EDITOR’S NOTE: The people of Ethiopia will stand with the Eritrean army if the Woyanne regime starts another one. Meles Zenawi’s tribalists junta will find that out.
By France 24
Every morning these Ethiopian Woyanne soldiers inspect the road which connects the town of Badme to the rest of the country. They fear commandos sent by neighboring Eritrea may have hidden land-mines. The threat is real: a few weeks ago three civilians died as their car was blown-up by an anti-tank mine.
Since the withdrawal in July of the United Nation’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the two countries’ armies find themselves in a dangerous face-off. The memory of the 1998-2000 war, which caused the death of about 80,000 150,000 people, is still on everyone’s mind.
Checkpoints, roadblocks, vehicles systematically searched: the Ethiopian Woyanne army is everywhere in Badme. And this despite a UN Boundary Commission’s ruling that Badme belongs to Eritrea. In Badme it is still the Ethiopian Woyanne flag adorning the top of official buildings.
For the local authorities there’s no question: this was and will always be Ethiopia. Tilahun Guebremedhin, President of the Badme district council says: “For all times, Badme has been Ethiopian. It has a massive significance for us Ethiopians Woyannes; it is the symbol of the integrity of our country.”
“I would rather die than to see a portion of my land going to the other side.” [What did you do when Woyanne gave land to Sudan?] The wounds left by the Eritrean occupation are still on everyone’s minds. Many lost a relative or a friend during the surprise attack led by the troops of Asmara in 1998. Many here are afraid of another war, yet they openly back up their army.
Mamite Guebresarkan, a farmer says: “Of course I’m worried. They conduct frequent infiltration missions here. But whatever happens we will remain here, it is our land, our country. Victorious or not we’ll live and die here.”
Negussa Guebreselassie, farmer and member of an Ethiopian a Woyanne militia, says: “We always expect the war to start again. During the war my wife was shot by Eritrean soldiers. She suffered a lot and it was very difficult to have her treated.”
By the time the UN local mission ended its operation here more than six months ago, it no longer had the means to keep up with its peacekeeping initiative: the Eritrean authorities were doing all they could to hinder its action. And despite what it had declared, Ethiopia Woyanne was refusing to acknowledge the new borders. Despite the fact that ten thousand residents before the war now only number 4,000, Badme has resigned itself to endure another war.
Letay Kidane, a shopkeeper [and Woyanne cadre], says: “It’s good if the border problem is solved through a peaceful dialogue. Otherwise, I myself will support and help our soldiers up to the frontline.”
People are psychologically gearing up for war. An entire division of the Ethiopian Woyanne Army has taken position in a nearby fortified hill… Only a few kilometers away, the Eritrean Army is waiting.
24 thoughts on “An Ethopian-Eritrean war looms again – France 24”
Elias[What did you do when Woyanne gave land to Sudan?]
aye elias, do you think you have friends? you say “if the Woyanne regime starts another one” but the article itself says the previous war was started by a “surprise” eritrean invasion. you are doing a bad job at editing and changing the articles. come on bro! you are slipping.
by the way, you will be the only south korean to jump over to North korean side when eritrea invades :)
I don’t think Shaebia will attempt another suicide mission. If it does, it will be the end of Shaebia and no more of a mini-state called “Eritrtea.”
The border issue is settled once and for all through an independent court and it is FINAL and BINDING. Badme is Erirean. They might delay the demarcation process but no one just no power can stop it or change it. Any small miscalculation by Meles’s army, woyane will be history.
there is no so called eritrean army,there is only eritrean milisha,which if they start ware they will be buried in a split second and aseb will be be a dream to eritrea after that. and elias will be in mental hospital.
if the war is started the ethiopians people are standing with the side of eritreans .Ethiopians people have enough with woyane and suffered alot with this racisist tribal government . All ethiopians what ever we have differences with erirea is ,we must stand with erirea and other patriotic ethiopians for this war.
as far as the woyane is at power no way to see ethiopia.
-The economic difficulty is continueing
-Continueing selling the womens to gulf country
– continouing intimidating the people in the name of terrorist
-coninueing stealing resources from other region in the name of tigray development
– Let us stand all horn africa people to eradicate this racist trbal narrow minded woyane .Somalia , eritra ethiopia all stnd together to erdaciate this woyane .
Let us start this war before the election , melese keep this war until the election . when the election is near he will start to confuse the people .
