By Sabataa Dubbii

I assume most of what you have said are true but what are your solutions to the current problems that have been there for centuries? Do you have any strategic goals that will bring in the people of Tigray to stand against the current government of The EPDRF? What are your tactical moves or short term solutions to bring in a systematic down fall of the well organized group of Ethiopians who control all aspects of politics, economic and means of communication and all apparatus of the government including the military? I say he may help us a distance to travel to our goals if not all the way; that is what historical figures did. Siye had done that and I believe him; he has more mileages to press forward again to the gates of true democracy.

I would like to be very pragmatic and down-to-earth and want to construct opposition from within the organizations other than coming from other entities to dismantle the current government. On the other hand, the opposition groups do not have the capacities and organizational strength to go by their own . A person like Siye who had been an insider would achieve much better than any body in any of the groups that have been challenging the ruling party since 1991. If he draws closer to these groups with all his experiences and bundle information sacks he would provide the current rickety oppositions a great service . May be he would afford them political potency and unbreakable arms and legs to run for power and punch to defeat.

I do presume that the Siye�s group has a very strong chance to challenge the current government at its current stage. Because these people do have a very piercing connections to the sources of the current national problems. Previously as well as personally Siye Abreha has been the architect of the current government And the founding member of the EPDRF. He knew so many followers and soldiers personally. He shared the menace of traveling to wars and battles with them. He knew them when they were contented and when they were crushed. He led them to death and wars with their empty stomachs and great mental dedications and won several battles all over the Empire; he knows each village and river and rivulet even a better shade and a tree in each village. He talked and walked with elderly men in all villages of Tigray. He hugged and encouraged mothers, aunts, sisters and grand mothers when his beloved comrades died while fighting Isayas or Mengistu. I am telling you this man is connected with all his mind and physique to the people of the country. I feel he has a tremendous potential to become a bridge amongst diversified people from Humara to Matahara and from Makele to Moyale. Of course from Sabata to Sululta across the Great City of ours. Lets us see what he could do for the people he knew very well more than anybody amongst us.

After all he went to prison with political prisoners as well as with prisoner nations within the Empire. What a great lesson would be to a general who led his armies to several victories and found himself imprisoned by his own foot soldiers. I for sure know Siye Abraha has been a good student from Dedabit to Arat Killo and would in fact might had gathered wisdom from prisoners who lived in Kalitii for over a decade and from people of southern Ethiopia who endured the onslaughts of invading people for centuries. He would be a wiser man than just being a general in EPDRF army at this moment of his life. One thing that I want you to share with you is that not only Siye most of his comrades do have open minds and tremendous intelligence to accept and receive acknowledgments as followers and leaders. Who had ever courageously said other than Gebru Asrat the former governor of Tigray by admitting his historical mistakes for letting Isayas run away with Eritrea and her innocent people. I believe Siye Abraha would make a great statesman for he tutored his groups to be loyal to their own senses of right and wrong and history at the cost of their dear lives be it �rain or shine.� He had read about democracy and its true meanings from within the prison walls and with prisoner�s eyes and mind. He would not distort the meaning of true democracy anymore.

I could see when he came out of that prison cell he had put more decorative stars in his chest than when he came in as dislodged former general. His psychosomatic experiences had chilling effects when he reflected in confinements for several years about his actions in the past. For good people like the general imprisonment brings in purgatorial deliverance as a human being before reaching Heaven. He is a better general and a better person today.

I would start with militia and armed peasants of Tigray who staunchly defended the MLLT and helped them surmount unbelievable trammels during their fights against Mengistu Government. Because they have been muffled by the security forces; they would not say anything at this moment but if they get a very strong support from the rest of the country they may come and become a very vital force in democratizing the country. By learning for the last 34 years what it means to be undemocratic; I think the people of Tigray and the south could force and teach the current leaders a true democratic economy, military and politics and society. A true negation of undemocratic groups at this moment seems to me the people of Tigray. They have seen it all and Saye could be real existing bridge for all of this to snow ball; once the snow balling starts we may start to go a best course for the people of the Horn.

I also understand that even though several hundreds and thousands of civilians and cadres do most probably agree with what the Siye Groups were suggesting be it military or economic measures against Isayas Afewerki and they want to enrage him. They had conquered him; they shall make him kneel down.

I for sure know that the people of Tigray and the rest of the nation do not want to give away any land to Eritrea. They stood in unison and fought and defeated Isayas by crippling his teensy weensy economy. They have a very strong proclivity to go ahead and dismantle the unstable, weak government of Isayas that could not even supply his defense force. The Siye group were saying this from the beginning; why do you not give him another opportunity to accomplish what he had began in 1998? Even the camels in Danakl desert want Assab back. The people of Afar had been ahead of us long time ago; they decided to fight how long it may take them to bring back the rest of their people. Sahos of Erob are mad like hell at occupying army of Eritrea. The down trodden brothers and sisters in Eritrea have been waiting impatiently.

Also don't you think that people in central parts of the country who might have some kind of support for Siye even though it might not be as strong as in Tigray? There are people such as Negaso Gidada who might grasp a chance to work with him from within the parliament. His academic and political associates within the government who kept quiet for survival may jump to his support soon he comes on the stage.

Are you ready to think unthinkable? What if the current army as a whole may be supporting what had been argued by Siye group prior to 1998 war between Ethiopia and Eritriea? I believe the situation in all its forms and continents in Eritrea could have angered the armed forces for the last decades; what is your reason that Siye could not play a central role in bringing in such a boiling energy into action if he becomes a formidable force against Meles Zenawi? Melese Zenawi and his government does not wish any confrontations with Eritrea as it has been demonstrated in Tunis at a round table. Meles might have been negotiating with Eritrea to remain in power by burying the central issues of democracy with war cries from Jubilee Palace.

