Redwan Hussien has said that Wolkait was forcefully taken by the TPLF but declares that TPLF is not an enemy provided that it is disarmed
borkena
Redwan Hussien, Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, had a meeting with Ethiopian opposition parties on Wednesday in the capital Addis Ababa.
The event is not covered by State media or any other local media outlets. The only exception was the Ethiopian Reporter but it was only on Sunday that it published the story in Amharic.
It quoted Mr. Redwan as saying “The issue of Wolkait will be resolved in a system that the House of Federation will lead.”
The meeting was in fact more of a briefing – based on a report by EMS, about the agreement between the Ethiopian government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
It happened at the Intercontinental Hotel in Addis Ababa and many of the major opposition parties in the country including the radicalizing Oromo Federalist Congress attended it.
Opposition parties in Ethiopia, although most of them were active participants during mobilization efforts to reverse military adventure by TPLF, were not consulted when the Ethiopian government decided to go to South Africa for a peace talk responding to a call from the African Union.
Mr. Redwan reportedly raised a number of issues in connection with the agreement. Dr. Rahel, one of the leaders of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party, appeared on EMS eletawi.
Opposition party leaders posed questions regarding details of the agreement including on the issue of Wolkait. However, no opposition party released a statement regarding the peace agreement, at this writing, and the latest rapprochement efforts by the Ethiopian government towards TPLF.
She said that Mr. Redwan did say that the issue of Wolkait was not raised in agreement and that he (and the government ) think that it will be resolved constitutionally.
To give some background to it, Wolkait used to be part of Gondar, now a zone within the Amhara regional state. TPLF annexed it to make it part of the Tigray region. And the constitution, engineered by the TPLF, was adopted in 2005. According to that same constitution, Wolkait is part of Tigray.
The Ethiopian government framed Wolkait as a “disputed” area and wants to resolve it “constitutionally” – with the constitution that created the problem.
There has been a movement – both underground and open – on the issue of Wolkait identity. Lesane Gifuan is an organization that advocates for the people of Wolkait.
It has openly alarmed Ethiopians about Ethiopian government’s position to resolve the issue in a way to uphold TPLF desire over it is unacceptable. The organization is rejecting any idea of a referendum. There was no referendum when the TPLF annexed it about thirty years ago.
Last month, a consortium of Ethiopian organizations in the Diaspora wrote an open letter to PM Abiy asking his to be clear about Wolkait.
Withdrawal of Eritrean Forces
Mr. Redwan also talked about the withdrawal of the Eritrean Forces. He criticized those who are calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean Forces from Ethiopia are not saying anything about the withdrawal of Sudan’s forces from the areas it occupied [since November 2020].
He mentioned the support from Eritrea when the TPLF attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Force in November 2020.
Reversing the TPLF’s third round of war in August 2022 would have been difficult and the country’s existence would have been in question if Eritrea did not allow the deployment of Ethiopian forces from its territory, he added.
He is saying that Eritrean Forces would withdraw when the Ethiopian government does not need their presence any longer. However, there were reports this week that Eritrea withdrew its forces from the region.
The need by unspecified powers to attack Eritrea by using Ethiopia is also highlighted but he said Ethiopia would not allow that to happen.
Abiy Ahmed’s administration’s recent position towards Eritrea is not crystal clear. It seems his administration is more interested in buying the friendship of TPLF forces – after all the crimes they committed. “Is it even possible to buy TPLF’s friendship” is a question given the political culture of the TPLF as a party.
The question of justice and accountability seems to be entirely forgotten. As Abiy Ahmed sent a delegation to Tigray, for which Debretsion Gebremichael expressed gratitude, on Monday last week, he also made remarks in Wolaita saying that “those who stole money could get peace if they invest the money they stole in bakery and factories.”
The cost of keeping TPLF as a friend has become a problem to enforce laws. Most of the Pretoria Peace agreement itself is not yet implemented as far as the TPLF is concerned. And Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration’s customary indecisiveness is now looking like a penchant for pacifism.
