Search This Blog

Thursday 29 May 2008

Melese Zenawi's TPLF has to go !!

Tedla Asfaw

Melese Zenaw's part one version of his seventeen years hold on power, May 28, was presented as always in contempt for his opponents. He presented his narration of the Ethiopian people struggle, TPLF's version, led by his  group which stayed the course in the middle of doom and gloom while organizations like EPRP and MEISON he alleged wanted a short path to victory. However, he did not elaborate what it means by a short cut. Does that mean working with Derg?

EPRP was battling TPLF and Derg in Tigray, Gonder and that does not sound to me a short cut and of course the likes of Addisu Legesse, Tamerat Layne indeed chose the short way that takes them to power and the Ethiopian Revolution which Melese narrated on his interview posted on "Aiga" has not yet brought freedom,democracy and equality to its people except misery for millions and wealth for very few of current rulers..

The declaration that the call for days of rebellion in Ethiopia "Fano Tesemara" is gone is absurd. This day in all the corners of Ethiopia the struggle to remove TPLF is intensifying. What do you call the battle in the Oromo and Ogaden regions of Ethiopia? What do you call the "Miazia 30" May 2005 millions of Addis Ababeans demonstration which is much bigger than the February huge demonstration in Addis Ababa more than thirty years ago  that was coined by Melese Zenawi as "Yegodana Newet" or street uprising?

The "power to the people" slogan of TPLF is a total lie and its answer for the question of power is not different than King Haile Selassie or Mengistu Hailemariam and in fact it is a combination of them. Mengistu  after he accomplished in destroying the king and killing his opponents it never cross his mind that he will give power to the people and similarly after TPLF destroyed the Derg huge army and breaking the back bone of "Chauvinist Amharas" it believes power is back in the name of Tigrayans where it was snatched by "Amhara" feudals from Yohanesse the second.

The power intoxicated warlord spend one hour talking about his TPLF glorious victory and gave few minutes on the current economic hardship of the people. In fact he told  the million  starving Ethiopians to wait for the coming months or years to be rewarded by bounty of food,water add electricity which are now in very short supply . He alluded that such hardship are the sign of good days to come by comparing it to the last few years of TPLF hardship in battle which later propelled them to victory.

Our country is in bad shape economically and politically and the questions that were raised thirty five years ago were raised again three years ago and the people in power were and are denying the problem we have and there is no doubt that only armed rebellion will bring a new chapter to our country.

Ato Melese is not different than Haile Selassie or Mengistu when it comes to the question of power and what makes him different is that he wanted to end Ethiopia we know after his eventual demise and for that end he is giving Ethiopian land to Sudan and at the same time his adventure in Somalia and Ogaden is a recipe for unending conflict in  Eastern Ethiopia.

Present and future armed conflict for poor Ethiopia is what Melese has achieved in his seventeen years in power and the longer he stayed in power the more damage to our country and people and the sooner he goes the better.

Friday 23 May 2008

Defending Sudan for Money without Shame !!!

Tedla Asfaw
 
Professor Mesfin Woldemariam's short interview with German Amharic (May 22), after "no one is  displaced" lie by Melese Zenawi for his captive parliament for answer to  his own cadre question, is educational and a warning for Ethiopians. Accurately Professor described Melese as someone who is defending Sudan by bringing arguments like" kind and "gentle Sudanese" who "allowed" poor Ethiopians to "stay" on the land with their permission.
 
The "Gwyne" line is a known fact but twisted by Melese Zenawi, Sudan defender. Professor Mesfin and fellow scholars who are still alive studied it during Derg time and produced a document that Melese failed to show to his admiring audience. According to their findings there were written correspondences between Ethiopia and England that finally agreed on the line to delineate their borders by moving the Gwyne Line accodingly and totally different than Melese's new map of Ethiopia, based on his "Gwyne Line" , which purposely hiding it from his sleepy and useless parliament fearing public outcry.
 
