Opposition alliance of Eritrean Afar rejects Ethiopian TPLF interferences

October 1, 2006 — After carefully analysing the political condition in north East , Africa at large, the Xinto Committee of Afar Federal Alliance (AFA) of Eritrea has issued the following statement.

The Afar Federal Alliance (AFA) of Eritrea was launched in 2003 and subsequently its political programmes and statements were widely circulated in Eritrean and international media outlets.

The Afar Federal Alliance (AFA) of Eritrea has been born out of political lava to end the continuing injustice and suppression in order to implement modern political rule of justice (Federal rule) in Eritrea.

The Afar Federal Alliance of Eritrea aspires to unite the people of Eritrea in healthy just federal system because federalism is the best available therapy for all conflicts of identity. In addition it is believed to offer immense prospect for permanent stability and peaceful coexistence between peoples of diverse religious, regional, cultural backgrounds and affiliations. Therefore we invest in our people, proud in our heritage as multi cultural peoples, under one flag, one national slogan to promote genuine decentralised democratic governance for a united, strong and economically prosperous nations of Eritrea.

We may not be unique; but we are an ethnic party with clearly defined territorial boundaries and a legitimate demand for self-rule within Eritrea. We are a proud part of Eritrea history with proud track-record in opposing all forms of discrimination, injustice, illegal occupation, regional feudal warlords and internal colonialists.

Afar Federal Alliance (AFA) of Eritrea believes ethnic and regional self-rule rights and cultural diversities as a source of strength to our country, Eritrea.

In a recent development the Xinto Committee observed yet another blunder committed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) ruling Ethiopia. The TPLF has given itself the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Afar Federal Alliance (AFA). In doing so, it has recently conspired with a short sighted Afar individual and forged AFA’s political programme to a new organisation called Eritrean Afar Federal Movement in an attempt to split, undermine AFA, confuse and marginalise the Eritrean Afar. This doesn’t surprise many political parties nor curve Eritrean Afar from its main principles and objectives; because the individual used to promote the TPLF’s sinister hegemonic agenda does not posses the necessary political prerequisites to promote the TPLF agenda within the Afar people, hence we tell TPLF conspiracy architects that their agenda is already a failure before its birth and that the Red Sea Afar will withstand and defeat your divisive attempts and uninvited interferences in our internal affairs.

Thus, the TPLF proves its real rejection for justice and has never attempted to stop this political pattern which is reaffirming the revival of Abyssinian warlordism that was the main cause of mayhem and regional instability for centuries. This primitive feudalist hegemonic attitude of the TPLF is the key player for continuing injustices in Ethiopia and instability in the region.

While condemning TPLF interferences in our organisational and national affairs, we call upon our sister Eritrean Opposition Parties to be extra vigilant and stand with us and the Eritrean people at large against the conspiracies and hegemonic agendas of the TPLF, which is clearly leading Ethiopia and the region into further chaos and chronic poverty.

In conclusion, we, the Afar Federal Alliance of Eritrea, confirm our refusal to be cheap unpatriotic instruments in the hands of the current Tigreyan rulers and reiterate our utter condemnation of the TPLF regime of Ethiopia for immorality, deception, political conspiracy and regional war-mongering policies.

We aspire to see a genuine healthy democratic environment in Eritrea, Ethiopia and rest of the region.

Victory to the peoples of Eritrean.

Xinto Committee of AFA