By Alex Birhanu alexbirhanu@yahoo.com
Funny enough we are told by Eritrean /Ethiopian/ Review article of May 28th 2009 that Andargachew Tsigie the Secretary General of Gunboat-7 Movement is currently on a working visit in Asmara, Eritrea mainly holding talks with Issayas Afewrkis regime on how to create a united front with Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF), OLF and ONLF. We are informed that Andargachew’s visit followed Issayas Afwerki’s recent interview with Ethiopian / Eritrean Review and eppfOnline.org earlier this month. The Ginbot-7 Secretary General is thereby permitted to setup its temporary headquarters in Asmara; and that Ginbot-7 chairman Birhanu Nega who loves most to call himself as the legitimately elected mayor of Addis Ababa to travel soon to Asmara in order to conclude necessary pacts for the forthcoming military operations. By so doing the leadership proved what has been widely talked and speculated about Ginbot-7 thus far.
Obviously, for as long as they pave the way they see it fit for their dream position in power, the Ginbot-7 leadership simply doesnt care whether or not what they do in the name of the movement really does affect the integrity and political moral of the Ethiopian people or not.
The next two quotations taken from the Ethio-Media-Forum (EMF) does attest what is being contended. Firstly a certain Namara on EMF under the title Minority ethnic domination of the military in Ethiopia wrote today staing the following: As an Oromo Ethiopian, who lost my father as a Derg Army Officer during the war against EPLF, I sincerely admire and respect President Isayas Afeworki and the Eritrean People who provided refuge and support to OLF and other anti-Woyane forces – at a time when it was not popular to do so. He has certainly earned my respect and confidence. President Isayas is a true champion and symbol of freedom of all oppressed people from the yoke of tyranny.
Likewise under the same topic and in the same tone a certain Aden Farah Hasan said: As an activist of the Ogaden National Liberation Front I have eye-witnessed efforts done by the heroic and iconic leader Issayas Afeworki for giving not only trainings to people of oppressed nationalities from Oromia and Ogadenia but also assist those who would like to bring change in the current regime of Ethiopia. Indeed President Isayas has demonstrated that he is a great friend of the Horn by his unlimited support not only to ONLF and Al-Shebaab but also to EPPF and Ginbot-7. As a result I hold my highest regards for the people, government and President of Eritrea and wish them all peace and prosperity in their future endeavor against imperialism and against the Amharic-Tigre Colonial Ethiopia.
It is with such groups of anti-Ethiopia elements that Berhanu and Andargachew are courting to befriend themselves with in the name of Gunboat-7, a movement that claims as standing for freedom and justice. Well opposing Woyane is one thing but joining hands with elements standing for Ethiopias disintegration and development of Ethiopias under-development is totally another thing. These fellows have undermined the Ethiopian peoples ability to withstand such shrewdest stand amidst the tough time we are facing under the Woyane regime that is not our liking or choice by any measure. You dont go to the mother of all troubles under the guise and Ethiopian pretext and give your psychic make-up to the man next door that is waging his fingers warning to hold you tight by the throat till you chock or become breathless.
I wonder what in the Hell Asmara has to come into picture and do with likely outcomes of Ethiopian political events that concern directly Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Isnt Asmara Issayas Afewerkis home, the man who never sleeps before he makes sure that Ethiopia is reduced to multiple mini-states? Had there been an inch thick of a heart that worries for Ethiopia under the chest of Issayas Afeworki, at all? Asmara wouldnt have opened its doors for separatist elements that fight to dismantle Ethiopia, and for EPPF syndical enough an organization that claims to firmly stands for the unity of Ethiopia. If there is anything that the opposition gets from Asmara today, it will definitely be paid back at an exorbitantly high price tomorrow. The question of Assab, the un-demarcated border issue that face the current opposition collectively or individually are problems yet to come as challenges in the future when anyone of them are supposedly to assume power. If we believe that Issayas Afeworki is willing to raise a lion that may ultimately devour him, were just simplifying very complex national issues. We should not follow suit and make mistakes just as the Gunboat leadership does. Someone among us must attempt to call a spade as spade at this critical time of Ethiopian politics.
Andargachew and Berhanu should know the following: For as long as there are foot-lickers and sell-outs that are ready to serve their Eritrean master for the sake of personal gains, it may not matter to them; but it does matter to Ethiopians. We do accuse Meles Zenawi for betraying Ethiopia and Ethiopias vested national interests; but we hate and despise Issayas Afeworki because this tyrannical dictator is always ready to kill Ethiopia if he could. He is the mastermind for all the pains Ethiopia is suffering today. Afeworki is a dangerous bandit who is waiting for the day when the wounded Ethiopia falls apart so that he can tear it apart into smaller pieces and dine it too. We hate those fools who try to tell us that, in order to bring down a regime, it is quite OK and necessary to destroy the country first and then try to build it up all over again. We should realize the expertise that one should not burn his house down in order to eliminate the unwanted cockroaches.
What Eritrea is doing with the opposition military capacity building attempts is actually a good old fashioned gunboat diplomacy. This falatious attempt is being carried out on several Ethiopian national interest targets; but in vain. IssaAss Afewarki will never triumph.
Addundem:
When I read Yilma Bekele’s response to this article under discussion I couldn’t help remembering what Professor Mesfin Woldemariam once mentioned about ZEMENE GRINBIT. It goes as such: “BE ZEMENE GRINBIT WUHA WEDE SHIKIB YIFESSAL!” – Literally the natural flow of water from its source is downstream. But we may come to a time when one try to assert to us that water actually flows upstream.
It really shocks me how fast we forget the terrible hardships and the life destructive experiences sons and daughters of Ethiopia have had since the 1970s by trying to be inspired by Issayas Afeworki the man who grew-up and went to school in Dessie and Addis Ababa and yet refused literally to speak Amharic since he became EPLF leader. How can we forget the Ethiopian youth under EPRP that was literally haunted, hunted and killed for not immediately reacting in the positive for Eritrean nationality questions? How many of the EPPF supporters were eliminated for trying to independently conduct or operate their military operations from Eritrea? Why OLF and ONLF are still kept literally in Afeworkis directives and servitude within Eritrea without raising a finger on their guns against TPLF for the last 18 years? How come Betinachew Tsigie and Berhanu Negadew who have gone through the agony of alliance with EPLF in the past still try to pull the rest of Ethiopians to the same trap once again? Who raised TPLF among us and planted in Addis Ababa as our head-master? Is it not Issayas Afeworki? Regardless of the temporary quarrel between EPLF and TPLF are they not still working against the national interests of Ethiopia by holding 80 million people land-locked simply by giving away Ethiopia’s legitimate access to the sea through Assab Port? So how do pro-Gunboat-7 guys tell us that it is OK to befriend ourselves with Issayas Afeworki? These are just riddles for us to resolve before it is too late. In fact, how can we trust these two fellows who have been roaming around so many organizations thus far and ramming by becoming disloyal to each to lead us to what they call movement for freedom and democracy? How can we trust these two fellows who find it so easy to lay their hats wherever they go and yet call it home without any reservation? Yesteryear they were EPRP. Yester-month they were TPLF. Yesterday they were KINIJIT. Today they are GUNBOAT-7. Tomorrow they are going to turn us all to join Shaabia. What a surprise! Unless we are the ZEMENE GRINBIT generation I don’t think we can lose our sense of direction and stand resolute as Ethiopians and at the same time Shaabiaits.