The Calf Path
By: Atnafseged.

Emperor Minilik and the Eritrean problem.
It is said that a calf took a zigzagging path to reach a green grass meadow yonder.  The calf took this zigzagging path to avoid little obstacles which were avoidable had it used its brain to take a straight path so to speak. But the calf didn't know any better. Successive generations of cattle followed that path. They failed miserably of repeating past mistakes. Repeating the same mistake is a grievous and an inexcusable.

Emperor Minilik made a serious mistake of not pursuing the defeated, retreating, Italian army and their Eritrean mercenaries and not evicting them from our coastal land (now called Eritrea) disregarding the advice of his most able army general Ras Alula Aba Nega and other Ethiopian dignitaries during the battle of Adwa. For whatever reason, Minilik ceded this land to the Fascist Italians, which was part of Ethiopia (Abyssinia) since time in memorial leaving a chronic problem for future generations. Minilik took a calf path.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi made the same mistake that Emperor Minilik did of not pursuing the defeated, retreating, demoralized aggressor, Eritrean army and of not uniting Eritrea back with the mother land. This would have solved the Eritrean problem once and for all. Why didn't Meles do that?  Was he afraid of World opinion and of Great Powers pressure? That would have lasted for a weak and subsided. Was he afraid of aggressing a sovereign country? But Erirea is not a sovereign country because it does not have the approval of Ethiopian and Eritrean people. Because the referendum was fake. The Eritrean people had only two choices at the so-called referendum. "Freedom or slavery." There is no such kind of referendum that I heard of though ironically the UN accepted it only to create the present problem. Was he afraid that Eritreans would wage guerilla warfare? But the Eritreans are tired and fed up with war and would love union, peace, and prosperity with their brothers. Meles took the calf path. He repeated the same mistake that Minilik did. All mistakes are worse, but repeating the same mistake is the worst of all.

Meles is not being a uniting leader. He is being a dividing leader. He failed to take the golden opportunity of uniting Ethiopia and Eritrea when the Eritrean army was defeated as stated above. He also failed to unite the TPLF. He has failed to reconcile with his political opponents. Instead, he has imprisoned them. He is not being tactful and persuasive. He should persuade, reconcile, and accommodate. He is not being a good politician. He blames corruption on others. But this is the result of his corrupt system. So, he is the most corrupt of them all. Especially his handling of the Eritrean problem. It is also treason. What can Meles do to save himself? It is up to him now, because he does not listen to advice and public opinion. Is he also going to hand over some more Ethiopian territory to the Shabia Group? That will be his end, but no land will be handed over. The gallant Ethiopian defense forces are there to defend our country. And the wise people in The Hague will never be partial and ignite war. No more taking the calf path. Please don't mess with Ethiopia.

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