Most people do not agree on the settled courses of the border demarcation issues locally as well as international; is not it possible that the Siye group who had been saying they had sinned in giving away the land to Isayas do very well in changing the courses of the matter nationally as well as internationally? Don�t you think this group could systematically negotiate or forcefully bring in a lasting solutions to this issue at hand? Are you lending the card of the game of wars to Melese so that he comes out and becomes a national hero if he wages a war against Asmara and wins it? If there is a possibility and Melese claims victory again ; his party may live longer; I predict that may happen.

We must always learn from history that was written by human blood. There were two most important wars that had been fought in the north within last five decades. Tow of them ended in 1991. The Ethiopian government started the war in 1960 when the Eritrea Nationalists began the offensive against an occupying force. It went on for very lengthy time. Then came the formation of TPLF and its army and they fought with Ethiopian army for over two decades. Again there was another war between Ethiopia in Eritrea after a very short break of mere seven years. During all those wars the people of Tigray played a very great role on both sides. Weather they were supporting the government or going with national movements. In fact if we are very critical there was a war that was conducted between EPLFand TPLF on one side and ELF on the other side in 1982. Most of those were run by Tigrayan people on one side . This clearly tells us that the people of Tigray had big roles in shaping what had happened during the last half a century in the northern parts of the Ethiopian Empire. I do not mean the people of the south did not contribute anything; I am highlighting the importance of strategic location in military contexts.

One of the reasons could be the strategic location of the nation of Tigray between the Red Sea Country of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Since they are related to the Eritrean people by all forms of social relations; I believe the Tigrayan people will play a great role in reconnecting back the Eritrea people to Ethiopia. They are the ones who had let them go and they would be the ones who could bring them back. I could see those signs very much clearly and vividly. If they let Asmara to come to celebrate in Axum Tesion or Debre Damo even shoe shine boys will be pilgrims to come back to the Holy Land just for one weekend. May be ask for forgiveness. The preacher and the leader of the sermon would be who except a son from the village.

The Ethiopian government does not have the abilities to shut down the border in order to choke Isayas and his government unless the Tigrayan people were fully cooperating in accomplishing what had been planned by Addis Ababa government. Historically the economy of Eritrea was tied to the rest of the south for a very long time even during the Italian colonization of the state for over more than half a century. Asmara was competing with the central market of the county for commodities for a very long time. Some northern provinces were butter and bread sources of the Eritrea people. From Gojaam to Gonder and from Desse To Makele the Italian traders and agents were luring products to Asmara for a very long time. And Asmara was thriving during those days. And it was even called the Rome of Africa. The same economic relationship existed until 1998 when the angry people of Tigray demanded to shut out the state and stopped feeding the thriving market its raw materials and human labor. That is where crucial matter lies. If it comes to military the same is truer than the economy. Meddling of the Italians were cut and products were not heading to Rome as the banana products from Wabbi Shabale Valley in Somalia today.

When Haile Sellassie and Mengistu unwittingly were amassing southern peasants to fight the fronts in the north they were most of the time very unsuccessful because the army from the south did not know the territories and did not have any ways of communicating with the local people of Eritria or Tigray. Any army that does not know its war terrain and does not know the language of the people is at a great loss. That was true during those wars for the Ethiopian army who came from other parts of the country and spoke Amharic. The Ethiopian armies were at a great disadvantaged always for they were considered the alien armies or enemies. Underline enemies for me. Whoever makes the Tigrayan people enemies would lose a war in Eritrea. To make the Tigrayan people a very close and swift friends; we must start from the adored sons and daughters who bled and died for them for the last forty years. One of such a much-loved sons and great generals is Siye Abraha..

Siye Abraha the general and the Tigrayan people were teamed up with Eritrea twice and assisted him to be prizewinning. Once against ELF and the second time against Mengistu in 1991. When they stirred their arms and swards against Isayas , he was beleaguered within three months. This confirms to me that the Tigrayan people could play a big role in bringing in Eritrea towards its country in either ways peacefully or forcefully. They had done that several times; they did it during the reign of Minilik and also they had fought very successful anti colonial wars against the colonizing army of Italy under the leadership of Alula Abanega. History had it generals from the Tigrayan Highlands were government representative across the Red Sea way before the time I could imagine to express if I wanted to tell my grand sons and daughters in the future.

If you have cases against him prepare them, the people of Tigray and Ethiopia will give him their judgments after they had their brothers and sisters come home. They will see to it that justice delivered to every one when they have their own democratic popular government and institutions that comes with it. I believe if people team up with other progressive people; we may solve core problems that had harrowingly perturbed and savagely plunged our people to death, hunger, diseases and starvation. The chronic civil wars in the Horn of Africa must end for that Melese and Isayas must go as prerequisites. We must stop fighting a proxy war for the benefits of foreign powers. We must stop buying bullets to kill each other and get sacks of corns to our poor families across our nation. We must buy beds for our patients than buying A 47 to get them killed. We must stop the killing of promising national leaders and our intellectuals. Let us do that by bonding up every body. We must not let the bloodshed going on in The Horn. We must discharge our generational duties now. I hope one day our leaders will run for the primaries without fear in their minds and cuffs on their hands as other democratic nations in the world. Siye would save us much trouble and time.

Sabataa Dubbii

February 15, 2008