The missing link: Ethiopia vs Eritrea

By Obo Arada Aba Shawl alias Wolde Tewolde

July 23, 2018

Two days ago, I met a friend whom I have not seen for a long time. He puzzled me by asking a question “was all the 44 years of struggle were artificial and unnecessary?” By this he meant the long march of EPRP since 1972. He came deep from Sidamo awraja and joined the EPRA (army wing of EPRP) at Assimba. He has never been home since then. It was this person who on many occasions defended me from the Diaspora Eritreans who used to attack me because of my position on Ethio-Eritrea.

Now this Revolutionary person has seen the current euphoria between Isaias and Abiy followed by the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia. According to my friend, how come all the past half century of enmity suddenly seem to disappear. He asked me whether he has missed something of mystery, i.e. Ethiopia’s mystery. The following are my humble and seemingly innocent explanations.

To be honest, my assumed name while in Ethiopia and America, I am known by my RT (Raphael Tewolde). My parents would not have liked it because I shortened it. It is a sin by itself to assume what is not given to you especially for a person who was born in an orthodox church.

DOB and Orthodox names are sacred in both Eritrea and Ethiopia. That is one part of the mystery of the missing link. Mark Twain on writing on mysteries told us that there were three mysteries two of them certain but the third is uncertain and real mysterious. These three were Death, God and Life. According to Twain, Death and God are certain but not life. But according to Ethiopians all three are certain including life. So why did we carried out Revolution and now aspire change in both Abiy’s Ethiopia and Isaias’s Eritrea? Right there, there is a missing link among DGL (death-God-Life). My friend’s puzzle hinges on this missing link.

According to my knowledge and understandings, Ethiopians including Eritreans had aspired a Revolution to change the relationship among the trio of Kings-Church-People. The people wanted change in their daily life. The irony of the change was that the king must die and the church must disappear. That was then, and this is now.

Now the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea wanted a change aka revolution. The Ethiopian leader desires change via beliefs (religious) path whereas the Eritrean leader aspires change via kingdoms. The Ethiopians and Eritreans want change via love based on the Bible and the Koran. The BK (Bible & Koran) is suddenly set on for all Ethiopians and Eritreans alike. This means that the wisdom of the Bible and the Knowledge of the Koran are seemingly became the salvation army for Ethiopia and Eritrea. I told my friend that the struggle was not fake or unsubstantiated only people are looking up for leaders (kings) and sheiks or debt eras. The case of PM Abiy of Ethiopia and the President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea are relevant for this conditional set of life -the missing link.

The Ethiopians and Eritreans had lost the meaning of the Eway Revolution or don’t want to remember due to colonel Mengistu’s vernacular behavior and now they seem happy with the same title of colonel but with soft words and attitude. Colonel Abiy’s slogan is change whereas that of colonel Mengistu slogan was revolution. What is in a name?  change vs revolution! Between E vs. E?

The Ethiopian and Eritrean Revolution might have abused the nobility and the clergy, but it has certainly empowered ordinary people of both Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The problem with the past, the present and possibly with the future is the misunderstanding of the Revolution and the result of mistrust created. In other words, RT must have to be rectified and must be organically amended.

To continue with the peace, love and hope for all Eritreans and Ethiopians, the history of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Revolution (EPRP) must be told and retold to make sense. A collateral damage has been done with the concept of trust. Trust has already been destroyed but there is a way to rebuild it. The role of muhuran ምሁራን አካል would be necessary around trust.

The history of the Revolution should be told by the ጽንሐተ ምሁራን አካላት Tsinhate muhran akal and the trust portion can be dealt by all professors and doctors that are rampant in the Ethio-Eritrea scenario.

I would like to re-iterate to my friend and others who have similar misunderstandings about the current situation in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Eway Revolution was real, but it should not be judged by either the Mengistu type of revolution or by the Melese type or revolution, a revolution from Soviet Russia and a prototype of Albania.

The real Ethiopian Revolution was conducted by EPRP, a joint venture of Revolutionaries from all over Ethiopia including current Eritrea. All the current hope, love and peace are the products brought by both peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

There is nothing unreal to the current situation as displayed by colonel Abiy and ተጋዳሊ Isaias. Even by the Stars, Abiy is a war monger turned into a peace change agent whereas Isaias is a revolutionary turned into a docile development agent. The result is the same – moving into the politics of the people.

EPRP stands for ideas and issues not against people and leaders. EPRP stands for AMeFeት – አፙፍት – Ancient Tigray-modern Eritrea and future Ethiopia. ኢሕ አፓ all stands for 5 አሮች

As to its members, they are working on prioritizing between unity and democracy and I am hopeful that they will work out their differences. My puzzled friend from Sidamo will soon discover his Balance sheet of long march of struggle.

TRUTH WILL PREVAIL

For questions and concerns

mailto:woldetewolde87@outlook.com?subject=Relationship%20between%20Eritrea%20and%20Ethiopiaoboaradashawl@gmail.com