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Eritrea vs. Djibouti: our readers write
Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Wed, 07/30/2008 - 21:43.
No, it's not a football match. Our July issue featured the story "Shake Djibouti: Eritrea Crisis Destabilizes Imperialism's Horn of Africa Beachhead" by Sarkis Pogossian, on the brief war between the two states in June. Pogossian writes: "While Eritrea increasingly poses itself as an anti-imperialist vanguard in the region, much smaller Djibouti remains a de facto Western protectorate, hosting both French and US military forces for policing the region. Despite a halt in the fighting, the crisis has not been resolved—and France has already jumped into the fray." Our July Exit Poll was: "Are you rooting for Eritrea or Djibouti?" We received the following responses:
From Margery Coffey in Rosalie, Nebraska:
I'm for disarming the nutballs, dismantling the heirarchies and giving the world back to the peasants.
World War 4 Report replies: We share your sentiment. But we've a hunch that Eritrea's Isaias Afwerki would argue that his populist programs are in fact returning land and freedom to the peasants. We also have a hunch Eritrea's peasants might have reason to dispute this.
From Donovan Ritch, seemingly somewhere in Canada:
First of all...my commendations go to Sarkis Pogossian for putting together such an interesting and info-packed article.
My initial reaction was to 'cheer' for Eritrea, due to its anti-imperialist stance and desire to be weaned off foreign aid, following along the lines of Chavez in Venezuela or Morales in Bolivia.
However, at a deeper glance, there is no way Afwerki can be put alongside either of these two Latin American leaders: as mentioned in the article, he is apparently a repressive dictator who was brutalized opposition groups repeatedly (not to claim that Chavez and Morales are above reproach themselves).
To me, Afwerki resembles more closely the likes of the ex-Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo: a man seemingly passionate about his own country's progress yet ruthlessly paranoid of falling (or being pushed) from his perch of power.
In the end, I can't envision myself as wanting to 'cheer' for either country in this conflict. What I am cheering for is that it comes to an end and that the peoples of both countries are neither killed nor maimed in the process.
World War 4 Report replies: Amen.
See our last posts on the Horn of Africa and the Eritrea-Djibouti crisis , and our last Exit Poll results.
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A Remanufactured Conflict to Serve External Self-Serving Powers
The expansion of Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, and the current non existing border issues between Eritrea and Djibouti, concocted by the U.S. administration to serve its strategic interest in the region, and the conflicts in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti are part of this grand evil design to control the Red Sea Basin.
Here it is instructive to mention the statement uttered by the then U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles 1953-1959, that reflects the long standing position of the U.S. administration when it comes to its strategic interest in the region. Disregarding the moral value of justice, he honestly reiterated the ‘Realistic value’ of the U.S interest by stating openly "From the point of view of justice, the opinion of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea Basin and world peace make it necessary that the country be linked with our ally Ethiopia."
Therefore, U.S. occupation and subjugation of other peoples and nations in the region, and support for corrupt leaders such as Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has to be understood within the context of this framework of U.S. neo-cons hegemonic ambition in the Horn of Africa and the control of the Red Sea Basin, and in the process of securing its strategic interest the U.S administration has “propped up corrupt dictators, armed some of the world’s worst human rights abusers, and fueled violent conflict.”
Moreover, non existing border problems are concocted by the State Department between Eritrea and Djibouti and immediately the disinformation campaign and press release by the State Department are disseminated such as “The United States condemns Eritrea’s military aggression against Djibouti in the vicinity of the border between the two countries at Ras Doumeira.,” in order to achieve their political agenda.
This assertion is contrary to what the facts are in the ground, and according to the report by Agency Press France which wrote “French forces based in Djibouti had carried out a reconnaissance on Thursday at the government’s request but had not been able to confirm an incursion.”
The Eritrean people, driven by fidelity to the past and blessed with bold dreams of the future of their country, stood with their government in the vanguard of their country, each as a member of a noble companionship of warriors saying as Epictetus would say “no man can rob us of our free will”.
Moreover, contrary to the predictions of the experts that have discounted the country as insignificant, Eritrea with an amazing ability and compelling sacrifice has fought a gallant war to preserve its hard won independence and its territorial integrity in the battlegrounds of Badme that was instigated by the Bush administration.
The people and the leaders of Eritrea have declared, in unison voice, against the neo-cons hegemonic ambition, as Churchill had declared to the fight against the evil hegemonic empire of domination of Hitler:
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our islands (country), whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which (we) do not for a moment believe, this (country) or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our (country), armed and guarded by the (Eritrean Defense Forces), would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, (the total liberation of our country is secured).”
(Emphasis is mine.)
Pupets,Pupets
Ethiopia, Djbouti governments are pupets of the west and all what they do is to serve their western masters while their people are starving from famine, AIDS....and feeling jeleous from Eritrea and as it is the motto of Eritreans "Eritreans kneel down only when they pray or shoot a gun" and for Ethiopia its the problem of LANDLOCK what do they want to negotiate if it is only demarcation nothing can be negotiated unless they want a red sea port.
why do you care
You white people don't have a right to talk about Eritrea. Eritrea is not like other African countries so you white people need to watch out especially the French. Eritrea is not Ivory coast.