‘Rendition of ONLF rebel leader, Abdikarim Sheikh Muse (aka Qalbi Dhagax ) to Ethiopia was unlawful; ONLF is not a terrorist organization’ : Somali Parliamentary Commission Report
A looming political crisis. Somalia’s 152 Members of Parliament approved the commission’s findings, while Six MPs rejected, and three abstained.
The controversial extradition of a prominent ONLF rebel leader to Ethiopia was illegal, a report by a Somali parliamentary commission said Saturday.
Abdikarim Sheikh Muse, a top member of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which is based in Ethiopia, was handed over to Ethiopian authorities on August 28, after he was detained by Somali security forces in the central Somali town of Galkayo on August 23.
Somali authorities say Muse is a “terrorist and a regional threat.” His transfer is sparking outrage in Somalia, however, along with a social media uproar against the Mogadishu-based government.
Somalia’s lower house of parliament has endorsed Saturday’s report, which was submitted by a 15-member special commission set up in September.
The Somali cabinet had defended the transfer of Muse, saying it was done under a deal reached in 2015 that designates ONLF and al-Shabab as terrorist groups.
But the parliamentary commission report found the deal was not struck at a federal level and should not be used as justification for exchanging criminals or prisoners.
Intelligence agency blamed
The commission’s report also dismissed labeling the ONLF rebel group as a terrorist group, and it blamed the country’s intelligence agency for the extradition of Muse and for misleading leaders.
“The National Intelligence and Security Agency provided the leaders of government with the wrong information and did not inform the judiciary sector,” the report said.
“If the president and the prime minister knew about the rendition, it’s a disaster. And if they did not, then they cannot be trusted to lead the nation,” Abdirahman Hussein Odowaa, former interior minister and a member of parliament, said during the session.
Muse lived in Mogadishu for years, and his supporters say he holds dual Somali-Ethiopian citizenship. He is one of the ONLF’s top leaders.
Speaking to VOA Somali from Australia, ONLF spokesman Addani Hirmooge hailed the report and said it showed the parliament was against the “aggression” and stood with the true feeling of Somali people.
Since 1984, the ONLF has waged an armed struggle against Ethiopia as it seeks secession of the Somali Region in Ethiopia.
In 2011, Addis Ababa labeled the group a terrorist organization, alongside al-Shabab and al-Qaida.
The people of the region want peace and stability; but what if war is the price?
TPLF Woyane regime in Ethiopia is a thorn in Eritrea’s flesh; a thorn that only grows bigger and sharper.
BY ALEM FISSHATZION
I hope the suggestion I am about to make below will be received by all in the concept I intend in my heart of hearts. My intentions/wishes are purely geared towards bringing about peace and stability in Eritrea specifically, and the Horn of Africa at large.
It is my profound belief that as long as the notorious Woyane regime is in place in Addis, there will not be peace in Eritrea.
Although Eritrea is a peace-loving nation and a law-abiding neighbour, Woyane has proven time and again that their intentions are based on a strategy to destabilize the Eritrean government and those of the neighbouring nations.
It is common knowledge that their plans for expansion clearly target Eritrean and other neighbouring soils. Those who spoil and support them not only gave them the green light to go on and invade Eritrea in 1998, but also went on to support them financially and militarily.
Even today, Woyane knows that they can get the same support if they want to go to war . It is not that they do not want to go to war, it is just that they know it will be their last war.
There does not seem to be any tribunal or laws on earth that will convince them to deflect from these plans. Just look at their perception of the judgement that the Hague tribunal has ruled about their land dispute with Eritrea.
Nobody wants war, but unfortunately, sometimes the price for peace and stability will ultimately only be bought by violence. TPLF Woyane, (not to be confused with the people of Ethiopia) is definitely a thorn in Eritrea’s flesh; a thorn that will only grow bigger and sharper. It is my conviction that even the majority of the Ethiopian people will breath a sigh of relief when the evil Woyane regime is no more.
Eritrea is a sovereign nation like any other nation on earth and as such enjoys full rights to defend herself and her people. To reach peace and prosperity, Woyane must go.
I hope that this article will bring about discussions on both pros and cons about my suggestions; and I further hope that these discussions/debates will eventually reach the cannels of the Eritrean government and thereby let them know what the people want. The people want peace and stability; if war is the price, …
The article above is one that I posted in its entirety in “Dehai.org” in 2003. Today, fourteen years later, the situation is pretty much the same: the Woyane has maintained a systematic atmosphere of “no war – no peace” with Eritrea.
Although Eritrea has undergone a significant degree of development in several areas, all that was achieved under the constant threat of war. Ethiopia under the Woyane leadership has also during that time concocted and orchestrated a lot of mishaps against Eritrea, like the fabrications that led to the wrongful and illegal UN sanctions against Eritrea. Eritrea has survived only through sheer determination and resilience.
There is no neighbour of Ethiopia that has gone unscathed by her trademark of interference, sabotage and derailment/destabilizing activities. Even as I write, the tensionis rising at a very alarming rate between Egypt and Ethiopia about the shared water rights of the River Nile.
Ethiopia is adamant upon completing the construction of the GERD (Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) hydro electric dam on the one hand. On the other, Egypt is even more adamant upon protecting her water security and indeed national security against the devastating consequences that damming the Nile poses.
Egypt has made her point clear that she definitely does not rule out a military option if that is what it takes to resolve the deadlock.
To fan the flames in this highly volatile disaster-in-the-making, Qatar is now pledging to support Ethiopia in her aspirations to complete the dam.
This is a very interesting development as it does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that Qatar is using this move to punish Egypt for allying with Saudi Arabia et-al against Qatar.
My point is that Egypt feels today exactly the way I felt in 2003.
Shameful. A drunk Ethiopian Embassy official in Ankara threatened police he would “start a war” between Ethiopia and Turkey after involved in two traffic accidents.
An official from the Ethiopian Embassy in Ankara, who was reportedly drunk, threatened police officers he would “start a war” between Ethiopia and Turkey after he was involved in two traffic accidents on Nov. 26.
Numbers of police officers were dispatched to the scene after the accidents on the suspicion he had been driving under the influence, as he had denied an alcohol test, saying he did not drink alcoholic beverages.
After he was urged by police officers, he threatened them saying he would ignite a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Ethiopia.
One of the witnesses, Burak Ayaydın, whose car was hit in one of the two accidents, said the suspect threatened to “start a war” with Turkey.
“This person hit another car down the road. He drove off from there and then hit us. He was assigned to an embassy of a country. The person is drunk. He did not accept to take an alcohol test and called for ‘war between Ethiopia and Turkey.’” People who witnessed the incident also said he actually said that,” Ayaydın said.
The Tigrayan People Liberation Front (TPLF) purged three of its executive members, as the Central Committee’s marathon meeting draws to close
On Sunday, TPLF chairman Abay Woldu was removed from his post. The CEO and Deputy CEO of EFFORT, Azeb Mesfin and Beyene Mekeru, were removed from the Executive Committee. Abay Woldu and Beyene Mekeru are to continue as members of the Central Committee. Azeb Mesfin is temporarily suspended until her dismissal is rubber stamped by the Congress.
The marathon congress of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Ethiopia’s ruling clique, has removed Abay Woldu as chairman of the Front, according a statement issued by the Front.
The statement said Abay Woldu is will continue as a member of the central committee.
The congress of the TPLF executive and central committee has been going on since early October with reports of infighting within the secretive organization.
Azeb Mesfin, the widow of the late TPLF boss and Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, had reportedly walked out of the congress last week as criticism heated up against her.
She is now suspended from the executive committee of the TPLF. Her suspension could potentially lead to her removal from her position as the CEO of the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT).
The deputy CEO of EFFORT, Beyene Mikru, was also removed from executive committee and will continue as a member of the central committee, according to the statement.
EFFORT controls all aspects of the economy in Ethiopia, from retail of merchandise to major manufacturing and engineering plants which have been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars government projects. Even reports presented to the country’s rubber stamp parliament show EFFORT had failed to deliver after siphoning off millions of dollars in contracts which are granted without any official bid.
The TPLF statement said two members of the executive committee were given stern warning. It, however, did not mention them by name.
With the demotion of Abay Woldu and Beyene Mikru and the suspension of Azeb Mesfin, as well as the appointment of Tedros Adhanom as the director general of the WHO, the nine member executive committee is now left with five members.
The statement from the Front says members of the central committee has continued criticism and self-criticism; and upon completion of the congress, the Front will reshuffle its leadership.
We’re talking about someone who owns 4.7% of Ethiopia’s economy, but …
At the end of the day, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi shall be set free or has to bail himself out of the Saudi prison. Could his multi-billion dollar Ethiopia investments end up as collateral for his freedom? Bloody Egypt.
