Mereja.Forum

[info]

The issue of Assab and access to the Sea is currently being misused by the Ethiopian government to blame all its economic failures entirely on the lack of owning a port. All state-owned media also suggest that Ethiopia has legal rights to own a port on the Red Sea. This has created a heated debate and controversy among Ethiopians and Eritreans forcing many to wonder how the two countries can have a bilateral relationship that leads to a lasting peace.

In my view, some hard pills must be swallowed to prepare the ground for a long-lasting healthy relationship between both countries. From observing the discussions on the media, one hard pill we Ethiopians need to swallow is missing, i.e. what colonial boundaries are and why we have to respect colonial boundaries in Africa.

Before the colonization of Africa, there were no recognized borders, even if there were older civilizations and states like Abyssinia. Even the borders of these older civilizations were flued and changed as power shifted. The first time boundaries and borders of countries were set and border demarcation agreements were signed was during colonization. The Ethiopian border is also not different except that the Ethiopian border was signed by our own Emperor unlike the rest of Africa who had no say in the border demarcation. As a result, these borders have divided ethnic groups and communities as they were drawn without any regard for the interests and will of the indigenous African population. Somalis for example are forced to be divided into 4 different countries. In the same way, the boundaries drawn between the then-Italian colony Eritrea and Ethiopia placed Assab in Eritrea leaving Ethiopia without any access to the sea. Many rightly feel that what the colonial boundaries did to the indigenous African population and Ethiopia is unfair but we have to understand why the colonial boundaries are important and why we are stuck with them even if we think they are unfair.

The OAU, the predecessor of the African Union, accepted the colonial boundaries as the only basis for boundary demarcation among African countries. This is because there is no alternative to the colonial boundaries. If every country that feels unfairly treated by the colonial boundaries starts changing its boundaries then that can only be decided by force. This will eventually lead to boundaries that can be constantly changing as the power balance shifts between countries and leads to border conflicts all over Africa. It is baffling to see a leader of an African country that has the seat of the AU in its capital, suggesting breaching the AU charter and going back to the era of fluid borders that change as power shifts. The lack of basic understanding of international laws of this PM is astonishing.

We Ethiopians must swallow this hard pill. I too hate the fact that Ethiopia is landlocked but at the same time I understand this is not caused by Eritreans or because they are wishing us evil. No, this is the result of colonial border demarcation that all African countries are abiding by whether they like it or not. In fact, we Ethiopians had more say in the shaping of the border than Eritreans. Eritreans were not even represented and the treaty was signed by Ethiopia and Italy. Thus, we have to stop blaming Eritreans for the colonial borders in which they had zero influence and we have to stop giving false hope as if there is a legal means to change the current borders.

Finally, the assumption that Ethiopia is economically performing poorly because it doesn't own a port is factually wrong. On the contrary, Ethiopia has registered significant economic growth in the years when it had no port. The lives of millions could be improved, the economy could grow and many could be lifted out of poverty in the years when it had no port and when it was not using any of the Eritrean ports. The old misconception of Derg that claimed Ethiopia can't live without Eritrean ports has been proven to be absolutely wrong in the last decades. It is demonstrated that Ethiopia can indeed live well and develop and can achieve significant economic development without the Eritrean ports. The current Ethiopian economy is not destroyed by the lack of Eritrean ports but by the mismanagement of the highly incompetent government of PM Abiy. He is now trying to bring back the Derg era spirit, which was many times demonstrated to be false, by saying we can't live without Eritrean ports to hide his failures. Our economic disaster has nothing to do with Eritrean ports.

[DefendTheTruth]

Another cleaner acting a political analyst after hanging his/her broom for his job and coming out.

[Right]

Info,

Debunked and stupid analysis. Don’t put yourself in the plural as an Ethiopian.
You open up markets and allow 120 million people as a hostage of 1 million highland holigans. DONKEY.

F…off.
Ethiopia will never be blackmailed by a low IQ mercenary highlanders.
Whether you like it or not the Afar brothers will unite and claim their coastal lands.

[Right]

Only Abiye Ahmed Ali is talking about war. And everybody knows it that it is a bluff.

If he is serious he should have done the following. Stop rewarding mercenary highlanders with a one sided advantage to this criminals.
Cut diplomatic ties, seal the border and deport all Eritreans at once. Period.
At this point talking about Asseb is irrelevant.
Relationship with Eritrea will be revisited every decade when they started thinking properly and their house is in order based on mutual interest.

[Right]

Info is the Nick name Neamin Zeleke.

