[Pol.ethiopia] UNMEE 'S Imagination Is Contrary To Irob Reality

Wed, 25 Apr 2001 04:02:06 EDT

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Source: Ben's News Page
> >> 
>> 
>> 
>> UNMEE 'S Imagination Is Contrary To Irob Reality 
>> 
>> Irob Community In North America
>> P.O.Box 5533
>> Arlingon, VA 22205 
>> 
>> We, the Irob Community in North America, have been time and again, 
dumbfounded by the hideous news coming from the headquarters of the United 
Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) regarding the Irobland. What 
is going on? The Irob question is becoming increasingly disturbing. Few 
months ago we were shocked to see a map drawn by the Eritrean government in 
1999, after it invading the Ethiopian territories on the UNMEE website. The 
map incorporates Zalambessa, parts of the Irobland and some other areas in 
the region that have been undisputed Ethiopian territories for centuries into 
Eritrea. Few weeks ago, again, somewhere between the UNMEE complaint to the 
Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian government's response to it, we 
discovered that two core villages in Irobland (Auda and Makata) were on 
controversy during their dealings about the so called Temporary Security Zone 
(TSZ). Once again on 18th of April, when UNMEE announced that it has set up 
TSZ, it voiced its "regrets that Ethiopia had not communicated to the UN 
Mission the full nature of its redeployment plans in the Irob area". What 
does the Irob area have to do with the TSZ, which had been agreed upon to be 
on the Eritrean side of the border? Is there some dealings going on behind 
close doors about the Irobland and people? We have a strong suspicion that 
the UN has been acting as one-sided Eritrean supporter. While the Eritrean 
and UN duo have been against us for some time now, what is most disturbing 
and have left us wonder is the Ethiopian government's role in this matter. 
Why is the Ethiopian government not stating in black and white that the 
Irobland is inside the sovereign Ethiopian State and that it has nothing to 
do with the so-called TSZ? This, together with the issuance of the improper 
map on the UNMEE Website, which had not been clearly denounced by the 
Ethiopian government, perturbs those of us who are natives of the Irobland. 
Why didn't the Ethiopian government unequivocally denounce the map if it 
didn't approve its issuance? And why did it not put in a clear and 
unambiguous language that Auda and Makata are Ethiopian sovereign 
territories, instead of using "administered by" and the like nebulous 
terminology? Why all this silence as if the Ethiopian government is 
predisposed to compromise on its own territories and sovereignty? Are all of 
these incidentals, or something occult going on behind close doors regarding 
the fate of the Irob people and land? Nobody should wonder if we are troubled 
about all these tidings. Auda, Makata or any part of Irobland has always been 
an integral part of Ethiopia and nobody has the right to question this 
reality. It is the Ethiopian government's responsibility to stand firm in 
defense of its territories whenever questions that can challenge the 
territorial integrity of the nation transpire. If the Ethiopian government or 
international powers involved have any problem of knowing the boundaries, the 
Irob people know better than anybody else their land and can be helpful and 
must be consulted. In fact, no settlement of any kind should be made without 
full participation of the local population. The Irob people know what is 
theirs, and there should not be dispute as to where these places and people 
belong. We have been Ethiopians for centuries and we will remain so despite 
any decision that may be imposed upon us. Awda, Makata and the rest of Irob 
have nothing to do with Eritrea. They have always been and will remain to be 
an integral part of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the identity of our people and 
the sovereignty of our country be it on Irob front or anywhere in Ethiopia, 
should not be decided arbitrarily by whoever happens to be on power at any 
given moment, but by full participation of the inhabitants concerned. If any 
of the traditional Ethiopian territories are compromised in any manner there 
will never be peace in the region. If the players are, at all, interested in 
peace and fair settlement of the conflict, they must consult with the people 
in question. After so much sacrifice, both in human and material terms, has 
been paid to liberate Ethiopian sovereign territories including the Irobland, 
Irobs all over the world are saddened to learn that our land and people are 
now tossed out for negotiation with Eritrean authorities. Considering the 
clarity and historical background of the Irob people and land, we are 
convinced that this debate should have never taken place. Nevertheless, we 
find ourselves in this dilemma repeatedly, and the short-lived elation of 
liberation has evaporated before the blood of our martyrs dried on the land 
of our ancestors. It is a miscarriage of justice, and an open war on a 
minority population. The irresponsible steps that seem to have been taken 
during the agreement on the political map, which have jeopardized the 
identity of the Irob people and the integrity of Ethiopia are disappointing, 
to say the least. We would like to remind our country people that it is 
puzzling to witness a nation that has defeated an enemy in such a decisive 
manner now finds itself in such a weak position, to the point of loosing its 
own sovereignty. The Ethiopian people must demand a clear and unmistakable 
position of our government in regards to the boundary issues. We are 
convinced that even one single stone shall never be given away to any foreign 
nation; we shall fight with all our soul to never let that from happening. 
Transparency is the best defense against belligerent governments such as the 
one in Eritrea. We demand to know how and why the decision to put huge parts 
of our land and people was ever put on negotiation in the first place. Every 
twist and turn the Eritrean government made has passed without appropriate 
response from our own government and this in turn gives more reason for 
unnecessary suspicion of the Ethiopian people, and ground for the arrogant 
Eritrean government to claim what has never and shall never be theirs. The 
need to develop open communication with the people in the area is more 
crucial at this moment than ever. It is the people and not just the 
government that will make and break the peace. We are dismayed by the deaf 
ear we have been receiving, from both our government and the UNMEE, in 
regards to the border of our area. We are competent and knowledgeable of our 
land and people to argue in front of any one who is willing to listen to 
reason and historical facts. 
We ask the Ethiopian government to state unconditionally and unequivocally 
the legitimacy and right of the Irob people's Ethiopianess. This 
unquestionable and unalienable birthright is not negotiable. Hence, we, as a 
people, must not be shut out of this critical decision-making process in 
regard to our own destiny. We believe that we can play a constructive role in 
building a lasting peace. The principle of Self Determination recognized by 
the UN must be respected. 

