Bring Eritrea In From the Cold???

Senior Eritrean officials attending a conference in Asmara. Front: Sebaht Ephrem, Ministry of Defense (L), Isaias Afwerki, President (C),  Fauzia Hashim, Ministry of Justice (R). Back: Tesamariam Tekeste, Ambassador to Israel

Bring Eritrea In From the Cold???

By Berhane Woldu,

American experts on Africa and many years of experience in the African nation’s politics have recently started to concern themselves with the Eritrean Ethiopian conflict. Cohen and Shinn both are in agreement that the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commissions “final and binding” ruling should be implemented. Shinn goes on to position the problems that brought about the war of 1998, Shinn’s states that the causes of war were conditions that were fermenting and not noticed by politicians. The assertion that these conditions were the main drivers for cause of war and the lose of life of so many souls; the many hard earned property that have vanished and the massive displacement of people is nothing more than an insult to the intelligence of the people of both countries.

Former Ambassador and Council on Foreign Relation (a forum which business leaders influence foreign policy); Princeton Lyman; states that bringing peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia is long overdue and would be of great benefit to the region. He goes on to say that the main reason that Eritrea is in the cold and isolated is due to its involvement in Somalia and other African countries are responsible for Eritrea’s sanction and not the USA. He further states that opportunity to bring about an end to the dispute between the two countries and improvement in relation with the US has been hard due to Eritrea’s refusal. Lyman I beg to differ with you.

Eritrea’s foreign policy is based on mutual respect it values its political independence and refuses to fulfill Western service role. Eritrea has and remains to deal with its foes and friends with respect as it sees the long term relationship rather than what the day has brought. Self-determination which was once advocated by Woodrow Wilson practiced by Eritrea has educed bitter US resentment. Eritrean People’s Liberation Front in its economic manifesto declared that the paramount economic issue was that of improving the living standards of the great majority: Social Justice, rather than depending on foreign capital investments that favor export and exodus of money out of Eritrea.

Governments that were not playing the service role were overthrown by the US government, in Iran 1953 that brought the Shah to power and Chile in 1973. The main cause for their disposal from power was that they tampered with the interest of “private, capitalist enterprise” the Investors. As declassified documents indicate The Monroe Doctrine, what matters is the interest of America. Africa is a source of raw materials for the industrial societies. The state department has in many ways stated that the primary foes of US world dominance are Third World Nationalist Governments that fulfill the demand of the poor rather than to favor private investment of foreign capital, production for export and to maximize profit that is finally taken out of the host country. Rights of the indigenous population are suppressed and the climate for foreign investment is preserved.

Eritrea being a young nation and poor in foreign earning was growing economically how little its resources economic growth was phenomenon. If such a nation as young as it is succeeds in bringing a better life for its people why not nations that are ancient and have more resources. If Eritrea becomes economically advanced and politically independent then others will follow and the whole of East Africa will pursue an independent path “the Domino Theory” dangerous example that would inspire other nations. What the US capitalist want is a system that genuflect to the needs of the few World billionaires.

When the US was demonizing and advocating for sever restriction and calls for regime change their excuse was that Eritrea was a threat to stability to Ethiopia and East Africa in general. This was a repeat of what the State Department said of Guatemala in 1954 and recently in Iraq where the world was told Sadam Hussein was in a possession of weapons of mass distraction. Wikileakes documents John Bolton US ambassador to the UN have affirmed US hostility and ill-thoughts policies of the US state department officials towards Eritrea.

Why the US state departments go this far to punish Eritrea? Eritrea’s government commitments to improve the condition of the rural people by extending health care, education, agriculture and infrastructure to the poor which are noteworthy progress in social justice; laying out the basis for long-term socio-economic development terrifies US planers. Hence, turn Eritrea into poor, isolated and politically radical so that it won’t be exemplary political model for Africa. To stop Eritrea from its progress; the State Department embarks on attack first, was the War of Aggression by Ethiopia to debilitate Eritrea by forcing to divert scarce resources toward the war away from development. Then violation of Human rights, religious freedom followed by economic sabotages exerting pressure on the World Bank, European bank, African development bank and other inter- development banks to terminate projects, loans and assistance. Then there was a call for Eritrean Diaspora not to pay 2% recovery tax (how low can you go) Eritrea’s gold export sells to be held in World Bank accounts, propagate for the mass departure of the youth, educated and skilled labor and the unfair and illegal economic sanctions of 2009 are many examples of wrong doings.

The Eritrean people and government have for the last two decades plus have been tested by different hostile governments and have overcome all the challenges. War, economic sabotage, propagation and the likes have failed. Eritrea has come out of the cold; Eritrea today is in a much better position economically, politically and its social institution is intact and glued much harder than at any time in its history. Eritrea is willing and able to have good relation with peace loving people that abide by the 

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