From: awetnayu@hotmail.com
Date: Wed Jul 02 2008 - 22:16:13 EDT
Uncovering Djibouti
Amanuel Biedemariam
Most people were shocked and in disbelief how fast the Djibouti case developed. Obviously, it was well planned, coordinated and synchronized by the conflict machine of the State Department led by Dr. Janday Frazer. It appeared like a tsunami; engulfed the Horn in no time taking every Eritrean by surprise. This raises a whole host of questions into the motives and the actors. Why? Why did Djibouti take this route? Who are the actors? What is the motivation behind it, what can they do and how to respond?
In retrospect, it is easy to conclude Eritrea’s” Diaspora” overlooked Djibouti, the role it plays in the region and how it affects Eritrea. The focus was/is Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and to some extent Kenya. Djibouti remained under the radar; we were aware but not as focused into the gravity of the threat it can pose to Eritrea. Why a threat?
Intent/motive:
>From the UN Security Council brief summary document, here is Deleita Mohamed Deleita, Foreign Minister of Djibouti, explaining Eritrea’s motives, ”for lack of a clear explanation from that country, he suspected it was motivated by greed and the desire to build a new modern port, in order to become a regional trading centre. In addition, he surmised that the action was an attempt to regionalize the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.” This statement is consistent with motives described by US agent David Shinn in recent interview with VOA. Djibouti gives this line of reasoning to cry-out loud as a victim. In reality however, the reverse might be true. Djibouti can see Eritrea as a threat when Eritrea builds its ports facilities anew. Eritrea possesses the space, climatic diversity, human capacity and a much developed interior that can fulfill every need, including tourism and infrastructure that can support many developmental needs.
Djibouti is threatened by stability and strength of its neighbors, because that is likely to weaken its position. In addition, for a long time Djibouti enjoyed a major role in the politics of the Horn particularly in Somalia. It is not by accidents Djibouti acquiesced to the branching off of Puntland and Somaliland. Djibouti actively supports the interests and all activities of the US State Department to sell the idea of Somaliland as a stable “nation.” The emergence of Eritrea puts the leaders in Djibouti in a tenuous position. The destructive roles they played in Somalia are unraveling. The Re-liberation movement is a serious threat if it materializes as it appears it will.
Size as threat:
Djibouti’s small size and frailty enables others to control it, putting its sovereignty in question, i.e. by France.
It is likely to be used as a Trojan-Horse as it is now by the conflict machine of the State Department.
Since it can’t defend its borders, it must enlist foreign troops for protection.
The motives and interests of the powers defending Djibouti may not be consistent to countries in the region. Namely Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia and to some extent Kenya
Its lack of independence makes Djibouti unreliable and unpredictable partner.
The port is a major revenue generator and larger port facilities in the area can threaten the value.
Ethiopia is a major consumer of Djibouti’s port facilities and if Ethiopia improves relations with Eritrea, it is likely that Ethiopia can use it as bargaining leverage.
Djiboutian authorities can cow-tow to Ethiopian authorities to keep them happy customers.
Ethiopian authorities can use their purchasing power as leverage against Eritrea etc...
Strategic Threat:
Eritrea and Djibouti are located in one of the best strategic geographic locations on earth making them attractive to major powers. The French have managed to curve a country for themselves in one of the most important shipping and security lines of the world. France colonized Djibouti until 1977 openly until open colonization of Africa went out of fashion and replaced it by the neo-colonial period. They support minority ruler(s) too weak to govern effectively and dependent entirely for security and survival.
When dealing with the Horn, France for over a century enjoyed a subtle approach albeit destructive. The presence of France also deterred Ethiopia and Somalia from swallowing Djibouti whole. What changed? The hawkish President Nicolas Sarkozy, the approach, the presence of US troops in Djibouti, the urgency of the outgoing US presidency, the influence of emerging powers in the region, Eritrean zeal for total independence, fast paced development out of their control and Eritrean quest for partnership as opposed to waiving an empty flag like Djibouti and other countries in Africa.
The strategic importance of the location to the US and Europe is critical, it provides them with perfect location. They can manage Eastern Africa, the Horn region; the resources of the region and through control of Bab-el-Mandeb namely Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea, the US can control the flow of goods in one of the world’s key shipping lines and position to fight the war of terror. It is perfect because they can control inland and the sea.
This is not speculation, it is a position President Ismail Omar Guelleh advocated and sold when he visited US and met with President George W. Bush in 2003. US have a base in Djibouti and there are reports of expansion plans. Therefore, it is safe to conclude with the US enjoying comfortable relations with Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and if Eritrea falls into the symbolic flag waiving countries camp, it will provide access to Northern Sudan, then the circle will be complete. They will control the flow from the Mediterranean, to the Indian Ocean. They will control the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Southern Sudan is surrounded by US allies Kenya and Ethiopia, and in the West they have positioned themselves in Chad with the threat that came close to the Palace in Khartoum in March.
