Are Eritrean people liberated or not?
According to Wikipedia encyclopaedia, the meaning of liberation is stated as follows: ‘liberation is based on the word liberty, related to the word liberal, and it is often understood as "to be freed (or change) from not having freedom to having freedom". A major use of the word is the act of the (forcible) removal of unwanted control of an area, person or people by an outside (sometimes military) force...’
Do the Eritrean people have all sorts of freedom starting from the first date of their liberation? Are they enjoying some sort of democratic activities at least like the people of Ethiopia, as per them colonialist Ethiopia? How can we be informed that the people of Eritrea enjoying their freedom? All prospects show that they didn’t achieve it. As to me Eritrean people are not liberated as per their aspire and expectation. What happened is, “after a long time sacrifies by the people for real liberation (freedom)”, when the end result came into place it was hijacked by the gangsters group to form a government like “State-mafia”.
It was clear for every body how the Eritrean leaders designed their economic development plan and started to behave in relation to their neighbours especially with Ethiopia. It is obvious that the cause of Badme is not really the border question. As far as my knowledge concerned, Eritrea was intended to use its currency Nakfa in Ethiopian market not like the other foreign currencies, which is determine their value by market, but in equal footing with Ethiopian Birr by seeking the good will of Ethiopian government. It didn’t take place according to their plan because of currency change in Ethiopia simultaneously. In fact, really it was one of the measure decisions taken by the Ethiopian government at that time. I personally trusted and relied on Ethiopian government from then onwards. I remember when Eritrea demanded Ethiopia to exchange the old Ethiopian birr notes, which they collected by changing with the new Nakfa notes. What they brought was in fact not Birr, but simply valueless paper since the value on it was transferred to Nakfa. I think the Eritreans didn’t expect the change of Birr or forecast the quencequences when transferring to Nakfa.
Eritrea also wished that it would be engaged in industrial development to export the products to Ethiopia where as Ethiopia will focus on Agriculture. When they saw some industries are being planted in Ethiopia especially in northern part of the country, they became more disappointed. Their entire economic plan design with Ethiopia was not genuine rather mafia-like one.
When the gangsters observed that the Ethiopian government is coming very serious in terms of defending Ethiopian interest, they designed another plan of dictation on Ethiopia by military force. They started to achieve this option by invading Badme in 1998. Badme was in fact a pretext to as territorial interest of Eritrea, but some of among the major rationales were the aborted mafia-plan, which I tried to explain above. They failed to achieve the military dictation option during 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia.
When the border conflict ended up by Ethiopians upper hand, around 15 high-ranking officials of Eritrean government or EPLF members tried to come to normal status of mind and understand what they are doing is not acceptable by any other country. But for their idea Esayas Afeworki has immediately jailed them. Most of the people specially the international community do not know what was/is the fate of this people till now.
From that time on wards the Esayas group continued its Mafiosi action against Ethiopia. They tried to organize terrorist attacks in Addis Ababa and some places of Ethiopia, They associated them selves with the Alquaida-like international terrorists against Ethiopia in Somalia. They are providing shelter and all sorts of assistance to Ethiopian rebellion groups and so on. More over, they putted the Eritrean people as a hostage against the international community. We are hearing through the international media that here and there hostages have been taken or freed, but never have been mentioned about the hostage of the total people of Eritrea under the name of liberation. The writer of this article is not arguing the rightness of Eritrean people struggle against the Ethiopian dictators of the time, but the result ended-up in the hands of the most dictatorial regime (Mafiosi group). Currently the situation in Eritrea is more disastrous in all aspects that one will not be mistaken to raise the question whether Eritrean people have got their true independence and freedom or not?
Eritrea would have been benefited from huge Ethiopian economic potential more than any Eastern African country if it had followed wise, normal and peaceful political-economy policy with Ethiopia.
The more disastrous situation is that Eritrea a country with null democratic practice and absolute dictatorship is being observed when it talks about the freedom of other peoples in Eastern Africa. The saying goes “Ye- rasua Eyarerebat Yesew Tamasilalech”.
I am not surprised if a rebellion group against Ethiopia is seeking shelter in Eritrea, but the most surprising scenario I observed is that some Ethiopian opposition parties, which choose peaceful struggle for more democrasy in Ethiopa, are associating them selves with Eritrea on the question of Somalia and other political questions in Ethiopia. This is really surprising incidence which unveiled them selves for the Ethiopian people for appropriate stand to be taken.
The writer of this article has grown together with Eritrean children in Addis Ababa and still believes in its heart and mind that the two people are brothers and sisters apart from gangster politics, which trying to detach them apart forever. I strongly believe that it is not for the benefit of Eritrean people what is happening by Eritrean government nowadays against Ethiopia. Let us be wise and cooperate peacefully for the benefit of both people rather than being engaged in destabilizing activities. Ethiopia is going forward in development activities with its huge economic potential. I would be happy if our Eritrean brothers and sisters do the same rather than being engaged in defence of other countries interest than their own.
Freedom for Eritrean people!
Buzu Mengistu
Email: buzumen2@yahoo.com