"Pull Back Ethiopian Forces"; Kofi Anan's
Gimmick to Salvage Meles Zenawi and Vise-a-Versa
By: Dr. Michael Fessehaye
December 20, 2005
Following the "final and binding verdict" and the subsequent Ethiopia occupation of sovereign Eritrean lands, not to mention the resettlement of Ethiopians within the sovereign Eritreans territories under the watch and the watchful eye of the UNSC; these days, both Kofi Anan and the minority regime of Ethiopia seem to be in a state of salvaging each other from the quagmire they put them selves in to. After "the Secretary General of the United Nations has been conducting several telephone conversations with the Ethiopian Prime Minister in the past days" which was nothing but engaging and "conducting unwarranted political meddling principally aimed at letting the Ethiopian regime off the hook by raising issues that have no legal relevance other than to undermine the rule of law and to obstruct its implementation", these unholy duet have stripped them selves bare naked in the world of diplomacy and as result they are trying to cover up their shame.
At this juncture, although the futile attempts to discard the "final and binding verdict" by Kofi Anan and Meles Zenawi is well documented; the latest frantic and futile to dress their strip-naked persona is a drama that is entertaining the Eritreans and the diplomatic community. To what end and to achieve what is this latest gimmick of "pulling of Ethiopian forces" from TSZ? Whatever the objectives, either Kofi Anan trying to pull out Meles Zenawi from the quicksand he jumped or vise-a-versa and/or both; the latest "pulling back of Weyane forces" gimmick is elementary and it can only be a desperate diplomatic deceit; as such it has been rendered stillborn while it was at the incubation chamber-in the not-so-honorable offices of Kofi Anan.
The border demarcation issue is for the UNSC and the minority regime of Ethiopia to deal with, period! At this juncture, there are no legal, diplomatic, or political issues the UNSC and the world community could raise against Eritrea. None what so ever. Instead wasting time and resources (so far over $1000,000,000 wasted with nothing to show) on tangential and irrelevant issues; it would have been noble of the UNSC if they focus on upholding the rule of law-demarcate as per the "final and binding verdict". This is not about claim or counterclaim and the time and the chapter of claim and counterclaim was closed on April 13, 2002; the day the "final and binding verdict" was rendered. At this juncture, the UNSC have only one route to follow if the UNSC is to live up to the ideals of the UN Charter. As per the UN Charter, the UN body is expected and is demanded by a member country or countries to, "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security". This being the noble principle of the UN body, if the UNSC, Kofi Anan, and the Weyane have not read Article 41 and Article 42 lately, then stating the articles is in order:
Article 41 goes: "The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations."
The UNSC is not limited to Article 41 to "maintain or restore international peace and security". Article 42 provides additional power for UNSC to "maintain or restore international peace and security", if deemed necessary.
Article 42 goes: "Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations."
By the above two articles, the UN has the legal and moral obligation to uphold the rule of law; up to and including the implementation of Article 42, to force the minority apartheid regime of Ethiopia to demarcate as per the "final and binding verdict". Just as the UN and the world community have to use force to reverse the occupation of Kuwait by Sadam Hussein in 1991, Eritrea is demanding the UNSC to use all means necessary, including Article 42, to demarcate the border. After three years of patience and after more than 11 letters of plea from Eritrea to Kofi Anan and UNSC to do the legal and the right thing, Eritrea has earned the legal and moral high ground to demand the UNSC to use force to "maintain or restore international peace and security" in the region. Thus, the hour for the UNSC to use both Article 41 and Article 42 is now.
Do Kofi Anan and the minority apartheid regime of Ethiopia know what is expected and demanded out of UNSC? These two comrades-in-conspiracy to live by the "law of jungle" should know for they have seen Sadam Hussein kicked out of Kuwait by brut force after Sadam adventured to start "21st Century Colonialism" by invading a sovereign nation. Both Kofi Anan and Weyane should accept that the UNSC is to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security"!
