Unpacking Isiais Afeworqi’s mind

Bofta Yirga Solomon 

Isiais ideology on unitarianism is a long held belief. He envisioned the same governance model for Eritrea and Ethiopia. He is concerned pluralistic society in Eritrea will bring strife to his ‘neocolonial-like’ rule of the Eritrean Afari, Bejas, Kunamas, Saho, Tigre, which together constitute the majority against the minority Tigrean rule in Eritrea. He would not dare share power with Afari and Bejas as he will loose control of the Red Sea and long coastal area, which is full of resources that Eritrea claim to have. 

Similarly, he envisioned a unitary government in Ethiopia subservient to his agenda as he thinks he got the key to the Ethiopian sea port access, which were proved to be wrong by Melese Zenawi government for over 30 years and to date. Isiais sees a lucrative market of 120 million people Southward in the land of so many colors a great nation called Ethiopia. His lust and greed grew as he saw Meles Zenawi consolidating power in Addis Ababa and in fact registering one of the fastest economic growth in the world. To his envy he was reluctant in the early 90th to claim and share power in Ethiopia at time as he thought that it will take long time for Ethiopia to stabilize let alone emerge as largest economy in the region. So, to his demise Isiais left Ethiopia to the experimentation of Meles Zenawi ethnic federalism, and in rerun he got a full and speedy recognition of an independent and sovereign Eritrea from Meles’s government. 

Isiais’s dream seems shuttered by the outstanding performance of Meles Zenawi not only in bringing stability to the nation and the region but also he  brought vibrant macroeconomy to the country like it has never seen it before. 

Signs of Isiais interest to rule Ethiopia has become clear when he proposed 1-to-1 Ethiopian Birr with Eritrean Nakfa, which was ridiculous demand at the time but served the purpose for Isiais to launch a large scale bloody war with Ethiopia with Badme as a pretest. The war was not about small piece of land called Badme as he recently indicated himself in the Eri TV, the only National TV for over 30 years going. Meles’s government appeared triumph in this two years war as they control Badme and Ethiopian forces went deep in to Eritrea as far as Senafe. Very fortunate for Isiais, his regime was saved from total collapse by the the West as they want to keep weak and small government in the Red Sea at arms length and expecting that Isiais regime will be loyal to the West in return of this favor. To Their disappointment Isiais Afeworqi abandoned his ties with the US and goes astray to the Eastern camp to Russia and China and become very close with Arab tyrants like Ghadafi, Quatar and more recently with Saudi Arabia and UAE. The West was tolerant of Isiais misbehaving as long as  he does not harbor terrorists and Muslim extremist because Eritrea is located in a strategic location of connecting Africa with Middle East and Europe and the patient of the Americans were big and they put him in a long leash. That is why he started misbehaving now but he is probably shortening his leash close to his neck. No war-No peace policy of Meles Zenawi was backed by the West as Melese leads more vibrant economy as he plaid his chips vey well with the West more funds were flowing to Ethiopia and the country emerges as regional super power.

Despite many challenges, Isiais has never abandon his long held vision of Ethiopia; maintaining an undivided large, centralized Ethiopian market at arm’s length. An opportunity availed itself post the Ethiopia-Eritrea war, that descent voices from Ethiopia including Amhara elites , Gunbet 7, Arbegnoch, OLF were hosted, trained, equipped and well taken care of to fight TPLF led government in Addis Ababa. The only powers that fit Isiais’s interest are the unitary Amhara ideologist who chauvinistically claim as rulers of Ethiopia appointed by their god and not by the people of ethiopia. 

It is pity that fools like Abiy Ahmed or perhaps mischievous, as he reportedly continues to hide his Eritrean identity by his unknown father side, are buying in to Isiais’s long held interest to keep Ethiopia as one unified market. I do not think the political gurus of TPLF like Abay Tsehaye, Syoum Mesfin and Melese Zenawi understood the real motive of Isiais Afeworki ambivalence towards them, TPLF and Tegaru in general.

Isiais has a twisted mind full of greed and become friendly at face value and stay close with TPLF  with aim of using TPLF fighters as cannon fodders against his fight with Dergue. The same way he is using the Amhara fanos and Ethiopian defence forces in his last showdown with TPLF as opportune time avails to him after long time waiting. Isiais will never abandon this vision even for a day as his lust to rule Ethiopians is greater and deeper than one could imagine. His body language during his visits to Addis Ababa four years ago and especially in the Millennium Hall was vivid for any one to see. After a bloody war for over 40 years with Ethiopians his dream appears to come true through Abiy Ahmed, whom Isiais called him a “friend” who was his accomplice as an insider within the EPRDF led regime in Ethiopia.

It is important to understand the exploitative motive of Isiais Afeworqi to wards Ethiopia. It is towards this personal interest of Isiais that currently Ethiopian defense forces and Amhara’s forces are shedding the blood of the innocent farmers unemployed youth in the region in hundreds of thousand in a bloody war that will put Ethiopia under the auspices of Eritrea in what I call it modern economic slavery-like arrangement. 

Where are the Federalist Ethiopians and all the capable Ethiopian politicians and technocrats? It is not a rocket science to understand a college drop out mentality of Isiais Afeworqi. The question is whether Ethiopians including Oromo, Amhara and Tigray elites will do something about this. 

Isiais and his PP followers are destroying Tigray,  Oromia, Amhara and Afar the very foundations of Ethiopia. The stooge Abiy ahmed is destroying ethiopia, one region at a time by preaching hate poletics and harboring extremists like Andargachew Tsige who has staunching hate against TPLF and Tegaru. 

This reverse politics devise by Isiais Afeworqi and implemented at scale by Abiy ahmed is not only going to destroy Tigray but the rest of Ethiopia to ensure they are fit for Isias’s dream and purpose; weak and divided Ethiopia under a stooge rule in Addis Ababa that will amass wealth of Ethiopians a damp it in Adi Hallo.

Wake-up Ethiopians stop the war against one another and stand together as one against these regimes led by Abiy Ahmed and Isiais afeworqi. To address the current problem you have to go to the root causes of the problem and there you will find both of these twisted and personalities with so much blood in their hands.

The contemporary problem of Ethiopia and Ethiopians, therefore is a foe who has been preparing for over 60 years to rule both Ethiopia and Eritrea. This was evident in what the world and EPRDF call it senseless war started by Isiais afeworqi of Eritrea some 21 years ago. This was not senseless war for Isiais afeworqi. It was part of his grand plan to divide and rule Ethiopia and TPLF unknowingly were used for this purpose, which led to their downfall; the great division of TPLF. They had their fair chance to deal with this beast in Eritrea who killed more Eritrean elites, journalist, christians and destroyed the Eritrean fabric as a society with all its young people spread all over the world as refugees. Isiais does not care about Eritreans but he cares too much about the Eritrean land and only to serve as his “majesty” Isiais port and luxurious destination for his local tourism. And he does not care about Ethiopians as long as they stay under one market and his control. Tigray stood in between his dreams to rule both countries and it is paying heavey price.

Ethiopians need to wake up and  join hands and rally behind the constitution to address the evil bestowed in our land.