USAID in Eritrea is a humanitarian
and good gesture of America towards the
Eritrean people. Having put the positive side on this way the negative side is;
USAID is a tentacle of US policy to engulf and capture sovereign states under
its imprisonment.
Some body may wonder that when
somebody is in prison and says I am not going to have your food to the binder,
on the other hand the binder has the obligation to feed its imprisoned body.
This is to say that when the imprisoned is in hunger strike the binder tries to
force the imprisoned to get food. The reason is if the imprisoned dies in the
hand of the binder there is going to be a legal sue against the binder.
A person who wants to be free and
sovereign in its own affairs, he or she has to be self reliant and free from
prison. So, if we said that USAID is a tentacle that imprisons sovereign
states, then it is no wonder when it tries to persuade the imprisoned state to
take USAID. Therefore, a sovereign country either it has to accept the imprisonment
and take USAID or set free itself and be self reliant.
The decision of Eritrea, to set
itself free from USAID tentacles is; a honorable decision that respects the aim
of the fallen heroes during the liberation time and again in defending the
sovereignty of its territory.
When United State threatens Eritrea,
in connection with the old type strategic interest of US that brings Eritrea in
connection with Ethiopia, that is on the out let to sea premises is,
embarrassing after it is known that Eritrea paid blood and sweat for its
dependence. Yes, it is true that Eritrea has an obligation to respect the
interest of the international community in Red sea. That is unwavering
responsibility of Eritrea not to let the Red sea to be solely an Arabic lake.
Eritrea has the capability to balance the interest of Arabs and Israel as well,
in fact, the whole community in this world to make use Red sea according to the
international laws and regulations. So what is up to USA to trust Ethiopia more
that Eritrea when it comes to its interest in the Red sea? USA knows from deep
its heart that Eritrea is not going to relinquish an inch of its sovereignty to
Ethiopia. Therefore, if the case is decided by legal means and to be concrete
enough by precious blood and sweat of Eritrean sons and daughters then what is
this futile try of USA to suppress and pressurize Eritrea to go in to
undesirable agreements with Ethiopia merely to satisfy US interest?
There is a final and legal decision
from the border commission that settles the row between Ethiopia and Eritrea
about their border conflict. USA, as one of the guarantors of the agreement has
the obligation to fulfil its duty. USA has the power to persuade Ethiopia to
implement the decision. So long there is this tangible case for USA to play
upon there is no need to go round the bush and play mouse and cat game with
Eritrea by immersing it in the row about USAID.
USA can not play the game by
defending the resolution of Meles that says Ethiopia accepts the border
decision in "principle" but will not go for its implementation unless
and other wise there is dialogue with Eritrea. It is no wonder that the
loudspeaker of USA the secretary general of UN, Mr. Kofi Annan echoes what USA
wants to be said.
First of all it has to be known that
when Meles says accepting it in "principle", I don't think he
understands what principle is. It would have been appropriate if he would have
said we accepted the decision "emotionally" because we felt that it
would satisfy the international community. This is reasonable and acceptable.
Because feeling and emotion has relationship. On the other hand belief and
principle are connected. If somebody do not have belief on something it can not
have a principle about it. Therefore, somebody has to be aware and have
knowledge about the connection between feeling and emotion in one hand and
belief and principle on the other hand. Secondly, Ethiopia has not the right to
issue being it five or ten points on the already decided matter that stifled to
be final and binding. The issue here is to go directly to implementing it. When
it comes to dialogue between Ethiopia and Eritrea it is going to be done not
for the sake of satisfying US interest, but is has to be done to fulfil the
interest of the Ethiopian and Eritrean people.
Finally, USA is a super power
country and is doing what it seems to it strategically important. It destroys
Iraq as long as it fulfils its strategic interest. No matter the suffering of
the Iraq people the things that have to be done that satisfies the strategic
interest of USA is happening. When it comes to Eritrea, the strategic interest
of USA could be fulfilled only by respecting the strategic interest of Eritrea.
There is no other short cut way. The closure of USAID in Eritrea is the sign of
breaking down the chain of USA tentacles that imprisoned Eritrea not to be a
sovereign country. The question is can Eritrea live freely with out USAID.
Tesfamicael Yohannes
Oslo, Norway