Eritrea is not asking much but she has the right to demand the UNSC to uphold the "rule of law". With such none-yielding patience, legal, and diplomatic finesse; Eritrea has earned the legal, diplomatic, and political right and moral high ground to demand the UNSC to live up to the legal and moral obligations of the UN body. Then what is this dancing of Kofi Anan on the Weyane dancing floor intended to achieve? More specifically what is this "pulling of Ethiopian forces gimmick" to achieve, as if the Weyane are not still settled in sovereign Eritrean lands under the watch and watch of Kofi Anan and UNSC? Whatever the objectives of Weyane, Eritrea sure hope this is not intended to fish or bail out Kofi Anan from the political and diplomatic quagmire he jumped into.
If this latest drama is to provide Kofi Anan an honorable way out of the quicksand or if it is intended to provide Kofi Anan a parachute to land him safely from the heights he is accelerating down; then the Ethiopian regime has failed miserably. Instead trying to fish Kofi Anan from the quicksand he is swimming, the best the Weyane could do is to reward Kofi Anan by some other form of reward for a job well done. Eritrea knows rewarding (shall we say corrupting) diplomat for services rendered is not new. After all, haven’t the world seen Sadam Hussein rewarding (corrupting) Kofi Anan's UN men and other government high-ranking officials for services rendered and vise-a-versa? Be it as it may, at this point in time, all due to his own doing and making, Kofi Anan has reduced himself as "irrelevant" and "inconsequential" in the Ethio-Eritrea peace process. In short, Kofi Anan has already let the Eritreans and the Ethiopians down; as if the 1994 massacre of 500,000 innocent Rwandans under the watch and watch of Kofi Anan was not big enough and grave enough for him to shoulder.
By virtue of his irresponsible actions and words, Kofi Anan has rendered him self as an irreverent to the peace and demarcation processes and as such looking the latest "troops pull back gimmick" from the Weyane vintage point is in order. A question that should follow: Why bother claiming to have pulled back forces from TSZ at this hour, while the UN knows the Weyane have settled in Eritrean lands under the watch and the watchful of UN? The answer to the question is elementary, especially to the farsighted and dynamic Eritrean leadership.
Since 1976, Eritreans have been studying the Weyane and they know every next sneeze of the Ethiopian minority regime. To the far-sighed and dynamic Eritrean leadership, the Weyane are an open book and they are like a tricky brut whose every move is predicted by the parents. In short, the Weyane way of thinking and movement is too elementary for the Eritrean leadership. Then again what can you expect from Dedebit clique, especially when that clique is being strangulated from within Ethiopia. Taking the Weyane for what they are, the pull back of Weyane forces from the border has nothing to do with "peace" and it has nothing to do to save Kofi Anan either; but it all has to do with prevailing hopeless state of Weyane from within Ethiopia. Yes, it has to do with the Ethiopian volcano that is erupting; consuming the Weyane one Weyane at time. With things getting out of control in Ethiopia and with the likes of Tony Blair or Kofi Anan unable to prop up the termite-eaten house of Meles Zenawi; the Weyane, as usual, the minority apartheid regime of Ethiopia is expected to do and say anything and everything to buy them one more day at Menelik Palace.
Take it; the Ethiopian revolution is raging on and in the process the Weyane are being consumed one Weyane at time. As a result, there is no enough all "Tigrawot-only-army" (Ag'AzI) to cover the Ethiopia landmass to put out the fire. Since every able-bodied Tigrawot have been sacrificed in the wars against Eritrea since May 1998, the Weyane have reached at a point where there are no enough "AG'AZI" brigades that could be dispatched as sacrificial lamb to save the handful Weyane clique from within Ethiopia proper. The Ethiopian revolutions is raging on to the extent where the Oromo Liberation Front Flag is being raised high on the flag masts all over Oromia towns. Picture the shock treatment the Weyane receive when the Weyane see the flag of Oromo Liberation Front hoisted at top of flag masts in the middle of Oromia town? Picture the Ethiopians are now disarming Weyane soldiers and they are closing Weyane administrative offices. As such, you got expect the Weyane be the "Weyane"-the master of deception, lies, deceit, and betrayal.