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All I can politely ask and urge all my countrymen/women is to stay calm and avoid another stupid bur very destructive conflict. That country has more than enough resources to share among its uptight people if properly developed. That can be achieved amid unabated peace only. How many more wars and deaths and destruction do we need to learn from our own mistakes. That country has been on unrelenting deadly conflicts since 1974 where millions have lost their Allah blessed lives. We need to tone down our rhetoric and give peace a chance. That is my independent opinion and no malice intended.
In regards to the story of Eritrean troops being engaged in battles inside Ethiopia I have my own take on it. We have to go back to the beginning of the conflict in the Northern part of Ethiopia. It was suddenly one day when long range missiles raining on the skies of Asmara. I’m sure innocent civilians were victimized at their work places. So what would be the option left for you if you face such unprovoked attack using extremely destructive weapon like missiles? Just imagine how many civilians would have been killed if one or two these missiles landed in heavily populated areas of the capital? You have no option left except going to the source and nip it at the bud. Also it was no crime or any wrong doing by our Eritrean brothers and sisters for giving refuge to the ENDF forces and treating those wounded. They have to be given guarantees that no missiles will ever again rain over their skies. What they have done is what every EU member country would do if attacked unprovoked. Once their objective is achieved I read news that they are withdrawing their forces. I am saying this even though I have no ocular proof that even if Eritrean forces were inside Ethiopia. Again, this is my honest and personal opinion.
We should stop these zerraafs and gerersaas over Wolkait this and Raya that. Jumping sky high with laloye over Badme this and that brought nothing but the senseless demise of more than 100 hundred thousand young men who had the whole world ahead of them. So let’s not beat the drums of war from our comfy and safe homes here among us.
Ruthless, Abiy Ahmed Stop abusing and Imprisoning the respected 80 years old Journalist/ Senior Citizen Tadios Tantu who never touched or hurt one soul.
When it comes to releasing the notorious mass murderer Sebhat Nega you blabbered false excuses as if you care about elders. When you are politically squeezed, felt weak and want to impress the West and TPLF in hopes of getting a handout your impulse is to free murderers and abuse innocent people..
Your cruel nature is measured by how brutal you are to innocent people and never think twice abuse and show your political muscle. Abusing and imprisoning 80 years old innocent Journalist Tadios Tantu for speaking out the obvios and what the whole country knew either through reading books, being an Oromo, being surrounded or live with Oromos speaks loud for your weakness and obsession to hurt innocent lives. .
Keep Your Eyes on Your ‘Fries’: The West wants to turn TPLF in to a super power from Red Sea/Aseb to Sudan. So, scrap TPLF’s Constitution/Kilil/Kilil Special Forces/etc.
When the Egypt-sponsored TPLF-EPLF Secessionists invaded-and-occupied Ethiopia in 1991, these topped their agenda: Disband Army, Control Economy, and Clone Banks.
Wolkait fell under “Control Ethiopia’s Economy.” Ethiopia’s export was partly from the Wolkait-Humera region. That put Eritrea on Africa’s Top Exporters list within weeks.
This prompted resistance, but the TPLF-EPLF worsened it: killing activists and elders, forcing locals to flee via harassment, settling armed TPLF loyalists en masse, annexation.
So, if you hold a referendum, TPLF will likely win. If it returns to Gonder, it becomes part of the Amara Zone. That gives armed TPLF loyalists carte blanche to wreak havoc!
Hence, why not turn Wolkait-Humera-Tsegede-etc in to a Federal Government-run State till it holds elections to form its Parliament and sets up its Law Enforcement Agencies?
Yes, I was thinking the same thing for sometime. Wolkeit- Humera-Tsegede, etc. could be made independent regional self from both Tigrai and Amhara regions and their ethnic nationalistic claims. The constitution, with or without Kilils ,has no objections to it. Case close. It should remain under jurisdiction of federal government and become multi-ethni regional administrative entity. So that way any security implication across the international borders and other external threats could be sealed off therein. Why not? It is potential win-win situation for the local population, who are terrorized by both sides of ethnic nationalists, and national federal government to rule freely and fairly without beholden to anyone or siding with neither competing groups and their narratives .