Saudi Arabia has releasedPrince Miteb bin Abdullah, the 65-year-old son of the late King Abdullah and former head of the elite National Guard, after he agreed to pay $1 billion to settle corruption allegations against him.
How about billionaire Mohammmad al-Amoudi? Is he able to pay $1 billion up front to secure his freedom?
Well, on paper, al-Amoudi is the 2nd richest Arab with a fortune of $10 billion. In reality, however, a different story may emerge.
Take his case in Morocco.
Morocco has only one oil refinery, and its called Samir. Samir was a 200,000-barrel-a-day refinery whose 70% stake was owned by the Corral Holdings of al-Amoudi. Samir went bankrupt during the 2014-2015 oil price crash in the region.
When al-Amoudi couldn’t pay the $1.3 billion debt, a Moroccan court decided to liquidate the refinery and Samir was up for sale. Samir was worth $2.1 billion if sold but the Moroccan government incurred over $4 billion debt, which points the accusatory finger to Corral Holdings of al-Amoudi because it was unable to inject enough cash into the ailing refinery and pull it back out of bankruptcy.
So, al-Amoudi has a huge debt to settle in Morocco.
Move to Ethiopia, where al-Amoudi is the 2nd largest employer after the government. He reportedly owns about 70 businesses, mining being the leading source of revenue for al-amoudi who controls 98% of gold mining in Ethiopia.
Al-Amoudi’s investments in Ethiopia are shrouded in mystery. For instance, no one knows for sure how much he makes out of gold. His gold exports are shipped out of the country aboard his private planes without any known inspection, according to ‘The Reporter’ newspaper whose investigative reports had nearly cost the life of the paper’s editor, Amare Aregawi, when he was attacked by a gang of four in 2008.
Al-Amoudi has been very close to the ruling party and has had, to quote him, “a free ride” across Ethiopia. Much to the anger of the much-restricted Ethiopian private investors, al-Amoudi has several upstart projects but have been standing idle for lack of finance, and his vast agri-investments have in recent years become the target of anti-government uprisings.
Al-Amoudi is now being held on corruption charges in Saudi Arabia, and the charges are not known if related to the 1988 mega fortune when al-Amoudi won a $30 billion contract to build an oil storage complex across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The only glimmer of hope in the dimming business empire of al-Amoudi looks his investments in Sweden where he is the owner of the petrol chain Preem, which has over 500 gas stations across Sweden.
The problem is Preem is too small when you are told to pay $1 billion or over.
All said, if al-Amoudi couldn’t pay his debt incurred as loss of the once-lucrative Moroccan oil refinery, and with prospects of his investments in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia facing trouble, how is he going to bail himself out of prison like Prince Miteb bin Abdullah?
The German national was in a group of tourists who were visiting the Erta Ale volcano
A German tourist has been killed and a guide wounded in an attack in north-eastern Ethiopia while visiting the Erta Ale volcano. (Photo: Joshua Paul Shefman)
The German Foreign Ministry confirms that a German national has been killed in an attack in northeastern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s state-run news agency says Sunday’s attack occurred near a volcanic lake at Erta Ale in the Afar region. The tourist’s local guide was wounded.
“The two got separated from a group of tourists and were taking photos around when they were shot at by unknown armed men,” the news agency quotes a local official as saying. “We are trying to arrest the perpetrators.”
The German national was not identified.
Ethiopia’s government has blamed attacks on foreign tourists in the area in 2012 and 2007 on neighboring Eritrea, which denied the accusations. The 2012 attack killed two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian. The 2007 attack saw five Europeans and 13 Ethiopians kidnapped but released.
The Afar region is popular with researchers and tourists but rebels and bandits also roam the area.
Very sad news arrives from the Danakil desert where last Sunday 3 December a German tourist died and his Ethiopian guide got injured while they were climbing Erta Ale. The two were part of a larger tourist group which had traveled from Mekele and was making their way up to the summit of the volcano.
The early reports in international news media suggest that the incident was a deliberate attack by an armed militia group or bandits, similar to the deadly attack carried out in January 2012 by the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Front who killed 5 tourists and abducted several others whilst they were visiting Erta Ale volcano.
The information that we received from our colleagues in Addis Ababa who have been organizing expeditions to Erta Ale for almost 2 decades suggests it could have been a tragic accident rather than a deliberate armed attack.
They have been in touch over satellite phone with their local Afar contacts as well as colleagues who are guiding tourist groups on the volcano right now and whom shared the following version of the event:
The German tourist who tragically lost his life seems to have been cut off from his tour group whilst hiking up to Erta Ale. The local guide who remained with him was not a dedicated Afar guide familiar with Erta Ale so that the pair were not on the right ´track´ to the volcano´s summit when it got dark. (it is very difficult to find any route across Erta Ale´s vast lava fields and flows who look the same in all directions, especially so in the dark).
What might have happened next is that armed guards on Erta Ale who saw two individuals making their way up to the summit along the non-common track mistook them for a threat and opened fire, sadly killing the German tourist and wounding his local guide.
The rest of the German tourist´s group seems to have continued their travel and today 8 new tourist groups arrived safely at Erta Ale as there is no indication for an armed conflict or any hostile militia in the area.
So far, there is no official confirmation for either version of the circumstances of the incident but we expect the Ethiopian government to issue a statement within the next few days.
Meanwhile, we stay in regular contact with our local partners and will update the story if new information emerges. For the moment it seems that other tour groups continue to visit Erta Ale as planned and our partners will also carry out an Erta Ale expedition scheduled to leave this Sunday.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will visit Addis Ababa tomorrow for talks with his Ethiopian counterpart in a bid to end a standoff over the controversial dam on the Nile river.
Egypt’s top diplomat is to visit Addis Ababa Tuesday to discuss controversial Ethiopian plans to build a dam on the Nile that Cairo fears will impact its water supplies, his ministry said Monday.
Construction of the massive dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia has poisoned relations between the two countries, as Egypt fears its share of water from the Nile will be hit once the project is completed.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s visit to Addis Ababa is “a new Egyptian move aiming to break the deadlock” in talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Renaissance Dam, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.
The three countries have yet to approve a May report on the social and environmental impacts of the dam’s construction on downstream countries Sudan and Egypt.
Egypt, which is almost totally reliant on the Nile for irrigation and drinking water, says it has “historic rights” to the Nile, guaranteed by treaties from 1929 and 1959.
Cairo argues that the treaties grant it 87 percent of the river’s flow, as well as the power to veto upstream projects.
The Blue and the White Nile tributaries converge in Sudan’s capital Khartoum and from there run north through Egypt to the Mediterranean.
The dam is designed to feed a hydroelectric project that would produce 6,000 megawatts of power — equivalent to six nuclear-powered plants.
Ethiopia began building the dam in 2012 and initially expected to commission it in 2017.
Ethiopian media reports say that only about 60 percent of the construction has so far been completed.
A figure of speech? Ethiopia rescinded the Prime Minister’s initial “all political prisoners” statement by “some politician prisoners” – no “political prisoners” in Ethiopia (lol)
Ethiopia’s government has denied that all political prisoners will be freed, saying that only some imprisoned politicians will be pardoned. An aide to the prime minister said a mistranslation led to him being quoted as saying that all political prisoners would be freed to promote dialogue.
The prime minster also said a detention centre, allegedly used as a torture chamber, would be shut.
Ethiopia has been hit by a wave of political unrest in recent years.
Amnesty International welcomed the initial announcement, saying it could signal “the end of an era of bloody repression in Ethiopia” – although it warned that the closure of the Maekelawi detention centre should not be used to “whitewash” the “horrifying” events which took place under its roof.
Ethiopia has always denied that there were any political prisoners in the country, as alleged by human rights and opposition groups.
In a statement on Thursday, Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn’s office said that “some members of political parties and other individuals that have been allegedly suspected of committing crimes or those convicted will be pardoned or their cases interrupted based on an assessment that will be made so as to establish a national consensus and widen the political sphere”.
It remains unclear how many people will be freed, or when.
Who are the prisoners?
Those held in jails across the country include opposition activists from the Amhara and Oromia regions, which were at the centre of anti-government protests in 2015 and 2016, and journalists who have criticised the government, says BBC Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza.
The prisoners also include UK citizen Andargachew Tsege, who was seized in 2014 when changing planes in Yemen and forced to go to Ethiopia, where he had been sentenced to death in absentia for his political activities against the state.
It is difficult to know exactly how many politicians have been imprisoned, but our correspondent estimates that about 1,000 are held under the country’s anti-terrorism proclamation, including high profile leaders from the opposition.
However, there are another 5,000 cases still pending, made up of those arrested after a state of emergency was declared in October 2016, he adds.