[Dark Energy]

Info,
As usual, very informed, academic, practical and intelligent analysis.

[Misraq]

incorrect analysis.

PP is propageting access to the sea for two reasons. Economy is not one.

1) PP ENDF/ONDF lost so many soldiers during the war with TDF and now with FANO. Confirmed missing and wounded in action with Fano is 280k. They want to replenish foot soldiers and as the campaign in Amhara is unpopular amongst Ethiopians, they came up with red sea politics to recruit more soldiers

2) It is a way to sideline Amharas and incarcerate them. Almost all amharas are against the red sea fake PP politics. refusing to take part is an authomatic reason to incarcerate them and use it as a dirty politics to implicate them

That is all. It is a double sword dirty politics and as usual so many low IQ Ethiopians and their medias have fallen for it.

[Fed_Up]

Info,


I would like to know how many of you currently reside in Ethiopia. Your honesty, intelligence and character is truly admirable and appreciated. I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude for your honesty. It is important to note that we have always welcomed Ethiopian to use our ports, and will continue to do so in the future. However, the way Abiy behaves will not welcome.

[Fed_Up]

Info,

Debunked and stupid analysis. Don’t put yourself in the plural as an Ethiopian.
You open up markets and allow 120 million people as a hostage of 1 million highland holigans. DONKEY.

F…off.
Ethiopia will never be blackmailed by a low IQ mercenary highlanders.
Whether you like it or not the Afar brothers will unite and claim their coastal lands.

እየመረረህ እያቅለሸለሸህ.. እየጎመዝእዘህ .. እያስታወከህ ... ካስታወከው ጋራ መልሰህ ዋጠው... ወድዛ ኸዛብ ሸር*ጣ ኡጉም ::

[Abdisa]

When the TPLF launched their invasion of Eritrea in 1998, their then ambassador to the US gathered the Ethiopian community in Washington DC and told them that, "Ras Alula Aba Nega used to travel from his native village of Adwa all the way to the Port of Assab, just to have his horse drink the salty Red Sea water."

The TPLF ambassador grinned from ear to ear as he received a standing ovation for his remarks which was designed to justify the invasion, as well as to solicit support from the larger Ethiopian Diaspora community.

After the TPLF's several attempts to capture Assab had ended in a disaster, many people who attended the TPLF ambassador's meeting started asking whether the war should have been fought on a horseback like the ancient times in order to produce the desire outcome. They got a point there.

[dano]

Info the closet AMICHE, you are not making any sense.
Colonial boundary has no relevance in Ethiopian case. Eritrea was part of Ethiopia till Wayane made a thank you gift to Afworki.
According to your logic it should be returned to Ethiopia since Ethiopia is a default colonizer since the British left.

[Temt]

The issue of Assab and access to the Sea is currently being misused by the Ethiopian government to blame all its economic failures entirely on the lack of owning a port. All state-owned media also suggest that Ethiopia has legal rights to own a port on the Red Sea. This has created a heated debate and controversy among Ethiopians and Eritreans forcing many to wonder how the two countries can have a bilateral relationship that leads to a lasting peace.

In my view, some hard pills must be swallowed to prepare the ground for a long-lasting healthy relationship between both countries. From observing the discussions on the media, one hard pill we Ethiopians need to swallow is missing, i.e. what colonial boundaries are and why we have to respect colonial boundaries in Africa.

Before the colonization of Africa, there were no recognized borders, even if there were older civilizations and states like Abyssinia. Even the borders of these older civilizations were flued and changed as power shifted. The first time boundaries and borders of countries were set and border demarcation agreements were signed was during colonization. The Ethiopian border is also not different except that the Ethiopian border was signed by our own Emperor unlike the rest of Africa who had no say in the border demarcation. As a result, these borders have divided ethnic groups and communities as they were drawn without any regard for the interests and will of the indigenous African population. Somalis for example are forced to be divided into 4 different countries. In the same way, the boundaries drawn between the then-Italian colony Eritrea and Ethiopia placed Assab in Eritrea leaving Ethiopia without any access to the sea. Many rightly feel that what the colonial boundaries did to the indigenous African population and Ethiopia is unfair but we have to understand why the colonial boundaries are important and why we are stuck with them even if we think they are unfair.

