Direct people to people reconciliation between the ordinary people of Tigrai and Eritrea is the only true path for real peace.

 

The sinister ploy by the enemies of Tigrai people was completely foiled by the meticulous and patient people of Tigrai. Abiy Ahmed and Isaias Afwerki’s vindictive plan was to isolate Tigrai and its people militarily, politically, and economically.

The plan was to wage unrelenting propaganda war against anything Tigrai (all the catch phrases by Abiy indirectly referring to Tegaru) to create animosity towards the people of Tigrai and the State government of Tigrai, then go for the kill just like they did in Somali regional state. That plan fail on its face, because the people of Tigrai stood beside their government as one entity. The people of Tigrai waited patiently to see if the federal government would correct its path and if the federal laws would be restored, but things seemed getting worst every week. The people of Tigrai went out in the thousands 5 million and all in every city of the state. The people held the huge rallies to show their willingness for peace with their Eritrean brothers and sisters and to make their stand absolutely clear to the Ethiopian government, if you don’t respect the federal system we will look into other options. For your information, Tigraians have never been united like now thanks to the threat of extremists and the misguided policies of Abiy Ahmed.

While the Abiy Ahmed administration was doing everything to exclude Tigrai from the Ethiopian and Eritrean peace process, the people of Tigrai started an initiative to reach out to the Eritrean people. For many weeks Tigrai people were crossing the border to their counter parts on the Eritrean side, but they were not that successful. Every time they were politely told by the Eritrean soldiers we don’t have any order from the higher ups, however there was unmistakable desire by the Eritrean people too and some connections were made. Eventually hundreds of people from both sides start to congregate in all the border villages and towns. That is the reason Abiy Ahmed and Isaias showed up in Zalambesa because whether they like it or not the people of Tigrai and Eritrea will break the border.

Abiy Ahmed realized in less than six months he is losing his grip of federal power and the main reason is his mishandling of the Ethio-Eritrea peace process. The other big problem is his attempt to seclude Tigrai. We are not sure he has learned his lessons that nothing significant would be achieved without the active participation of the TPLF, the Tigrai government and the people of Tigrai.

 

Since Abiy came to power over two million people have been displaced thousands lost their lives in some kind of ethnic clashs. As recent as today September 12, 2018 many people have been hurt in the city of Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia in a bloody fighting between supporters of Ginbot-7 and supporters of OLF. An eyewitness source informed Tigrai Online the fighting erupted when members or supporters of Ginbot-7 tried to prevent the OLF supporters from putting up OLF flags in the streets. Some OLF leaders like every rebel group before are coming to Ethiopia and the OLF supporters were trying to ready for the reception. Apparently the Amhara extremists think Ethiopia belongs only to them that is why they act irrationally like this. If Amharas ara allowed to welcome their rebel and extremist leaders like Tamange Beyene, why wouldn’t the Omromo people be allowed to do the same for their leaders? This is a clear indication the country is heading the wrong way and unless its law and order are restored this may not be the end of it for the two groups.

If Ethiopia is going to continue as a country we have to go back to square one and start from the last assessments of the EPRDF Executive Committee in the middle of 2018.

Finally we think the Eritrea and Tigrai people need a proper venue to do real people to people reconciliation led by elders, religious leaders and government representatives in Mekelle and Asmara instead of unorganized public gatherings. We have to think strategically and look beyond the next few years.