Having not enough all "Tigrawot-only-army" (Ag'Azi army) to put out the prairie fire, Meles Zenawi and Co got to come up and try some thing to buy one more day at Menelik Palace. After residing and tasting the good life at Menelik Palace; Weyane will do and say anything to not let go this "Heaven on Earth" life at the cost of the Ethiopians. Therefore, the claim of "pulling back Ethiopian forces from the border" is Meles being him self for it has become an issue of buying a day from this and another day from this action for one more day for the good life at Menelik Palace. And this is where the latest Kofi Anan's "several telephone conversations with the Ethiopian Prime Minister in the past days" was put to use.
To predict what Meles Zenawi will do and say next; you have only to go back in time and study the mode of operation of Weyane. In short, what the Weyane tried or are trying to do is neither new nor the works of a brain surgeon. What the Weyane are trying to do, but failed miserably, is a repeat of what Weyane did in May 2000. To refresh your memory, let us take a look at what the Weyane did in May 2000.
Do you remember the Ethiopian election that was conducted on May 7, 2000? That election led to a second 5-year term of bloodsucking and destroying Ethiopia by Weyane. Do you also remember before the May 2000 Ethiopian elections ballots were counted, to divert the attention of the Ethiopians from counting their ballot, the Weyane went to war against Eritrea? Lo and behold, on May 12, 2000, Meles Zenawi dangled "Assab" and "Red Sea" in front of the Ethiopians and he told them he is to give them Assab back; if only the Ethiopians could come up with more money and more FENGIREGATCH (a living and breathing human mine-sweepers) for the war. Suffering from the "Red Sea Lust" syndrome, never bothering to count their May 7, 2000 election ballots, the Ethiopians began to salivate about Assab and in the process Weyane stole their vote in broad daylight. Yes the Ethiopians had been had good by Weyane in May 2000. By the way, it was not only the Ethiopians who been had good in May 2000. Even the UN believed Meles will march to Asmara in "72 hours" and they were hoping they would not have to deal with the headaches of the peace processes once Eritrea is destroyed as a country and people! Of course, the people who gave Meles Zenawi "a window of 72 hours" to finish the job are people who never had the honor or the privilege to know the "can do" people, the Eritreans. Also the people who thought Meles would destroy Eritrea as a country and people in "72 hours" are the very people who forgot recent histories of war and peace!
In May 2000, "dangling Assab in front of the Ethiopians" scheme worked like charm and it delivered a 5-year of "Hell on Earth" in Ethiopia. How sad; while the Ethiopians were driven to war like cattle to the slaughterhouse and while the Ethiopian children were dropping in the Eritrean wilderness, Meles and Co stayed behind at Menelik Palace to bloodsuck and plunder Ethiopia from within. Salivating by the promise of "Assab and Red Sea", the Ethiopians jumped into inferno, as "Fengiregach" and they gained nothing. Some might be tempted to say that was "brilliant" of Meles Zenawi. But it was the "Devil at work" since the Weyane knew they are sending the innocent Ethiopians to "Kingdom Come". Adding insult to injury, boisterously and mockingly, the all "Tigrawot-only-War-Council" from Mekele used to order their field commanders to "send and drive the Amhara, "Shankila", "Welliatta", "Gala", (derogatory names) to the frontlines first to clear the landmine". This and much more was the ugliness of Meles and Co. But & but, after 29 days, after squandering 36,000,000,000 Birr in arms and armament and after leaving 153,000 Fengiregach behind to litter the Eritrean country side; the Ethiopians ended with nothing but with more widows and with more orphans, not to mention sending Ethiopia to 50 years back in economic and social status. In short, there was no Assab, there was no Red Sea, and there was no May 2000 election ballot counting either. To the contrary, what happened in the May 2000 war was something that stunned the world. On June 12, 2000 after the gallant of Eritrea were given the go ahead to march all the way to Mekele, Meles Zenawi, the insomniac midget, has to beg on his knees to stop the war. He begged, "stop from marching in to Mekele, I am coming to Algiers to sign the peace Agreement with no ifs or buts". Three days after the last remnants of Weyane forces were decimated at Dankly inferno, lo and behold the Algerian Peace Agreement was signed and sealed and the world knows the rest of the story.
