Mereja.Forum

1. It was not conquered by war as the rest of Ethiopia south of Menelick's village of Angolala, a land that belonged to the former Sultanate of Ifat.
2. Eritrea had full and unmolested rights to press freedom, language and culture.

3. It rebelled against Ethiopia while the confederation law between it and Ethiopia was valid and running. Ethiopia did not cancel the federation until misguided rebel peasants led by Idris Awate and youth embarked on a hit-and-run jungle war. A war of mischief.

4. If the Unity Party of Eritrea's win of majority seats in the Parliament of Eritrea, because of which voted for confederation of Eritrea with Ethiopia was suspect, all that was necessary to do was to prepare to win majority parliament seats in the next election, table a debate to dissolve the confederation and win the parliamentary vote. Eritrean politics was hijacked by individuals who only knew how pull a trigger and youth whose limited and uneducated worldview was moms and pops. It cost Eritrea millions of deaths, billions of property destruction and a culture of animosity and mistrust toward toward resource rich and larger Ethiopia.

1. Eritrea had its own parliament and elected government
2. Eritrea had legislative, executive, and judicial powers for domestic affairs
3. The federal government had jurisdiction over defense, foreign affairs, and more
4. There were no barriers to the free movement of goods and people within the federation
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Eritrea was not oppressed, discriminated or its resources exploited without a return by Ethiopia.