The international community has to confront the TPLF regime’s delaying tactics
By: Shabait staff
May 27, 2004

The TPLF regime and its cohorts and supporters are continually staging pretexts and justifications for invasion of Eritrea by the regime and its obstructions to the EEBC decision. The TPLF regime says that what it calls ‘Eritrea’s occupation’ of the Badme area led to displacement of the Ethiopian population, and that this will create complex problems. In this context, the TPLF regime and its supporters seem to forget the hundreds of thousands of Eritreans who were illegally displaced from their homes and land as a result of the regime’s treacherous aggression against Eritrea’s sovereignty.

The TPLF regime for creating a new status quo by occupying Eritrean sovereign territories, expelling Eritrean nationals and replacing them with Ethiopian populations thus violated Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the principles of international law. The regime did not stop at this limit but came out with a new ploy and diplomatic trick, i.e. calling for so-called dialogue with the purpose of prolonging the duration of the problem and remain in power making use of the internal and external crises which it is fabricating now and then.

However, our people had been exposed to various types of inhumane practices by the spiteful TPLF regime when it expelled thousands of Eritrean citizens in a very savage manner. It confiscated and plundered their property and wealth which they earned through hard labor and sweat.

In addition, the Ethiopian regime’s invasion caused the displacement of our citizens in the border area who are now living in make-shift camps under severe circumstances. By all measures, the invaders totally infringed upon Eritrean sovereignty. This being the case, how can the silence of the international community be interpreted or explained regarding the TPLF regime’s violations of the legitimate interests of the Eritrean people? It is ironical that the international community on the one hand and extend 15 million people with humanitarian relief around the world, and providing a budget of 200 million US dollars for five hundred soldiers of peacekeeping forces at the Eritrean –Ethiopian border is rewarding the TPLF regime for its intransigence and refusal to abide by an international ruling with huge and generous sums on the other.

The TPLF regime is continuously repeating that unless the Eritrean government is toppled there cannot be any talk about peace and the restoration of relations between the two countries to their normal course with the purpose of prolonging the duration of the state of no war no peace in the region. What is worse is that the TPLF regime’s supporters continue making excuses for it, saying Ethiopia should be given the opportunity and time till it conducts general elections. However, such pretexts have become obvious to the world at present as they are targeting enmeshing the issue in endless and fruitless debate which leads to nothing.

Nonetheless, we expect new tricks by the TPLF regime though they will not be different from the previous aims and agendas of the regime. The objective of the regime at present is to portray itself in the trappings of peace loving demon and that Eritrea is rejecting the dialogue, for winning the sympathy of regional as well as practicing the policy of misrepresentation, distortion of facts, creating confusion and gaining time.

As for the long-term objectives of the regime from its present tricks, it is for avoiding legal and object the decisions of the EEBC’s final and binding ruling by entering into an endless debate.

The regime is also attempting to make Eritrea a scapegoat in order to avoid the exigencies and aftermath of its internal crises. However, Eritrea and its people would never be victim of the TPLF regime’s internal and regional plunders and excesses.