Tigrian Solidarity Calls On Ethiopian People, Armed Forces To Defend Nation and Remove Meles and Associates:
Tigrian Solidarity Press Release
April 25, 2003

WASHINGTON DC (APR 25) - We members of the Tigrian International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy (TISJD), have been voicing for too long our serious concerns and protests to relevant international bodies over the continued weakening of our age-old independent country, Ethiopia. Today we believe our country stands out for its "uniqueness" in the community of nations because it has the unenviable record of being ruled by a mercenary regime whose key organs are controlled by Eritrean elements.

When we make such serious accusations, it is because we have over the last 12 years been helplessly witnessing how our country, Ethiopia, has been treated with bellicose policies that have left it "landlocked" on the one hand, and a "famine-ridden" nation, on the other. Rightly but unfortunately, it is referred in the international media as a "failed state." But there are other records the mercenary regime would fight for their disappearance, lest the potentials and legal and historical records of the country be heard and understood by the international community, and organizations such as the U.N.

In the reign of peace and justice, there is no doubt Ethiopia is a naturally resource-rich nation with potentials to export food, leave alone to fail to feed herself. In the reign of peace and justice, Ethiopia is not a landlocked country; her legal and historical records testify that it has sovereignty rights over the now Eritrea-annexed Afar Region, including the Red Sea Port of Assab.

The presence of a "government" in Ethiopia that works for Eritrea is now within the knowledge of a Commission that is beyond the control of Ethiopians. On March 28, 2003, The Hague-based Boundary Commission accused the Meles Zenawi regime of handing over maps and documents that enabled Eritrea to easily win sovereignty rights over Ethiopian territories, and yet that regime was too audacious it accused the Border Commission of making "mistakes that hurt Ethiopia." Putting the third-rate theatrics of Meles Zenawi aside, we would like to reiterate that our concern was not a wild accusation but serious charges that are based on hard facts. In this regard, we once again underscore that any agreement entered into with Eritrea on "behalf of Ethiopia" be nullified as the party which addresses itself as "Ethiopian government" is a masked Eritrean group.

It was in this spirit, the spirit of spreading the truth about Ethiopia and the dangers our country faces as it trudges along the road of destruction, that prompted us Ethiopians to call an emergency meeting in Washington DC, and express solidarity with the struggling people of Ethiopia that we will never see with indifference before the masked Eritrean regime of Meles Zenawi is removed, and our beloved country honored anew.

To begin with, we try to shed some light on the regime, which has been campaigning, lobbying, and carrying out policies that built Eritrea while proving detrimental to the survival of our country, Ethiopia.

First, at the London Conference of 1991, the Prime Minister adamantly rejected America’s proposal that the Red Sea Afar Region, including the Port of Assab, be left as a sovereign territory of Ethiopia.

Second, in 1991, Meles used all diplomatic powers the government in his control could afford and urged the United Nations to recognize the independence of Eritrea, and argued passionately that the independence of Eritrea was in the national interest of Ethiopia.

Third, between the years of 1991 and 1997 Meles allowed Shaebia to plunder Ethiopia’s resources, to carry out assassination on innocent Ethiopians and Eritreans, thereby forming a state within a state. While Isayas was building Eritrean armed forces for aggression, Meles was dismantling our defense forces. Many Ethiopians speculated that Meles might have had advance knowledge of the planned Eritrean aggression.

Fourth, towards the final stage of the war against Shaebia, Meles prematurely aborted Ethiopia’s offensive when the Eritrean army was on the verge of surrender, thereby denying the Ethiopian army of total victory. It was also the case that Meles prevented our defense forces from liberating the Ethiopian Red Sea Afar region, including Assab. While the international community was backing Ethiopia’s right to re-claim her sea outlet, Meles took pre-emptive diplomatic offensives that made a mockery of Ethiopians seeking to be heard that Afar region was and must be under Ethiopian sovereignty.

Fifth, at the time of the Algiers Agreement, many Ethiopian scholars and legal experts warned that colonial treaties could only advance the interest of Eritrea. As a matter of fact, everybody predicted in advance the outcome of the boundary Commission. But Meles single-handedly signed the boundary Commission’s decision to be based on colonial treaties deliberately to benefit Eritrea. Worst of all, he signed the ruling to be final and binding. To add insult to injury, he agreed that the Security Council imposes economic sanctions if any one of the parties breached the agreement.

Sixth, during the deliberations of the Boundary Commission, Meles hired a scandalous law firm, paid millions of dollars and submitted documents that supported Eritrean claims. It is also clear that Ethiopia is paying millions of dollars to the judges of the Boundary Commission’s salaries and wages from the taxpayers. Ethiopia will continue to pay the salaries of the judges until his goal of demarcation is finalized.

Seventh, while it was obvious that Ethiopia had lost vast territories to Eritrea, Meles with his Eritrean mercenaries, declared Ethiopia had gained all its lands, and even more.

Based on the above points, the participants of the meeting, that included members of several political and civic organizations as well as individuals from various ethnic groups, passed the following resolutions:

1. We condemn the decision of the Hague Ethiopia Eritrea Boundary Commission of April 13 2002 as null and void, and call upon the Ethiopian people to struggle for the respect of the entire country’s sovereignty.
2. Recommend that Solidarity open an office in Ethiopia to intensify the struggle for the sovereign rights of Ethiopia.
3. Characterize the regime as a pathological liar and an agent of Eritrea. We, therefore, demand that Meles Zenawi and his government resign immediately.
4. Recommend any thing in relation to the issue of sovereignty should involve the entire Ethiopian people through national referendum
5. Call upon all political and civic organizations that oppose the dismemberment of Ethiopia to support the Ethiopian people to make the Algiers Agreement null and void.
6. Call upon the Ethiopian Parliament and senior ministers to resign in protest against the violation of Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
7. Requests all radio and other news organizations owned by Ethiopians to pass the message to the Ethiopian people.
8. Call upon the Ethiopian Armed Forces to forcefully remove the mercenary Prime Minister from power before it is too late.
9. Call upon the Ethiopian Armed Forces to defend every inch of Ethiopian territory.
10. Call upon the Ethiopian people in general and the people of Tigrai in particular to defend their ancestral land from the enemy.
11. Call upon the people of Adwa who had voted in Meles the Eritrean agent to recall him.
12. Call upon the Ethiopian Armed Forces to protect nationalist Ethiopians and their families.
13. Call upon the regime to release all political prisoners, including Siye Abraha and his family.
14. Condemns any attempt of normalization with the criminal regime of Eritrea.
15. We support the solidarity and mobilization of all Ethiopian political and civic organizations for establishment of democratic civilian caretaker Government of National Unity.