We ask the Irob people and Irob friends the world over, to stand firm in 
telling the UNMEE, USA and all those involved in this matter that our 
identity and our land cannot be decided by someone else. 

We ask the Ethiopian people to take a good look at what seems to be 
happening, and to take a nationalist determination to assure the integrity of 
our land and people by joining us in our endeavor to defend our identity. 

We ask you, the Ethiopian defense forces, to prove to the government in 
Asmara that you mean business and that you would never allow the on again, 
off again game of claiming what is not theirs. We would like to remind you 
that you are children of those who washed foreign agents' feet so not to 
allow our dust from being taken on their hills; let alone huge parts of our 
land including the inhabitants. 

We ask the UN and world powers involved in the Ethio-Eritrean conflict to 
ascertain the aspirations of the area inhabitants and make them full 
participants of the peace process. 

We urge the UNMEE to stop being partial and to urge the Eritrean leaders that 
they cannot continue to claim land and people that never belonged to them. A 
true and lasting peace cannot be achieved by simply twisting a nation's arm 
to put its interest on the table. As we have repeatedly stated, we shall 
never allow anyone to make us who we are not. Without taking in consideration 
the historical and juridical status of the affected people and their national 
aspirations; without identifying who was the invader and who was the victim; 
in short without being fair, no resolution can be "milestone" and no step can 
be "penultimate" step. World_Wide_Irobs@aol.com 

[Opinions in this article are solely that of the writer.]

