Dehai News

The Initiative for Peaceful and Collaborative Neighbourliness between the People of Eritrea and Tigray. 

( By Haile Habtegaber Holland  Personal Opinion) 

The recent meeting between Eritrean activist Awel Said and Tigrean Berhane Gebregiorgis is a positive and hopeful beginning for the normalisation of Peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship between the people of Eritrea and Tigray. Peace is what we need. When I cast my mind back, the number of our young whose lives were cut short due to the senseless wars, haunts me beyond words. Having seen so much blood and death, the people and subsequent generations must be spared from the scourge misguided whole concept of war. Let’s not worship the Lucifer-WAR!  PLEASE!

We live in a dynamic and ever changing global environment.  New technological, socio-political and economic developments and transformations are the order of the day. But as regards our region, we are not even playing catch up never mind forging ahead. And all this due to irrational and detrimental governance and extremely mediocre/misguide leadership in some of the countries of the region. It is therefore against this background that we are saying enough for the strained and ruinous boundary relation between Eritrea and Tigray and instead welcome the above initiative. I personally hope that people have learned enough as His Excellency President Isaias Afewerki has advised at the end of the third round war the TPLF unleashed. After all, living is a learning curve and we must be disposed to change with honesty and deep appraisal of our past thoughts and deeds.   Moaning over real or contrived emotional and psychological pains delivers nothing but more of the same.  If people and the leaders that govern them do not think and reflect and look forward, remaining stuck or even regress is what they will harvest.     

All those who sincerely wish peace and progress for all people on either side of the Mereb River, is a delightful long time coming development. Albeit and regretfully, tremendous golden opportunities have been wasted during the past 30 years. Nonetheless remediation of belligerent and detrimental neighbourliness which has kept both peoples locked in tremendous hardship and with no semblance normalcy of daily life is never late. 

We are now ready to embark on joint and forward looking journey. Nonetheless and with astonishment even this simple initiative has driven mad those domestic cynics and failed traitors as well as people beyond. Regardless, be it as it may, it is now incumbent upon us all who wish good for both People to contribute  in whatever capacity we can to the realisation of the anticipated outcome. Critical work awaits us all.

 I shall now lay down my perspectives as below.

1. First and foremost there must be absolute commitment to accept /respect the historically and internationally recognized political boundary between the State of Eritrea and Tigray as a constituent part of Ethiopia. Unequivocal compliance with recognition in respect of this particular aspect, is fundamental and determinant key for the way forward to realise the overall desired goal. Any other basis than this is a nonstarter.  In point of fact recognition of none existent border issue is not a precondition but a simple adherence to what has been known and accepted as unquestionable truth since the creation of Eritrea and Ethiopia as independent sovereign political entities. But unfortunately this fallacious boundary issue has been used as a coating to cover other equally illegitimate hidden agenda which continues to poison relation between the two countries. Truly, it was and is a border conflict that never was which unfortunately has made both people pay incalculable price. Thus no more issues here whatsoever. 

2. Let us for the sake of the realisation and promotion of beneficial strategic partnership, acknowledge that there are grievances echoed by both sides irrespective of their authenticity and veracity. But the verification of all grievances, accusations and issues from whichever side, should be agreed to be put aside for later stages of the envisioned subsequent dialogues.   Both parties must agree to establish a mutually agreed working frame work to enter into dialogues. The following must be included as part of the framework: 

1. Commitment to work with concrete action to conduct dialogue with trust, respect, logic and integrity.
2. Declaration of absolute and non-renegade commitment to deal with issues only based on veracious evidence. Hearsay and uncorroborated emotional, and faked issue and grievances must be out rightly declared unacceptable. 

IT MUST BE SAID TRUTH IS MIGHTY!

3. Declaration to accept and acknowledge responsibility for any committed veracious harm by and against either party.

4. Commitment to reject playing the role of victim without verifiable and concrete evidence comparable to the standards permitted in the court of justice. 

5. Declaration to deliver solid and enduring solution. Both parties must be committed in deeds to leave no issue unaddressed in the interest of present and future generations. No hidden agenda for latent surprises.

6. Declaration to absolute de-escalation of belligerent rhetoric and desist from inoculating the public particularly the young, with detestable falsified narration about the other side. 

7. Declaration to debunk the metaphor of war for the sake of durable peace and legitimate peaceful lives of future generations. Language and action go together and this should give space for prosperous peaceful coexistence. 

In conclusion it can’t be more emphasised that adherence to work ONLY on the basis of TRUTH and VERACITY in respect of any substantive issues raised by either party will be the defining and deciding factor for what is expected to be achieved. Let it be clear that as of now there are no territorial issues along the boundary between Eritrea and Tigray as part of Ethiopia or otherwise to be resolved. But it is also a fact that, war has taken place and seems to be threatening on the pretext falsified territorial claims which has been legally reaffirmed and brought to permanent closure. We should be mindful that wars are manmade but also can be unmade by those who made them in the first place. Now the Eritrean-Tigray peace boat is ready to sail, it is time to forgive without forgetting, retribution and revenge. I believe that even if the other side should not deserve forgiveness, the people on either side of the geographical divide DESERVE PEACE!!