All of the people of horn africa must rise against the woyane
Hey If the war started it aint going to be like some woyanie cadres wanted it to be, this time round the woyanie will be rounded up from all corners of Ethiopia, by EPPF,TPDM,ONLF,OLF are few to mention, but i guess the woyanie’s last breath of life would be in Badime. those who wish to think a wish full thought that the Eritrean army does not exist, don’t you worry, it will be your life time nightmare when the EDF takes the dedebs from dedebit by surprise.
Eritrea does not want the disintegration of it’s neighbouring Ethiopia, but it wants that the war-monger and terrorist Weyane must go. And for sure that will be done by Ethioians themselves. Now Eritrea is ready more than ever to teach enemy the lesson, if it attacked.
Dear Liberty: You must be dreaming by the way which OLF there are 3 OLF’s now as for ONLF they are running for their lives in Oganden. EPPF have also 3 factions and for the TPDM they are 25 prisoner of war in Eritrea playing hollywood on Eritrea TV. We all know if Essays starts one again this will be the end for him. Meles saved him the last time. Oh you forgot to add dr. birhanu to your list. He is waiting in DC to be taken to Sawa. I can’t stop laughing. Long Live Ethiopia, Power House of the Horn.
10 yrs of talking. shabia is in the hand of meles. if it wasnt about melas by now it was finished. he won indipendent with the help of meles. if that wasnt the case and won the war as he said with clachinkov and candle shoe with out meles help how came now with 200.000 soliders (the highest in africa) and with Mig29 , tanks and misael begging for badme for the last 10yrs.
the truth is he cant. when meles leave the office i promiss you there wont be called shabia around east africa.
nebsu and Gebremcihael
You think the Ethiopian people will support Woyane after what happened in June 2005? Don’t be foolish. Woyane wants to develop Tigray by squeezing every cent out of Ethiopia’s wealth. And the people are well aware of that. They are just waiting for the opportunity to overthrow the tribalist Dedebit Mafias.
This border war unnecessary one. The two impoverished countries spent their hard earned money buying war hardware from the Ukrainian warehoused machinery instead of alleviating poverty and ignorance.
It was a senseless war trying to satisfy the ego of the two psychopathic leaders. Both Eritrea and Ethiopia need to solve this useless terrain peacefully .They need to abide by the Border Commission’s ruling and start mending relations for mutual benefit. The people of the two countries are tiered of war.
This is one of those propaganda pieces on behalf of Woyanne by western news media, Woyanne needs some moral boost from their masters because life is turning a nightmare for Woyanne mercenaries along the border with Eritrea, their guard UNMEE is gone, they are not sleeping at night and the Eritrean commando and military intelligence units are harassing them all over the border area.
At the end of the day Woyanne will have no choice but to ignite a suicidal war against Eritrea and that will be the day the upper management of Woyanne will start bolting towards the money they stashed overseas because the armed Ethiopian opposition groups will also decimate Woyanne mercenaries from north to south and east to west.
Ok. Come on people!! Stop attacking Elias before you get a full explanation for his pending support to the Eritrean government if and when a war breaks out. Mr. Elias, would you please shed some lights on your decision to support the Eritrean government if and when a war breaks out between Ethiopia and Eritrea? You owe it to your dedicated and honest readers of your website to explain why you will not hesitate to stand on the opposite side facing your countrymen. Thanks and God Bless!!!!
If shaebiya and woyane starts the war we just watch them
until they finish each other those bastards and then
we conqoure our 14 provinces easly
hej all of you
if this war starts it will be the end of woyanne regim
mark my word when the Shabia army start marshing forward
the hole ethiopian peopple join them to fight woyannne
Hey Elias:
Gearing yourself up for another round of disappointment my friend? Do you sincerely believe that, if a war breaks out between the 2 countries, Ethiopians will stand with Eritreans? You don’t seem to get the Ethiopians psyche. Their sense of nationalism borders religious fanaticism: whatever might be their hatred toward their rulers, they will never let their country be invaded by a foreign army, let alone collaborate to that end.
As always, I find your convoluted way of looking at things entertaining . The dose of laughter I get by reading your opinion makes up for your disturbing lack of common sense.
here we go again” how many fronts woyane can deal with? remember bush era is over there will nothing call ‘US ALLY’ so here aim convying a clear mesaage to dictator melez world is fedup wars without cause and east african pple suffer enought in your bloody hands, with any new war with another neigbour there will be no oromo militia, no amara. no ogadenis, no afar, no shouterns,no gambella, no binshagulis, no human waves to destroy eritrean land mines and no shelter for your scare and hodham generals and so called paid millitery personal..
here is an old western said think twice..
