Covetous and Expansionist Regimes: Ethiopia's Curse
By: Rishan Beyene
February 28, 2005

Ethiopia surely seems cursed with covetous and expansionist regimes as attested by consecutive Ethiopian regimes' expansionist adventures vis-a-vis Eritrea. And the Western powers in general and the USA in particular had played and continue to play a pivotal role in perpetuating this disturbing trend. Indeed, the Woyane regime's illegal actions are not just a case of an expansionist regime, but a pattern tolerated and even encouraged by the West. This article intends to address the successive Ethiopian regimes' futile expansionist adventures vis-a-vis Eritrea, and calls on the remaining superpower, the USA, to reverse the trend by upholding the Rule of Law.

The saga first began in 1952 when the USA allowed the Ethiopian Emperor H.Selassie to annex Federal Eritrea, thereby causing Eritreans to begin the thirty years of armed struggle for liberation. The Emperor's immoral and illegal action, buttressed by the USA, eventually led to a regime change in Ethiopia, and had brought miseries of Biblical proportions on both Ethiopians and Eritreans.

However, the replacement regime, the military Dergue, was no better either. It too had chosen to pursue its predecessor's illegal course of action, that 'everything' was channelled into the war to crush the Eritrean Struggle. Nonetheless, despite the Dergue's military superiority, diplomatic advantages, and the well-documented brutal and repressive measures against Eritreans, the legitimate Eritrean cause had won the day. The imperial and military regimes' systematic torture, inhumane treatment, and repressive measures against Eritreans had merely strengthened the Eritreans' resolve to break free from the brutal occupying force. And like their predecessor, the Dergue regime ended up being victims of their own making.

And thanks to the wise leadership of the EPLF and the steadfastness of the Eritrean people, Eritrea was eventually liberated in May 1991. And the truth prevailed when the Eritreans voted unanimously Yes for Independence in the UN supervised referendum held in 1993. It is noteworthy, however, that the decades of bloodshed and destruction on both sides could have been avoided:

* had the Ethiopian regimes' been sensible enough to do the right thing, that is to rid themselves of covetousness and expansionism, and
* had the then superpowers, the USA and the USSR, genuinely cared for justice to prevail other than spreading their sphere of influence.

Very sadly, however, history is yet again repeating itself in Ethiopia; the only thing Ethiopian regimes seem to be good at. Indded, it became apparent that the successive Woyane regime also had their predecessors' disease as they began implementing their agenda of creating 'Greater Tigrai with a sea outlet' through 'internal' and 'external' expansionism, that is by incorporating into Tigray lands from Gondar and Wollo (Ethiopian regions) as well as sovereign Eritrean territories. The Tigrayan ethnic based regime in Ethiopia should have learnt from their predecessors' futile expansionist adventures and their deadly consequences. Like their predecessors, the Woyane will surely end up becoming victims of their own expansionist and covetous dream (agenda). And as before, the just Eritrean cause shall certainly prevail.

It is noteworthy that the Eritrean 'national' consciousness had been targetted by successive expansionist Ethiopian regimes. After all, it is the presence of this Eritrean 'national' consciousness which had made it difficult for both the imperial and the military Ethiopian regimes to 'rule' Eritrea 'in peace'. Thus they had set out to undermine and defeat it. And the strategy they came up with to that end includes:

* creating a rift within the Eritreans along ethnic, regional and religious lines, thereby to weaken Eritrea's status as a political entity;
* introducing draconian and repressive measures against Eritreans, thereby to paralyse them with fear, hence to discourage them from playing any part in the Eritrean Struggle,
* the 'demonisation' of 'Tegadelti' and individual Eritrean as 'Wenbede', 'Dildiy Afrashoch', etc., and
* waging war to crush the Eritrean Struggle, a strategy most favoured by the military Dergue regime.

With regard to the Woyane regime, since Eritrea is a sovereign nation state, they needed a covert strategy to implement their expansionist agenda; hence 'Badme' became the cover up. And under the pretext of 'Badme', the Woyane has committed some heinous historical errors such as:

* deporting Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin from Ethiopia empty handed, confiscating their property, and in a most brutal and inhumane fashion;
* invading more sovereign Eritrean territories;
* desecrating Eritrean martyrs' graves, showing the ultimate contempt they have for everything the Eritreans hold dear, and of course,
* stubbornly persisting in the wrong course of action rather than doing the right thing, that is to abide by the verdict of the EEBC.

The Woyane's expansionist strategy is similar to its predecessors in that they too have been working hard from the outset at undermining Eritrea's biggest asset: the unity of her people. To that end, the very organisation that nurtured this unity of Eritreans in diversity and made the liberation of Eritrea a reality as well as the 'top man' associated with this organisation needed to be undermined and defeated. Hence began the 'demonisation' campaign against the Eritrean President, the EPLF and the PFDJ. As noted above, the Woyane's motive is, of course, to undermine Eritrea's unity by creating a rift within the leadership, within the population and between the leadership and the people. In the light of this, we need to educate our people at home and abroad to be aware of the enemy's sgtrategy, thus enabling them to see the Woyane's ulterior motive in their 'demonisation' campaign against the Eritrean President, the EPLF and the PFDJ, and use every means of mass media available to us to achieve that. And of cours, we Eritreans will have to continue working hard at all times against cancerous issues such as regional/ethnic chauvinism, religious fundamentalism and corruption.

Deliberate and repeated lies has dulled the Woyane's sensitivity to the truth. Indeed, lying and deceiving have long become a way of life for the Woyane regime. However, sooner or later, the Woyane will have to face the truth. Indeed, there is only one way out of this mess and stalemate the Woyane have put the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia: the truth to be allowed to prevail by upholding the Rule of Law. Accordingly, I call upon the government of the USA to discharge its moral and legal duty of ensuring the speedy implementation of the EEBC ruling, and thereby to avoid further bloodshed and destruction on both sides.


Betri Haki Tiketin Imber Aitsbern!!!
Kibrin Mogosn Nmerahtnan Swatnan Serawitnan Hzbnan!!!
Awet Nhafash!!!