Listen to this interesting clip. Meles Zenawi was clearly trying to blame Emperor Menelik for the lose of Assab. Well, I don't know much about the document but it is clear now for all Ethiopians that Emperor Haile-Selassie came after Emperor Menelik and fought for Assab and restored it to Ethiopia, isn't it?
Then Colonel Mengistu came after Emperor Haileselassie and fiercely fought for Assab, while Meles was fighting against Mengistu and in support of those who took our Assab from us at the end, isn't it?
Meles came after Mengistu and now trying to lecture us about its lose will not going to hurt Ethiopia, trying also to interpret the value of access to the sea as only an outlet of goods produced in the country. Therein lies a clear distortion of the facts on the ground. Any country of the world, let alone that is as big as Ethiopia, needs a secure and reliable sea outlet, for its existence. I don't think Ato Meles missed this fact!
Not only that if you have willingly raised about what Emperor Menelik did in this regard, then why did you opt to skip what those who came after him did to restore Assab to its true owners?
That must say about the "alleged" conspiracy of giving away our Assab to somebody else. On top of that there is also nowadays allegations circulating over the media stating about Herman Cohen speaking in favor of Ethiopia getting access to Assab while Meles himself didn't agreeing with that proposal.
In all of these views your trying to blame Emperor Menelik for lose of Assab is tantamount to trying to cover your own conspiracy against the nation.
I am not much thrilled to discuss about somebody who is no more with us on the earth but the issue at hand is as big as the future of Ethiopia, it is not about my personal gain. It is about our future.