Legality and Justice, Eritrea’s Source of Fortitude and Steadfastness
By Shabait Staff
November 13, 2003

An Eritrean wrote recently in the Internet saying, “The Eritrean people are really lucky and fortunate because they have a government that adopts and follows consistently a correct path, and hence they have every right to feel proud”. And as the Eritrean people have legitimate and just rights, this puts them in a stronger position no matter the strength their adversaries and enemies might claim to possess.. It is also true that despite the fact that there is a price that has to be paid temporarily for securing and safeguarding rights and justice in addition to whatsoever bitterness and difficulties that may entail, the net result is a happy ending.

As had amply been demonstrated in the Eritrean people’s history the secret of their victory is the justness and legitimacy of their cause. These attributes of strength, steadfastness and perseverance based on rightfulness and justice have always served their cause.

The Eritrean people have also confirmed beyond doubt that the logic of power whatever its assumed strength cannot permanently override and defeat right and justice.

On 22 November 1980 the EPLF- Shaebia-in a famous statement under the title “A Peoples just struggle cannot be routed with military power” called for resolving the Eritrean question through peaceful and legal means, i.e. by conducting a fair and just referendum. However, the leaders of the Derge regime who were blinded by deceit and the huge number of their army and its massive weaponry, did not heed this peaceful and legal option which could have then spared both sides more bloodshed and destruction. The Derge regime opted for continuing the war, and this inflicted on Ethiopia heavy human and material losses in the years subsequent to the declaration of the referendum project until the regime hordes were wiped out of Eritrea soil in May 1991.

It is not difficult to imagine the extent and level of the development and progress that could have been attained by the Eritrean and Ethiopian peoples had the Eritrean question been resolved by the Shaebia ‘EPLF’ in the nineteen eighties. Nevertheless, as the respect and reverence of law is a criterion of civilized conduct, it found the least attention from the rulers of Ethiopia. On the contrary, they exerted utmost efforts for subjugating and suppressing our people and their just cause though to no avail. In the end, they only reaped total defeat and shame. It was unfortunate that Ethiopia was not blessed after the fall of the Haile Selassie and the Derge regimes with a government that would take proper care of the country and its people. It was equally unfortunate for the Ethiopian peoples that the TPLF-Woyane regime did not draw useful lessons from the experience of previous Ethiopian regimes.

This regime also squandered and dissipated the resources of Ethiopia and let its citizens to perish in its adventurous wars. Even now it is making itself and Ethiopia a laughing stock, especially after the legal conclusion of the border conflict through legal international decision.

The Eritrean government on its part and even since the initial stages of the conflict emphasized the resolution of the dispute through legal and peaceful means. It recognized from the very beginning that there should be a legal conclusion via dialogue even if war broke out between the two countries. The validity of the Eritrean stand was proved by taking the dispute to an international court of law for settlement and subsequently adopting a decision even though enormous losses were sustained before that due to Wayane intransigence.

At present, the Delimitation Decision will be implemented with or without the consent of the TPLF regime. Inline with the Boundary Commission’s Decision it will find itself compelled to withdraw from the occupied Eritrean territories. There is no doubt about this fact. What the regime is saying nowadays through its media is but the kicking of a slaughtered bird no more.