Will they actually be released?
The government has given no timeline on the release of the prisoners, including those still awaiting trial.
Our reporter notes a number of cases have political backgrounds, but are also linked to groups the government considers to be terrorists. Nineteen people linked to Ginbot 7 – deemed a terror group – were sentenced to prison terms just this week.
Whether they will all be released remains to be seen.
Any dialogue would have to include legitimate opposition groups like the Oromo Federalist Congress, whose leaders would have to be freed to fully participate in the process, our correspondent says.
What about the detention centre?
As well as releasing the prisoners, Mr Hailemariam announced the closure of Maekelawi – a detention facility in the capital, Addis Ababa, which Amnesty International described as a “torture chamber used by the Ethiopian authorities to brutally interrogate anybody who dares to dissent, including peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition figures”.
“A new chapter for human rights will only be possible if all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment are effectively investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” Amnesty International added.
The government strongly denies the torture allegations, but it has now decided the prison will become a “modern museum” – a move the privately-owned Addis Standard newspaper called for in an editorial in 2016.
A new detention centre will be opened, Mr Hailemariam said, which would comply with international standards.
Why now?
Our correspondent says detentions have always been a major concern. In December, social media users staged a day of action to remember those held behind bars.
But this decision comes hot on the heels of a meeting between the parties which make up the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition.
Over the past months, infighting within the coalition, which has been in power for more than 25 years, has led the prime minister to acknowledge the need for change.
The Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization and the Amhara National Democratic Movement, which are part of the coalition, have been pushing for increased political space and the “respect of their people” following the massive anti-government demonstrations that have been witnessed in the country.
Neamin Zeleke, a member of the executive committee and deputy head of political affairs with Patriotic Ginbot 7 gave an in-depth interview to ESAT’s Sisay Agena on the weekly show “yesamintu engida” (Guest of the Week).
Neamin Zeleke shuttles between Washington, DC and Asmara to coordinate the worldwide support by Ethiopians to Patriotic Ginbot 7 in the struggle to free Ethiopia of the TPLF tyranny. The leadership of PG7 has long made Eritrea its base.
The son of a navy commander, Neamin reminiscence on behalf of his dad, Zeleke Bogale, who was credited for being instrumental in modernizing the Red Sea Ports of Assab and Massawa during the imperial era and later as the head of Maritime Transport Authority in the subsequent regime.
Asked about what it feels like to be in Eritrea, as an independent country, where his dad spent his life managing the Ports when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia, Neamin begins by saying life is full of contradictions. He says his dad, despite the damaging war at the time, was focused on the betterment of the lives of the people in and around the Ports.
Despite the fact that Ethiopia had become a landlocked country after Eritrea’s independence, Neamin is confident that once the TPLF, which Eritrea sees as a threat to the peace and security of the region as whole is done away with, there is no limit what relations based on mutual respect and benefit would bring to people on both sides.
“What Ethiopians want from Eritreans is not just simply access to the Ports. It is way beyond that. It is about people to people relationship. It is about creating bonds in economic, security and defense spheres.”
He said successive regimes got it wrong as far as handling the Eritrean question. And hence, he said, why it had seceded from Ethiopia. He went on to say that Eritrea is now the only country that supports the struggle by the Ethiopian people for freedom and democracy.
Ethiopia, Neamin says, is at a crossroads. TPLF is a destructive force that must be removed. It is the responsibility of all Ethiopians to work for the creation of a country where the individual rights of citizens are respected and rule of law prevails.
Neamin Zeleke also speaks about his role in a number of political parties since his youthful times (not that he is old now) and what brought about the political person that he is now.
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki meets with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi at the presidential palace in Cairo. (Photo: MENA)
BY TESFANEWS*
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi welcomed Tuesday morning his Eritrean Counterpart Isaias Afwerki at the presidential palace in Cairo, where the latter is visiting the country to discuss bilateral relations.
The welcoming ceremony of the Eritrean president saw the presence of the Egyptian guard of honor, while the national anthems of both countries were played at the background.
Meeting for the third time in Cairo, the two leaders will hold a tete-a-tete session of talks in a closed meeting at the Ittihadiya Palace, to be followed by a plenary session grouping the delegations of both sides, the official MENA news agency said.
Ambassador Bassam Radhi, Spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic, stated that the President welcomed the opening of the talks with President Afwerki, stressing Egypt’s interest in establishing strategic cooperation with Eritrea in all fields and establishing a sustainable partnership between the two countries.
He also stressed the importance of moving ahead with the implementation of cooperation projects in different sectors, including agriculture, electricity, health and trade, as well as in the livestock and fisheries sector, which is characterized by Eritrea, as well as continuing technical support programs provided through the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development.
The Eritrean government spokesperson on his part confirmed that, the two Presidents will discuss the growing trade and investment ties that developed between the two countries as well as regional and international issues of mutual importance.
Ambassador Bassam Radhi added that the Eritrean President affirmed his country’s pride in its ties with Egypt in terms of extended historical relations and strategic cooperation, praising Egypt’s pioneering role in the region and its keenness to achieve development, security and stability in the African continent.
President Afewerki also affirmed Eritrea’s aspiration to intensify bilateral cooperation with Egypt in various fields in the interests of the two brotherly peoples and to activate joint projects between the two countries in various sectors.
This particular visit comes amid tension between Egypt and Sudan over a border dispute.
Khartoum accuses Cairo of backing rebels in Sudan, a claim denied by Egypt, while Egyptian media criticize Sudanese authorities for supporting a mega Nile dam project being built by Ethiopia, which Cairo fears it would reduce its Nile water share.
Ambassador Bassam Radi finally said that the talks between President El-Sisi and President Afwerki dealt with means of enhancing Egyptian-Eritrean relations in various fields of development and security.
They both already agreed to exchange delegations’ visits with the aim of activating existing cooperation frameworks and implementing joint projects.
The two sides also agreed to continue their intensive coordination on all issues related to the current regional situation in order to strengthen security and stability in the region, especially in view of the importance of the Horn of Africa and the role of Eritrea, and the implications for the security of the Red Sea, and Bab al-Mandab area.
The New Year has brought change to the Horn of Africa region, long beleaguered by conflict and strife. But for some reason, the minority regime in Ethiopia seems antsy-and itching for more violence and turmoil.
It seems to thrive when the neighborhood is on fire. It must be running out of ways to get the attention of the international community (donor community) which has finally awoken and seen how its good will and support for the regime have been squandered.
Once again, in addition to its usual tantrums, the regime is now recycling its childish propaganda ploys and resorted to making wild accusations, hurling unsubstantiated allegations, distorting and misrepresenting issues with a barrage of articles and reports. These tired old deceptive stratagems have been employed to malign Eritrea in the past, and now it seems the regime has added Egypt to its hit list. For the most part, it is better to ignore the regime when it’s in one of its panic modes.
The cuddling of the regime and refusal to take punitive actions against it as it violated international law, massacred its own people and threatened to destabilize the Horn region has led to this ominous situation we see in Ethiopia today.
Its erratic behaviors, its hostility and belligerence have become more evident and its handlers have noticed. When the regime finds itself with its back against the wall, it lashes out with a wimpy cry for help, usually through a series of articles and long winded “cut and paste” analysis.
The latest incoherent production is by one of its favored scribes, Haftu Gebregziabher, entitled “Africa: Alert-Red Sea Fury Reaches Sharp Peak” this week on the official English daily paper of the regime; “The Ethiopian Herald”.
So what triggered the anxiety attack this time? Some believe it has to do with H.E. President Isaias Afwerki’s visit to Egypt. But it is not. The real reason for the panicked writing is to divert attention away from its domestic problems, from which it has seen no reprieve for almost three years now.
The regime is also reeling from the political blunder it made last week by rescindinga statement it made about releasing political prisoners, shocking its own people and the international community that was quick to applaud its vacuous statement. Jeffrey Smith and Mohammed Adebo in an 11 January 2018 Foreign Policy article, “Ethiopia Is Falling Apart”, wrote about the regime’s latest diplomatic and political faux pas:
“…The outpouring of optimism did not last long. Within hours, an aide to Desalegn clarified the prime minister’s remarks, saying that “mistranslation” by the media was to blame for the confusion….”
How typical…regime always blames others for its own mistakes. That story is still being played out, in the meantime, let us take a look at what Ayte Haftu is trying to say with his latest piece. He writes:
“…The political crisis along the Red Sea seems to have reached to its peak with the worsening crisis in Yemen, the ISIS militant’s new base in Sinai and Libya, the intervention of Egyptian military commanders to Sawa Military Base in Eritrea and continued Saudi-led forces coalition operation in Yemen…”
Typical of someone that wants to deceive his or her readers… padding the story with some factual content and then, boom… insert the lie. Yes, the situation in Yemen is grim, but I don’t know that ISIS has a “new base” in Sinai or Libya. Ditto for the story about “Egyptian military commanders” in Eritrea.
