Our entire region with the exception of some few years has been plunged into chaos and anarchy mainly thanks to external forces, who want instability so that their ambitions of geopolitical needs are fulfilled. These forces, unscrupulous as they are, try one or several at a time, to wedge and sow animosity, war, constant mistrust and fear among the poor peoples of the Horn of Africa. For them the failed states or loss of life of innocent Africans is nothing but a laughing stock on how unrelentingly, wildly and brutally problems are settled within these communities. However, the realities at hand are more sophisticated than they seem to be, when one confronts those ruthless powers, living behind the suffering and bloodbath our sub-region has been experiencing repeatedly. Generations of our peoples have not been able to live in peace and develop their respective countries, extricating the people from poverty, backwardness, diseases, illiteracy and all other social maladies. Look into the social and political backgrounds of the less-to-do Asian countries during the 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s and compare with the present helpless and miserable conditions of the Horn of Africa and the answer to our failure is undeniably the fault of the leaderships and elite groups of our countries.

Eritrea, which was part of Ethiopia but became one of the few Italian colonies in Africa, and later was used as a launching pad to occupy Ethiopia during the 1896 war in Adwa and the fascist Mussolini period of the 20s and 30s, after being federated with Ethiopia by the UN, has ever grown to be the peril to the region. We know that the majority of the Eritrean populace represented by the Mahber Hadnet (Unity Party) had fought hard to reunite with Ethiopia, although there were others who had other distinct agendas of independence. Whether the controversy around the unanimous vote by the Eritrean Parliament to unite with the Motherland Ethiopia in 1964 or whether the small groups, who in the Sudan and Egypt conspired to wage a liberation movement to get independence from Ethiopia was legitimate or not, the main point still is that the peoples of both Ethiopia and Eritrea remains the same. The traditions, cultures, languages are similar and intermingled; although the dictatorial regime of Issias and his henchmen makes to look matters to look poles apart. 

Eritreans after fighting the brutal regime of fascist Mengistu’s along side the EPRDF should have learned the devastating effect of war in all spheres of human development. EPRDF with full vigor and willingness, though to the dismay of many Ethiopians, allowed Eritreans to conduct a referendum on secession and independence in 1993 under the auspices of the UN. A lot of goodwill from the Transitional Ethiopian Government was given, when one of the guerilla fractions of Eritrea- EPLF (Shaibya) seized the state power. The unitary monetary system, trade and transactions, movement of people (except for Ethiopians residing in Eritrea), collaboration in many areas were considered by many observers as a healing ground leading to unique opportunities and to be commendable among countries. However, war addiction, killing and “military might” considered to be the only hallmark of EPLF and with the support of those forces, who don’t want to see a stable and peaceful Horn of Africa, unleashed a violent occupation of Tigrai and Afar regions in Ethiopia during 1998-2000. The economic cost and carnage due to the belligerent stand of Shaibya and its leadership was previously unseen in such dimensions in the entire African continent. Shaibya since its inception has been the mercenary army of those forces, who want to dismantle the peace and stability of Ethiopia. We are aware of the simple fact that most of the grenades and mines used in the 1998-2000 war were marked “made in Egypt” and some of the destabilizing forces in the Middle East and North Africa were behind Shaibya to weaken or break up our country. The heroic Ethiopian Defense Forces (EDF) along with the entire population swiftly swept the Eritrean aggressors from their heavily mined and trenched foxholes in a couple of days. 

The same also applies now when Ethiopia gallantly at the request of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia driven out the al-Qaeda supported leadership of the Union of Islamic Courts (IUC). The evidence was recently exposed by the call and statement of the al-Qaeda second man Ayman al Zawhiri to attack Ethiopians. Terrorism as a guiding rule and enforcing ones own convictions through the sheer use of force should be completely wiped out not only by individual countries but also by the combined and integrated framework of nations, organizations and bodies. Human values and individual freedoms are second to none and should not at all be compromised. However, the sources of menace represented as always by Shaibya, have tried to train, recruit, and send the “brain-washed God’s army” to Somalia, so that people would die, would get wounded and crippled for the sake of the dictatorial and pharaohnic ego of some of the leaders in our region. Ethiopia, threatened by a fanatic variant of Islamist movement from a neighboring country declaring Jihad every Friday in prayers and harboring all kinds of small terrorist network groups (AFD, OLF, ONLF, SLM, some members of CUD), cannot wait and see until its peoples are slaughtered and its territories (among others Ogaden) are occupied by the irredentist “Bigger Somalia” group. 

Though the UN monitoring group came up with a report on the violation of the weapon embargo against Somalia and all the countries involved in promoting terrorism and exacerbating the situation in this poor violence-stricken country, no concrete measure to block the arms flow or resolution condemning these forces was taken by the UN or AU. Egypt, which vehemently denied its involvement despite the fact that a retired general was among the instructors of the Islamists and supplied armaments, should not be the first to throw stones while living in glasshouse. To see the troublemaker and loser Isaias as the guest of honor immediately after the fall of the Islamists in Somalia with the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and suggesting among others about peace keeping forces in Somalia. Wonders never end in a small and pitiful dictator’s life. 

The resurgence of militant Islam in the form of Muslim Brotherhood and all other clandestine fundamentalist groups should serve as a warning signal to Egypt’s internal political stability and regional peace. Knowing the pitfalls, where Islamists gained the upper hand in some countries by mass mobilization of the devout population, Egypt should not encourage Islamists in other countries to destabilize other nations. Above all the US should put a special leverage and pressure on Egypt, in view of the simple fact that Egypt is used to live on billions of dollars per year in handouts and aid from the US. 

The role Ethiopia played in guaranteeing peace and stability in Somalia is exceptional, where regional order instead of chaos has been the utmost target. Without giving a respite to the terrorists, the last nest of the Islamists in Somalia has fallen into the hands of the combined forces of TFG of Somalia and EDF. This will close the short history of the adventurous movement of the ill-willed forces as well as the numerous reports from the so-called pundits and well-paid experts, who were on the spree of disseminating biases and inconsistencies. Ethiopians with their own sacrifices and determination have shown the world that the unsavory forces of terrorism, mercenaries and petrodollar financers in our region are dealt with, never to encroach or attack Ethiopia. We also wish the Somalis bright future in fulfilling the task of rebuilding their country from the ashes of 15 years of civil war and strife, reconciliation among themselves, restoring peace and freedom and making good neighborliness based on mutual understanding and respect.