Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
Gezahegn Engida
[Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtXPfNVAkAI ]
This commentary expresses my deep disappointment with seasoned Ethiopian intellectuals who, despite decades of political experience, continue to repeat the same errors they committed in their youth—errors that undermined our country. It is troubling that they seem oblivious to the weight of their words, and equally troubling that they speak without considering the long-term consequences. Please excuse my French when frustration gets the better of me.
It is obvious to anyone paying attention that the timing and intent behind this conference were deliberate. Many of the same participants—directly or indirectly—helped create the unstable, messy status quo in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Today, the region’s two dictators, Isaias
and Abiy, are butting heads, beating the drums of war, and preparing for conflict. On this, there is no dispute.
I contend that the conference was a farce.
It was framed entirely from an anti-Abiy perspective. This is not to excuse Abiy—he is indeed a dictator, a serial human rights violator, and a man committing atrocities and genocide. He is the latest monstrosity in the Horn. But condemning one dictator while glorifying another is hypocrisy. Let us not forget: Abiy and Isaias were once close partners, just as Isaias and Meles once were—alliances that used Ethiopia when convenient, only to discard it when their purposes were served.
The Eritrean political elite has long carried the insecurity of a cat with a canary in its mouth— uneasy, knowing the rightful owner might one day reclaim it. From the start, they manipulated and exploited successive Ethiopian enablers to achieve secession. Even had the engineered “referendum” been conducted more honestly, Eritrea would likely still have become independent, but a transparent process would not have left behind the bitter aftertaste and mistrust that persist to this day.
Yet the conference participants sanitized and lionized Isaias’s regime as though Eritrea were not a garrison state driving tens of thousands of its youth into exile—just as Abiy is now doing in Ethiopia. In 2015 and 2016 alone, more than 33,000 young Eritreans each year sought asylum in the EU, fleeing forced labor, repression, and indefinite military conscription. Eritrea has fought nearly all its neighbors since independence, including the bloody 1998 trench war with Ethiopia in which both current leaders took part (Abiy then was an ordinary soldier).
To an uninformed observer, the country described at the conference as exemplary, as “the only stable, uncorrupt state in the region” would be unrecognizable as Eritrea. One participant— metaphorically, the son of the patriot Belay Zeleke—claimed he had to travel to Eritrea to learn about “courage, bravery, and struggle.” How low can one sink? Does he not realize that both past and present Eritrean intellectuals owe much to Ethiopia, the mother that nurtured the entire educated class of Eritrea, including the very conference participants? The colonial master they now glorify, Italy, officially capped Eritrean education at basic literacy—a maximum of four years.
Many Ethiopian participants, now in their twilight years, were once ardent internationalists in their youth who failed to condemn Siad Barre’s Somalia when it invaded Mengistu’s Ethiopia. Their hatred for Mengistu blinded them to another dictator’s aggression. That same blindness is evident now: loathing for Abiy prevents them from calling out the equally dictatorial Isaias.
The historical narrative presented at the conference bordered on the absurd, exaggerating—if not outright fabricating—the role of Eritrean students in the Ethiopian student movement and glamorizing EPLF exploits, while ignoring its brutal suppression of dissent, such as the killing of Tesfu Kidane, who dared to advocate genuine internationalism. This selective history has long served to justify Eritrea’s creation while erasing its centuries as part of Ethiopia, apart from the brief Italian colonial interlude when it was named “Eritrea.”
Let me be clear: Eritrea is now a sovereign state. But the way its history was “straightened” at this conference—rewritten to fortify national myth—only deepens mistrust. Even Prof. Alemante Gebreselasie’s modest suggestion of a possible Ethiopia–Eritrea confederation at some future date was swiftly brushed aside. The event’s real purpose seemed to be “educating” Ethiopians to accept Eritrea’s conditional goodwill on Red Sea access—nothing more. If that is the case, why should Ethiopia’s relationship with Eritrea be different, for example, from its relationship with Kenya? Eritrea did not support Ethiopia in the GERD dispute, while Kenya worked alongside Ethiopia to promote equitable Nile governance. In fact, Eritrea’s actions have often been the opposite.
