The Ethiopian envoy was trying to deflect attention away from the regime he represents by making erroneous statements about Eritrea.The TPLF regime’s oversimplification and misrepresentation of an important and complex issue undermines the “global war on terror”.

The Ethiopian Ambassador’s futile attempt to present the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) as a terrorist organization is a reflection of the state of affairs in Ethiopia today. His preposterous allegation against the Ogaden National Liberation Front is also an insult to Ethiopians residing in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Ambassador must know that the ONLF and its struggles in Ethiopia predate the “war on terror”, which is being abused by the TPLF and used to justify the repressions, massacres and pulverization of homes and villages in the Ogaden Region of Ethiopia. The regime also used similar pretext to invade and occupy Somalia in 2006.

It should be recalled that the ONLF was part of the coalition that toppled the Menghistu Hailemariam regime and was a member of the EPRDF. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was also a member of that coalition; can we now state that the TPLF and EPRDF are also associated with terrorism? As far as Al-Qaeda is concerned, it is the Meles regime, which is financing, harboring and supporting the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ) who has connections with Al-Qaeda.

Finally, neither the United Nations, nor the US State Department have presented evidences that would in any way implicate Eritrea with terrorism, a scourge it has been vigilantly battling before September 11 when the TPLF regime joined the “coalition of the willing” bandwagon. The TPLF regime’s deceptive propaganda tactics are not new.

Ghirmai Ghebremariam
Ambassador

EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF ERITREA
1708 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20009
TEL: (202)319-1991,
FAX: (202)-319-1304
Web: www.embassyeritrea.org

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