LONDONERS CONDEMN TREASONOUS BORDER DEAL

By Wondimu Mekonnen | July 4, 2008

Ethiopians met Sunday at the Ethiopian Community Hall to discuss the looming danger brought about by the Meles Zeanwi's regime's treasonous deal that handed over the most fertile territories and historical lands of the country to the Sudan.

The meeting started with audio clips obtained from various sources, such as the VOA Amharic Service, Deutsche Welle Amharic Service and others. In addition a well co-ordinated compilation, comparing and contrasting the speech of PM (read Prime Misery) Meles Zenawi and the counter evidence from Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam and the victimized local residents was played. People were amazed how someone who calls himself a leader of a country employed himself as an advocate of invaders and lie openly denying the glaring facts on the ground. Meles was heard saying: "The map drawn by Major (Charles W) Gwynne is irrefutable.... The Sudanese only took what belonged to them,… There was no one who had been uprooted from their land or affected by the agreement…." The agent of the other side should have known that Emperor Menelik never accepted that Gwynne’s proposal, Emperor Haileselassie never gave an inch to anyone and Col Mengistu Hailemariam never ceded any territory to anyone. It is only the Woyyanes that made us landlocked by helping Eritrea break away with two of Ethiopia's ports and now granting our Western Front to the Dervish who were defeated and chased away never to return. What they failed to achieve by force, they gained by finding and employing a national traitor, who is happy to do the disgraceful job.

The ad hoc organising committee was made up of members of various communities, support groups of various political organisations, members of the civic societies and other concerned Ethiopians citizens living in London. The threat of losing a vast piece of land brought all together. It is so encouraging to see that projectors and modern state of art technologies were operated by the youth actively, united and volunteered for a cause. All the speeches and discussions were supported by slides and appropriate maps and pictures. Ethiopians are united on this issue. Any attempt to resurface political lines was quickly met by disapproval from the attendees of the meeting.

Infuriated by the treachery of the regime in power in Ethiopia, the attendees were invited to listen to Prof. Al Mariam, the well known Ethiopian legal expert and human rights champion, connected to the hall via telephone from the USA. Prof. Al Mariam thanked the audience for standing up to be counted for Ethiopia, the unfortunate land and people that was betrayed by the irresponsible sell outs for political favour. Prof. Al Mariam went over the speech of the PM and was clearly amazed and amused by the lack of substance in it and straight betrayal of national interest. He looked at the incident from the legal point of view and concluded that a case must be built based on facts. He encouraged everyone to gather irrefutable hard facts based on past agreements and documents to reverse the back door dealings. One of the participants, who had made an extensive research and one of the presenters, promised to send him the hard facts in his possession.

That member of the audience was the next speaker. Liqe Mamhiran Abebaw Yigzaw, the former Deputy Administrator of Gondar Province took the floor with long applaud and enthusiasm from the floor. He did not let them down, from the start to the finish, captivating the hearts and souls of the audience, passionately speaking about the betrayal and presenting facts. He obviously had done his homework well. It is evident that he had carried out extensive research in the British archives for weeks to come up with the original maps commissioned by Emperor Menelik. The maps depicted the true border of Ethiopia. It was portrayed that the current towns and villages given away to the Sudan had always been marked within the territories of Ethiopia. He came up with the real script of the 1902 on "Brana" (Ethiopian traditional writing surface made from animals skins and hides) Agreement between the Ethiopia and the British Government on border between Ethiopian and the then so called Anglo-Egyptian territories. Some of the maps drawn in those days actually showed that there were territories attributed to Ethiopia but today found within the Sudan.

Among the places given away to The Sudan by the current "generous-to-the- neighbours" regime, one can find Quara, where Emperor Thewodros grew up and Metema, where Emperor Yohannes was killed defending the territorial integrity of his country. LM Abebaw Yigzaw concluded his speech with a very moving poem, titled "Oh my country" (ወይ አገሬ!)" The poem was absolutely class.

The audience discussed the implication of the recent sell-out by the regime in power, handing over 1,600 km in length and up to 50 km in depth land to the Sudan, including Gambella, Assossa, Metekel and a vast fertile land of Gondar regions including Armacho, Quara, Metema, Humera and environs.

A good analysis had been presented from the floor by people who knew the area well and some who served in the previous government at high posts. The pleas from the floor were a call to unite to avert the looming danger. A future diplomatic strategy to save the motherland was discussed in depth and the existing provisional committee was strengthened by additional members and endorsed to carry out the mission that has already been started, in co-ordination with the Ethio-Sudan Border Commission created in the United States.

A motion was drawn and approved by the audience and petition to the United Nations, The African Union and European Union was signed and delegated to the Committee to make sure delivered to the respective organisations.

In the absence of a government that would protect the interest of Ethiopia, let all Ethiopians stand guard to defend that land and its people!

Chaired by Ato Agegnehu Gebeyehu, one of the devoted patriots in London, the meeting was well-attended.

The struggle continues!