open Democracy News Analysis - The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary, Edward Denison - Comments

Sammy A. on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

Sammy A. — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:12:11 +0100

Beautifuly articulated comment, Abatmer!!

References:

Since this crappy website does not accept HTML linkage, nor does it have instruction on what is allowed or not, or even show a preview before posting comments, I am including the two websites I referenced in my posting above, respectively:

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/viewdocument.php?documentid=8296

http://www.shabait.com/cgi-bin/staging/exec/search.cgi

abatmer on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

abatmer — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:46:59 +0100

Thank you Edward Denison for a long overdue analysis by a Westerner on the issue. Very few other than the usual paid �analysts� even bother these days. However, you missed the icing on the cake of this deliciously ironic and topsy-turvy world of today�s Horn of Africa. The current Ethiopian regime (TPLF) was voted out of office in the 2005 elections! Those who were elected find themselves in prison, along with tens of thousands of their supporters and those protestors who escaped being slaughtered for demonstrating. Add to that the horrendous human rights records in every corner of the country, including genocide, and now in Somalia. This, my friend, is the darling Horn of Africa government of the US administration. I guess one can apply that famous adage about birds, feathers and flocking here.

With the complicity of Western media (i.e.; the propaganda machinery) at covering up all of Ethiopia�s blunders, the TPLF government has hardly been compelled to use diplomacy at all; of which they had none to begin with. For this band of thugs, the idea of diplomacy is very simple � lie your way through. In fact, that will be one of TPLF�s legacies when it is relegated to the dustbin of history, which most Africans are confident will be sooner than later, � the government that never uttered a word of truth.

As for Eritrea, it has survived much tougher times and this little impasse hasn�t stopped it from pursuing its long term nation building. It cherishes its liberty so much so, that it refuses to squander it for temporary and pitiful gains. Principle still means something in Eritrea.

Sammy A. on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

Sammy A. — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:45:00 +0100

Ed, your mere classification of the Eritrean government�s expectation of an unconditional implementation of the internationally witnessed independent and �final and binding� EEBC decision, as �Eritrea has lost the diplomatic game to Ethiopia� is witness that you, as well as your organization, are nothing more then another front of US government�s covert operations to put world nations �in order� (AKA �put them down�).

Your expectation of third-world nation to prostitute themselves or as you put it, play a �diplomatic game�, stinks of another front UK/US attempts an attack at the Eritrean government. It is amazing how your article sounds a lot like this UK/MI6 (and their morally corrupted Jew operative, Martin Plaut) report. If you have a nuance of legitimacy I would think your research has lead you to the following articles. But many years of close observation of all western journalism, I have come not to expect objectivity and honesty in reporting. News/opinion reports, in western civilization, are nothing more then pushing agendas and for entertainments.

As far as your �well-documented human-rights abuses�, you must be referencing organizations front for CIA. If you have issues with true human-rights violations � right to free education, free medical insurance, free housing, etc. � then you have my ears. Otherwise, if your accusations are based on the few treasonous journalists, religious, and political individual, I have three words for you, GO TO HELL!! If you are a conscientious journalist, first resolve the evil your tax dollars are committing � torturing hundreds of innocent people, under the guise of �enemy combatants� and �terrorists�, in secret prisons all over the world � before concerning yourself with Africa�s problems (which are direct manifestation of your and your ancestors actions, I might add).

If you want to be a champion of human right violations, start in your own backyard, you damn hypocrite!! Remember James Byrd of Jasper Texas, who was dragged to death, behind a pickup truck - just for being black? Remember New Orleans and Katrina? Remember slavery? Remember the violent and drug infested ghettos of your nation? Go fight for the rights of the black American, the 45 million medically uninsured citizens and other down-wrought citizen of your country before you can enthrone yourself as a white-knight savior of Africa.

er3ea93 on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

er3ea93 — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 19:42:19 +0100

Well addressed case. I think it is important to know that there are pragmatic people amongst who believe "if peace is needed to take its right place, in the horn of Africa, the rule of law must be respected." As we all know Ethiopia has been is still favored than other African nations. In fact the West have closed their eyes and ears when the Eritran people have been indiscriminately bomabrded with American and Soviet Union made air fighters. When people were slaughtered and thrown away by the cruel regimes of both Haile Selassie and Mengistu.

The sole weapon the Eritreans has then and is still now is to believe in justice. Even if it takes honest lives, and a great economic opportunity wasted, Eritrea will never give up its right. Pressure from US, British governement and their likes, is not going to let Eritrea give up its soveriegn land.

Berhane.Ghebrehiwet on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

Berhane.Ghebrehiwet — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 02:17:59 +0100

When you read an article like this, you are thankful that there are intelectuals who base their analyses on facts and not politically motivated fiction. I have always thought that the curse of the entire Horn cannot be resolved until the border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia is reolved-and the US holds the key to this. However, the US is NOTand has never been an impartial arbiter in conflicts especially-as the author elegantly pointed out- between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea has been the victim of the convoluted and distorted US policy machinations for more than 50 years! If the US Policy makers had the wisdom in 1962, they could have had by now, two of the most vibrant, culturally rich, and powerful countries as alies in the Horn- and the Horn-from Sudan to Somalia, could have been at peace!

Berhane.Ghebrehiwet on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

Berhane.Ghebrehiwet — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 02:09:21 +0100

When you read an article like this, you feel that there are intellectuals who base their analyses on facts not politically motivated fiction. I have always thought that the curse of the entire horn cannot be resolved until the border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia is reolved; and the US holds the key to this. However the US is NOTand has never been an impartial arbiter in conflicts especially-as the author elegantly pointed out- between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea has been that victim of convoluted and distorted US policy for more thasn 50 years! If the US Policy makers had the wisdom in 1962, they could have had by now two of the most vibrant, culturally rich, and powerful countries as alies in the horn- and the horn could have been at peace.

mulugheta on "The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary"

mulugheta — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:03:47 +0100

Brilliant article that shows how the US and West make more enemies and become the ultimate looser in the struggle for justice and rule of law!!!

The Horn of Africa: a bitter anniversary, Edward Denison

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Five years after international arbitration over the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, the world remains dangerously indifferent to the still-unresolved issue, says Edward Denison. Read the rest of this post...