<A HREF="http://www.ethiopiafirst.com/">TO GO BACK </A>

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 Source: Ben's News Page
 <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
 
 
 UNMEE 'S Imagination Is Contrary To Irob Reality 
 
 Irob Community In North America
 P.O.Box 5533
 Arlingon, VA 22205 
 
 <BIG></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><BIG><BIG>W</BIG></BIG>e, the Irob Community in North America, have been time and again, 
 dumbfounded by the hideous news coming from the headquarters of the United 
 Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) regarding the Irobland. What 
 is going on? The Irob question is becoming increasingly disturbing. Few 
 months ago we were shocked to see a map drawn by the Eritrean government in 
 1999, after it invading the Ethiopian territories on the UNMEE website. The 
 map incorporates Zalambessa, parts of the Irobland and some other areas in 
 the region that have been undisputed Ethiopian territories for centuries into 
 Eritrea. Few weeks ago, again, somewhere between the UNMEE complaint to the 
 Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian government's response to it, we 
 discovered that two core villages in Irobland (Auda and Makata) were on 
 controversy during their dealings about the so called Temporary Security Zone 
 (TSZ). Once again on 18th of April, when UNMEE announced that it has set up 
 TSZ, it voiced its "regrets that Ethiopia had not communicated to the UN 
 Mission the full nature of its redeployment plans in the Irob area". What 
 does the Irob area have to do with the TSZ, which had been agreed upon to be 
 on the Eritrean side of the border? Is there some dealings going on behind 
 close doors about the Irobland and people? We have a strong suspicion that 
 the UN has been acting as one-sided Eritrean supporter. While the Eritrean 
 and UN duo have been against us for some time now, what is most disturbing 
 and have left us wonder is the Ethiopian government's role in this matter. 
 Why is the Ethiopian government not stating in black and white that the 
 Irobland is inside the sovereign Ethiopian State and that it has nothing to 
 do with the so-called TSZ? This, together with the issuance of the improper 
 map on the UNMEE Website, which had not been clearly denounced by the 
 Ethiopian government, perturbs those of us who are natives of the Irobland. 
 Why didn't the Ethiopian government unequivocally denounce the map if it 
 didn't approve its issuance? And why did it not put in a clear and 
 unambiguous language that Auda and Makata are Ethiopian sovereign 
 territories, instead of using "administered by" and the like nebulous 
 terminology? Why all this silence as if the Ethiopian government is 
 predisposed to compromise on its own territories and sovereignty? Are all of 
 these incidentals, or something occult going on behind close doors regarding 
 the fate of the Irob people and land? Nobody should wonder if we are troubled 
 about all these tidings. Auda, Makata or any part of Irobland has always been 
 an integral part of Ethiopia and nobody has the right to question this 
 reality. It is the Ethiopian government's responsibility to stand firm in 
 defense of its territories whenever questions that can challenge the 
 territorial integrity of the nation transpire. If the Ethiopian government or 
 international powers involved have any problem of knowing the boundaries, the 
 Irob people know better than anybody else their land and can be helpful and 
 must be consulted. In fact, no settlement of any kind should be made without 
 full participation of the local population. The Irob people know what is 
 theirs, and there should not be dispute as to where these places and people 
 belong. We have been Ethiopians for centuries and we will remain so despite 
 any decision that may be imposed upon us. Awda, Makata and the rest of Irob 
 have nothing to do with Eritrea. They have always been and will remain to be 
 an integral part of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the identity of our people and 
 the sovereignty of our country be it on Irob front or anywhere in Ethiopia, 
 should not be decided arbitrarily by whoever happens to be on power at any 
 given moment, but by full participation of the inhabitants concerned. If any 
 of the traditional Ethiopian territories are compromised in any manner there 
 will never be peace in the region. If the players are, at all, interested in 
 peace and fair settlement of the conflict, they must consult with the people 
 in question. After so much sacrifice, both in human and material terms, has 
 been paid to liberate Ethiopian sovereign territories including the Irobland, 
 Irobs all over the world are saddened to learn that our land and people are 
 now tossed out for negotiation with Eritrean authorities. Considering the 
 clarity and historical background of the Irob people and land, we are 
 convinced that this debate should have never taken place. Nevertheless, we 
 find ourselves in this dilemma repeatedly, and the short-lived elation of 
 liberation has evaporated before the blood of our martyrs dried on the land 
 of our ancestors. It is a miscarriage of justice, and an open war on a 
 minority population. The irresponsible steps that seem to have been taken 
 during the agreement on the political map, which have jeopardized the 
 identity of the Irob people and the integrity of Ethiopia are disappointing, 
 to say the least. We would like to remind our country people that it is 
 puzzling to witness a nation that has defeated an enemy in such a decisive 
 manner now finds itself in such a weak position, to the point of loosing its 
 own sovereignty. The Ethiopian people must demand a clear and unmistakable 
 position of our government in regards to the boundary issues. We are 
 convinced that even one single stone shall never be given away to any foreign 
 nation; we shall fight with all our soul to never let that from happening. 
 Transparency is the best defense against belligerent governments such as the 
 one in Eritrea. We demand to know how and why the decision to put huge parts 
 of our land and people was ever put on negotiation in the first place. Every 
 twist and turn the Eritrean government made has passed without appropriate 
 response from our own government and this in turn gives more reason for 
 unnecessary suspicion of the Ethiopian people, and ground for the arrogant 
 Eritrean government to claim what has never and shall never be theirs. The 
 need to develop open communication with the people in the area is more 
 crucial at this moment than ever. It is the people and not just the 
 government that will make and break the peace. We are dismayed by the deaf 
 ear we have been receiving, from both our government and the UNMEE, in 
 regards to the border of our area. We are competent and knowledgeable of our 
 land and people to argue in front of any one who is willing to listen to 
 reason and historical facts. 
 We ask the Ethiopian government to state unconditionally and unequivocally 
 the legitimacy and right of the Irob people's Ethiopianess. This 
 unquestionable and unalienable birthright is not negotiable. Hence, we, as a 
 people, must not be shut out of this critical decision-making process in 
 regard to our own destiny. We believe that we can play a constructive role in 
 building a lasting peace. The principle of Self Determination recognized by 
 the UN must be respected. 
 