The OAU, the predecessor of the African Union, accepted the colonial boundaries as the only basis for boundary demarcation among African countries. This is because there is no alternative to the colonial boundaries. If every country that feels unfairly treated by the colonial boundaries starts changing its boundaries then that can only be decided by force. This will eventually lead to boundaries that can be constantly changing as the power balance shifts between countries and leads to border conflicts all over Africa. It is baffling to see a leader of an African country that has the seat of the AU in its capital, suggesting breaching the AU charter and going back to the era of fluid borders that change as power shifts. The lack of basic understanding of international laws of this PM is astonishing.

We Ethiopians must swallow this hard pill. I too hate the fact that Ethiopia is landlocked but at the same time I understand this is not caused by Eritreans or because they are wishing us evil. No, this is the result of colonial border demarcation that all African countries are abiding by whether they like it or not. In fact, we Ethiopians had more say in the shaping of the border than Eritreans. Eritreans were not even represented and the treaty was signed by Ethiopia and Italy. Thus, we have to stop blaming Eritreans for the colonial borders in which they had zero influence and we have to stop giving false hope as if there is a legal means to change the current borders.

Finally, the assumption that Ethiopia is economically performing poorly because it doesn't own a port is factually wrong. On the contrary, Ethiopia has registered significant economic growth in the years when it had no port. The lives of millions could be improved, the economy could grow and many could be lifted out of poverty in the years when it had no port and when it was not using any of the Eritrean ports. The old misconception of Derg that claimed Ethiopia can't live without Eritrean ports has been proven to be absolutely wrong in the last decades. It is demonstrated that Ethiopia can indeed live well and develop and can achieve significant economic development without the Eritrean ports. The current Ethiopian economy is not destroyed by the lack of Eritrean ports but by the mismanagement of the highly incompetent government of PM Abiy. He is now trying to bring back the Derg era spirit, which was many times demonstrated to be false, by saying we can't live without Eritrean ports to hide his failures. Our economic disaster has nothing to do with Eritrean ports.

Amazing analyses. That was great! I guess there are some sensible people out there. Thanks "info"!

[Dark Energy]

Fu’kkking Dano,

You are an idiot. Eritrea was colonized by the Italians. The colonial boundary was inherited from the Italians. That is what OAU and the UN recognizes. You are talking about federation of the fifties. At that agreement, both countries came as sovereign entities. Shyyyyt head.

[Right]

You all can dance and blabber all you want. This thing will be decided by reality in the region but nothing else.
I have said many times that war is for stupids. TPLF &PP are war mongering for a different reason than national interest. Who cares, let them fight.

But Ethiopia though has to maintain its right and keep national interests. At this point, all Eritreans must be deported from Ethiopia, border sealed, diplomatic relations cut and the rest will be reviewed in a decade after our house is in order.

Fighting with Eritrea is unnecessary.

[info]

Info the closet AMICHE, you are not making any sense.
Colonial boundary has no relevance in Ethiopian case. Eritrea was part of Ethiopia till Wayane made a thank you gift to Afworki.
According to your logic it should be returned to Ethiopia since Ethiopia is a default colonizer since the British left.

There is no such thing as „Ethiopia colonized Eritrea”. Ethiopia never colonized Eritrea, case closed.
There was internationally accepted european colonization that resulted in border demarcation and agreements.

The two entities, Ethiopia and Eritrea, entered into the UN supported federation with their respective colonial borders and when they separate, they do it with the same colonial borders with which they entered the federation.

Talking about Ethiopian colonization of Eritrea is talking about a nonexistent issue.

[Right]

Eritrea was part of Ethiopia till Wayane made a thank you gift to Afworki.

A mafia like hit on the innocent people of Ethiopia.

Right now these mercenaries are taking advantage of an incompetent government.
As of now, the fuel tankers that are siphoning tax subsidized fuel from Ethiopia to Eritrea, truck load of coffees heading from Ethiopia to Eritrea bought cheap and with no tariffs, the millions of Birr borrowed from Ethiopian banks just like any other Ethiopians, the contraband’s etc has to stop immediately.

As this point, that is the biggest concern. Once the Eris are deported and the border sealed the rest will be reviewed.

[dano]

Info the closet AMICHE, you are not making any sense.
Colonial boundary has no relevance in Ethiopian case. Eritrea was part of Ethiopia till Wayane made a thank you gift to Afworki.
According to your logic it should be returned to Ethiopia since Ethiopia is a default colonizer since the British left.

There is no such thing as „Ethiopia colonized Eritrea”. Ethiopia never colonized Eritrea, case closed.
There was internationally accepted european colonization that resulted in border demarcation and agreements.

The two entities, Ethiopia and Eritrea, entered into the UN supported federation with their respective colonial borders and when they separate, they do it with the same colonial borders with which they entered the federation.