It is a flat out lie, manufactured by the regime in Ethiopia. Seems the regime wants in-is not comfortable with its pronounced “neutrality”. It wasn’t to be included in the “coalition”, but wants the US or Israel to facilitate an invitation-as if it has anything worthwhile contribute. The regime, isolated from its own people, is now facing international condemnation – it seems the chickens are finally coming home to roost…
More importantly, Ayte Habtu’s concerns are misplaced, as the only political crisis that warrants sounding the alarm on is, in Ethiopia. The two-year long nationwide Ethiopian protests saw the killings of hundreds of protesters in the Oromia and Somali regions, the detention of thousands, and the displacement of over a million people from their homes and villages. Women and children have been brutally forced out of their homes, and are languishing in makeshift camps all over Ethiopia…the situation is exacerbating Ethiopia’s never ending humanitarian emergencies, and further pauperization of Ethiopian society.
Ethiopia is on the brink and it is now the biggest threat to peace, stability and security in the region.
Sounding like a jilted lover, the author writes:
“…the new marriage between Saudi and Egypt have now grabbed the eyes and ears of political analysts in the Horn of Africa which is considered as the most important part for its geopolitical location…”
Pray tell us who they are… Seriously, nobody’s eyes and ears are ringing …of course with the exception of the minority regime and its hired scribes at Menelik Palace. But no doubt, Ayte Haftu is flabbergasted by the things he has conjured up in his own head and so the blabbering continues. He writes:
“…the Eritrean government could not control all areas of the Red Sea in its territory. It is easy for those pirates, insurgent groups and militants from Sinai and Libya and/or Saudi Arabia backed forces to control some parts out of this area. And this could be another means of destabilizing the region and Ethiopia in particular, the great power and relatively stabilized country in the region…It is great danger to Ethiopia if it could be used for the expansion of Arab Islamization Project. The Eritrean regime had been training Al-Shabaab. Egypt has been trying to use the rift to get access to the Horn of Africa region to weaken Ethiopia…”
Ethiopia is no position to talk about the Red Sea and what Eritrea is, or is not doing. As for Ethiopia being a great power? Really?
Let us see what Jeffrey Smith and Mohammed Ademo have to say about that:
“…Following three years of escalating anti-government protests — mostly by the Oromo ethnic group and to an extent the Amhara, who together comprise two-thirds of the country’s 100 million people — Ethiopia can no longer afford to ignore demands for political reform. For years, the regime has sacrificed respect for basic political rights and civil liberties on the altar of economic growth. And its claims of a rapidly growing economy have always been dubious at best. The status quo can no longer hold… This image of stability has been cultivated by well-oiled lobbyists in Washington and by an army of social media trolls on the government payroll.
However, despite the outward veneer of growth and stability, all is not well in Ethiopia… The country is also struggling to mitigate the effects of massive youth unemployment, high public debt, rising inflation, and a shortage of foreign currency. The economic woes that have beleaguered Ethiopia have fueled the increasing unrest…”
So much for Ethiopia being the stabilized country in the region… what drivel!
The truth is that Ethiopia’s lawlessness is the only threat to the region and contributing to its insecurity. Ethiopia’s refusal to abide by agreementsit has signed, its continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories, including Badme for the last 15 years in violation of the Algiers Agreements, the African Union and UN Charters and international law is the elephant in the room.
Ethiopia’s invasion and occupation of Somalia that has created the greatest humanitarian emergency still plaguing the nation today. Ethiopia’s refusal to relinquish Chairmanshipof The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for 8 years and using the regional organization as an extension of its Foreign Ministry, and fleecing donors with fake mediation between warring parties in South Sudan, its corruption of the African Union and its organs to advance external agendas against member states are all a matter of public records.
The minority regime in Ethiopia is now being held to account for its crimes in the region…pointing fingers at others will not absolve it of its international crimes.
Ayte Habtu must not be getting the UN Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group’s reports, because if he had them, he would know that, in five consecutive reports to the UN Security Council, the SEMG has said that it had found NO evidence to support allegations of Eritrea’s support for Al Shabbab.
He must also know that there has NEVER been any independently verifiable evidence to support allegations manufactured by Ethiopia and its handlers in engineering the illegal, unjust and unfair sanctions.
Habtu’s use of phrases like “the Arab Islamization Project” is quite transparent… the fear mongering is targeted at the US and Israel. “The Arab Islamization Project” is not a threat to an imploding Ethiopia – its problems are internal. It can stop pointing fingers at Eritrea and others in the region and take stock of its own beleaguered state.
Jeffrey Smith and Mohammed Ademo warn:
“…Tepid reforms and halfhearted concessions won’t save the country’s authoritarian government from its existential crisis…”
Neither will its lies and deliberate misinformation!
“The peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia will recoup, in the near future, the opportunities they had lost in the past 25 years due to the TPLF’s noxious policies” – President Isaias Afwerki
Part of President Isaias Afwerki’s interview on issues related to Egypt, Sudan, Turkey and Ethiopia
The Eritrean Television ERi-Tv and Radio Dimtsi Hafash conducted a 90-minute long interview with President Isaias Afwerki yesterday on important and timely regional issues. The second part of the interview on domestic issues is scheduled for next Saturday.
President Isaias dismissed Al-Jazeera’s fabricated, latest news story on the “deployment of Egyptian and Emirati troops and weapons in Sawa (western Eritrea) as ridiculous and the “joke of the New Year/2018”.
As usual, this baseless story was widely recycled by other media outlets without any verification. President Isaias underlined that this fictitious story was a continuation of numerous lies deliberately peddled against Eritrea by various media outlets in the past years in order to foment tension and to deflect public attention from real domestic problems in certain countries.
Outright lies repeated ad nesuem by an assortment of Eritrea’s detractors have been many indeed, President Isaias noted. These include, among others, wild stories of juxtaposed “Israel and Iranian military bases in Eritrea’s Dahlak Islands… Israeli Listening Post at Emba/Mount Soira (southern Eritrea)… Egyptian troops deployed in Tsorona (propagated last year prior to and apparently to justify TPLF aggression in that area at the time)”.
President Isaias asserted that the latest Al Jeezera news story was concocted and planted by the TPLF regime in Ethiopia – where the TV channel has opened a new bureau recently with the specific task of spearheading and coordinating the disinformation campaign against Eritrea.
The underlying purpose of the Egyptian troop deployment fake story is to drive a wedge between Sudan and Eritrea and plunge the Sudan into unnecessary conflict. Certain special interest groups in the Sudan were complicit in this act. President Isaias stated that the Sudanese people will not be misled by this crass disinformation and fall into the trap.
In regard to recent media reports of an agreement between the Sudan and Turkey for the establishment of a military base by the latter in Saukin, President Isaias noted that “it would be unwise and premature to comment on this matter at this stage on the basis of hearsay and without incontrovertible evidence”.
Available information at this juncture indicates that this is indeed a public relations stint. On the other hand, President Isaias stated that Turkish military presence in Somalia is both unjustifiable and inexplicable since it has no geographic proximity or bearing on Turkey’s national security considerations.
In this perspective, if the purported establishment of a Turkish military base in the Sudan; i.e. on the western flank of the Red Sea were to become true – this development will provoke certain questions in view of the sensitivity of this important maritime route.
President Isaias Afwerki emphasized that the unfolding situation in Ethiopia is a matter of high concern to the people and government of Eritrea above any other country. The intractable political crisis that has beset Ethiopia in the past months is the result of the TPLF’s myopic and deliberate policy of institutionalizing ethnic polarization for the last 25 years or so.
The TPLF regime pursued this misguided policy so as to secure total political, economic and security domination of the country to benefit a narrow group. The insertion of the “right of secession” in the “Federal Constitution” was maliciously crafted in order to legitimize and perpetuate centrifugal tendencies of ethnic polarization and institutionalization. “This game is now over”, President Isaias stressed.
The damage inculcated in Ethiopia and the region as a whole is considerable indeed, President Isaias stated, adding, “external powers who provided subsidy and succour to the TPLF regime throughout these years must also share the blame”.
President Isaias concluded his remarks by expressing the hope that the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia will recoup, in the near future, the opportunities they had lost in the past 25 years due to the TPLF’s noxious policies.