Moreover, Melese and Beshir's agreed "Ethiopia's new map" is rewarding "Kind Sudan" with huge land stretched for more than one and half km with an average depth  of 30 km deep inside Ethiopian territory where alluvial land and water resource is available is now on its final phase and it is no more secret.
 
No wonder many Sudanese students have been investing their time to work on PHD focusing the bread and water issue long before they discovered oil. According to Professor Mesfin only the late Dr. Abdumadjid Hussein did a study on this border delineation and Ethiopians who have been living in a fertile rain fed area for generations never thought of that one day those who were dreaming their land  will get someone who claimed to be their leader will hand it over and defend such deal officially in his Parliament without shame.
 
Melese the defender of Sudan is truly sold our land for money and we should not waste time on that. Our next move is to defend our land and prepare for the long war which will bring down his regime and his ally in Sudan. What a shame! A  land Yohnesse gave his head to be given on silver plate to his killers on our age.
 
TPLF's arrogance has no boundary. It has now stretched from Mogadishu to our frontier in the west. They believe starved and poor Ethiopia will submit to  petro dollar intoxicated militia of Sudan and TPLF and let them know that there are many Yohaneses ready to sacrifice to evict all intruders form outside and within. 

Thursday 22 May 2008

Re: Rendezvous with Destiny !!

Tedla Asfaw

One of our own Dr. Golto the first time I know that he
is a medical doctor wrote a fantastic piece on
addisvoice.com (May 22)titled Rendezvous with Destiny.

This personal experience of a man who grew in South
Ethiopia and as a child seeing hunger and death is no
doubt a foundation for his determination to change
that by bringing a united force and Golto should be
thanked for sharing his childhood experience with us.

Sadly what he saw as a child is now coming back and
killing innocent children and the story of Ayantu is
not only news for Dr. Golto but a nightmare which
brings flash back of what he saw as a nine year old
boy going ward to ward not as a doctor but as a
"reporter" maybe.

I myself was moved by this true story of Ayantu a
mother who lost children and clinging to one she has
now and if that did  not move us what else? If we do
not unite now then when ?







Ethiopian Western Boundry Protection Force

Tedla Asfaw
 
TPLF's boss, Melese Zenawi, on his ten minutes sleepy parliament answer to question planted from one of his cadres (May 20) on the recent border crisis affirmed that he is working hand and glove with the Darfur butcher, Beshir, to add him a big chunk of land which has been under Ethiopia's control throughout history based on the the so called General/Major "Gwynn" agreement with Emperor Menelik in 1907. We have seen such rush to demarcation using illegal treaty of the 1902 Ethio-Italian agreement with Eritrea which led Badme and its surroundings to Eritrea by International Arbitrator after Badme war. 
 
This is Badme in large scale and Ethiopians have to rally behind and derail this deal until Ethiopians freely debate this border issue openly. Where are the two points to make this line? And according to TPLF and Sudan it is  their choice and they can establish two points and make the line. Moreover, Melese is telling us not to worry because no one will be displaced, meaning he or she can live as Sudanese because of the generosity of his beloved Sudanese..
 
That is a trick to buy time. Why should an Ethiopian or Sudan live and start a family which does not belong to him or her. Is it because of the kindness of the Sudan which Melese told us in his boring lecture ? On his recent interview, Professor Mesfin told us the historical background of this border demarcation and during Haile Selassie as he said the demarcation was stopped by the people Representatives of the region and the rebellion of the people and Melese avoided wisely the reason why it was not demarcated then.
 
Mengistu was waging war with Melese and  in no time Sudan army threaten our people like now by burning villages and arrest Ethiopians because they know very well that Ethiopian army will get an excuse to get deep inside their territory to fight Sudan army and TPLF command structure. 
 
The so called 1996 chasing of Sudan's army by TPLF is a fabrication. Sudan became an "enemy" of Ethiopia after the failed attempt on Mubarek's life in Addis Ababa in 1995 by Sudan sponsored terrorists. Then there  was an alliance of Ethiopia and Eritrea on the line of the "new breeds" of African leaders against "terrorist" Sudan serving USA interest but in no time there was  any war and Melese's allegation of taking Sudan land on that war  and giving it to Ethiopian investors is a big lie.
 
