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The parallels between Somalia
and Eritrea
Amanuel Biedemariam
Eritrea
the Vigilant:
Sometimes it is easy to conclude that Eritreans in the US
may have been better of if they paid little attention to the US State
Department. Eritreans assumed, a JUST position regarding the EEBC decision
will prevail, take hold, and possibly lead towards a lasting solution and
peace for the people of Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
by extension the Horn of Africa. Eritreans believed and hoped to see
statements, decisions and actions that reflected justice, the rule of law and
policies that can empower the people of the Horn. They also believed the
international system will assist them toward a vision, a vision that could
incorporate them and make them full partners in the Global Village. However,
expectations, hopes, desires, wishes and prayers have turned into
hopelessness and despair as a result of US policies that are ill conceived
and outright destructive.
As a result of US policies and its incompetent custodians i.e.
Dr. Janday Frazer, Americans are contributing to one of the greatest
tragedies unfolding in the Horn of Africa today. Millions of Somalis are
displaced and thousands are dying meaningless death. The social fabric of Somalia
is unraveling without hope; their history is being written in blood ink to
stain future relationships amongst them and with their neighbor countries.
Kids are growing malnourished without any education and with tragic war
related scars and scarred memories. Indeed, this is a true testament that the
so called “international community” led by the US
have failed to help ensure basic security for Somali mothers so that they can
rear children into a world body to become full contributors to the so called
Global Village. In the process
people lose a sense of identity, grow negative and bitter about the
international systems and the World around them. Sad commentary for America(ns)
the Super Power.
While the Somali situation represents the worst case scenario,
the fate of Eritrea
would have been the same in the hands of the US
backed mercenary regime in Ethiopia
led by Meles Zenawi if Eritrea
was not capable to defend herself.
In order to avoid war and bloodshed, with clear understanding of
the ramifications, buttressed by a history and legacy of armed struggle;
Eritreans in the US
lobbied the US State Department, US congress and appealed to the Whitehouse
hard. After the war broke out in May of 1998, Eritreans camped at the US
Capitol grounds and appealed to any one who can listen. Mothers spent all
night on the Capitol camp-grounds praying. Eritreans demonstrated in front of
the Whitehouse and the State Department at critical junctures. They held
lobbying drives and participated in election campaigns to put in office
congressional representatives with favorable attitudes. Eritreans schemed,
wrote letters and talked to friends who knew friends in higher places, in
other words, did all they can to influence key players. In one occasion
Eritreans set up a traditional coffee ceremony at the late Congressman Henry
J. Hyde’s offices, a first traditional coffee ceremony in US congressional
offices, a history on its own merit. Regardless of the emotional
rollercoaster and constant rebuffing by US officials Eritreans never gave up
hope.
In February of 2006 on a picturesque snowy day, a moment that
will remain seared in the minds Eritreans particularly Eritrean youth for
years; Eritrean youth organized one of the most moving demonstrations in
Washington DC in front of the Whitehouse and the State Department. Thousands
of Eritreans came from all around the United
States and Canada
to participate. For many Eritreans it was a proud moment because this young
nation of a small population managed to present a united face in order to
plead for justice and the rule of law. The line of the demonstrators
stretched from the Whitehouse Lafayette
Park grounds into the Lincoln
Memorial grounds. The crowd was so big that the State Department asked the
participants to congregate on the Lincoln Memorial campgrounds.
The State Department sent Ambassador Donald Yamamoto to address
the crowd. Ambassador Yamamoto was appeasing, and said all the right things
that the crowd wanted to hear. He stated his commitment to the Algiers
agreement and border demarcation based on EEBC directives. In other words, he
appeared to have a positive posture regarding the situation and gave his commitment
to a peaceful resolution to the dispute. Eritreans believed Ambassador
Yamamoto and invited him to attend the annual Eritrean festival in DC in
August of 2006 which he attended with his wife and daughter. A short time
there after however, Ambassador Yamamoto was approved by the US Congress to
be the US
Ambassador in Ethiopia
and became a good custodian of poor US
policies in Africa. He swears by the Meles Zenawi
regime and he aggressively pursues a policy that places Addis
Ababa as the center for African affairs that the US
can manipulate. Ambassador Yamamoto is one Meles Zenawi’s best friends in the
US.
The Parallels
Americans always pursue US
policies purely based on interests. The policies are selfish, greedy and
based on geopolitical domination. It is racist policy that is not based on
justice or freedom. The history of the Americans in our region is full
calamitous injustices that mired the region into a cycle of violence. The US
will pursue an agenda that is counterproductive regardless of the
consequences, long term negative implications and results are in Somalia
or Eritrea.
In many respects, Eritrea
and Somalia
share a history that mirrors one another almost identically. They both
experienced a legacy of Italian, British colonial past and the Cold War
legacy that left a crippled region. Similarly, they both experience an
aggressive neighbor in Ethiopia
always obedient to foreign powers and leaders that always possessed a
destructive warrior-mentality with foreign handouts, at the expense of
starving children and with tragic consequences to all involved. That was true
for Haile Sellassie, Mengistu Hailemariam and it is truer with Meles Zenawi.