“I say this to our brothers in Sudan and Ethiopia: Egypt doesn’t conspire. We don’t conspire, neither do we meddle in the internal affairs of anyone and we are very, very keen to have a very good relationship”
“We are not willing to enter into war with our brothers or with anyone …” – President El-Sisi
Egypt neither interferes nor conspires against any other country, said President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in a press conference on Monday, amid tensions between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
“It (Egypt) adopts a steady policy of building, developing and constructing,” Sisi added in a speech during the inauguration of projects in some governorates via video conference on Monday. “All nations of the region are in need to move away from the policy of war and conflicts…Egypt will never fight against neighbors. We practice peace in attitudes towards and relations the others,” he affirmed.
In a message directed to Sudan and Ethiopia, President Sisi stated that Egypt’s developed military ability does not contradict with such the policy of peace, but it comes under defending national security. “Egypt has no time to waste on wars and conflicts.”
Egypt’s relations with Sudan were recently strained over the disputed border area of Halaib and Shalateen; on December 23, 2017, Sudan filed a complaint to the United Nations Secretariat, protesting a maritime border demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia as the deal denotes the territory as Egyptian on the maps.
Halaib and Shalateen, or the Halaib Triangle, is an area of land measuring 20,580 square kilometers, located at the Egyptian-Sudanese border on the Red Sea coast. It is part of the Red Sea governorate and consists of three major towns – Halaib (which became a city in February 2014), Abu Ramad and Shalateen.
The area belongs to Egypt politically and administratively, but has been one of the major sticking points in Egyptian-Sudanese relations since the demarcation of borders between the two countries were carried out during the British occupation of Egypt in 1899, at a time when Sudan was part of the Egyptian Kingdom.
The issue reemerged after Halaib and Shalateen declared electoral constituency in both Sudan and Egypt in 2014.
On Saturday, Russia Today reported that the Sudanese ambassador to Cairo Abdel Mahmoud Abdel Halim, who has been withdrawn from Egypt for consultation, told Sudanese reporters that Khartoum “has taken tougher steps against Cairo and new development will take place in the coming few days and will be more violent.”
“We are at the beginning of our diplomatic process, which starts with summoning the ambassador for consultation and then withdrawing the ambassador…and third, dismissing the ambassador of the concerned country. Fourth, boycotting the diplomatic ties and fifth, declaring the war,” stated an Egyptian government official.
Three days ago, Ibrahim Mahmoud, the assistant to the Sudanese President, said that his country “faces (potential) military threats” from Egypt and Eritrea after claiming that there have been “military moves from Cairo and Asmara along the Sudanese eastern borders,” BBC reported.
However, Eritrea has totally denied any Egyptian military moves, saying such remarks are “groundless.”
In a phone call to Sabahak Masry talk show on MBC channel on Monday, Egyptian ambassador to Eritrea Yasser Hashem stated that Egypt has no military bases in Eritrea or any other country.
Regarding Egypt’s ties with Ethiopia, Egypt and Ethiopia have engaged in long negotiations over the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt has voiced its concern over Ethiopia’s dam construction, which started in May 2011, as it would affect Egypt’s 55 billion cubic meter share of Nile water. However, Addis Ababa sees the dam is necessary for its development and would not negatively affect the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan).
Tripartite meetings between Cairo, Khartoum, and Addis Ababa have been convened since 2014; the three countries signed a Declaration of Principle to reach a formula approved by the countries. They hired the French consultancy firms BRL and Artelia to consider the hydraulic studies and the flow of water during the water filling of GERD’s construction.
However, the three countries are still in disagreement over reports on the studies from the two companies. Egypt has asked for World Bank mediation and is waiting for other two countries’ response. Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will arrive in Cairo on Wednesday in an official visit to discuss the Egypt-proposed mediation and other issues related to the dam.
The $4 billion dam is being constructed on the Nile with a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, and is expected to generate up to 6,000 megawatts of power.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi says the Nile should serve as a source of cohesion and development, not of conflict with Ethiopia. (Photo: MENA)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged on Thursday not to let differences over a dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile river ruin relations with Addis Ababa.
Egypt says it threatens its water supply which relies almost exclusively on the Nile that runs from Ethiopia through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Addis Ababa says it will have no impact.
Sisi said negotiations with its two African neighbours were progressing and said a deadlock over a disputed, ongoing study on the dam’s impact must end.
“The Nile basin enjoys great resources and capabilities that makes it a source of interconnection, building and development, not a source of conflict,” Sisi told reporters after meeting Ethiopia’s prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, in Cairo.
Hailemariam echoed his comments: “We must make sure that this great river never becomes an object of competition, mistrust or conflict.”
Daughter of Ethiopia’s Former Leader Denounce Nile Dam Construction
By @ZekuZelalem
Tigist Mengistu, daughter of former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Hailemariam publishes an 11 min video on her Facebook account. In the video, she questions the necessity of building a Nile dam and says an Egyptian invasion of Ethiopia would be an opportunity to liberate the country.
Here is the excerpt where tTigist Mengistu says in the scenario of Egypt invading Ethiopia and overthrowing the government, she would rejoice and react with “እሰየው ግልግል!”
Despite her father being known for his furious belittling of the forces that were under the payroll of the likes of Egypt, Tigist Mengistu Hailemariam calls for Ethiopians to submit and not fight back in the event of an Egyptian attempt to invade Ethiopia.
According to Mengistu Hailemariam’s daughter, Emperor Haileselassie had looked into the Nile River Dam possibilities. She says study by Haileselassie’s experts determined there would be no benefit in damming the Nile and with that, the emperor decided to give up his Nile dream.
Finally, Tigist Mengistu says Ethiopia’s Derg regime led by her father Mengisu Hailemariam decided against building a dam on the Nile after establishing that the Nile River was of no use to Ethiopia and would only serve to stoke tensions with Egypt and Sudan.
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki was interviewed by local media on topical regional issues concerning Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey and Somalia on 14th January. Here are excerpts of the interview.
President Isaias Afwerki was interviewed by local media on topical regional issues on Sunday, 14 January this month. Shabait.com is serializing Excerpts of the interview.
Q: Mr. President, last week the Al-Jazeera television channel broadcast a story asserting that Egyptian and Emirati troops equipped with tanks and aircraft were deployed in Sawa (western Eritrea). This news story was recycled by numerous media outlets without any verification. What are the origins and aim of this story?
I heard this news story while I was on the plane back home from Abu Dhabi. Frankly, I consider it a silly joke of 2018. We can raise many questions with regard to its aim, its timing and its links with various events taking place in our region and the wider neighborhood. This issue is not new at all. This false news is part and parcel of the cumulative lies, related to Eritrea, that has been fabricated in a similar manner.
While we can mention a number of examples in relation to how such news stories originate and their potential consequences, what immediately comes to my mind is a previously fabricated news story claiming that Egyptian troops were deployed in Tsorona. Before they launched the attack against Eritrea at Tserona, the Weyane (TPLF) cadres told their army that “Egyptian army contingents had been deployed there”.
How the Weyane regime tries to misconstrue and distort its ties and perspectives with Egypt is a broad and complicated issue. Leaving this aside, how can one justify the loss of life and other sacrifices that ensue from these fabrications?
At this moment, it is being claimed that Egypt has deployed soldiers and weapons in Eritrea. What was aired by the Al-Jazeera news agency was a fraction, the tip of the iceberg, in this campaign of disinformation. It was subsequently claimed that Egyptian troops have also been deployed in Barentu. This was apparently concocted to entangle Sudan into the trap. There were allusions to verification of this story by independent and credible sources. We hear intelligence and security officials from Ethiopia and the Sudan held meetings in Kassala “to assess the exact locations of this supposed Egyptian troop deployment and to monitor its activities”.
All these stories are pure fabrications. But the architects of these lies often cite places and names in order to imbue credibility to their wild allegations. For example, it was claimed in one of the news reports that a military officer named Tekle Manjus has been assigned to coordinate the troops deployed in Southern Barentu. How does such disinformation influence ordinary people and decision makers?
The lie associated with Sawa is the most baseless one. It has to be the most ridiculous joke because of its short-lived nature. In a way, it illustrates that those who fabricate these lies are not sophisticated enough to mislead the public.
Al-Jazeera is a news agency serving such purposes. Obviously, we need to take into account how it is funded, led and managed. Al-Jazeera has established an office in Addis Ababa with the express purpose of coordinating the malicious agendas and conspiracies targeting Eritrea. Regardless of the claims made during its inauguration, this office is there to spread ill-advised propaganda against Eritrea. The fictitious news about Sawa was fabricated by this office. When you consider how informed those who are involved in the fabrication and spread of the false news are, you tend to feel that they are aliens from Mars or other planets.
CGTN is a Chinese TV channel. Their correspondent in Cairo was asked to comment on the news story. He was supposedly an expert on the region and well-informed about the issue. He stated, unabashedly: “I know that the UAE has a military base at Sawa Island! But I am not sure whether the Egyptians are there or not.”