Sudan currently is on the road to split in many parts and Beshir's rush to demarcate is understandable . They know that there will never be better time than now and tried to put their marks on the ground after secret negotiation for many years. However, Ethiopians say no to any marker on their land and that is where we are now.
 
TPLF buying of time is also tactical to infiltrate farmers, the word no doubt was given to Beshir on Seyom Mesfin urgent trip to Khartoum.The resistance which is growing and got wide support can only be defeated within. The leaders of this insurrection can be eliminated slowly until the people be left defenseless and then both TPLF and Sudan army will finalize their deal. It is time for Ethiopians wherever we are to support this resistance before permanent settlement supported by mercenary armies destroy our communities. This resistance we can call it Ethiopia's Western Boundary Protection Force (EWBPF).
 
Regarding the so called "EPRDF" which I now call it " Ethiopian People Re Demarcation Front" that failed  misrably to draw a boundary between Eritrea and Ethiopia  should not be given another test to draw any line call it Gwyne or Melese's line on our watch in Ethiopia's western front.
 
A man who claimed that he wiped out ONLF and it takes him only two weeks to finish the "Somali jihadists" in Christmas 2006 invasion of Somalia and only stayed there after it was requested by elders in Somalia can care less for starving Ethiopia where children are dying of hunger daily and many Ethiopians go to bed without food. However, he has got plenty of time to re demarcate our border to shrink it  in size to satisfy his beloved Sudanese and cash in big time.
 
We should learn from recent the now "disappeared" ONLF what it did to deny TPLF and foregin forces to control large swat of land in Ogaden after they displaced the nomads to exploit oil and gas. This dream could have been easily realized were it not for a fierce resistance form the people and ONLF and we can do the same in the area that is now agreed to cede to Sudan in Gonder if we rally behind EWBPF. 
 
 

Tuesday 20 May 2008

Ethiopians say no to Meles and Beshir's land deal

Tedla Asfaw

Yesterday's demonstration in D.C in front of Meles' Embassy in protest of the giving away of Ethiopia's land to Sudan surely has got many ears back home.

Melese and Beshir both are waging brutal war in their own country and their military are stretched and in no way can solidify their secret deal and it is up to the Ethiopian people in Gonder area to evict the Sudan army from their region.

The recent trip of Seyum Mesfin is surely to buy time to finalize the deal and for that TPLF need time to divide the resistance by planting its cadres among the people.

The Diaspora's protest like the one in D.C surely is a big moral support for those who are resisting to hand over their land for Beshir.

I also thank Ato Merchaw Sinishaw the host of Ethiopiawinet Radio for telling the truth in VOA's
short interview about the protest and all who came and voice their anger.

Friday 16 May 2008

Ethiopians are not alone !!!

Tedla Asfaw
 
It is cloudy and raining in New York City this morning and expected to be the same the whole day, what a day makes a difference in spring here. Yesterday we had a fantastic mild sunny and bright Thursday for our rally and  I thank the Parks department for changing the earlier application for Friday because of Tibetans rally happened to be a socking one.
 
Our huge Ethiopian flag, 6ft by 4ft. did attract a lot of people mainly foreign tourists who came to visit UN and UN staffs who are going in and out for their business. Attracted by this colorful flag we had many who came to see our slogans that ranged from demand for the removal of TPLF and denouncing the killing that going in  Ethiopian Ogaden and Somalia.
 
Group of young women, college students, came and told us that they were aware of the Ogaden killing and abuse by the TPLF regime when they surf African web sites and support our rally for exposing this crime for many here who may not be aware of. We  met a man who worked in Somalia in Hargessa before the USA relief operation early in 1990s turned in to  catching " Adid" and ended up in a disaster. His message for Melese Zenawi was clear leave Somalia for Somalis.
 
We met also a senior reporter and informed us that a general council is debating Somalia on this same day and he is also well aware of what is going on in Ethiopia and we handed to him the press release of the third anniversary of our people victory over tyranny and what lies ahead for Ethiopia and the region.
 