All said, this conference will now be milked for propaganda, presenting Eritrea and its leader as pillars of stability and solidarity. The Eritrean speakers were well-prepared and coordinated; the Ethiopian elites were limited to ranting against their own dictator while cuddling the other. What folly!
The participants claimed their goal was to prevent war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. While that is a worthy aim and deserves support, portraying one dictator as virtuous and the other as irredeemable undermines it entirely. Abiy, the puppet of the Emirates, is no different from Isaias, the puppet of other Arab interests.
Both Ethiopian and Eritrean participants of this conference have been direct or indirect actors in two parallel tragedies—then and now. In their youth, they collaborated, knowingly or unknowingly, in dismantling one of the world’s oldest states, vilifying Ethiopia’s history as mere “mythology” and “legend,” as though all nations, to a degree, are not built on myths. Today, they are engaged in new myth-making—fashioning a nation called Eritrea out of a colonial construct. Apart from Italian colonial rule (1890–1941) and the brief British administration that followed, there was never a sovereign state called Eritrea—only Ethiopia’s maritime province, “ባህረ ነጋሽ.”
It is telling that none of the participants dared, for the sake of honest explanation, to compare Haile Selassie’s Ethiopia’s claim to Eritrea with, for example, China’s reintegration of Hong Kong and Macau—territories also seized under colonialism.
In my view, whatever good intentions some participants may have had, this conference was a fiasco—a slick propaganda exercise disguised as dialogue, enabling old collaborators to launder their past roles and repeat the very mistakes that have cost Ethiopia so dearly.
My fear is that some will be seduced by this rhetoric into rallying behind Abiy in a confrontation with Eritrea, forgetting that it is never the leaders but the people who bleed and bear the cost.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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Eritrean scholars-cum-shifta are back singing the same old song we heard in 1991, 1998, 2000, and 2018. The template never changes: Ethio-Eritrean Conference or Ethio Erit Peace, etc. The narrative keeps shifting due mainly to dwelling too long in dark caves and exploding limbs and bridges. In the 1990s the talk was that Eritreans ate pasta with forks like their colonial master Italy. They made fun of uncivilized Ethiopians eating injera by hand. Ethiopia, of course, was another of their probably preferred colonial masters. Guess what? Meles Zenawi outmaneuvered George Washington in plain sight (in case you did not know, that was supposed to be Isaias!) and kept Isaias in diplomatic shackles for 20 long years, until Americans sent Abiy to unshackle him in the hope that Isaias has finally reformed. He is back in business once again talking war. The guy is simply incapable of sustaining a viable future for the impoverished sliver of desert land. And Eritreans who made fun of their master Ethiopia? They paid a heavy price in every sense of the word. For some odd reason, they seem to enjoy pain Isaiah continues to inflict on them, two generations of them. How else can one explain the fact that they continue to mistake tyranny for freedom, abject poverty for peaceful life?
I remember the time they organized a conference in California. Organizers invited two docile Ethiopians to give the conference an appearance of an international meeting of scholars. Always deceptive, always opportunistic the lot.
I do agree the conference is designed to pacify unti Isias Afewerki oppositions,incase a war erupted between Two nations among Ethiopians diasporas.
Concerning the Ethiopian panelists, I might not agree with their political analyses or their shifting positions over the course of their careers, but I do respect our public figures who speak out against autocracy and any violation of human rights. They have the option to remain silent; they even have the option to join their corrupt old friends, like Prof. Nega and others. Instead, they chose to oppose and expose them.
That said, I believe these Ethiopians, who have been in politics for decades, have made a serious blunder in defending the dictator Isaias and portraying this impoverished, militarized country as a “prison” for many Eritreans. They may try to call it “realpolitik” or “a strategy to build a united front against our own dictator,” but it is sheer madness to label Eritrea a stabilizing force in the Horn of Africa. If they are merely confusing personal friendship with Isaias for political judgment, they should keep it at that level, without insulting us or the many Eritreans who despise dictatorship.