As you can see, since the songs of "war", "Assab", and "Red Sea" worked for Meles in May 2000; the very same gang thought it will also work in May 2005 election like charm. Success on this adventure is another matter for there is another force (Eritrea), which is beyond what Meles Zenawi could handle. But Meles was ready to try it; had he not murdered 36 Ethiopian students in the streets of Addis Ababa on May 8, 2005. Let me repeat it. Meles was ready to repeat his May 2000 scheme had he not murdered 36 Ethiopian students in the streets of Addis Ababa on May 8, 2005. But that is not all, there were many things that went wrong that were beyond the control of Meles Zenawi.
Leaving Eritrea out of the equation, which is above and beyond Meles could handle or control; to the dismay and agony that is sending Meles Zenawi to more insomnia and drinking binge these days, there were many things that went wrong in Ethiopia. In fact, you can say Meles was caught with his pants down. Then again for a man who is blinded by greed, it is impossible to see him self with his pants down. Meles Zenawi and gang got to be foolish not to have seen beyond the confines of Menelik Palace. Then again, what can you expect from a leader who wastes his days and nights confined in a self-build prison cell-the Menelik Palace! The intellectuals of Dedebit should have known that during the last 5 years, while they were busy destroying Ethiopia as a country and people, the Ethiopians have wised up and they have seen the writing on the wall. The Ethiopians have seen their country dismantled brick by brick by Weyane. During the last 5 years, the Ethiopians came to understand many things and thus they were able to abort a grandiose Weyane schemes that were directed against them-sending them to war against Eritrea while Meles and Co are to stay behind to steal their May 2005 election.
To mention a few of the lessons the Ethiopians have learned since May 2000: (1) The Ethiopians have had the time to count the number of FENGIRETCH they sacrificed in May 2000 for the things they could not have in the first place. The Ethiopians have the chance to count the 153,000 Ethiopians who perished as Fengiregach, the widowed Ethiopian mothers, and the orphaned children; not to mention the 36,000,000,000 Birr that went down the drain. (2) The Ethiopians have understood that Eritrea is sovereign nation and there is no legal, political, or military means to turn the clock back to pre-1991. The Ethiopians have come to accept that Eritrea is gone for good and so there is no "Assab" or "Red Sea" promise from Weyane to take them back to war. Most importantly the Ethiopians now know Eritrea was neither their enemy nor did Eritrea took any Ethiopian territory by force. (3) Perhaps the best thing that happened to the Ethiopians from the last 5-year term is they seem to have learned that Ethiopia was slowly but surely being destroyed by Weyane as a country and people; unless they do something to stop it.