The most dramatic moment of the day for us was our encounter with two Ethiopian women one old and one middle aged. The old women after briefly talking to us she went to the flag and kissed it. This dramatic love for Ethiopia in foreign land is indeed was inspirational for all of us. The other Ethiopian woman was from Gonder area who knows the land and the people very well.
 
She told us that Azeb Gola/Mesfin and her families were fascist Italian collaborators and what they are doing now to Ethiopia is revenge. Giving Ethiopian land is pay back time for Gonder area people first by incorporating their land known for producing cash crops like sesame  to Tigray region and then she said  now the second phase is to hand it to Sudan for future short and long term benefit for Melese and his buddies.
 
Ethiopians third anniversary of their electoral victory over TPLF was celebrated in front of UN and what we learned from this rally is that we have  many supporters in the world community from tourists coming to UN  including many who are working for UN that failed to live up to its foundation many years ago to stop wars and the suffering of people.
 
The rally for the cause of Ethiopia and our region must go on until our people got their right to protest freely in their own country and demand what is expected of their elected leaders and the international organizations. We should also  expose  Western countries like USA and Britain who are currently subsidizing state terrorism in Ethiopia. Britain's Gordon Brown is still not changing  Blair's policy and throwing money to the hyenas in Ethiopia and we hope Obam's presidency will throw out the failed policy of USA for the last sixteen years towards Ethiopia and start fresh.. 

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Remembering martyr Asrat Woldeyese!!.

Tedla Asfaw
 
On May 14,1999 the day Haile Gebreselasse's Endurance movie was released in a movie theater near to  Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York when I heard the sad news of the passing of Professor Asrat Woldeyese, the true son of Ethiopia, who challenged the TPLF leadership face to face from day one and was jailed for many years and died as a result of it nine years ago today.
 
I did not change my plan to watch endurance and in fact watching the movie and seeing the Ethiopian national flag wave high accompanied by our songs made me cry both for the victory of Haile and the passing of professor Asrat on that day, what a coincidence. I had not met this brave son of Ethiopia when he came to New York to expose the brutality of TPLF and the targetting of Amharas and call for Ethiopians to join him in his organization.
 
All Amhara Organization he led was a God send organization then to save many poor farmers who were killed for coming from wrong ethnic group and until now no one is charged for those crimes that was well documented. Who will forget those people thrown from mountain cliffs live? Had Asrat and few of his close allies  did not expose this crime for the world TPLF might have set a record for genocide even beating Rwanda's.
 
Nine years after he passed, the country he loved most,Ethiopia, is still run by warlords who now crosses international boundary to spread their terror after they were soundly defeated by popular vote three years ago and our peoples basic rights to speak, organize has been denied and are living under martial law.
 
The unity Asrat called then is still illusive and the bickering and fighting among political groups is still unsolved. On this ninth anniversary of the passing of Asrat and the third anniversary of Ethiopians people electoral victory over TPLF  we should honor him by mobilizing Ethiopians to hold each others hand and defeat the brutal regime of Melese Zenawi.
 
We are also expected to hear the formation of new movement led by Dr. Birhanu Nega on this day to add to many organizations we had in the Diaspora and time will tell if this one is different than the one we had in substance. What I believe we lack is to build bridges between nationalist organizations mainly OLF and ONLF and other multi ethnic organizations.
 
This division can only be bridged if we start working  together as brothers and sisters in common areas. This week celebration  which will start tomorrow and go on until Sunday is a good opportunity to come together as big family under one huge tent enough for all of us as long us we keep the TPLF agents away. There is a saying in Amharic, "Betebache Eyale Nethue Weha Ayetetame" meaning you can not drink  clean water while someone is stirring mud.
 
It is  common in many of Ethiopians culture to seat and talk and reach to someone when he or she is in trouble and mother Ethiopia is agonizing and she is in pain and need all her children today and she is calling each one of us. 
 
