1. Eritrean independence was not granted by the TPLF. The TPLF facilitated the struggled to depose the Derg and legitimize the independence. But the TPLF could not refuse to do so because in 1991 they were at the mercy of the EPLF.

2. You paint Issaias as a reliable leader. I know Issaias personally and he is arrogant, self-centred, narcissist and evil person. He’s not only a dictator but also he works relentlessly to destroy both the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The man works for nobody but his power. I think moving forward with Issais in power is impossible.

But you have a number of excellent points that every citizen should heed to.

If indeed Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic society and Eritrea has 50% of its population who do not feel any affinity to Ethiopia – for so many valid reasons, such essay would be meaningless. And it is to bring meaning to such narrowly devised idea that generations after generations went to such bloody wars and endless miseries.

How about new ideas on Pan Africanism? That might help brining new strategic relationships and neighborly friendship.

If we consider the true composition of Ethiopian and Eritrean ethnic groups, then the relationship between these two countries could not be different from that of, say, Tanzania and Nigeria, or Chad and Uganda.

Finally, I beg (it is only asking a favor) the Ethiopian elite to stop saying that the TPLF, “gave away [Eritrean] independence in a silver platter.” It is an insult to ignore the sacrifices and the courage with which Eritreans fought to gain liberation.
.

Dawit further claims: “I was also there when in September 1956 (Eth. Cal.) our troops suffered their first causality at a place called Haikota, close to Agordat. The ELF took out peaceful soldiers on leave from a public bus and executed them.”

I am hardly pressed to disbelieve this claim, if Dawit was there, he must have been the only Tor Serawit in Haikota. At that time, Haikota was manned by Eritrean police—Tor Serawit had not been stationed there yet though they passed through there a year earlier to pursue Awate who gave them a battle at Togoruba where the man with the ragtag group of “Bandits” came out victorious.

The date corresponds to 1964 European calendar and the people who executed that operation could still be alive. The Haikota operation is considered one of the first ever-daring operations the nascent ELF executed. The claim that the ELF killed peaceful soldiers from a public bus and executed them is either a dishonest recounting or an intended clever under the belt hit, I am not sure which. It didn’t happen.

That story is recounted by all veterans with so much pride and passion. Here is what really happened: The bus was stopped on its way to Haikota, the combatants in civilian clothes ordered the passengers to disembark. Then they boarded the bus and entered Haikota singing and clapping (traditionally, people on a trip to bring a bride from a different place traveled that way). They surprised the policemen in the Haikota station. They were not prepared for such a surprise; it could be because their trainers told them Awate and his group are a bunch of simple BANDITS. But the “bandits” stripped the station of all its arms and stores.

In any event, EVEN if what Dawit recounts is true (and it is not), where do these two acts fall on the morality scale: executing “peaceful soldiers” who were vacationing from their one task to kill you (the alleged victims in Dawit’s mournful tale) OR burning alive women, the elderly and children (which happened in Ona and is recorded by history)?

Thanks,

Yemane

I agree with your core conclusions that Eritrea is an independent sovereign country: and that there has to be a peaceful co-existance of both natons based on mutual interest and respect.
I also agree with you that the focus and concentration of Ethiopians and Eritreans minds has to be how to get rid of desperate Woyanne before they do further damage and destruction.
I have to say that you are economical with the historical facts and information of Eritrea and thier heroic arms struggle for self-determination. I will not dwell on this because Eritrea’s historical facts are well documented by neutral individuals.
I do not agree with your version of what has happened on the last meeting of the Eritrean Assembly on November 1962.
You called early Eriteran arm resistance as ‘bandits’.Woyanne calls Ethiopian arms resistance -EPPF, OLF, ONLF—as bandits or terrorists. Does it sounds the same.

Mr. Dawit,

I have broadly given my view earlier in number 32 (to avoid confusion from another who is using the same screen name, I am using Mogos T). This is a follow up.

The Eritrean Parliament, the federal Eritrean constitution
and all the liberties that entailed with it and the Eritrean flag (blue) were abolished illegally by Ethiopia in 1962. Dawit presents these as if the members of the Eritrean Parliament willingly on their own without any duress voted to be unemployed and voted to be oppressed along with the rest of the population. Worse, he presents it also that it was unanimous. This is not true.

Still, no matter how you cut it, the Eritrean Federal Parliament did not have a mandate to abolish the federation. This was not one of its function as stipulated in the Eritrean Federal Constitution. Only the whole Eritrean population through a referendum could decide that very serious issue. Whether the vote to abolish the federation and unify with Ethiopia was unanimous, whether that was accomplished through intimidation and bribery is immaterial. It was simply illegal. It violated the rule of law.

If one were to look at it from a very commonsensical point of view too it does not make sense. After the Federation we were not allowed to use Tigrinya and Arabic. Free press was abolished. The right to organize became illegal. Our trade unions were banned. Our independent courts became lame, and slowly Tigrinya and Arabic speakers were replaced by Amharic speakers. We became foreigners in on our own land. Our traditional customary laws, the so called Higi Enda Aba which are very democratic, became inept. The small scale industries we used to have relatively advanced in the region were closed, (in order to force Eritreans to migrate out of Eritrea). Our students suddenly were put at a disadvantage since we hardly knew or were interested to know the Amharic language (may be slightly short sighted), since a good grade in Amharic was a requirement to enter the university or high school.

Suddenly in 1962 the whole world collapsed on Eritreans, we were left alone to fend for ourselves. Now, we should not allow anyone to distort historical facts how progressive and positive one may be towards the future. The future depends on the past. As to the war conducted by the EPLF and ELF, a French historian an authority on guerrilla warfare claims that the Eritreans are one of the best fighters as a cohesive unit in HISTORY. Mind you not in Africa or the present world but in history going back all the way to ancient Greeks. Dawit cannot whitewash that glorious history, because it claimed more than sixty five thousand Eritrean lives and more than hundred thousands maimed. I do not glorify war. But that war was conducted primarily to restore our civil liberties, languages and cultures. Mr. Dawit has to reconcile himself with history. This is not too much to ask. I hope Dawit gives us a better clarification.

