OPEN LETTER TO THE ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER MR. MELES ZENAWI
[በኣማርኛ, pdf]
Mr. Meles Zenawi,
Prime Minister
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
August 8, 2007
Mr. Prime Minister,
The characteristic peculiar to our country, which distinguishes it from other countries, is the fact that it played an exemplary role in fiercely defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity at the time when powerful foreign powers were on the rampage to subjugate most lands on the globe.
Indeed, there have been periods in our history where our country had land mass many folds more than of the present one and trade relations and influence extending into the interior of the then neighboring Nubian Empire. This glaring history has been attested by innumerous literary works of ancient and modern scholars, both foreign and local origins.
Virtually, all Ethiopian governments prior to that of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front ( EPRDF ), although rightfully criticized for their autocratic and repressive leadership style, decidedly took preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the nation as their primary undertaking. Under their leadership, and largely because of it, our country repulsed powerful invaders such as the Ottoman Turks, Egyptians, Italians and Mahadists.
And it has now become the historical burden of this generation to carry on the great tradition of keeping the territorial integrity of the nation as the best way of commemorating the sacrifices of our forefathers. However, recent international media coverage of giving away another part of our country in the making is in circulation.
On July 4, 2007, the Sudan Tribune, under the title ‘Eastern Sudan farmers get back disputed lands from Ethiopia’, wrote, “A joint Sudanese-Ethiopian committee would start today to hand over agricultural lands to residents of more than 17 Sudanese villages located in eastern Atbara River along the Ethiopian-Sudanese border.”
The Sudan Tribune further reported that the governor of Al-Gadarif State, in eastern Sudan, Abdelrahman al-Khidir as saying, “… technical arrangements have been finished and a committee of seven experts from each side would give the Sudanese farmers their lands, pointing out that his government is ready to append these farmers with the current agricultural season. …with the end of the committee’s work which might last for a week, the lands would be back to their owners…that the final operation of border re-demarcating which might conclude after the autumn season would put an end for all kinds of security breaches and instability situation in the area.”
This clearly states that handing over the territory is already in advanced stages, and yet the Ethiopian government has not made any public statement of denying or sanctioning the report. It is extremely difficult to believe what type of package deal could make your government hide behind the screen of secretly negotiating and carving out a piece of our land to a foreign nation; and it is viciously wrong to keep the Ethiopian people in the dark on such most ominously crucial issue.
Not surprisingly, traumatized echoes are becoming progressively louder over this issue, inside and outside of the country, and at a time where the public is highly skeptical over anything that goes to the credibility of your government in preserving national unity and territorial integrity.
Ethiopians today are clamoring so desperately for answers to this crucial issue and we, groups of concerned Ethiopians, earnestly request your government to provide detailed account to the Ethiopian people regarding the alleged negotiations and the handing over the North Western part of Ethiopia to the Republic of the Sudan.
Respectfully,
Groups of Highly Concerned Ethiopians
CC
1. The Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. Amhara Kilil Administration, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
3. Beneshangul-Gumuz Kilil Administration, Assosa, Ethiopia
4. North Gondar Administration, Gondar, Ethiopia
5. South Gondar Administration, Debretabor, Ethiopia
6. All Ethiopian Opposition Political Organizations