 
 We ask the Irob people and Irob friends the world over, to stand firm in 
 telling the UNMEE, USA and all those involved in this matter that our 
 identity and our land cannot be decided by someone else. 
 
 
 We ask the Ethiopian people to take a good look at what seems to be 
 happening, and to take a nationalist determination to assure the integrity of 
 our land and people by joining us in our endeavor to defend our identity. 
 
 
 We ask you, the Ethiopian defense forces, to prove to the government in 
 Asmara that you mean business and that you would never allow the on again, 
 off again game of claiming what is not theirs. We would like to remind you 
 that you are children of those who washed foreign agents' feet so not to 
 allow our dust from being taken on their hills; let alone huge parts of our 
 land including the inhabitants. 
 
 
 We ask the UN and world powers involved in the Ethio-Eritrean conflict to 
 ascertain the aspirations of the area inhabitants and make them full 
 participants of the peace process. 
 
 
 We urge the UNMEE to stop being partial and to urge the Eritrean leaders that 
 they cannot continue to claim land and people that never belonged to them. A 
 true and lasting peace cannot be achieved by simply twisting a nation's arm 
 to put its interest on the table. As we have repeatedly stated, we shall 
 never allow anyone to make us who we are not. Without taking in consideration 
 the historical and juridical status of the affected people and their national 
 aspirations; without identifying who was the invader and who was the victim; 
 in short without being fair, no resolution can be "milestone" and no step can 
 be "penultimate" step. World_Wide_Irobs@aol.com 
 
 
 
 [Opinions in this article are solely that of the writer.]
 
 
 
 <A HREF="http://www.ethiopiafirst.com/">TO GO BACK </A>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 </BIG></HTML>

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