Eritrea opposition pledges to restore people to people relations with Ethiopia

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

September 19, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Eritrea’s biggest opposition umbrella, the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) says it is committed to exert utmost efforts to restore roughen relations between the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

After Ethiopia and Eritrea went on a bloody border war in 1998-2000 which claim 70,000 people, the relations of the peoples of both nations still remain at odds.

“The brotherly people of both countries have sacrificed their lives in a joint struggle to throw the latter DERG regime.” EDA executive committee chairman, Tewolde Gebreslasse said adding “EDA will put maximum efforts to heal worsen relations of both people, which is ruined by the aggressive policy and false propaganda” of Asmara government he added.

According to the official, EDA is not only going to put efforts to restore relations but also will work in ways both people will jointly work persistently to bring positive changes in different aspects.

The opposition top official said that the long relations and history between Eritrean and Ethiopian people must not be affected by the Eritrean government policy.

He also called upon Eritrean people to not support blindly the government of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) which is the only legal political entity in Eritrea.

“It is time the Eritrean people stand by peace seeking opposition forces in a fight to throw the regime and bring democratic rule in Eritrea,” added the head of the opposition alliance which is supported by the Ethiopian government.

Recently, the alliance of 13 Eritrean opposition groups reached an agreement with the Ethiopian authorities to shelter Eritreans who are being deported from Egypt and Libya.

(ST)