The only way to truly understand why they said what they said is for them to explain, point by point, what they meant at that meeting—addressing each of the issues this opinion writer has raised. The question is: do they have the courage?
Concerning the Ethiopian panelists, I might not agree with their political analyses or their shifting positions over the course of their careers, but I do respect our public figures who speak out against autocracy and any violation of human rights. They have the option to remain silent; they even have the option to join their corrupt old friends, like Prof. Nega and others. Instead, they chose to oppose and expose them.
That said, I believe these Ethiopians, who have been in politics for decades, have made a serious blunder in defending the dictator Isaias and portraying this impoverished, militarized country, a prison for many Eritreans as a stabilizing country. They may try to call it “realpolitik” or “a strategy to build a united front against our own dictator, but it is sheer madness to label Eritrea a stabilizing force in the Horn of Africa. If they are merely confusing personal friendship with Isaias for political judgment, they should keep it at that level, without insulting us or the many Eritreans who despise dictatorship.
The only way to truly understand why they said what they said is for them to explain, point by point, what they meant at that meeting—addressing each of the issues this opinion writer has raised. The question is: do they have the courage?
Please delete the first input August 12, 2025 at 3:27 – serious typo!!
FYI: youtu.be/b7WEm22eges?t=43 [or go to 11:36]
1). Ethio-Eritrea ‘Conference’: Who stood up for Ethiopia’s interests? What was in it for Ethiopia? Wasn’t it just a Book Sales Pitch for EPLF-ELF’s ‘History of Eritrea’? I wonder why the Eritrean participants & this article’s author blame the UAE!
2). UAE|Abiy|Ethiopia: TPLF looted Ethiopia so bone-dry that it left no money to pay government employees’ salaries. At Abiy’s request, UAE’s Prince MBZ donated $1 billion of his money & saved Ethiopia from collapse! Why vilify such a man?
3). Abiy|Ethiopia|Genocide: The TPLF-EPLF invaded/occupied Ethiopia [1991]. They staged the first Amara Genocide. The OLF-IFLO carried it out in Oromia. The latest was TPLF’s Amara Genocide at May-Kadra. Why blame Abiy for genocide?
4). Democracy|Dictatorship: As >100 parties requested, the last election was held under on-site scrutiny by AU/UN/EU/US. Complaints could have been filed on-site. Ethiopians elected Abiy’s Party & Abiy became PM. So, why call Abiy ‘dictator’?
5). Law Enforcement [LE]|Egypt’s Proxy Warriors [EPW]: EPW [Fanno, OLF-IFLO, TPLF, EPLF-ELF, etc.] destabilize, bankrupt, and paralyze Ethiopia. Unless one wants to hand Ethiopia over to Egypt on silver platter, shouldn’t LE wipe out EPW?
6). Domestic Terrorism [DT]|Human Rights Violation [HRV]|War Crime [WC]: Armed insurrection to topple elected governments is DT. Aiding & Abetting Domestic Terrorists is DT, too. EPW use civilians as Human Shields/loot/kidnap/kill. Isn’t all that DT, HRV, and WC?
Response to mognu above!
You don’t seem to see the dire Situation Ethiopia is in, deliberate or unaware, I cant say. Six Realities About Ethiopia Today:
1. Foreign Arms are Not Neutral support. Selling weapons to a government that uses them against its own people is enabling internal destruction. The countries that armed Apartheid South Africa or Nazi Germany claimed “neutral business” too, history judged them complicit. These arms inflame wars, create dependency, and weaken Ethiopia from the inside. There’s also a risk that might turn Ethiopia into the new Yemen if things escalate.
2. There’s No Free $1 Billion. In geopolitics, gifts buy leverage. The UAE’s “donation” gives them a long-term claim on Ethiopia’s decisions, military bases, Red Sea access, and influence in national policy. The bill for that “help” will be paid in sovereignty, not cash. Abiy might get safe haven there and serve as a palace clown in Dubai, but Ethiopia will be a hostage.
