The Horn Region is now coming to integration despite a number of socioeconomic problems. The efforts exerted towards development and the conflicts around significantly contradict and hampered the desire of some of the countries in the region to ensure economic development.
Ethiopia is one of these countries that has been working industriously to alleviate poverty and ensure sustainable economic development. In doing so it has been sacrificing a lot to realize an enduring peace at home and in the region.
The past twenty five years witnessed that the struggle against groups aimed to destabilize the instability of the country and jeopardize its development. However, the incumbent government in collaboration with the Ethiopian people has managed to realize a double digit economic growth and a relatively peaceful situation.
Despite the unreserved efforts exerted by Intergovernmental Authority for Development, the Ethiopian government and other neighboring countries to bring an endurable peace and stability in the Horn Region, the State in Asmara continued carrying out its foreign policy of destabilizing the entire region particularly Ethiopia.
Prime Minister Hailemariam told journalists recently that endeavors made to bring relations between the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea to its statuesque is just like clapping with one hand as the Eritrean government persistently sticking to its destabilizing policy. He hinted that a new approach is mandatory to curb the aggressive nature of the Eritrean government.
It is public secret that the state in Asmara has been ceaselessly carrying out its provocative actions in its boarder with Ethiopia killing and abducting people as well as plundering property at different times.
In addition to self aggressive activities, it has been sponsoring terrorist and anti-peace groups who aimed to destabilize countries in the Horn of Africa. All these ill-activities got priority in the government’s agenda while the socio-economic situations of the country have been deteriorating from time to time.
In this regard, the rogue state has minimal intention to maintain peaceful coexistence with its neighbors; rather it has persistently engaged in activities of poisoning peace and instability. It preceded its proactive and destabilizing efforts despite sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations Security Council and the United States of America. It has been maximizing its proactive actions to a level that challenges the flourishing of peace in the region.
No one doubts that the Eritrean people are thirsty for peaceful coexistence with their neighboring people. They are also enthusiastic for the thrive of peace at their home and within the region so that they could devote to win their daily bread.
Contrary to public desire, the State in Eritrean has been investing on anti-peace activities. The fragile state has failed to take lessons either from previous grave mistakes or from the interests of the Eritrean people.
In Eritrea, human rights violation has worsen from time to time coerced Eritreans to leave their country for good. The major pushing factor is its proactive and aggressive nature disturbing their normal way of living; poisoning the peaceful situation. Its aggressive action also hampered peace situations in neighboring countries. Ethiopia is one of these countries affected by the proactive actions of the State in Asmara is Ethiopia.
The continued unwavering effort of the regime in Eritrea to destabilize the Horn Region has never ceased because the leaders are desperate. That is why they usually prioritize aggression, havoc and chaos to peace, stability and development with the real aim of easing internal protests and challenges. However, all these are carried out under the pretext of sovereignty.
The desperate government cares little for the people. Its connection and with terrorist groups and the military logistic support it budgeted to them has been increasing from time to time leading it to be the major accomplices terrorism in the continent and beyond. The regime has continued supporting the terrorist groups in the Horn region with a huge budget in a bid to create havoc and chaos in the region in general and Ethiopia in particular.
It continued its proxy war and terrorist actions. Besides, it directly or indirectly participates in any chaos in country in the region. One of its destabilizing efforts is manifested through supporting opposition political parties and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.
The other one is through plotting terrorist activities as well as training them. Besides, it allocated all the necessary logistics needed by the anti-peace groups aimed to poisoning the peace and jeopardizing the development of Horn countries like Ethiopia.
It is known that the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea previously reported that the sate in Asmara created a situation where Al-Shabab, ONLF and Ginbot 7 leaders met in Asmara and discussed how to use effectively the logistic and financial support the Eritrean government allotted for them. According to some reports released by the United Nations, it is known that Eritrea has been sending 80,000 USD per month to al Shabaab through the Eritrean Embassy in Nairobi for the past two decades.
It is unthinkable for the state in Eritrea to cease its terrorist action. Its previous failed terrorist plots on Ethiopia aimed to destroy mega projects like the Tekeze Hydro-Power Dam and to destabilize Addis Ababa while all African Head of States were in Ad for Addis for African Union Summit.
The Eritrean regime has also made a lot of sacrifices to destabilizing Somalia using al-shabaab. Many Eritreans ask why their government gave priority to support terrorist targeting other countries instead of working towards poverty alleviation so us to help its people win their daily bread.
It is also responsible for plotting the previous bombings in Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda at different times and the failed attempts of terrorist attacks at Ethiopia using al-Shabaab as an instrument.
Eritrea is now an isolated island.
Its diplomatic relation with African countries and the rest of the world is disconnected except with a few terrorist monger countries. It does not have constitution, parliamentary elections and court of justice. The government has been silencing the people forcefully and considering an imaginary enemy threatening sovereignty.
While the people in Eritrea and other Horn countries are voicing for peace, the regime has increased its logistic support to the terrorist groups aiming to destabilize the region. It also intensified its actions of murdering and torturing its own people.
The United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo, travel restrictions and an asset freezing on the Eritrean military leaders, politicians following its investigation and that the Eritrean finding the support the Eritrean government has been doing to al-Shabaab.
But still Due Issayas has never reserve a space in his heart to think about peace; rather he usually plan how to destabilize the region in order to elongate their stay in power. He used this mechanism to avert the attention of its people away from their grievances emanated from worse internal situations.
Eritrea is now in a critical situation. Its citizens have been immigrating to other countries particularly to Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Kenya. Contrary to that deteriorated situation, the government focused on terrorist actions having ignored the very need of the Eritrean people
Its aggressive actions at home and in the Horn region are so disastrous that needs a special attention, treatment and action. The actions taken so far by the United Nations Security Council and other countries bear no fruits. The sanction only remained in black and white.
Moreover, it has instigated disputes after disputes with its neighbors. Despite the need to enhance peace in the horn region, the State in Eritrea has never ceased from its destabilizing activities. This indicates that there is a ceaseless terrorist plots of the Eritrean government aimed to destabilize the Horn Region. Therefore, it is time for the international community to take corrective measures up on such rogue states in order to bring an enduring peace in the region. That is why Prime Minister Hailemariam emphasized the need to introduce a new approach to ensure lasting peace in the region.