This shows how such fake stories are spread without minimum verification. What will this correspondent say if asked whether there is indeed an Island called Sawa and in which Sea it is found? Other big TV channels too followed suit. The story was gullibly recycled by Russia Today and other major networks who quoted and requited Al Jeezera without any validation. All these fabrications indicate the frivolity of the architects of these lies: the Weyane regime and its patrons. The Weyane regime is really a surrogate that does not have its own independent agenda. So in a way, the blame rests squarely on its patrons.
This latest disinformation is linked to what was previously propagated about Israeli surveillance station at Emba Soira. That Israel and Iran have military bases in Eritrea’s Dahlak Islands was routinely claimed for almost a decade now. Most lies are short-lived; just the same as how dew evaporates shortly. The lie associated with the deployment of Egyptian troops is the most frivolous one and it is less likely to mislead the public. What will Egyptian troops deployed in Sawa do? If we really assume that Sudan is the target of “this conspiracy” what is the point of Sawa as Egypt’s border with Sudan in the north is wider and closer to the Sudan. Therefore, why do Sawa, Barentu, Haykota, Tserona become issues? Is the threat directed at the Weyane regime? Again, this is silly and deliberately propagated to deflect public attention from the Woyane’s domestic woes and crisis. The fact is Ethiopia’s situation has become very worrisome and uncontrollable, both to Weyane and its patrons, and hence the ramping up of the disinformation campaign.
Weyane has multiple patrons. The fact that over time the situation in Ethiopia has been very disheartening and disappointing to all of them on the one hand, and the futility of the conspiracies engineered against Eritrea in the last 25 years on the other, have caused and fueled such fabrications and diversions.
I would like to take this opportunity to praise the Eritrean people for their steadfastness and resilience to overcome the prolonged conspiracies against our country. While Weyane was supposed to be a servile agent of its patrons and a lot has been invested to strengthen it and weaken others in the region, the reverse has happened. What is being propagated in relation to Egypt is a baseless claim and a lame excuse intended to cover up the failures associated with the misguided policies of Weyane and its patrons.
The lies and propaganda messages mainly target Sudan as it is assumed that Egypt’s presence in Eritrea is a threat to Sudan. There are issues involving the Weyane regime and some interest groups in Sudan. These matters may be raised at an appropriate time in the future. Such interest groups aim to mislead the people of Sudan and they are not concerned about the problems or consequences created. This is coupled with the desire of Weyane and its patrons to make Sudan part of the alliance against Eritrea, Egypt and others in our region.
Therefore, the fabricated stories are ultimately expected to culminate in pushing Sudan into conflict with Eritrea. Recently, the border between Eritrea and Sudan was closed and there are maneuvers around the border. I have learned that parallel to the fabricated news story, Weyane, and Sudan agreed last week for the former to deploy its troops in the southern part of the Kassala Province in the Sudan; in a place called Wilayat. It is said that financing the activities of such an army is the responsibility of the Sudanese government. This is not mere speculation but an established fact.
How will this operate? What will be its outcome? Is this army really expected to respond to an imagined attack against the Sudan from Sawa by Egypt?.
The ultimate aim of such false stories is to create conflicts and stoke tension between neighboring peoples. Thereafter, it becomes easy to abuse or manage the ensuing crisis. An intractable crisis situation, in turn, tends to create a fertile ground for deflecting attention from real problems. What comes to mind is the ignominious fabricated report of Iraq’s possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by Colin Powell to the UN in an attempt to justify the war against Iraq. Look at the consequences of this act; how it has impacted Iraq.
The Woyane regime claims that Egypt aims to weaken Ethiopia because of the Millenium Dam Project. Eritrea is considered, in Weyane’s eyes, an instrument to weaken Ethiopia. This wrong perception has to be bolstered by an intensive media campaign. Given the extensive coverage of today’s communication technology, there is a misguided belief that fabricated news stories can be consumed as truth. It is believed that once false stories are repeated and recycled by various media outlets, the public can be convinced and influenced accordingly.
The Weyane regime can continue to buy time. It may continue to be provided with intensive care and preferential treatment by its patrons. However, the situation in Ethiopia is irreversible. The ploys and games described above and that are masterminded by Weyane and its patrons can no longer be effective. The past 25 years are indeed lost years. There are changes in the world, as well as in our region and our broader neighborhood. Such lies can never be useful for the survival of the Wayane regime. What is being amplified by Al-Jazeera will, therefore, be futile.
The message that I wish to convey to the people of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt is that it is time to say enough is enough. On our part, while we believe that such fabrications easily evaporate as dew, we have been doing what we should.
Regardless of what is being said and propagated about the deployment of an army, about whether the border is closed or opened, we firmly believe that this has nothing to do with the national interest of the people of Sudan. As I asserted earlier, the issue is associated with creating a crisis and maximizing the interests of those who happen to mastermind such games in the course of managing and sustaining the crisis or conflict situation.
So I earnestly remind the people of Sudan to open their eyes and their ears so that they can be conscious not to be misled by the frivolous propaganda games. We should all be conscious enough to fight and uproot such ills and wicked intentions from our region. Enough lessons have already been learned regarding the lost opportunities in the last 25 years and we should not tolerate further losses.
The interest groups in Sudan are not concerned about Weyane or the Ethiopian people. Their problem is associated with their fear that peace and cooperation between Eritrea and Ethiopia do not serve their purposes; good relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia are perceived to be not advantageous to them. This perspective was there prior to the current regime in Sudan. A similar fear was experienced or harbored in the minds of these interest groups when the situation changed in our region in 1991 and when this situation created a fertile ground for cooperation between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
We say to such minority interest groups, who do not represent the people of Sudan at all and who are now conspiring with the Weyane, “Please be sensible enough to realise that attempts to create conflicts and border disputes between the people of Eritrea and Sudan are useless and it is better to come to your senses and discontinue creating conflict between the two peoples.”
I would like to take this opportunity to make things clear that on our part we will never consider an invitation to such issues.
We may also relate these developments to our domestic situation. However frivolous and baseless they may be, they help us interrelate our situation with what is happening in neighboring communities. As I said earlier, the last 25 years are the lost years. Our region has been afflicted by interminable conflicts essentially to provide fertile ground to those who aim to maximize their vested interest and benefits by sustaining crisis. Let us say what has happened is enough and let us avoid further losses.
Coincidental as it may be, the fact that Christmas was celebrated at Sawa must have conveyed the right message to those who fabricated the lies of a phantom Egyptian military base there. I do not know why and how it was organized, but I must say that the Ministry of Information has done a good job.
Q: Last month, several media outlets reported that Turkey has plans to establish a military base in Sudan, in addition to its military involvement in Somalia. Many pundits maintain that the Horn of Africa is influenced by and interlinked with the geopolitical strategies of major countries in the Middle East. What is Eritrea’s perspective in this regard? What is the stance of Eritrea with regard to the developments in our region?
Such concerns need to be examined from the perspective of a broader framework. After the end of the Cold War, during the last 25 years, it was believed that a unipolar economic system would be created. Consequently, there have been major developments in our region. The situation in Somalia is one of the major disappointing consequences of such a perspective and prevailing developments. As part of our foreign policy, we firmly believe that whenever and wherever there is a gap in a particular neighborhood or region, this becomes a major cause of political instability. Whenever one country or government is excluded in any neighborhood or region, a major gap is created and this is a major cause of political instability. Think of what happened in the region or the broader neighborhood after the end of the Cold War. Consider what happened in Afghanistan after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Afghanistan may be far from our region, however, there is a major gap there. Everyone is aware of the situation in Afghanistan. If we explore the origin of such a situation, the motives associated with what has happened there, and why it is sustained, we can easily see the similar effects of similar motives in our own region. The situation in Iraq is also another major gap. A lot may be said about Iraq. The overall situation in Iraq, including what is happening with the advent of ISIS and other terror-related problems, has caused a perpetually tense state or condition in the region. This major gap is also related to the eight-year war between Iraq and Iran, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, and the invasion of Iraq by the USA.
Further, consider what is happening in Syria. There is also a similar problem or gap in Lebanon. All such problems are interrelated in terms of their effect on creating an unstable political situation. What recently happened in Libya and Somalia also needs to be added to such gaps. All such situations are the same in terms of their cause: decisions that were based on fabricated lies led to such situations.
Similarly, all that was said against Eritrea before the 2009 sanctions that were decided by the UN Security Council will remain in our active memory. Consider the lies fabricated in relation to nonexistent deployment of 2000 Eritrean troops in Somalia and the lies fabricated in relation to other issues by the officials of the Clinton and Bush Administrations in the US.