I am wondering that, The Erterians are provoking woyanes everyday by getting in right in their nose and planting land mines. What are woyanes waiting for? I think woyanes are scared shit out of shabya.
Woyanes claim that if shabia provoke them, They will destroy shabia in one day.lol
where is the beef woyanidos? why don’t you confront shabiya. Coz you scared hell of shabiya. You know that shabiya is not somalia. When the war starts, you will be going to in alone. Be afraid very very afraid.
Any new war which is concluded by Meles and Isaias in power is disaster for Ethiopia and Eritrea. Any agreement Meles and Isais signed with foreigners should also be voided if we want to give peace a chance in that part of the world.
Ethiopians will no way side with Isaias forces to remove Meles because there is not much difference between TPLF and Isaias when it comes to their hate for Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
The fight between them is to dominate our region. Isaias’ ego which has been badly hurt since the West chose Meles as a regional ally is partly to blame for the bloodshed and the continuing stalemate.
However, If Ms. Clinton becomes secretary of states Isaias might have a good friend to work on his behalf and he will not rush to go to war and this time the real starter of any war will be Melese because of his defeat by Alshabab militia in Somalia and the need to show his military supermacy by removing Isaias and put a puppet in Asmara is very urgent.
The people of Ethiopia and Eritrea, however, should work to remove the tyranny in their own country rather than supporting their rulers by false nationalist cry and jump to war from which they will never get land or peace.
No war to keep tyrants in power !!
Support war that free us from tyranny !!
First of all, as an Eritrean, with nothing short of love and respect to my Ethiopian brothers and sisters, I hope there won’t be a need for another round of war by the Weyanes and their supporters who apparently may do some crazy things out of shear demoralization. I wish the war would affect only the Weyane and their war mongering leftovers. But, unfortunately, as we all know, war is not selective in its mayhem. For that, I hope the despicable Weyane thugs would never initiate a war – just like the foolish thing they started back in 1998! After 123,000 innocent Ethiopian and 19,000 just as innocent Eritrean souls were consumed by that misguided and “senseless” war designed by the evil and always envious Weyane, ultimately the rule of law has prevailed. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – the Weyanes [and their masters] can do that would change that verdict. So, it is not a matter of “If” but “When” the Weyanes will be dealt a blow once and for all, which I believe all the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea would be proud of. So, I think, their empty bravado is to be expected for they know the day of reckoning is just around the corner!
As to the few Agames who love to attack, brother Elias, well what can I say, except he must be hitting them where it hurts and as we all know truth hurts when some do not want to accept it the way it is! Keep it bro – it is some character we can all be proud of!
Woy Zendro, I am not a supporter of Woyane nor Shabya,but for your disappointment Ethiopians are sick and tired of both. If the war happened , the true Ethiopian will be on the side line to se when those blood suckers kill each other .and also i will would say my prayer is answered.
Here is the Weyane trick at its best! The situation between the two countries has been the same for almost ten years! Here few points to ponder about:
Why did Meles allowed foreign TV crew to the tense area? If one watched the vedio it was a set up drama where the Ethiopian Milittia were told to walk with mine detector sticks and also conduct interview with locals and so on…
All this drama is a prelude to justfy Weyanes withdrawal from Somalia! Weyanes will soon say that due to heightened security threat from anti-peace elements with in the country and also a possible re-ignition of war by Eritrea, the far sighted prime minister decided to leave somalia before Obama takes the helm! “Echi nat chewata”, however the Ethiopian people know better, Meles wasted ethiopian lives and resources for futile adventure in Somalia , now he has no choice but to wag his tail between his legs and run- after all who cares about Ethiopia. It is indeed sad that Ethiopia to be subjected to such brutality by these gangs who are not fit to run their own familes let alone a nation as big and diverse as Ethiopia. Meles, just leave somalia no need for excuses!
Ato Expert, you are still snarcking and do not realize that Shabiya, OLF,EPPF,TPDM,ONLF,BLA and others are in Weyane’s pocket and don’t let it sleep. So please stop adivocating for the hollow standing Weyane and join your brothers Ethiopians to speed up the falling down of Weyane.