In fact the TPLF regimes genocidal human rights records and uncontrollable
criminal ways have become a cause for major concern that American law makers
are questioning the Bush administration’s military assistance to Ethiopia. Here is a quote from a letter sent by Senator
Russell Feingold of Wisconsin
to Secretary Condoleezza Rice asking for clarification and questioning the
reasoning to the support of the brutal Meles regime in Addis
Ababa;
“As the bipartisan 9/11 Commission
found, “[o]ne of the lessons of the Cold War was that short-term gains in
cooperating with the most repressive and brutal governments were too often
outweighed by long-term setbacks for America’s
stature and interests.” While there may be extraordinary circumstances where
specific threats to U.S.
interests justify targeted military assistance despite gross human rights
violations, those circumstances should not be the norm and the President must
clearly spell them out to Congress. I would appreciate a detailed explanation
of why certifications of extraordinary circumstances are not required for Chad
and Ethiopia.”[Read letter in PDF]
While the Senator made important observation regarding the
human rights abuses by Meles Zenawi, he conveniently left-out human rights
abuses in Somalia
and the breach of the rule of law by rejecting the EEBC decision, major
source of instability in the area.
The Somalis are left with no option but to struggle against an
ill conceived occupation financed by the US
in the same manner Eritrea
fought for independence. To their credit the Somali’s are showing a great
deal of resilience and they are winning the war. Ethiopia
is in the verge of collapse with loosened joints and brittle bones as a
result of decades of servitude to Western powers. Millions of Ethiopians are
ill affected by starvation, diseases, death and war related injuries by
leaders that failed them time and again!
A defining Parallel
After the USS Cole bombing in October of 2000 in Yemen,
the port of Aden
and the 9/11terrorist attacks, the US
imposed itself on Pakistan
and Yemen to
stop “terrorism.” However, both Pakistan
and Yemen are
experiencing violence that is leading both countries into major instability.
And as the famous American idiom goes, what is good for the goose is good for
the gander. It is Ironic if not laughable to witness Ethiopia,
a country that owes its very existence to Western handouts use the same
strategy albeit phony and trumped up, to use tactics the US
uses to rally support and wage wars against her neighbors in Eritrea
and Somalia
with disastrous results.
While the current situation in Somalia
is dire, it is not without hope. In many respects, what Meles’s regime did
could have a galvanizing effect and an opportunity for Somali people to unite
and work with one aim, free their country. It is time to find points of unity
and reasons to come together in order to rebuild their country free from
imposed influence of foreign powers. This is an opportunity for the Somali
people to seize a moment, a moment that is tilting more in their favor for
many reasons. It is truly a historic moment, because if they use this time to
educate, organize and arm the Somali public and if they can put the people
and children of Somalia
ahead of political and personal interest, they will succeed. It is a proven
strategy, a strategy that worked for Eritrea.
The Somali elders and leaders must work together to try to provide services
and means for the people of Somalia
even while they struggle against Ethiopia.
While it is becoming clear that Somalia will become viable, in
fact as shocking as this may sound to some, it is conceivable for Somalia to
be in a much stronger position than Ethiopia in short term simply because of
one advantage, access to sea; but that will happen when Somalis decide to put
Somalia first.
This is critical and a defining moment to warrant Somali Unity
because the threat of the repeat of Cold War is on the horizon. The Russians
have decided to bring their ships into the Somali coast a clear indication of
an active reengagement in the area. In addition, it is clear that the Western
powers are yet to give up on their colonial bite. While it is important to
focus on the occupying power Ethiopia,
it is crucial to look at the bigger picture because a lack of focus would
mean a repeat of history at the expense of the future of Somalia
and definite lose of freedom for the Somali people for the foreseeable
future.
There is a great deal of attention directed at Somalia
by the international powers as they juxtapose for the strategic location and
fight for exploitation of the rich resources of Somalia
and the region as a whole. This presents a timely opportunity
for the Somali people in many fronts: To show that they can unite for the
good of Somalia and promote Somalia by giving one message .To show the world
that they can stand on their own, correct their image for good and to handle
their affairs on their own. To reestablish their countries social,
institutional and physical infrastructures; show they can defend Somalia
successfully particularly if they can defeat Ethiopia.
And most importantly to show they are fed up of the damage the West inflicts
upon the Somalis and demonstrate to the world they will not tolerate it any
more; and prove that they are viable citizens of the world. Because Somali
are in this position in large part due to negative foreign interference.
The role of the Diaspora Somalis must parallel that of the
Eritreans in the US
and around the world. What Eritreans were able to accomplish is unparalleled.
In the most crucial moments of Eritrea,
Eritreans play many roles; they are the ambassadors, financiers, motivators,
lobbyists and defenders of Eritrea.
They are the agents that promote Eritrea
to the world. They keep the story, cultural norms, traditions and the history
of Eritrea no
matter where they are. They reinforce unity in Eritrea
while they provide linkage to young generation of Eritreans abroad.
The story of the trials and tribulations of Eritreans is the
story of strength. Historically, Eritreans and Somalis always stood together
in good and bad times. This is one time to come even closer to cultivate a
deeper relationship because there is always strength in numbers. One of the
reasons why Eritreans were unable to influence US policies towards the Horn
is because of their small population. For the Somalis to affect change they
must unite with Eritreans and other peace loving people. Unite to bring
respect, prosperity and most importantly be missionaries for PEACE for the
region, because their people depend on it for their survival! SEGUM!
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