 

Friday 9 May 2008

Rally at Ralph J. Bunche park in New York City

Tedla Asfaw


As we all are aware of, from May 15 - May 18 Ethiopians
in the Diaspora are showing solidarity with their
people and reach out to each other and move on the
spirit of May 15, 2005 where Ethiopians on their vote
back home shook the foundation of tyranny beyond
repair forever.

On this spirit, Ethiopians in New York Metropolitan
area and from New Jersey have organized a rally on May
15, 2008 on the third anniversary of our people
victory over TPLF tyranny.

Since then many lives have been lost and many jailed
including Teddy Afro loved by many Ethiopians for his
pro-Ethiopian songs. Moreover, the killing has been
exported to neighboring Somalia since December 2006
and to our Ogaden for a diversionary plot without
success in the name of war on terror financed by Bush
administration.

The victims of TPLF are all nationalities and we need
to come together to defeat this regime and the
separate ways we go to defeat the regime though has
weakened the regime there should be a united assault
to give a final blow and take our liberty from the
hands of homegrown fascists.

I call all Ethiopians to come on May 15, 2008 to the
famous site here in New York City where people of the
world gather to show their denunciation of terror and
tyranny.

All Ethiopians are invited to come to the Ralph J.
Bunche Park in front of Peace Form One obelisk at
First Avenue 42nd Street across the U.N headquarters
and celebrate our people victory three years ago over
tyranny.

The rally from 9 am to 2:30 pm is also a call for
political parties to form a united front against TPLF
and narrow differences among ourselves. As you know
the great obstacle of peace, TPLF, currently is  busy
in giving away Ethiopia's land for Sudan in exchange
of denying oppositions safe heaven to conduct their
struggle.

Our struggle against TPLF can not be won while some
fight and die and others look on sideline and it is
critical to hold each others hand and remove the
regime who is killing and abusing our people each day.

We are also condemning the illegal occupation of
Somalia and the killing of elderly, women and children
and show solidarity with fellow Somalis who are now
fighting to liberate their land from TPLF forces.

Come and participate on this rally at a critical time
our region and Ethiopia has been forced to after
Ethiopians rejected the brutal regime of Melese Zenawi
exactly three years ago.






     ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

Wednesday 7 May 2008

OLF denounces the illegal transaction of Ethiopian land !!!

Tedla Asfaw
 
OLF Amharic May 6 commented that the recent land
"transaction" between TPLF and Sudan is a mutual
agreement benefiting both regimes.

Sudan according to the commentary will hand opponents
to TPLF and make sure its land including the one it
was given by TPLF as a "gift" not to be used as a
military base by TPLF's opponents.

We have seen another deal between Puntland
administration,Somalia and TPLF that resulted to the
handling of ONLF high officials for exchange of guns.
There was no land transaction between Puntland and
TPLF this time because Puntland has no strong army to
challenge ONLF. However, we can not rule out that
possibility for the future.

The long term goal of the land "gift" to Sudan
according to the OLF commentary is to plant a long
term conflict between Sudan and Ethiopia mirroring the
Badme "fiasco" which took the lives of tens of
thousands of Ethiopians.

It went further and challenged all opponents of the
regime to come together and remove this regime to
detonate all the bombs planted inside and outside
Ethiopia before it takes our people and country for a
devastating conflict among ourselves and with
neighboring countries.

                      

                        






     ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
 

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Sixty Seven years of Victory Day Celebration!!

 
Ethiopians yesterday celebrated the return of Emperor
Haile Selassie and the defeat of fascist Italy after
five years of brutal occupation which took the lives
of more than half a million people and destruction of
our religious establishments and many permanently
disabled citizens.

Our country is currently fighting home grown fascists
and their foreign collaborators with no clear leaders
on the people side.

It is time to ask these simple question after we
failed miserably in the last sixteen years and the
enemy of Ethiopia still in driver seat.

Where are this generation of "Ras Abebe Aregaye's,
Belaye Zelekese, Moges Asegedom, Abraha Deboche" and
others.