Talking about Ethiopian colonization of Eritrea is talking about a nonexistent issue.

Info the AMICHE,
there was no country known by UN as Eritrea(it was a province of Ethiopia)till Wayne illegally gave it .

[info]

Info the closet AMICHE, you are not making any sense.
Colonial boundary has no relevance in Ethiopian case. Eritrea was part of Ethiopia till Wayane made a thank you gift to Afworki.
According to your logic it should be returned to Ethiopia since Ethiopia is a default colonizer since the British left.

There is no such thing as „Ethiopia colonized Eritrea”. Ethiopia never colonized Eritrea, case closed.
There was internationally accepted european colonization that resulted in border demarcation and agreements.

The two entities, Ethiopia and Eritrea, entered into the UN supported federation with their respective colonial borders and when they separate, they do it with the same colonial borders with which they entered the federation.

Talking about Ethiopian colonization of Eritrea is talking about a nonexistent issue.

Info the AMICHE,
there was no country known by UN as Eritrea(it was a province of Ethiopia)till Wayne illegally gave it .

There was Eritrea before it entered into a UN sponsored federation with Ethiopia. Eritrea was a colony of Italy for over 50 years and even after the colony, it existed separate from Ethiopia for another 10 years under the British protectorate.

[Tigray People]

Banda Ascari Eritrean -Info

You dirty Ascari Eritrean is the joke of the site .

Everything you tried to predict in your little Ascari mind was wrong.

Everything we foretold the Readers on this site came to fruition about events in Ethiopian, Eritrea, Tigray and the world.

The eritrea land and Red Sea Don't Belong to Ascari Eritreans but the entire land Belongs to the original owners the Tigray People.

The immigrants hammazien and the 8 ethnics are nomadic settlers from north Africa and the Muslims in eritrea came with the coward ottoman empire.

Just to remind your little Ascari mind the entire Tigray and eritrea border have never been demarcated that means the Ethiopian regime can use that as a base to capture the entire Red Sea or Assab Port or eritrea itself.

Have you noticed not even one country condemned Ethiopian regime claiming the red sea.

We the Tigray People don't recognize the evil fascist Italy border with eritrea.

The evil fascist Italy must pay billions of dollars for their genocide on innocent defenseless Tigray People during the 5 years wars in Tigray where the Tigray People defeated the dirty evil fascist Italy and Nazi Germany mercineries.

BTW Don't try to fool Ethiopian by trying to be one . Ethiopians know you are dirty inferior Ascari Eritrean.

Long Live the Tigray People!!!

[info]

Banda Ascari Eritrean -Info

You dirty Ascari Eritrean is the joke of the site .

Everything you tried to predict in your little Ascari mind was wrong.

Everything we foretold the Readers on this site came to fruition about events in Ethiopian, Eritrea, Tigray and the world.

The eritrea land and Red Sea Don't Belong to Ascari Eritreans but the entire land Belongs to the original owners the Tigray People.

The immigrants hammazien and the 8 ethnics are nomadic settlers from north Africa and the Muslims in eritrea came with the coward ottoman empire.

Just to remind your little Ascari mind the entire Tigray and eritrea border have never been demarcated that means the Ethiopian regime can use that as a base to capture the entire Red Sea or Assab Port or eritrea itself.

Have you noticed not even one country condemned Ethiopian regime claiming the red sea.

We the Tigray People don't recognize the evil fascist Italy border with eritrea.

The evil fascist Italy must pay billions of dollars for their genocide on innocent defenseless Tigray People during the 5 years wars in Tigray where the Tigray People defeated the dirty evil fascist Italy and Nazi Germany mercineries.

BTW Don't try to fool Ethiopian by trying to be one . Ethiopians know you are dirty inferior Ascari Eritrean.

Long Live the Tigray People!!!

Colonial boundaries have nothing to do with African people, including Tigray people. Even if they did, which people are you talking about? Adwans? Tembiens? Or Enderta? If we go by the people then it’s the Afars not Tigreans that should have a claim to the red Sea. Anyway, as I said, the people are irrelevant when it comes to colonial boundaries.

Tigrean elites should help their people focus on improving agriculture and feeding itself instead of claiming territories of others left and right! It’s astonishing that no elite talks about feeding its own population in a region that is highly dependent on food aid.

I know you use mereja as a mental therapy to treat your deep seated inferiority complex and to feel super human thus I’m done with you and let you continue with your therapy. Speedy recovery!