Going forward I am for peace. and good relations. I am for some sort of economic integration. Still, I insist that the primary requirements for this is that the rule of law and democracy be established in both Eritrea and Ethiopia. And Ethiopians have to be very honest with themselves, if they believe that there is no rule of law and democracy in Ethiopia, then there is even a worse order in Eritrea than the order in Ethiopia. Otherwise you will be very disappointed, as you were disappointed in 1991.

2.There is no reason for Eritrea and Eritreans to see a wealthy and united Ethiopa. We believe on respect of each other. Eritreans respects the Unity of Ethiopia of all nations and nationalities, becuase it is an interest of Eritrea to have a respected Ethiopia. If any one looks otherwise, he/she is out of mind. We Eritreans expect the same respect and acceptance from our Ethiopians and other neighbours..

3.Regarding trade and use of ports. Our Sea Coasts are our natural given resources the same as Ethiopa is rich in water resources, agricalture animals etc…
We can not be proud of what was given to us naturaly. We are proud of what we achieve by our day today efforts.
Our Ports are for us as well as for our neighbour in a good
and for good relationship.

4. Respect of law, regulation are the tools of our caltural heritage in both countries. So the rule of law should be respected by the present govermet of Ethiopia regarding the borfer issue.
The way to peace is through respect of law between Asmara and Addis Abeba. No other way can bring us to peacefull solution os our proble.

This is simply because any other way will includ the the interest of those who are on the way.

Let me put the your good words in my writting which is fundamental.

Likewise, Ethiopians of all groups should recognize the sovereignty of Eritrea and work towards the fulfillment of our common aspirations.

Thanks

“It was not questioned and dying for it was a cause to be celebrated. That is how most of the people I worked with in Eritrea and most of the soldiers I knew much later in life lived and died. They were in hundreds of thousands and all died with a smile on their face: because the cause was the flag and the unity of Ethiopia.”

i have seen so many derg soldiers during my life in asmara, there was even a military camp in our neibourhood. I have never seen a single soldier smiling or laughting,while they were alive, let alone while they were dying. why would they smile? they were totaly isolated from the community,we were distant to them. they have missed their wives, kids, hometown, friends etc.they were loosing their commrades every day.IF YOU HAD LEFT THEM IN THEIR BELOVED VILLAGE OR TOWN, THEY WOULD HAVE SMILLED MUCH MORE AND LIVE MUCH LONGER.

“When I was governor for three years, my task was to pacify the rebellion and stop people from supporting the EPLF. And indeed, as many who were there at the time would testify, we succeeded to the extent that the EPLF leadership later admitted to me and my colleagues that it was one of the toughest times in their war against Ethiopia. Suddenly young people stopped joining the rebels and many started deserting from the EPLF and joined their families. It was not a miracle nor was it a complicated task.”

During the years that you were a governor of eritrea, there was a heavy fighting between EPLF and ELF groeps. as a result many of the fighters were disappointed and dicided to move to sudan and even some surrendered to the derg regime.That had affected the entire eritrean community and the young generation.that was the main reason why people hesitated for some time to join the liberation front.

“It is only the governments that are two. The people have been one and are one. All responsible Ethiopians and Eritreans should endeavor to up hold this truth and reinforce it by focusing on what binds us together rather than what divides us.”

we eritreans in eritrea and ethiopians have never been one at all, neither in our heart nor in our mind. That was also the main reason why we were fighting against each other.

God bless Eritreans and ethiopians with good will

You, Dawit WoldeGiorgis, keep writing. In due course of time, your responsibility is as much to LEAVE HISTORY DOCUMENTED the way you were a part of it. With all due respect to some of the believable contributing bloggers who responded to this document, please keep up as well; and express the way you “knew” it; or “understood” it.

If there was unintentional miscalculation from Col. Dawit in the past, nothing and absolutely nothing was as insanely miscalculated as some of Col. Mengistu’s actions. Some things also need to be assessed in the context of the times long gone. To have been a governer to a certain territory/province/region used to have its remarkable effect on the governers, extended families etc., because the place and people adjusts as part of their identity and vice versa. So, It is not surprising that Dawit ‘s experience uniquely his own and not uncommon for others in similar assignment.

I think, ultimately all of this process compounded on top of the wisdom of age could re create another version of life out of the writer.

God bless Eritrea and Ethiopia.

First and foremost, thank you very much for sharing your wisdom. It was implausible to read articles such as the one you posted after the bitter war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. I guess it is safe to assume now that the paradigm is shifting. It is shifting for the better as we all have been witnessing for the past few months. Without a doubt, both Ethiopia and Eritrea have a lot in common and share common values that will always bind them together. Unfortunately, they also share a common enemy. That enemy is Weyane! The time has come for the people of both Eritrea and Ethiopia to work together to remove, as many of you call it, the “Cancer”. It is just a matter of time before the Weyanes disappear like a bad cold. We just need to make sure we remain prudent until that time comes.

As most of you would agree, it is about time both ordinary Eritreans and Ethiopians start a dialogue that will eventually lead them to not only remove their number one enemy but to help them start the healing process. I believe the political dynamic in the horn Africa will change forever once the people of both nations come together. Perhaps, this may not be a well-received phenomenon by the west and it takes a lot of political maturity on both sides to triumph over any potential obstacles. For the first time, in a long time, I feel confident that these two nations’ people will ultimately breaking their old tendencies and develop a trust between them.

Confident