about the Eritrean accommodation of Ethiopian opposition organizations. Now we know that they have been lying to us. According to their own account, they were aware of the abduction, arrest, and mistreatment of Ethiopian opposition leaders based in Eritrea by the regime in Eritrea.

    Instead of coming forward with the problem they have faced, and contribute in strengthening the true struggle for lasting peace and democratic governance, they mercilessly assaulted those who tried to warn them that the path they were following was dangerous. They wasted an enormous human and financial resources and contributed a great deal for the division among the opposition groups. What is sad is that they have not learned their lesson even today. Once again, I am here to tell them that they cannot bring a Holy alliance within the opposition by making a deal with the devil himself. Issaias has only one objective: to control Ethiopia’s resources by any means necessary-period!
    For those who refused to listen in the past and were stabbed on their back, I want to tell them once again that it is not too late to change course. I want to tell them that they are dealing with dangerous despot who has an enormous disregard to human lives and to the rule of law. I want to tell them that Issaias will not allow any thing to function in Eritrea unless he has full control. If it is possible, please, save the rest of the “freedom fighters” by moving them out of Eritrea. Some who are working with Issaias are above their league. This is not child’s play, this is real. Several lives are at stake. You are incapable of thinking strategically; you are using your heart instead of your head. Leave the political leadership to those who are capable leaders. Stop labeling those who can provide effective leadership, and stop dehumanizing them just because your finger is capable of punching key boards. By your smear campaign, you are narrowing the political space and contributing to continuation of the predicament that we are in.

    Let this be a lesson to you. Instead of taking dismissive and defensive positions, entertain ideas freely, listen, examine, study, and most of all know your real enemy. Don’t let your hate for the TPLF cloud your judgment. Ethiopians only have to depend on ourselves to bring the desired change to our country. Although the none violent opposition seems slipping to its usual habit of complacency, we need to poke them and wake them up. There is no time for complacency. Where are you MEDREK, and others? Politics is not only during the election period. The TPLF is working 24/7, 365 days a year. What about the rest of us? We all should demand the release of Colonel Tadesse Muluneh and other Ethiopians from EPLF’s deplorable prison camp. Please take your time, consult with one another and strengthen the none violent struggle and the opposition functioning in the country.

    I like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope 2010 was a productive and joyful year for all of you.

  28. I think, Dr.Bekagn is successful not in his exposition of facts (since his insidious lies try to gloss over truths ranging from diplomatic warfare to proxy war in Somalia) but in provoking innocent Ethiopian and Eritrean nationalists. You guys do not be tantalized by seemingly factual but evil scheme of Bekagn. Let us not be caught by national pride and emotionally tear one another apart. Hating or despising peoples of a nation has never been a good idea and will never be. Let us focus and aim.

  29. TPDM will get weyane/TPLF soon. Weyane/TPLF will be destroyed.

    long live ethiopian-eritrean cooperation.
    we have to get this people, weyane/tplf thugs one-one

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