Many as in the past who were praying and singing for
Mussolini are telling us this time that Ethiopia has
never had such smart leader in her recent history and
finance Melese Zenawi to our misery.

Enough is enough.let us unite and rally to remove
Melese and his cliques from power and liberate our
country once again.

                                 Happy Victory Day!!

                                  Tedla Asfaw





     ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

Monday 5 May 2008

Isaias' role in a secret land transaction between Melese And Beshir?

Tedla Asfaw
 
I read Ethiomedia commentary, "Something is rotten inside Ethiopia" posted on ethiomedia.com on May 5 and appreciate the writer for bringing the illegal secret transaction of the Ethiopian land between the butcher of Darfur, Beshir with his counterpart Melese Zenawi, the butcher of Mogadishu for public debate.
 
This transaction is done secretly while Melese as usual carried out his diversionary rampage in Mogadishu with many Somalis perished, the sixteenth African Athletic Championship in Addis Ababa and the jailing of Teddy Afro.
 
As you correctly said VOA Amharic and German Amharic invited people who lived in the area to tell us on what is going on there and the so called "Amhara Kilil" representative was telling us about "development" in agriculture and business between the Sudanese and Ethiopians . What he was telling us indirectly was that for the sake of development maybe Ato Melese has leased Ethiopian land or sold it outright as you suggested.
 
Either way this deal is not between government of Ethiopia and Sudan rather between Melese and Beshir to benefit themselves and we will oppose it and  never be distracted by any court circus or on going war in Somalia.
 
The other interesting thing is for Isaias, the strongman of Eritrea unusually to be quiet while this is going on. Isaias as we know is getting involved in Sudanese conflict and  many times facilitated meetings among Sudanese opposition groups in Asmara like he has been doing for Islamic Court of Somalia. He is also using his media to air strong view against TPLF and we have not heard his regime stand regarding "land for oil deal" between Beshir and Melese.
 
Isaias might not mind if this transaction goes on secretly and quietly to be rewarded from subsidized oil of Beshir  as long as it did not expose the Ethiopian Patriotic Front stationed in Asmara  negatively. However, we are going to question the Patriotic Front  why they have not organized a military operation to protect Ethiopian land taken by Sudanese army.
 
If they are waiting permission from Isaias  to defend our land then they can not call themselves patriotic front and lose whatever credibility remain of them.For the rest of us we have to give full moral and financial support for  Ethiopians who are the recent  victims of this secret land deal and let Sudan knows that they will never keep our land secretly sold to them as long as a single Ethiopian remain on this planet.

Friday 2 May 2008

Addis Ababa in the eye of a Uganda tourist!!

Tedla Asfaw
 
Dear my friend Mr. Okungu, I hope you had a wonderful time in Addis Ababa and the road closure for the construction job did not bother you so much. Your few days stay in Addis Ababa gave you an opportunity to see the "miracle" of development in the city as you explained on  your piece posted on www.nazret.com(May 2)
 
Let me ask you Mr. Okungu one simple question expecting honest answer? How may children, young and old people came to the traffic light or while you were walking and ask you for something to eat and did you ask them why they were begging in this booming construction in Addis and advise them to look for job?
 
You might say there are always beggars in major cities but one thing you do not observe on your short stay in Addis is the unemployed youth who spend their time on the side of roads and the thousands college graduates who have no job. You have also missed the big line infront of  foreign embassies  to leave the country for good and  next time you have to have a good guide to look around Addis Ababa and give us your analysis on what do Addis Ababeans think of Melese Zenawi and challenge them how they were wrong to vote against him in May 2005. You also should alert them to vote for him in 2010 to catch developed countries in the infrastructure development.
 
I  heard similar observation from former Somali Ambassador in Addis few years ago while we protest in front of UN against Melese Zenawi's human right violations and extrajudicial killings of opposition members. I tried to convince the Ambassador by argueing  with him that  we can say  the same for dictators like Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, Mubarak,Saudi royals etc of building infrastructures for their countries and wish them power forever.
 