Somalia is a part of the Horn of Africa. In terms of strategic geopolitical relevance, Somalia is a very important country. The Somali people are proud people who are capable of making a great and constructive contribution in our region. However, Somalia has been excluded from the map in terms of its potential contribution in the region for a quarter of a century. This major gap became a fertile ground for terrorism. This has been caused by the strategy of Weyane and its patrons in the last 25 years. They aimed to destabilize Somalia.
In 1960, when Somalia became independent, it was divided into two parts – South and North. However, the people of Somalia became united and one country through their voluntary initiatives and endeavors. This was a unique occurrence in Africa. Who knows, they might have planned to reach beyond this so as to include Ogaden, Djibouti, North or Eastern regions and Kenya? The central point is that Somalia’s nationalism and patriotism were at its apex at that time. It can be claimed that it was a very exemplary one in our region.
In the course of their nation-building process, once unity was achieved between the two parts of Somalia, the Somali people were determined to uproot tribalism from their society. This was a miracle and very symbolic. It means Somalia was one of the most powerful countries in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, warlords were created to destabilize Somalia. Clan or tribalism was considered the weak point to be exploited in order to create vertical polarization, cleavages, and conflicts among the communities of Somalia.
The efforts to weaken Somalia are linked to the establishment of anchor states in different parts of the world, which is part of the 2002 National Security Strategy of the USA. Ethiopia was selected to be an anchor and police state in the Horn of Africa. The intention was to make Ethiopia a regional superpower and make the rest of the states of the region subordinate ones that need to be disciplined by the boss or police state – Ethiopia.
Somalia was considered a threat to this strategy. The situation in Kenya and Djibouti also has to be looked at from this perspective. The ultimate consequence is that Weyane became a regime that is a servile agent of its patrons in our region. The Weyane regime became a policy instrument for implementing the agenda of its patrons. Even though the question we have raised is related to Somalia, the Eritrean case is linked to this situation and assessed from the same analytical framework.
Because of the motives described above, during the last 25 years, unity has been undone in Somalia and its sovereignty has been undermined due to the polarized cleavages and civil war. Somalia’s previously strong military institution is no longer there. At this time, it is not able to resist terror groups and those who are involved in piracy, such as Al-Shabaab. Somalia once had the strongest air force in the Horn of Africa. At this time, it is non-existent. In terms of its potential influence and contribution, Somalia has been excluded from the region. During the Siad Barre administration, especially at the end of his rule, there were excuses associated with terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, mainly related to Etihad. Such pretexts were intended to weaken Somalia and eventually make it inactive in the politics of our region.
The invasion of Somalia by Weyane was not endorsed by the Security Council. It was just imposed and Weyane was ordered to invade Somalia by its patrons. Three consecutive US administrations significantly supported Weyane and contributed considerably to having Somalia eventually destabilized. A lot is said about Al-Shabaab. We may talk a lot with respect to who actually supports Al-Shabaab, who provides financial and logistical support to Al-Shabaab.
Given this background, what is the need for the intervention of Turkey in Somalia? In terms of what is claimed by Turkey, there is a need to fight terrorism where it is – at its origins or sources. To this effect, does it mean Turkey should go to Somalia to fight Al-Shabaab and other terrorists that may be in Somalia? Can such a joke mislead us or eclipse what we can easily see with our eyes?
Egypt and Sudan leaders agreed on forming a joint ministerial commission comprising the foreign ministers and intelligence heads of both countries to handle bilateral matters and issues facing the two countries.
Sudanese and Egyptian presidents Saturday agreed to form a joint ministerial committee to tackle the outstanding issues between the two countries, highlighting the bonds of brotherhood.
In a meeting held on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, President Omer Al Bashir and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al Sisi discussed the recent tensions between the two countries.
In press statements after the meeting, Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghanour said the two presidents underlined that the relationship between the two countries is irreversible, as the two countries for a long time, formed a single country but also it is a relationship between two peoples, which have blood ties and share a common history.
Ghandour added the two leaders directed the foreign ministers and directors of security and intelligence services to hold an urgent meeting to develop a roadmap to restore the relationship to the right track and to avoid any future problems that could affect bilateral relations.
Ghandour and his Egyptian counterpart met on Friday to discuss the strained relations and agreed on the need to enhance consultations and coordination between the two countries.
“We agreed that we should work together through different institutions to remove any misunderstandings that affect bilateral relations and to put the relationship on the upward path for the benefit of the two peoples because what really binds them are bonds of love and brotherhood,” he added.
The relations between Sudan and Egypt are strained since the removal of the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in a military coup on July 3, 2013. Since.
Besides the different political orientations, the two government diverge over the disputed border area of Halayeb and the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam.
China built and paid for the African Union building and its computer network in 2012 – leaving a backdoor to access the organization’s confidential information until it was discovered last year
China’s ambassador to the African Union, Kuang Weilin, calls the report as ‘preposterous and absurd’. (Photo: Reuters)
At the headquarters of the African Union (AU), in Addis Ababa, elevators still speak Mandarin and the trunks of the plastic palm trees are branded China Development Bank. New buildings under construction by the company ‘s Beijing or Hong Kong surround the modern glass tower offered in 2012 by Chinese to Africa.
This is where on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 January, the 30th summit of the Pan-African organization should take place.
The controls are strict to enter this building where ministers and heads of State meet twice a year to discuss the major issues of the continent. Yet, there is an invisible security threat ignored by most of the leaders and diplomats, but one that is of utmost concern to some senior AU officials.
In January 2017, the small computer unit of the AU discovered that its servers were strangely saturated between midnight and 2 a.m. in the morning. The offices were empty, the activity was dormant, but data transfers were at a peak.
A zealous computer scientist then looked into this anomaly and realized that the internal data of the AU were massively diverted. Every night, the secrets of this institution, according to several internal sources, found themselves stored more than 8,000 km from Addis Ababa, on mysterious servers hosted somewhere in Shanghai, the Chinese megacity.
The new building, “China’s Gift to Friends of Africa”, was donated just six years ago. It has been fully equipped by the Chinese. The computer systems were delivered, turnkey. And Chinese engineers have deliberately left two flaws: backdoors, which give discrete access to all internal exchanges and productions of the organization.
According to several sources within the institution, all sensitive content could be spied on by China. A spectacular data leak, which would have spread from January 2012 to January 2017. When contacted, the Chinese mission to the AU did not reply our requests.
“It has lasted too long. As a result of this discovery, we thanked, without making a scandal, the Chinese engineers at our headquarters in Addis Ababa to manage our systems,” says a senior AU official on condition of anonymity.
“We have taken some steps to strengthen our cybersecurity, a concept that is not yet in the hands of civil servants and heads of State. We remain very exposed. “
Since then, the AU has acquired its own servers and declined China’s offer to configure them. On the ground floor of the glass tower, in a room that goes unnoticed, is a data center that focuses much of the information system of the organization. All electronic communications are now encrypted and no longer pass through Ethio Telecom, the public operator in Ethiopia, a country renowned for its cyber surveillance and electronic espionage capabilities.
Now, the highest officials of the institution have foreign phone lines and more secure applications.
During the 29th AU Summit in July 2017, new security measures have been proven. Four specialists from Algeria, one of the institution’s biggest financial contributors, and Ethiopian cybersecurity experts inspected the rooms and found microphones placed under the desks and walls.
“Nothing to be listened to by the Chinese, let go the head of the diplomacy of a great African power. They at least have never colonized us, supported the struggles of independence on the continent and help us economically today.”
A new computer architecture, independent of the Chinese, has also been deployed. Like this video conferencing system, developed by the internal IT teams and used by the heads of state, which works by cable and not by Wi-Fi. Thus, a few cautious diplomats and heads of state can continue to use their air unhindered jammer waves.
The African Union allocated just only 10 million dollars (8 million euros) of budget to information technology. With the exception of the World Bank, which has paid a part of the new data center, foreign partners are showing little interest in financing a Cyber Security Agency.
“It suits all the world be it a colander,” laments one official already present at the time of the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-2002).
“We let ourselves be listened to and we do not say anything. The Chinese are here twenty-seven hours a day, have planted a lot of microphones and cyber espionage tools when they built this building. And they are not the only ones! “
According to the documents obtained by Le Monde , in collaboration with The Intercept , archives of the former consultant of the US National Security Agency (NSA) Edward Snowden, the antennas of the secret British intelligence agencies (GCHQ) have not spared the AU.
Between 2009 and 2010, several officials saw their calls and e-mails intercepted, such as Boubou Niang, the then special advisor to the UN and AU mediator in Darfur, Sudan.
