ENCDC SUPPORT, POSITIONS, CONCERNS AND PROPOSITIONS TO THE PM OF ETHIOPIA-

ENCDC SUPPORT, POSITIONS, CONCERNS AND PROPOSITIONS TO THE PM OF ETHIOPIA-       

DR. ABYI AHMED IN THE EVENT OF IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH PFDJ GOVERNMENT

Dear Honourable Dr. Abyi Ahmed-PM of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia:

Excellency,

The Eritrean National Council for Democratic change (ENCDC) supports the peace initiative taken by your Administration to accept and implement the Algiers Agreement of 2000. We believe that the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the National Assembly’s current diplomatic initiative for lasting peace is genuine and far reaching to include our region, and the continent of Africa.  We express our gratitude to the government of Ethiopia for settling thousands of Eritrean refugees fleeing the country to escape from the government’s oppressive policies, and indefinite military services that deprived them the opportunity to build their future academic, career, and family lives.

ENCDC is a broad based coalition of political and civic organizations assembled in 2011 with its first Congress in Hawassa to establish a constitutional and democratic government in Eritrea. The armed border conflict fought by both nations for the past 20 years, has a catastrophic effect on both nations, but especially for Eritreans who lived under oppression by the so called “People’s Front for Democracy and Justice” (PFDJ) government.

Dear Prime Minister,

The introduction of new policies, and your new approach to conflict resolution is giving hope to the people of Ethiopia and the region. You are setting an example of a democratic leader, by calling for national reconciliation, unity, love and accepting responsibility of the rampant corruption, and other human rights crimes perpetrated by the government, and releasing political prisoners by the thousands. You invited the Ethiopian opposition political organizations in the Diaspora to return home and participate in electoral processes to compete with EPRDF in a peaceful manner. The government in Eritrea is authoritarian, and deserves no chance, but pressure to transfer power to a democratically elected leadership that constitutionally represents the Eritrean people.

We are closely following the speedy progress of your initiative to improve relation with the government of Eritrea, and we would like to bring to your attention our perspective, concerns, and suggestions to take into consideration in your drive to bring peace and security to our region.

• We believe that the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the National Assembly’s current diplomatic initiative for long lasting peace is genuine and far reaching to include our region, and the continent of Africa.
• We understand that a border conflict requires a process of negotiations that can take extended period of time. Meanwhile people on both sides should be allowed to go on with their daily businesses and social lives.
• We believe that border conflict resolutions should involve the indigenous people of both nations who lived at the border villages for centuries as one people.
• We believe that unconditionally normalizing relations with unelected government of Eritrea does not serve the national interest of both nations, and therefore your government need not rash to sign treaties with an illegitimate government that will have lasting negative impact on the Eritrean people. By ruling the country with an iron fist, the government in Eritrea is destined to enslave the people, impoverish the society, and destroy their cultures, faiths and their livelihood in order to create a population loyal to only one man.  
• We share your dream for regional peace, but such a dream cannot materialize when your neighbouring government rules the country with no constitution, no rule of law, no independent judiciary, no legislative branch, no political parties, no dissent, no freedom of speech or press, and a government under UN sanction for gross human rights violations.

In conclusion,

ENCDC would like to bring to your consideration the following critical points:

• The Ethiopian government has a legal and moral responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of all political dissidents granted asylum in Ethiopia, refugees settling in camps, and all members of ENCDC-civic and political-residing, and visiting the country from all over the world. Regrettably enough, so many Eritrean dissidents had previously being assassinated and or kidnapped after both countries signed treaties of security and diplomatic relations with the regime. These incidents from recent history cannot be forgotten and must serve as a reminder in wheeling and dealing with the same old regime.
• For a lasting peace between the two countries, we urge your excellence to put into consideration-Eritreans struggling for democratization, constitutionality, national reconciliation, and the influx of refugees, victims of human trafficking, the thousand that drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, and those who vanished in the Sahara and Sinai deserts,  the opposition organizations with offices in Ethiopia as a priority by putting them on the forefront of your agenda in the negotiations/conversations with the government of Eritrea.
• The government of Eritrea is a one man party, and has no accountability to anybody and cannot be trusted to sign any agreement with. As a State, we are certain that you have vast intelligence data to understand the character, behaviours, volatility, and emotional instability of the head of state. The government’s decisions are solely dependent upon the leader’s own personal interests. Its record of opportunistic, unpredictable, periodic changing alliances and betrayals with opposing forces in the region is evidence of unreliability and undependability. Therefore extreme caution is desired in handling bilateral relationship with such North Korean type of state.
• There are binding United Nations rulings that must be observed by all nations based on the following rulings-  

• In April 22, 2007 Eritrea suspended its membership from IGAD due to its involvement with Somali Al-Shebab terrorists that was condemned by member states.
• In May 2016, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council in its final over 450 page report found reasonable grounds to believe the government has committed numerous crimes against humanity.  
• In Nov 15, 2017, the United Nations Security Council voted to extend an arms embargo and travel bans on its leaders, and froze the assets of some of the country's political and military officials imposed on Eritrea in 2007 adopted under the resolution 2385 for its support to terrorist groups in Somalia.

ENCDC envisions establishing and advancing politics of pluralism, integrated regional economy of common markets, peacefully coexisting diverse cultures, and religions. We also believe that only a democratically elected constitutional government in Eritrea can guarantee a lasting peace with Ethiopia and other neighbours. We are committed and prepared to work hand in hand with all neighbouring countries to establish peace, security and stability in our region and the continent of Africa.

Best Regards;

Haj Abdelnour Haj-Chairman

ENCDC: The Eritrean National Council for Democratic Change

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

July 5, 2018

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