Wednesday 16 January 2019

Why did TPLF-EPRDF give away Mereb Melash (መረብ ምላሽ ) to Eritrea ?

TPLF-EPRDF have back stabbed Tigray and Ethiopia to say the least. They were instrumental in land locking Ethiopia by giving away Mereb Melash (መረብ ምላሽ ) to Eritrea. The Tigray people, who are the victims. are silent about loosing the ports of Massawa and Assab to Eritrea. This is betraying King Yohannes and the Aksumite Legacy. The Tigrean elites oppose the Amhara day and night. They claim Raya and Wolqait to be part of Tigray  as if this is more important than the Red Sea ports of Massawa and Assab. Raya and Wolqait are part of Tigray and have been part of Tigray. However, The Red Sea is part of Tigrayan (Ethiopian) history, it is the cradle of Aksumite Civilisation. TPLF-EPRDF seems more interested in expandimg the ports in Somaliland and Sudan, which have less historical and cultural relation to Tigray and Amhara people.Building or using ports in South Ethiopia is not in the strategic interest of  Tigray and Amhara people.

In the Wuchale Treaty which was signed by Menelik II and Italy in 1890, Eritrea was defined as the area north of the Mereb River, in fact a straight  line from East to West across Segeneiti, Asmara and Arafali is the boundary between Ethiopia and Italy's colony, called Eritrea in 1890. Italy after 1890 has been illegally occupying the lands that belong to Ethiopia and included the South Merab area as part of it's territory

"Treaty of Wuchale (or, Treaty of Ucciale; in Italian, Trattato di Uccialli) was a treaty signed by King Menelik II of Shewa, later the Emperor of Ethiopia with Count Pietro Antonelli of Italy in the town of Wuchale, Ethiopia, on 2 May 1889. The treaty stated that the regions of Bogos, Hamasien, Akkele Guzay, and Serae were part of the Italian colony of Eritrea and is the origin of the Italian colony and modern state of Eritrea. Per the Treaty, Italy promised financial assistance and military supplies.
The contents of Article 3 of the treaty state the following: [1]
Art. 3. To remove any ambiguity about the limits of the territories over which the two Contracting Parties shall exercise the rights of sovereignty, a special committee composed of two Italian delegates and two Ethiopians will trace on the ground with appropriate signs a permanent boundary line whose benchmarks are established as follows:
a) The line of the plateau will mark the Italian-Ethiopian border;
b) Starting from the region Arafali, Halai, Saganeiti and Asmara are villages in the Italian border;
c) Adi Adi Nefas and Joannes will be on the side of Bogos in the Italian border;
d) From Adi Joannes a straight line extended from east to west will mark the border between Italy and Ethiopia." (Credit: Wikipedia)

According to Wuchale Treaty, the boundary between  Ethiopia and Eritrea should be as the shown in the above map.

In fact, Tigray Regional State could have benefited much , had TPLF not given away The South Mereb area to Eritrea. Tigray, Wollo and Afar provinces or regions could have had their own ports. Assab could have been a federal port. It is a shame Meles Zenawi fooled the Ethiopian people, specially Tigray people by spreading the false information about the need to have a port or ports. The port or a sea coastal area is not only advantagous for tansport. It has many benefits to the people who own it depending on how they exploit their resources from the sea. A sea coast could be used as a resort for internal and external tourism. Besides there are marine resources as fish and other  which could be used by the local population to support themselves as direct consumption or generating income from export of fish. Ethiopia could have employed tens of thousands of people in fish export alone. This is a branch that could develop to a mega million company or a billion company as the population growth in Ethiopia is increasing.. The other important branch of industry is sea transport. Ethiopians could travel by sea to other countries of Arabia, Persia, Yemen, Europe for business or pleasure . Ethiopian shipping lines could have been a company with high turnover. Last but not least is having a naval force, which could employ  tens of thousands of Ethiopians.

TPLF was dominated by Eritreans. The likes of Meles Zenawi are tribalists and neocolonial slaves. Communists  stand for the political and economic benefits of  larger populations. If Meles Zenawi was a marxist-leninst or a Stalinist as some assert, he would not give away Eritrea to Egypt. Meles Zenawi should not have given away The South Mereb area to Eritrea as it belonged to Ethiopia as the Treaty of Wuchale between Ethiopia and Italy illustrates. Meles Zenawi could not understand the essence of Marxism or Albanian Communism. Marxism-Leninism is very complicated to grasp and apply if one does not have the necessary cultural and educational background. Meles Zenawi and most of his comrades were college drop outs. They joined an armed struggle out of ethnic grievances and not for the cause of Ethiopia and her people. Little knowledge is dangerous, so was Meles Zenawi and his TPLF policy of landlocking Ethiopia, which is  not acceptable to Ethiopia and friends of Ethiopia.

