Tigray Party urges solidarity with opposition forces to strengthen Ethiopia’s unity

July 1, 2007 — The latest unsuccessful attempt by Meles Zenawi to divert the attention of the Ethiopian people from the injustice in Kaliti prison, using an alleged Eritrean invasion plot, also should not be rewarded with our neglect of Meles Zenawi’s documented anti-Ethiopia actions during the last war in 2000.

It was only seven years ago that our defense forces broke down the invading Eritrean regime forces by repelling it out of Badme and chasing it away until yet another embarrassing fall at Barentu made the Eritrean regime virtually powerless and at the mercy of Ethiopian forces. But in one of the most infamous mercenary moves in world history, Meles Zenawi not only abandoned the people & let go of the land that our forefathers fought for, but also gave up more lands to the enemy we decisively defeated. Since that year, all Ethiopians have been questioning whether or not Meles Zenawi & his Menelik Palace TPLF faction truly stand for Ethiopia’s national interests.

In addition to the billions in ETB that has been robbed from the poor people of Ethiopia & given to the Eritrean regime, the Sebhat Nega TPLF mercenary group once again publicly reminded the people of Tigray on the increasingly anti-Ethiopia status of the TPLF faction in the Palace. Since the days when most Tigrean TPLF soldiers were demobilized and the TPLF got increasingly seized by pro-Eritrea secession mercenaries, the anti-Ethiopia declarations by Sebhat Nega’s TPLF faction have never been as bold, as clear and as offensive as they are becoming today.

Our patriotic Tigrean TPLF fighters led all of us Ethiopians to liberate ourselves from the genocidal Derg regime of Mengistu. Our fallen TPLF heroes did not sacrifice themselves so that Ethiopians would later fight a meaningless war to secure the national interests of another province-turned-country. Sebhat Nega’s statements vowing to fight and to preserve Eritrean “independence” has been one of the most notorious mercenary statements of our era and TUDP sends an urgent warning to all the misled people of Tigray that any future wars against the Eritrean regime is useless and futile. Under the leadership of Meles Zenawi and Sebhat Nega, Ethiopian military victory unfortunately translates to Ethiopian loss of land & more abuse of our territorial integrity. All Ethiopians know this. The world knows this. Every major newspaper and media outlet in the world has reported the events and the anti-Ethiopia decisions of Meles Zenawi after the last war. However none of the pro-Eritrea central committee members of the TPLF faction have ever apologized for their anti-Ethiopia statements and actions through out the years, particularly during the last war with the Eritrean dictatorial regime. The outcries of the people of Tigray (particularly the people of Badme & the families of the Ayder school children massacred) have been completely ignored by the current TPLF faction that has already publicly declared that it is working for Eritrea’s sovereignty – previously in collaboration with EPLF, but now with EPLF dissidents, ELF and Co. It is becoming clear to more people of Tigray that the TPLF we knew does not exist.

Tigray for Unity and Democracy Party (TUDP) also acknowledges that the possible release of Siye Abraha & Co from prison is only symbolic and the people of Tigray should not expect the TPLF faction in Menelik palace to become any less pro-Eritrea any time soon. Any wars (imminent or not) against the Eritrean regime are pointless for all Ethiopians and for Ethiopian territorial integrity unless the Meles Zenawi TPLF faction somehow changes its nature or gets thrown out of the palace. The peaceful national struggle for unity, democracy and Ethiopia’s territorial integrity should be strengthened with steadfast solidarity of the people of Tigray with the rest of Ethiopia.