Some Western powers prefer human intelligence at the AU. Like the French intelligence services who, in addition to their technical espionage devices, tried to convince heads of state of the French squares to inform them behind the scenes of these summits. To the point of trying to “recruit” those who have acceded to the rotating presidency of the AU or the head of the Commission, according to many of them, annoyed by this “humiliating” approach.
The Pan-African organization has always been particularly attached to the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity, two principles that feature in the AU Constitutive Act. However, due to lack of resources and awareness among Heads of State and most officials, Pan-African digital territories remain at the mercy of foreign intelligence services.
“Here, it’s safe, Inshallah ! ” quips a senior official. Attributed to China, the huge infiltration of computer information systems operation, for five long years, has nevertheless reminded some senior officials of the AU that it may be time, while the reform of the institution at this January summit discussed, to secure their cyberspace. (* software translation from French)
The U.S. gov’t gave the Ethiopian regime a deadline of Feb 28 to unconditionally accept the appointment of a UN Rapporteurs and allow unfettered access into the country to investigate the state of human rights
House Resolution 128 calls for the immediate appointment of a special UN Human rights rapporteur to Ethiopia and targeted sanctions against Ethiopian officials responsible for crimes and human rights violations.
The United States on Wednesday gave a 28-day ultimatum to the Ethiopian regime to announce its consent to allow rapporteurs for the United Nations High Commissioner to investigate human rights violations in the country.
House majority leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) said he communicated to the Ethiopian regime that they need to announce by February 28,2018, that they will allow rapporteurs appointed by the United Nations to independently investigate the state of human rights in Ethiopia.
According to the majority leader, if the regime fails to do so, House Resolution 128, a resolution supporting human rights in Ethiopia, will be put to the floor of the House for a vote in March.
“Should the government not announce by Feb. 28 that it will allow the UNHCHR to independently examine the state of human rights in Ethiopia, then we will bring the resolution to the floor during the month of March.
Furthermore, should the government announce it will allow access by the deadline but then not actually follow through and give the UN access, we will bring the resolution to the floor,” McCarthy said in a letter to Ethiopian civic and political groups whom he met on Monday.
“There is no question this resolution has had and continues to have an impact. We are committed to the shared goal that the human rights of every Ethiopian should be respected, honored, and protested,” McCarthy added.
The Ethiopian regime had repeatedly refused demands by the High Commissioner and other rights watchdogs for an independent investigation into the killings of hundreds of anti-government protesters since November 2015 when protests began in the Oromo region of Ethiopia.
By the regime’s own admission, over 900 people were killed in 2015 through 2017. There have been more deaths of protesters in 2018 and hundreds of others lost their lives in Eastern Ethiopia in a shoot to kill operation by the Special police force of the Somali region. The regime blames ethnic clashes between the Oromo and Somali communities for the deaths.
On Monday, a meeting was held between representatives of Ethiopian civic and political groups with majority leader McCarthy, Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Mike Coffman that deliberated on ways of moving forward House Resolution 128, a resolution supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia.
Introduced in the House in February 2017, the resolution was scheduled to be on the House floor for a vote on October 2, 2017, but has been indefinitely postponed.
Res. 128, among others, calls for sanctions against Ethiopian officials responsible for committing gross human rights violations. It also called for the regime to allow a United Nations rapporteur to conduct an independent examination of the state of human rights in Ethiopia.
The state of peace has worsened in Ethiopia today more than any other country
What is the price of peace in Ethiopia? Will Ethiopia go the way of peace through atonement and reconciliation or take the path of civil war and bloodshed?
BY HABEN TEKLE
Following a spasm of violence, Ethiopia faces a critical choice between endemic instability and slow but steady progress toward political reform. The most sensible way forward is to launch a new, genuine dialogue with political opposition parties, in which they are unfairly represented.
In order to create an environment in which such talks could succeed, the regime should take immediate steps to address the human rights crisis, including by releasing political leaders jailed for peacefully expressing their views, and reverse the alarming sectarian polarization that has occurred.
Protesters are calling for political reform leading to a Democratic federalism. They steadily began to embrace the moral radical demand for the regime’s replacement. This popular movement is aimed at a different future; they demand cultural, economic and political change. Further repression and violence will not defuse this combustible situation.
The Oromo people’s struggle accommodates the reality of their colonization by few Juntas of Weyane and the immense loss it entailed, to envision a new accommodation that will be necessary for justice to be done. Once a military regime came into power in 1991, state policies became increasingly focused on industrialization, and over the years, millions of farmers had their land taken away by the government, so as protests against unequal distribution of land were met with repression.
Under a counter-terrorism law that human rights activists and lawyers say is used to stifle criticism, dozens of politicians, protesters, journalists, and bloggers have been jailed, along with critics of the land deals. More than 50 foreign investors, from India, Turkey, Pakistan, China, and Sudan as well as Saudi Arabia, have leased Ethiopian land. Yet only 35 percent of the leased land has been developed, according to official figures.
Native communities of Ethiopia has been ill-treated and subjected to misery due to the policy of large-scale land acquisition. The Oakland Institute underscores to this situation as the wrong matched south-south co-operation among Ethiopia and India.
There is a reason to fear that Ethiopia is heading for a prolonged political stalemate, enforced by a heavy security presence backed by government troops and punctuated by protests when circumstance permits. The consequences could be costly.
Already, divisions among different ethnic groups notably between Oromo and Somalia are deeper than ever.
The regime is erecting regional boundaries; by closing off any avenue for reforming and targets moderate opposition groups. This is laying the groundwork for a potential future uprising. In this tense atmosphere, any further provocation or violent action could trigger an explosion; unfortunately, hardliners in all regions seem to be preparing for precisely this.
Things must be done:
The regime should take a series genuine negotiation with opposition parties and implement confidence-building measures, including freeing those arrested for their participation in the peaceful protest.
The government should abolish policy of stigmatization which favors the elite highlanders.
The government should stop land grabbing immediately. A policy of large-scale land acquisition has a severe impact on the enjoyment of human rights of the local population, particularly on their right to adequate food. So the government must be abided by the relevant obligation imposed on states under international human rights law. Here is the full reportof Olivier De Schutter the Special Rapporteur on the right to food.
Western states and notably the U.S. have a key role to play. Washington in coordination with influential allies such as the EU, UK, and other financial institutions need to impose on taking dramatic action, including a reduction in its financial support to the government.
Donors must incorporate strong accountability and oversight measures in state capacity building and security sector programs in Ethiopia and be willing to defund projects if the government fails to include corruption prevention safeguards.
It is clear that EPRDF/TPLF (Weyane) cannot fix the plethora of crises that they caused. Reforming the system will require dedicated work on all sides and a new way of seeing the problem.
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” *
“National Service has been prolonged from its statutory duration due to occupation and Ethiopia’s flagrant violation of international law. Those who keep mum in the face of these violations have no business whatsoever to question or comment on Eritrea’s defense architecture.” – Yemane G. Meskel (Photo: Steve Forrest)
Eritrea continues to prolong the statutory duration of its national service because of the illegal occupation of its territory by neighboring Ethiopia, its Minister of Information has said.
Yemane Ghebre Meskel added that those that condoned Ethiopia’s continued disregard for international law “have no business whatsoever to question or comment on Eritrea’s defense architecture.”
In tweets sent out on February 7, 2018; the minister also responded to recent reports about how predominantly Eritrean and Sudanese were being threatened with jail and deportation by the Israeli government’s clampdown on illegal migrants.
“Recent media, “pundits” discourse on Eritrean “asylum seekers”, (UNHCR, Al Jazeera Inside Story), are replete with the usual, worn-out, distortions and half-truths,” he said in a tweet.
It is largely reported that the forced national service allied with a struggling economy was responsible for the decision by most young people leaving the country to make the perilous journey towards Europe.
In 2016, Reuters reported that the Asmara government said its conscription was vital for national security stressing that it fears attack by its Ethiopia – from who they gained independence in 1993 but fought a bloody and expensive war that ended in June 2000.
On paper, citizens between the ages of 18 and 40 must complete 18 months of service to the state but diplomats and those who have fled say this can stretch to a decade or more. The government reserves the right to extend the length of service in periods of emergency.
Each month as many as 5,000 people flee Eritrea according to U.N. figures, estimates the Eritrean government disputes. The government puts the population at about 3.6 million, while other estimates suggest it could be almost double that.
“The government is doing the utmost that it can do, under the circumstances,” Ghebremeskel told Reuters in 2016, saying salaries would rise but there were no plans to scrap or cut national service.
“Demobilization is predicated on [the] removal of the main threat. You are talking about the prolongation of national service in response to … continued belligerence by Ethiopia,” he added.
Asmara has continually called on the United Nations to ask Ethiopia to end their illegal occupation of Eritrean territory, the most recent was in September 2017 during the UN General Assembly when Foreign Minister reiterated the call.
