Dancing with the Wolves: Woyane's unabated saga
By: Daood Mohamed
Over the last few weeks, Ethiopia's TPLF controlled media have been trumpeting the gathering of anti-Issayas forces in Addis Ababa. Some of these forces are true military threats to Issayas, while some are the sort of fly by night type of organization. Regardless of their individual strengths, they all share a common position in that they hate Ethiopia and anything of Ethiopian. Whether it is Shabia, ELF, ELF-RC, the Alliance, or whatever name they use, they are the enemies of Ethiopia's national and strategic interest.
Many of the personalities descending on Addis to form the post Issayas government should have been arrested and brought to justice for crimes committed against national interest of Ethiopia while in office under previous regimes. Some of these individuals looted Ethiopia's national treasure while they were in high government positions and the others spied against Ethiopia while on the country's payroll. Even some of them were senior combatants during the war of secession waged against the territorial integrity of Ethiopia. They should have been considered war criminals and brought to justice before a court of law. Instead, they are received as guest of honors. It is my hope that some day justice and truth will be served.
I feel simply flabbergasting, to say the least, to see some of Ethiopia's ardent enemies confer in a capital city of a country they betrayed so many times and for so long. To add insult to injury, the conference on the future of post Issayas "Eritrea" is organized under the tutelage of Woyane, which mid-wifed its secession in the first place. Mind you, that it is the same Woyane, which acted like an agent of Issayas before several diplomatic forums in order to legitimize his rule over what they still call Eritrea. Furthermore, it is the same Woyane, which allowed Shabia to roam over Ethiopia and gunned down it opponents. According to some former Woyane insiders, Issayas had a jailhouse in Addis Ababa between 1991 and 1998 used to control and torture his political adversaries. Today, Woyane celebrates with the victims and families of that same jailhouse, which Issayas once used as a torture chamber and a head quarter for illegal operations. Woyane remains committed to feast with Ethiopia's enemies regardless of the "color of their eye".
On regional level, a new diplomatic initiative is underway to exclude Issayas, and Woyane is fostering this change. Prime Minister Melese Zenawi has been preoccupied with the initiatives to salvage what is left of the so-called "Independent Eritrea". Once again, he is the "angel of mercy" to save "Eritrea" from "Eritreans". On the 13 of October 2002, he led a regional summit in Sana, Yemen. The participants were Yemen, Sudan and of course Woyane. Adding the U.S. into the mix (the one time bank-roller of Issayas), and the drama becomes difficult to digest. A flurry of diplomatic and political row ensued after the Sana summit. The U.S. State Department spokesperson issued a statement on 18 October, denouncing Issayas for his alleged human rights abuses, effectively lending credence to the anti-Issayas forces assembled in Addis to form "a government in exile". The timing is no coincidence; Issayas was one of the poster boys for Africa's "renaissance", according to the Clinton administration.
As one would guess, Issayas did not sit idle either. He issued a stern statement, 18 October, and accused CIA of trying to "over throw" his government. The statement went further and blamed "a few officials in the previous US administration for escalating the war ..." with Ethiopia. It sounds outlandish but it is true; Issayas is accusing US for "hostile acts" against his government. It is a classic example of biting the hand, which feeds it.
Furthermore, in another dramatic turn, Yemen and Sudanese representatives officially attended the closing ceremony of the conference of anti-Issayas forces in Addis, which defies basic and simple U.N. diplomatic protocol of non-interference. Please note that Yemen and Sudan sent their own delegates to sit in public with anti-Issayas government forces while enjoying full diplomatic relationships with him. WALTA, one of TPLF controlled news agency, was quick to publish pictures of these diplomats.
However you look at it, PM. Meles of Ethiopia, President Abdalla of Yemen, Issayas of Shabia and General Bashir of Sudan are in the same league of leaders: head of rogue states. All have been on notice in the past, by U.S. and other international human right watch-groups for their undemocratic governance, corruption and/or poor human rights records. What exactly is new today to merit such a diplomatic row? With exception of Woyane, the US, Yemen, and Sudan may have legitimate reasons to go after Issayas. The diplomatic foray unfolding currently in the Horn of Africa may result from a need to realign regional forces.
The U.S. may be interested, and rightfully so, in having a cohesive regional security provisions among its new and old friends. The U.S. is in full diplomatic and military actions to curtail the potential danger of terrorism from Jihad warriors. The Bush Doctrine promotes pre-emptive strike as a legitimate defense, and it requires total cooperation with leaders of the horn. Issayas is erratic and unpredictable. Who needs such an inept leader ruling over an important coastline in the midst of a global war against Terrorism? The U.S. is justified in seeking his removal in order to facilitate its short-term security interest
Yemen, on the other hand, has an immediate and a vested economic interest over the fishing zones of Red Sea. It also endured one full-fledged war with Shabia in 1996 and several other military provocations since then. I suspect that Yemen may also have a security concern; it is possible that Shabia will shelter Yemen's lawless tribal leaders and political opponents.
The other participant is the Sudan, which has been mired in its own civil war for several years now, and Issayas is acting like its de facto commandant. General Bashir would go to any length to take out Issayas and perhaps put some one in Asmara, who would then help him secure his northern border against SPLA and other rival incursions.
Here comes the big question: what is in it for Woyane to be the stage master to ram Issayas? Would it be to regain Ethiopia's coastline? Or is it to help the people of Afar, who to this day, rebuffed to be "Eritrian"? Perhaps, is it to reunite the Kunamas with their motherland? Is it to save the people of Irob from wanton destruction by Shabia's murderous and rapist army? Well, one would hope for the best intentions, but the truth remains that Woyane is muddled up in this new diplomatic peddle only to salvage Ethiopia's enemies from destroying each other. As unfortunate as it seems, collaborations with Ethiopia's enemies has become the hallmark of Woyane.
As I mentioned earlier, Woyane is in it to save "Eritrea from Eritreans". I would argue that Issayas has become the worst enemy of the so-called "Eritrean nationalism", which is about to crumble. After eleven years of conspiracy and deceptive propaganda, even at times unpretentiously adventurous policies, a viable "Eritrean nation-state" remains to be an elusive dream. Those who back-boned the secession of "Eritrea" are now faced with gloomy realities. These realities cast serious doubts to the very essence of "Eritrean Independence" triggering a new debate about the myths of secession. Under such state of affairs, it is only a matter of time before "Eritrea" disintegrates into oblivion. Some one has to save "Eritrea" from itself and once again, Woyane is stepping up to the rescue.
Woyane has a good reason to be obsessed with "Eritrean" success. The collapse of "Eritrean" nation state would deliver irreversible political havoc and render Woyane as an irrelevant force to govern through tribal mechanism. Woyane is sitting on a tribal time bomb hoping it explodes only when Woyane is ready. Unlike military ordinances, a political time bomb gives no warning and may go off at any time. The grand design for "Eritrea" is to provide a model state for future tribal secessions as stipulated in Article 39 of Woyane's constitution. If an "Eritrean" nation-state fails so goes Woyane, hence, the dance with wolves continues.
[Opinions in this article are solely that of the writer.]