We say Ethiopia should not be landlocked because the Red Sea has been part of Ethiopia for thousands of years. The Aksumite Kingdom, which is a legacy of all Ethiopians, expanded to Yemen and South Arabia through the Red Sea. Adulis used to be the main port of The Aksumite Kingdom. But there were also other ports that were used by Ethiopians during the time of The Aksumite Kingdom. Judaism, Christianity and Islam came to Ethiopia through The Red Sea. The Red Sea was the main trading route for Ethiopia. Christopher Da Gama and his army joined Ethiopia's war against Ottoman Turks by transversing The Red Sea Ports of Massawa and Assab. Thus The Red Sea has been part of Ethiopia. It is unjust to landlock Ethiopia, taking away all her territories bordering the Red Sea. Ethiopia does not need Eritrea. Eritrea was a colony of Italy and uniting Eritrea with Ethiopia is wrong. However, The Wuchale Treaty should be the foundation to delimit the international boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea, according to which The South Mereb Region should be under Ethiopia.

It is a shame that TPLF-EPRDF is not actively informing the people of Tigray and other Ethiopians about the Wuchale Treaty and the boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eritrea has been controlling the South Mereb Region since it's secession from Ethiopia in 1993. Ethiopia is technically landlocked but not according to International Law. It is necessary for Ethiopian patriots to demand the return of The South Mereb Region to Ethiopia. We should wage a campaign to get Ethiopia Sea Coast back to our people. The current situation is dangerous for Eritrea as Eritrea is occupying by force sovereign land of Ethiopia. Eritrea's divide and weaken policy against Ethiopia might have some effect in maintaining the status quo.In the long term, Ethiopia will have to reclaim the South Mereb Region. Eritrea may be forced to pay compensation as it has been using land that belongs to Ethiopia.

TPLF has been the main problem in getting Ethiopia a sea outlet. TPLF is infiltrated by Eritreans. Meles Zenawi, Sebhat Nega, Kidusan Nega, Tewedros Hago, Netsanet Assefaw etc are Eritreans with anti-Tigray and anti-Ethiopia positions. Bereket Simon and other Eritreans were also instrumental in land locking Ethiopia on false historical and political evidences. Both Ethiopia and Eritrea should have been getting part of The Red Sea coastal area. Unfortunately Meles Zenawi and his comrades opposed the idea of getting Eritrea and Ethiopia parts of The Red Sea coast.EPRDF in general was dominated by TPLF  in issues of policy. Amhara People's Democratic Movement(ANDM) and Oromo People's Democratic Organisation (OPDO) were practically stooges of TPLF and have followed policies TPLF approved. Thus TPLF remains the sole responsible organisation to  land lock Ethiopia.

The political landscape in the Horn of Africa is changing swiftly. Saudai Arabia and UAE are grooming Ethiopia and Eritrea to join their war against Iran and Yemen. Eritrea has been supporting Saudi Arabia and UAE. Ethiopia should maintain it's neurality as a seat of African Union and should not support UAE and Saudi Arabia. Ethiopia needs to control The Red Sea area to maintain it's own peace and the peace of other friendly countries. Ethiopia needs to claim The South Mereb Region. Italy and Ethiopia could negotiate where the boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea should be. If Eritrea wants a friendly neighbour, it should agree to the terms of The Wuchale Treaty of 1888. Otherwise Ethiopians would challenge Eritrea's controversial referendumfor secession from Ethiopia as there was an active involvement of Egypt. Ethiopia may decalre war on Eritrea if Eritrea refuses to respect the terms and consditions of The Wuchale Treaty.

TPLF should revisit it's position on Eritrea and reclaim The South Mereb Region.TPLF should expel all it's members with Eritrean background for reason's of national security of Ethiopia and friends of Ethiopia. TPLF may be forced to disband itself by Ethiopian patriots because of it's clandestine support to Eritrea in land locking Ethiopia.

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