ADDIS ABABA – The dictatorial regime ruling Eritrea is putting the sovereignty of the nation at stake through the illegitimate partnerships it forms with various countries and forces, Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia said.
The Eritreans Dr. Bereket Berhane Gayim Leul Ashenafi Teklay Mengisteab Girma who have been living in Ethiopia for more than eight years elaborated that international activities and agreements that the regime is currently engaged in with neighboring countries and some political groups are illegal and not geared towards the benefits of the Eritrean people, rather than the dictatorial regimes personal and temporary gains.
They further indicated that the regime has lost legitimacy on the side of the Eritrean people and expressed concern that all the agreements and partnerships that it forms with countries like the middle east are likely to backfire against the benefits of the people and the sovereignty of the nation either right now or any time the regime is toppled.
They indicated that the people of Eritrea have waged fierce struggle to gain their independence and added that they are the sole and supreme owners as well as rightful beneficiaries of all the nations’ resources like the land, water and islands, among others.
But the recent acts of the dictatorial regime in renting the ports like for instance Assab, among others to the United Arab Emirates which is a member of the Saudi Led Coalition against the Iran supported Houti fighters of Yemen is an illegal act that violates the rights, safety and benefits of the Eritrean people.
They indicated that it is known that the only country that can use the ports of Eritrea is only Ethiopia, and the aims of these countries are only to launch offensive against the Houti fighters of Yemen. They noted that the people of Eritrea are not going to benefit from the rent in any way and rather denounced the act as the friendly people of Yemen do not deserve such betrayal from the Eritrean side.
They further elaborated that currently the countries that rented the ports have established a huge military based around Assab dislocating the local people of Afar denying them access to their ages old traditional livelihood of fishing.
According to the Eritrean refugees, the regime which was supporting the Houti rebels at the beginning didn’t waste time to betray the Houtis and shift alliance with the Saudi led coalition seeing the prospect of better financial gains. According to them the contracting of the ports is also likely to put the image of the nation at stake as these countries mainly intended to use the port as detention camps for prisoners of war.
They added it is so saddening that the Saudi led coalition are well aware that the Shabia regime is not a reliable partner and is likely to one day spend the money it obtained through the port rent to buy arms and launch attack against themselves.
They further lamented that the regime has no serious political goal other that its own group benefit and is likely to side with any power even at the cost of the sovereignty of the nation.
The regime has been allying with many Ethiopian opposition forces who do not support the people’s rights for self determination which is an affront to the sovereignty of the people and the nation, they reiterated. As long as it gains personal benefits, the regime always goes “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.