Why do we have oppositions in Egypt and Saudi? According to your infrastructure analysis the people there must be crazy. If you follow your approach what you have to do in Africa is take power by any means and get the loan or your own resources and build infrastructures and you will be guaranteed to stay in power forever no matter what.
 
We can not stretch your analysis for the developed countries because there are no major infrastructures visible to be built to be seen by tourist like you. Do not make me wrong, infrastructure is important for development and the case of China under one party rule is to be taken here for our discussion.
 
For diverse people like Africans, China can not be a model. You can see how problem like Tibet is even not addressed properly in China let alone many ethnic groups questions under the brute rule of TPLF, a minority clique to take us to high stage of development as you suggested by praising Melese Zenawi.
 
The case of Ogaden where Melese planned to build a huge gas pipe line with the help of China would have caught your eye when you come to visit Jijiga if the project had not been derailed because of the resistance of the people over there.
 
What my country needs is not another king but leaders who are popularly elected and accountable to them. Africa's problem is accountability and transparency and for that you need to have a country run by rule of law and not by mafia type cliques.
 

Thursday 1 May 2008

The end of proxy war in Somalia?

Tedla Asfaw

I have to ask this question because this morning (May 1) the Bush Administration sent from its base in Djibouti a fighter jet to the "Tora Bora of Somalia" in central Somalia and killed the al-Shabab's military commander, Aden Hashi Ayro and his close associates to pave the way for next week's meeting in Djibouti between the current rulers of Somalia and the "moderates" from Islamic Somali Court (ICU) who are the guest of Isaias of Eritrea at this time.

Mr. Isaias has been the guest of Saudi Arabia this past week and no doubt he might have got a message from USA in the form of an ultimatum: Stay out of Somalia and let the reconciliation process in Djibouti go on.

US policy makers might think that al-Shabab is crippled without leaders and is time for the "moderate" Somalis, pro USA/Ethiopia to patch their differences and join the current rulers in Mogadishu and abandon Asmara.

However, "moderates" in the ICU and al-Shabab have one common enemy at this time that is the occupation forces of TPLF and they will not reconcile with the ruling cliques in Mogadishu before the TPLF/Ethiopia soldiers get out of Somalia.

USA and other western countries have no plan to send NATO forces like they send to Afghanistan and in the meantime the war to evict the TPLF soldiers will continue because this is a popular war of resistance and it has nothing to do with al-Shabab and the killing of its military commander will in fact in the short term will inflame the situation.

This morning on BBC, al-Shabab's spokesperson said that the current war is a resistance war to evict all foreign forces from Somalia and it will go on despite losing their military commander. He also said that they have nothing to do with al-Quaeda except having a common view to rule by Sharia and evict all the infidels from Somalia. Moreover BBC reported that Somalis from Europe and America who have nothing to do with al-Shabab are travelling to join the battle to evict TPLF forces.

The world community knows very well that before al-Quaeda Somalia has been in clan warfare since 1990 and the US involvement in early 1990s for humanitarian purpose brought a loss of many USA soldiers and the country has been in turmoil since then.

By bringing the al-Quaeda factor to get a favor from USA administration Melese Zenawi invaded Somalia in Christmas 2005 and brought more anarchy and polarization in the region. He labels those who oppose his rule like the Ogaden National Liberation Movement(ONLF) as terrorist and apprehended their leaders from Puntland Somalia this past week and has been waging a brutal war against the Ethiopian Somalis.

The USA policy makers until now have not labelled ONLF as a terrorist organization or dropped any bombs to kill their leaders like they did in Somalia. However, Asmara is accused of helping terrorists several times.

Isaias might take the clear USA's message on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and stop blocking the next week meeting in Djibouti and allow his guests, the ICU leadership to hammer their differences with the current rulers of Mogadishu.

The withdrawal of Melese's forces will also be declared on this meeting to be replaced by multinational forces until then the war will continue. However, for permanent peace in the Horn there should be regime changes both in Ethiopia and Eritrea who have made Somalia their proxy battle ground and ruled also their own people by brute force.