3. Genocide by Definition: Killing or displacing people, because of ethnicity is genocide or ethnic cleansing under international law. A leader who directs, allows, or ignores these crimes is responsible, regardless of their stated enemy. Oromia displacements and regional massacres are not accidents, they are policy outcomes, deliberate, calculated.
4. Elections Don’t Guarantee Democracy. Abiy was elected in some regions, yes, but so was Hitler. Democracy is not one day of voting, it is whether dissent is tolerated, the press is free, and opposition can live without fear. When those disappear, when heads roll, so does democracy, no matter how it started.
5. The Greater Risk is From Within. Abiy’s secretive deals, foreign military dependence, and potential concessions over the Red Sea show a greater threat to sovereignty than groups like Fanno. Resistance movements form when a government stops serving its people, branding them all “foreign proxies” is a way to silence legitimate opposition. Not new.
6. State Terror is the Most Dangerous Terror . TPLF, OLA, and Abiy’s forces have all committed acts that meet the definition of terrorism. But when the state does it , with more resources, legal cover, and foreign backing, the danger is far greater. State terror destroys trust, crushes dissent, and hands the nation to outside powers.
Hope you got answers to think about. If you are a kadre – let me know – I won’t waste my time.
knfu,
(1’). I am unapologetic about Ethiopia’s National Security, Economic Security, and Child Welfare. Let Ethiopians live in their country in peace & harmony, proudly, with dignity!
Ethiopia’s Enemies [Domestic/Foreign] who destabilize/bankrupt/paralyze Ethiopia by wreaking havoc & orchestrating bloodshed deserve Mortal Blow! No Mercy! No Excuse!
Abiy’s government is slow & lenient on Egypt’s & Eritrea’s Proxy Domestic Terrorists [DTs] →EPLF/TPLF/OLF-IFLO/Fanno/etc. Why let them keep wreaking more havoc?
(1’) Summary: DTs use civilians as Human Shields. That’s Barbarism & War Crime!
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(2’). Abiy & MBZ’s $1 Billion Donation: I thank both Abiy & MBZ for saving Ethiopia from free fall in to the abyss. A friend in need is a fried indeed! MBZ could have also turned a deaf ear like TPLF-EPLF’s Patron ‘Saints’ [US/EU/UN/WB/IMF/ad nauseam].
(2’) Summary: Abiy is a Nobel Prize millionaire. He could have ditched Ethiopia & left.
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(3’). I have nothing to add to #3 of my response above posted on Aug. 12, 2025.
(3’) Summary: No Oromo invited or forced the >15 million Amaras to live in the Oromo State [OS]. They were free to leave if they felt mistreated/threatened! BTW, that’s more Amaras than in Amara State. Cf.: I met no Oromo in Gojjam & Gonder!
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(4’). I have nothing to add to #3 of my response above posted on Aug. 12, 2025.
(4’) Summary: Let Ethiopians keep or remove him at the next election! No Proxy Wars!
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(5’). TPLF massacred Ethiopia’s Northern Command [in their sleep]; looted all latest weapons; rendered Ethiopia Defenseless; and launched war on Ethiopia. Now, Egypt’s Secessionist Proxies [TPLF & EPLF] are ready to invade Ethiopia [just like 1991].
(5’) Summary: Ethiopia is building a Robust Defense Force & Defense Industry to fend-off The Enemy Within [TPLF-TDF, EPLF-ELF, OLF-IFLO, Fanno (Misnomer), etc.].
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(6’). “ካድሬ” ያሉኝ – ምንም አይደንቀኝም! ለእናንተ – የኢትዮጵያውያንን ደም ማፍሰስ HOBBY ነው! ሁሉ ሰው እንደ እናንተ ይመስላችኋል! በእነ ግብፅ – ምፅዋት እና ፍርፋሪ – ያደጋችሁት እና የምትተዳሩት – እናንተው [ሻብያ፣ ውያኔ፣ ፋኖ፣ ኦነግ ሸኔ፣ ወዘተ] አይደላችሁም ወይ? በደርግ ዘመንም – የደርግ መርማሪ፣ ገራፊ፣ እና ገዳዮች- እናንተው አልነበራችሁም ወይ? አረመኔዎች!