Shaebiaâ's Mischievous Strategic Policy

A Critical Commentary

Segid Habenom, PhD

What circumstances forced Shaebia to sell services of its guerrilla fighters as dogs of war to enemies of Ethiopia? In an attempt to answer this fundamental question, I highlight the key personal, social, economic, constitutional, and ecosystem (natural environment) factors that characterize the current Eritrean landscape. Shaebia has been and is now a puppet and a stooge of Ethiopia's historical enemies: stooging is the key term here. However, it is unfortunate to observe that this behavior has shattered the Eritrean dream of becoming an African Singapore. Over the past fifteen years of their independence, something psychologically tragic behavior has started to develop in the mentality of most Eritreans. There is lack of self-respect and a sort of bitterness against anything Ethiopian. They feel that we Ethiopians consider anybody Eritrean as an outcast: the "Untouchable Caste", which is the lowest Indian Caste.

For example, read and sense the tone of a disparaging commentary of an Eritrean woman called Sophia Tesfamariam (11-Dec-06):

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=17824

Not only that she is so mad at the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, demons (evil spirits) have possessed her to continue anything Tigraian. I have read a few Woizero Sophia's articles of insults that simply reflect anger and frustration, with no sense of decency and intellectual maturity. I have never observed any person so frustrated, driven to the extent of being crazy. An intelligent person must be able to know her/his knowledge limits. But, I see no intelligence in her personal behavior. Who is Woizero Sofia (a) to lecture the International Community on internal affairs of Ethiopia; (b) to demean Meles Zenawi, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; and (c) to undermine the military prowess (distinguished bravery) of the Tigraian heroes and heroines and to minimize their contributions to the on-going democratization and development processes in Ethiopia? Are a jealous, Sophia? Tell the truth!

Why do Shaebia and its cohorts have deeply rooted hatred of anything Ethiopian? I really have no clue. Any sane human being does not hate a mother who breastfed, nourished, brought up, and educated. The collective behavior of Shaebia and its supporters is a highest degree of betrayal and treachery. Well, we, Ethiopians, must accept this inevitability and focus on our own way of doing things with decency and determination. Ethiopians will never forgive Shaebia, which is a collection of a rag-tag bunch of misfits, who cluster-bombed Ayder Elementary School, Mekelle, in a broad day light. We cannot and we will not forgive the heinous act that shed blood of our children.

The socioeconomic and constitutional landscape of Eritrea is disintegrating because of Shaebia's frustration and paranoia. After the humiliating defeat in the hands of the gallant Ethiopian Defense Forces (EDF) (1998-2000), Isaias Afeworki, who had a dream to be a regional power broker, is suffering from a small man syndrome. Realizing that EPLF's foot soldiers, the guerrillas, are not match to the mighty EDF, absolute frustration is reigning in the official corridors of Shaebia. The atmosphere must be really suffocating.

It is obvious that a weave (integration) of social, economic, political, constitutional, and environmental threads form a viable and sustainable nation state. But, Eritrea has neither of them all: Socially, Eritreans are confused. They have started to refuse the fact that international law binds them to remain confined to their small enclave called Eritrea. Most of them have started to express their anger that they were manipulated, cheated, and used by Shaebia. The disillusionment has started to surface in public. It is unfortunate some Eritreans are feeling that Ethiopians have started to look them down and to treat them as outcasts. This sociological trend has devastating psychological and economic consequences.

Economically, Eritrea is suffering from self-inflicted strangulation. No chance in the near future to enjoy the huge Ethiopian market. The national economy will remain in shambles. No sources for sustainable national revenue, because there is no tax-base; no productive labor force; no manufacturing sector; no commercial sector; no effective and efficient infrastructure; no no no !

This is a very disheartening condition. Why? Well, it is a result of a dysfunctional and an archaic political system. There are no institutional arrangements that create enabling conditions and effective and efficient governance. There is no national constitution and there is no democratic governance: no accountability, transparency, and efficiency. Law of the Jungle rules Eritrea, not Ethiopia. There, in Eritrea, prevails absolute waste of the scarce economic resources. Unfortunately, it is going to stay that way for the foreseeable future, because the Eritreans do not appear to wake up to save their nation.

In addition, many experts who visited Eritrea recently express their dismay after observing a devastated natural ecosystem. Whatever dispersed patches of natural forests that existed a while ago have been decimated, i.e., harvested at an alarming rate to meet life sustaining needs, such as energy for heating and cooking; for building human shelter (housing); and for many other essentials of life. Consequently, the natural environment has become inhabitable. Agricultural productivity, if there was any to begin with, is declining rapidly. This is one of the root causes why more than two-third of the 3.5 million population is dependent on donated food handout.

Thus, given the above socioeconomic, institutional, and environmental complex entanglements, Shaebia has no choice, but to market services of its Sawa-guerrilla fighters. They are treated as tradable commodities. Recently, Shaebia searched for strategic markets for the services of these youngsters. The right markets were described as those that provide financial and geopolitical gains for Shaebia. For example, Isaias Afeworki flew from China, after attending the China-Africa Forum, to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. These and other countries like them that enjoy hating a united and strong Ethiopia were happy to be part of the conspiracy to destabilize our Motherland. However, the Arabs were goofed up, because they forgot their history. That is, they forgot the unforgettable military victories of Ethiopia over their ancestors.

But, this should not be a surprise, because they (the Arabs) were the financiers of the 30-year guerrilla war. They enjoyed destabilizing and finally dismembering Ethiopia. Hence, they have a sense of victory. In their twisted minds, therefore, Shaebia is a collection of excellent dogs of war that can fight on their behalf to fulfill their dreams of Islamizing the Land of Christianity, Ethiopia. No surprise here either. Intoxicated by oil-dollars, the Arabs will try anything to dominate the world. One should not go farther than the American inner cities where millions of oil-dollar is being used by Islamic Missionaries to convert impoverished households and homeless individuals.

The conspiracy against Ethiopia was hatched in concert in secret documents of international agreements. The Arabs agreed to pay Shaebia some amount of hard currency (US$) to sustain it as a government. In return, Shaebia agreed to send to Somalia more than 2000 (two thousand) guerrilla fighters as mercenaries, the dogs of war, to fight along with the Jihadists, who has declared Jihad, a religious crusade, against Ethiopia. The grand geopolitical strategic goal of Shaebia is to destabilize and, in the long-term, to disintegrate Ethiopia into pieces of enclaves that are equal to or less than the size of Eritrea. Isaias made this dream official in 1976 when he told a BBC journalist, "Forget Ethiopia; men make history; Ethiopia, as you know it now, will be history". It was this declared ignorance about the Ethiopian spirit and deeply rooted nationalism that led Shaebia to declare war in 1998 against my people, the Ethiopians.

But, the gallant Ethiopian forces taught Shaebia a lesson that will never forget during the 1998-2000 war. This will be repeated in the Somali battlefields where the dogs of war are serving as mercenaries. Thus, that has been historically, that is now, and that will be for eternity: the Ethiopian way!

Segid

12-12-2006, in memory of

12-12-2000, the day of the ill-fated Isaias-Meles handshake

Segid can be reached at segid_habenom@yahoo.com