The Ethiopians have learned. They learned; if there was an era or a time period Ethiopia to have seen the cruel and sadistic nature of her leaders; the worst and the ugliest was the second 5-year term of Weyane. By all accounts, you can conclude Mengistu Hailemariam, the Butcher of Africa, was an "angel". Sure Mengistu Hailemariam was merciless killer but he neither resorted to having the Ethiopians kill each on ethnic lines nor did he set Ethiopia for Balkanization and genocide. But in the last 5 years, the Ethiopians have seen their country totally destroyed to the point of balkanization and genocide all due to the evil Weyane. The Ethiopians have seen they to killing each other on ethnic lines while the Weyane sat on their throne enjoying the massacre. During the last 5 years, Ethiopia was turned into a Coliseum where the gladiators (the Ethiopians) kill each other while the Romans (the Weyane) chanted "kill him, finish him" from their untouchable throne at Menelik Palace. Yes, the Ethiopians have witnessed a silent genocide conducted by Weyane. Adding insult to injury, there were people like Tony Blair and others who tried dress the Weyane as "democratic" and "green revolutionaries". To the Ethiopians, the last 5-years was perhaps the most scary time for they have see the map of "Balkanized Ethiopia" on the wall. Underneath the map of "Balkanized Ethiopia" they saw the blood of Ethiopians-past and the blood of the Ethiopians-future flowing all due to the evil and sadistic nature of Meles and Co. Luckily for the God/Allah fearing Ethiopian people, the last 5-years became the era of soul-searching as people and country and they learned, they woke wake up, and they began to know the real enemy of Ethiopia.
In addition to the above three internal reasons from within Ethiopia, there are also a number of reason from within the Weyane as to why Weyane would not dare to war against Eritrea, unless of course Weyane are to commit suicide, but collect what ever all "Tigrawot-only-army" to put out the fire. (A) The Weyane them selves are dropping like flies all over Ethiopia. The Ethiopian volcano has erupted and there is no force that can be dispatched to cover Ethiopia from corner to corner to put out the fire. The Weyane possess neither the number nor the quality of all "Tigrawot-only-army" (Ag'Azi) loyal to Meles. Although "pulling back of Ethiopian forces" from the border gimmick was intended solely to gather the last remnants of "Tigrawot-only-army" that could be dispatched to "Mahal Ager"; this will not work either. (B) Even the Tigrawot them selves are either on the run for their life or they have come to know the handful Weyane for what they are-a handful clique all connected by blood and marriage from a minuscule Tigrai locality. To that end, the Tigrawot are running to Eritrea, to Sudan, and Djibouti or they are helping their Ethiopian brothers to get rid of this common enemy. In short, the "pull back of force", which was intended to secure some forces to be dispatched to put out the prairie fire that is raging in Ethiopia proper will be aborted; if it had not done so already.
Weyane is now paralyzed from neck down but still the double forked tongue is lashing words of deceit and lies. Unable to engage war against Eritrea or to gather any and all "Tigrawot-only-army" to put out the fire, any futile exercise of Meles and Co to buy a day here and anther day there is too late. This way or that way, Weyane are finished there is nothing Meles and his organized crime syndicate could do to stop the Ethiopia revolution. After every thing is said and done, Meles will be captured alive and the Ethiopians will have the honors to put a leash around his neck and tie him under tree in the middle of Markato or Jan-Meda for the Ethiopians to see. That is what is written on the wall and there is nothing the Weyane could to stop the written fate of Weyane.
In the meantime, with legal and moral high ground, Eritrea is to sit on the sideline and demand the UNSC to live up to the legal. moral obligation, and ideals of the UN Charter. This time around Eritrea is also to watch and enjoy the show streaming from within Ethiopia. This time Eritrea is to sit tight and watch the Ethiopians save their country and people for a change. Eritrea has the saved the Ethiopia from her demons twice before. As the LION OF NACFA, Wedi Afom Beri, put it; this time Eritrea has no intention to steal the show but let the Ethiopians have the honor and glory to saving them selves from the evil of mankind. By the way, for the latest on Weyane, log on to: www.oromoliberationfront.org (radio broadcast). There you will see the Ethiopians are up, not looking back, to save their people from jaws of a handful organized-crime-syndicate.
Wetru Awet N'Hafash!
Hiji Win Hade Hizbi Hade Libi!
Eternal Glory to the Dead and the Living Heroes/Heroines
It is a Must "Wefri Warsai-YekeAlo" Should Succeed!
With Weyane Gone, there will be peace among the people of the Horn!