The US and EU have the perfect plan to destabilize the area and eventually complete the molding process. They are shedding dear blood of millions, destroying societies, village after village, countries and resources that are hard to regenerate for generations. They succeeded in the past to enslave, exploit, colonize and mired Africa into the abyss it is today, full of weaponry and death. The Cold War paralyzed Africa.
They do this by staying one step ahead. They bully, bribe, prop-up sham democracies and so forth. They create treaties to tie countries into submission. They dictate to the most embarrassing organization AU; with queue cards handed by Dr. Janday Frazer. The AU wants Eritrea to sign a peace and Security Council of AU protocol agreement, this after condemning Eritrea in Egypt for territorial violation without due process and while Ethiopia is sitting on Eritrean territories in violation of international laws. There are attempts to create agreement amongst the Red Sea neighbors. These are ways designed at weakening sovereignty in order to give world powers more control and stir conflicts as needed.
What can Eritrea do?
One of the reasons for certain failure to the ill conceived approach of the West is because it fails to put the people into account. It undermines the emerging powers of the world. It overestimates the capacity of their friends and the lack of support within their countries. That means in order to pursue this bloody process; they need to put boots on the ground and pay the price to have a chance of success. The sham democracies being fertilized in Ethiopia, Somalia with TFG and others are far worse than Zimbabwe; it is taking the Ethiopian people and the region into a Black-Whole of everlasting bloodshed thanks to incompetence of Dr. Janday Frazer, Secretary Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush.
Eritrea needs no advice from any one and can handle its own! There is history to back the claim inked by blood! Eritrea is defending her reputation; Eritrea refuted the baseless fabricated claims of aggression, and put the responsibility exactly where it belongs, on the US. It even asked the world body to condemn the US setting a precedent, unusual for spine-less leaders of Africa who are normally stooges of the West! Eritrea knows how to pick her battles. The PR campaign unleashed against Eritrea is by far one of the most furious. For the first time, African leaders are pressured or forced to point fingers at each other by the State Department
When asked about the incursion, President Isayas Afewerki response to Reuters, "It's a fabrication... We decline the invitation to go into another crisis in the region” speaks volumes. It puts the matter in a much greater perspective. The geopolitical and monopoly games played in our area are invisible from the eyes and ears of the American people. If America learns the gravity of the harm being done to the people and the role of this nation, it is certain they will be outraged. It is hard to distinguish Hitler’s idea of domination and the way the West is approaching our area. The idea is the same, to control territories the people and their ways of life don’t matter. Genocides in the Horn by US agents like Meles Zenawi don’t matter as long as they can help gain control...
The onus therefore is not only on Eritrea as a nation but on every individual and groups that are concerned about life, livelihood, future, stability, peace, development and to sum it, the good future of the people in the area. We all need to make serious effort to create awareness and educate the people of the world into the devastation of today, and more importantly the bloody future that is on the offing if not stopped. Working to convince politicians alone will not stop the bloodshed. We should not exonerate the publics by calling them the West or US. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us to educate, press and allow them to understand their responsibilities. It is certain they will be willing to take on the cause for the people of Africa. The West took on environmental causes after a long pressure and since it is hard to distinguish people from the environment they must be educated about the devastation caused by failed policies of the West.
Our divisions have served them well, but our differences will mean nothing once the situation gets to the point where our ways of lives, culture, heritage, history and human make up is altered beyond recognition. The American people have no idea why George W. Bush intends to liken his legacy to that of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln looked inward to unite the country while George W. Bush’s key motivation is to bring home the bacon by fragmenting the Horn into his desired geopolitical objectives. If allowed, the Bush Administration will have unleashed one of the most destructive policies in Africa, ever. The track record of this administration spells death and destruction coupled by deafening rhetoric that intends to create atmosphere of fear and unease.
Conclusion:
It is up to all concerned; whether you are Ethiopian, Somali, Eritrean, Sudani, individual, group, and a religious organization to say enough and act to stop all the meddling and systematic tyranny that divides to rule and exploit. It is time to rise up and pick up the torch of Gandhi and the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to stop destruction for exploitation. To give future to our families we need to stand together with respect and willingness to come together for this cause and use that as a uniting force. We need to use our smarts and understand Meles Zenawi is a tool and to replace him will not bring a positive change but another tyrant capable for genocidal act like Meles Zenawi. The motivation for this article is not to amplify the noise created by the US to stir problem in our region; it is because we need to change our approach in order to realize our potential, to exploit our riches our way and because our people need us to save them desperately from the cycle of abuse by the WEST/US!
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