Ethiopia must reform or remove ethnic federalism to attain peace and unity

Ethiopia must reform or remove ethnic federalism to attain peace and unity — President Isaias Afwerki

President Isaias Afwerki [Picture: Ministry of Information, Eritrea]

ADDIS ABABA, JANUARY 08, 2022 — In an interview on national television, Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki expressed his distaste towards Ethiopia's ethnic federalism which he believes is a cause of chaos and division, according an interview translation released by Eritrean Press.

During his interview on national television, the President of Eritrea revealed how the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had planned to attack 100 locations in Eritrea with rocket.

When Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) Northern Command was attacked on November 03, 2020, many were forced to cross into Eritrea. President Isaias said the number of soldiers that crossed into Eritrea on the first week of November 2020 was about 5,000.

Nevertheless, the Eritrean President said that he did not expect the withdrawal of the ENDF from Mekelle in June 2021. But he also said the TPLF leadership did not expect the withdrawal as well.

He said TPLF’s adventure was a miscalculation and that no sane military leadership would have dared to enter as far as Kombolcha and Dessie without logistics. The backers of the TPLF were not satisfied with the outcome of the war, according to President Isaias.

With regards to the question of Tigray seeking succession, President Isaias said that it will not happen. According to him, the damage the TPLF caused to Eritrea is far worse than the damage Eritrea incurred during HaileSelassie and Mengistu's regime.

The President of Eritrea revealed that the TPLF had given him the draft Ethiopian Constitution before anyone else which he saw as dangerous to Ethiopia. He said he raised his dissatisfaction at the time.

President Isaias believes that there is no more danger than ethnic federalism policy which he says makes things easier for foreign countries to meddle in the sovereign matters of the nation that is not united.

Eritrea's President also said Ethiopia's unity demonstrated in the last few months has been a lesson for neo-colonialist countries.

Eighty years of our history is connected with Ethiopia, said President Isaias. He said Ethiopia's peace and prosperity is vital to Eritrea indicating that the two East African countries will continue to strengthen ties.

According to President Isaias, if Ethiopia is to achieve peace and unity, it has to reform or remove ethnic federalism.

As for Sudan, the President expressed his worry. He said the problem with Sudan is that it has 20 brokers for only one producer.

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DISCLAIMER: The interview aired on Eritrea's national television was translated into English by Eritrean Press and it was republished here with slight edit in format to suit EthiopianCitizen readers.

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