From: michael seium (michael.seium@gmail.com)
Date: Mon Apr 12 2010 - 04:47:13 EDT
During a conference titled "Good governance in the horn of Africa"
hosted by Trans Africa and Ethiopian opposition groups, Eritrean
activist Amanuel Beidemariam as well as Professor Berhe Habteghiorgis were
invited speakers representing Eritrea. Amanuel's paper focused on "New
relationships between Eritrea and Ethiopia, a view from the Eritrean side.
The title said it all, and in order for peace to prevail in the horn a new
type of relationship must be a priority. While Amanuel explained to the
audience eloquently that Eritrea is the land of peace and harmony and
looking for partnership in peace, Dr. Berhe had the opportunity to refute a
couple of old school Ethiopian professors who can't seem to comprehend that
the old Ethiopian mentality is a curse for Ethiopians. They need accept that
Eritrea is an independent nation on the rise, on it's own with it's own
seaports. One of the Ethiopian guest professors Mr.Getachew Begashaw had the
nerve in trying to justify that Ethiopians must use Assab and that it does
not serve Eritrea any purpose. To add insult to injury he went on to add
that let alone Assab, even Massawa has no use for Eritrea based on his
research. He was adamant and arrogant in his study finding comparing
Bolivia's land locked situation with his native Ethiopia and that if
Ethiopia does not get Assab, the consequences of war is a reality. I mean
for god’s sake this was suppose to be a peace conference and a person
teaching students in college is provoking war. Shame!
While Eritreans participated in this conference to seek more understanding
about the underlying issues that have created division between the two
people the few handful bad apples must be told straight in their face that
the good old boy Ethiopian mentality must be eradicated from their minds.
If Eritrea and Ethiopia are to create genuine peace, the Ethiopianist
professors must understand that Eritreans know their fate very well and they
choose to remain independent of anyone else telling them how to use their
ports by the Red Sea.
While the organizers of the event had good intentions It is to be known that
Eritreans went there as a separate and independent country to represent the
interests of peace in the region. However what transpired during the time
allocated for the Eritrean speakers is something that I believe was
unacceptable and unwarranted. Because of excuses for time and another
following conference the amount of speakers on the panel far exceeded the
limit and did not allow the Eritrean point of view to be clearly heard and
discussed by the audience.
Starting out with a certain professor by the name of Shumet Shishagne, His
use of an old letter he dug up written by one of the father's of the
Eritrean struggle Ato Woldeab Woldemariam to the former emperor of Ethiopia.
It was used in the wrong context and really ticked off the handful Eritrean
participants in the audience. While Ato Woldeab may have wanted genuine
peace amongst the people of both Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Eritrean people's
voice and the hard fought freedom by Ato Woldeab and Ibrahim Sultan is
something that needs to be remembered and not taken lightly. The professor
failed to understand that Ato Woldeab had several attempts on his life
fighting for Eritrea's independence. The professor tried to use that letter
as a way to confuse people into believing that Ato Woldeab was for a united
Ethio-Eritrea all along, which in fact was far from the truth.
What binds the Eritrean people with Ethiopians today is the simple fact that
the current Ethiopian genocidal regime has betrayed it's own struggle for
independence and has unleashed its crimes against humanity on the entire
region. While Eritrea as a nation can fend for herself, the Ethiopians who
have pretty much been forgotten by the rest of the world are suffering.
Eritrea plays a role in morally supporting the oppressed people of the
region as an independent nation. This must first be understood by everyone
in order to move forward. However, some of these left over old school
professors don't seem to get it.
Dr. Berhe Habteghorgis an Eritrean who was educated in Ethiopia's military
academy put the record straight during his short 15-minute session, which I
think was not enough to let the audience know his research based on
principles that can work towards better relations with the Ethiopian
opposition groups. Instead he was forced to refute the old school argument
about Assab and the letter from Ato Woldeab. He did what he could and after
the answer and question session, he was once again confronted by the "ASSAB
SALIVATING" old school professor at which point he stood his ground once
again. I think the organizers should have the decency to manage such an
event with a little more respect when your guests from Eritrea have extended
their hands to you. I hope this is something that we can amicably solve in
the future. While most Eritreans believe that in order for peace to prevail
in the horn of Africa, these types of conferences can help, the reality
today can only be overcome by moving forward and accepting the wishes of the
Eritrean people as an independent country and whose large majority stand
with their government. Demonizing the leader of Eritrea by comparing him to
a genocidal and war happy leader in Addis is wrong and will not be accepted
by Eritreans. The thought of comparing the "two leaders" and the way the
term and analogy "both leaders" is used repeatedly does not work for
Eritreans and Ethiopians need to understand that the internal affairs of
Eritrea is for Eritreans to solve. After all it is the Eritrean leader who
gave an open interview and a small window of opportunity to the oppressed
people of Ethiopia.
During the public response session, an Eritrean gentleman got up and clearly
expressed his feelings and the feelings of the majority Eritreans. He went
on to speak in his "broken Amharic" and said that he was a child of parents
that were taken forcefully by the derg regime and killed and his entire
family except him were gone and he had no brothers and sisters as a result
of brutal oppression by the military junta and clearly defied the professors
that war is not the answer and that thousands of lives were lost during the
war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He went on to say that during successive
regimes Haile Slassie, Mengistu and now Meles, Ethiopia has been and
continues to be one of the largest aid recipients and nothing seems to
change for the Ethiopian people, meanwhile Eritrea is a self reliant country
with less problems. He said that Eritreans are happy with their government
and Ethiopians should emulate what Eritrea has done in a short period of
time. Instead of bickering about small issues they should unite and get rid
of a genocidal regime. By the way, have these professors ever entertained
the idea that in order for peace to prevail in Ethiopia and the region,
people must first have food?
Most Eritreans would have done the same by standing up to the values that
make them unique and despite an unwelcoming atmosphere the Eritrean guests
prevailed once again showing that Eritreans are good people with good
intentions for the region.
The other panelists were all civil with the exception of the two old school
professors and some in the audience but at the end of the day Eritrea's
voice was heard and heard loudly. Eritrea will continue to seek peace for
the region and all Ethiopians, Somalis, Djiboutians, Sudanese are welcome to
join it, based on mutual understanding and respect for one another.
Here below is the YouTube link to Dr.Berhe's presentations and in order not
to provoke audiences I will not post the video of a "Salivating Professor"
talking about Assab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swrdfo7q-bg
May peace prevail in the horn of Africa.
Mike Seium
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