Mudane Afeworki: UN Talks Undermine Somali Opposition

[AbdiWahab252]

I agree with Mudane Afeworki on the Djibouti talks. There is no need for talks with the TFG at all. Any talks between the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS) should be with Meles Zenawi directly and must contain an exit plan for Zenawi's troops out of Somalia.

Shiek Sharif & Sharif Xasan are two sell outs for agreeing to drop the demand that Ethiopian troops leave SOmalia before any talks can start.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

President Isaias Afwerki
ASMARA (Reuters) - U.N. fears that a pullout of peacekeepers on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border may lead to a new war are unfounded scaremongering and a "gimmick" to cover the world body's failings, Eritrea's leader said on Tuesday.

In a rare interview with Western media, President Isaias Afwerki also told Reuters a United Nations effort to broker peace talks for Somalia this week were a U.S.-inspired attempt to undermine a legitimate resistance movement.

Eritrea and Ethiopia's long-running enmity, including a 1998-2000 border war, and the conflict in Somalia, have polarised the Horn of Africa, one of the world's poorest and most conflict-riven regions.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last month the withdrawal of the majority of 1,700 peacekeepers on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, following a fuel cutoff by Asmara, risked new hostilities on the 1,000-km (620 mile) frontier.

"It is a gimmick and a cover-up for the failure of the (U.N.) Security Council and the Secretary-General to do anything to close this chapter for good," said the 62-year-old former guerrilla fighter, who won power in 1991.

"They are playing the scare game."

Asmara says the world body has long favoured regional power Ethiopia and the latest manifestation of that is its failure to force Addis Ababa to comply with a 2002 border ruling that gave the flashpoint town of Badme to Eritrea.

The United Nations blames Eritrea for forcing its peacekeepers to leave too early by measures like cutting off fuel supplies and banning helicopter flights.

Isaias said a November 2007 "virtual" demarcation of the border, by the same independent commission that ruled in 2002, buried the issue. "The job is finished. There won't be any reason for any one of us to assume that tension may rise."

Ethiopia had no legal grounds to invade Eritrea, and was anyway tied up with internal divisions, Isaias said.

"How can one possibly assume Ethiopia finding an excuse to go for any use of force? I frankly can't believe that regime has expansionist dreams."

SOMALIA CONFLICT

Speaking at Asmara's colonial-era presidential palace, Isaias also accused the United Nations of trying to divide Somalia's opposition by hosting talks in Djibouti with the Western-backed Somali government.

"I have no idea why they've gone for this. It's part of a plan meant to weaken the Somali resistance by dividing and weakening the Islamic Courts, dividing and weakening the (opposition) alliance, and creating problems here and there.

"No one seems to be interested in what the United Nations, with pressures from Washington, is trying to do ... (It) may not bring in any result at all."

Asmara hosts an umbrella group of exiled Somali opposition leaders, and says insurgents fighting the Ethiopian-backed government inside Somalia are a popular resistance movement unfairly characterised as terrorists by Washington and others.

"It is part of the scare policy, intimidating people, finding an excuse in terrorism to justify any wrongdoing," he added, accusing Washington of trying to put a smokescreen over failed policies in Somalia and the Horn of Africa in general.

The United States and United Nations have accused Eritrea of fuelling the conflict in Somalia by sending weapons to insurgents, and Washington has threatened to put it on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

"Trying to associate the resistance of the Somali people with terrorism is a mere fabrication," Isaias said. He scorned the accusations against Eritrea as "lies" and accused Washington of a post-9/11 "addiction" to terrorism claims.

The United States is a major ally of Ethiopia and has used air strikes to try and kill what it says are al Qaeda suspects operating alongside militant Islamists in Somalia.

Isaias said Somalis were justified in turning to Islam as a way to move beyond failed clan-based politics. "It is not some fanatic association ... There's nothing wrong with adopting Islam as a solution, or Christianity for that matter."

Source: Reuters, May 13, 2008

[Basra-]

Boring.

[FAH1223]

At this point, the Asmara Group and the TFG are mirror images who run to Xabashi to do their own shid.

Xabashi will fight their civil war in our country, this is what we are reduced to...being lackeys for gaalo.

Somaliland and Puntland fall in the same line too.

[AbdiWahab252]

FAH,

Eritrea is the only nation helping Somalis fight the EThiopians. We welcome their assistance as our interests are intertwined: beating Meles Zenawi.

After our country is liberated, Eritrea will be thanked for their help. We helped Eritrea in the 1980s get its independence and today Eritrea is returning the favor

The Only Mirror Stooge is the TFG which uses Ethiopian forces to kill our people, destroy our lands.

I don't see Eritrean soldiers helping the ARS in its fight against Ethiopian occupation

[Alchemist]

Abu Beendiid, the peace talks have ended.. The ICU have walked out of the meeting and left the country all together..

UN peace talks was meant to divide the ICU..

[FAH1223]

FAH,

Eritrea is the only nation helping Somalis fight the EThiopians. We welcome their assistance as our interests are intertwined: beating Meles Zenawi.

After our country is liberated, Eritrea will be thanked for their help. We helped Eritrea in the 1980s get its independence and today Eritrea is returning the favor

Yes, for their own interests, not for Somalis. No one wants to see a stable Somalia!

We also helped Afwerki's cousin, Meles, in Addis Ababa too in the 1980s.

[AbdiWahab252]

FAh,

Everything is short term interest.

As for Zenawi, he is determined to conquer Somalia just as has every Ethiopian Despot since Menelik.

Afeworki has no particular interest to conquer SOmalia using his troops. His interest is a strong Somalia that puts a squeeze on Ethiopia.

My enemy's enemy is my friend.

[Alchemist]

I agree with Abdiwahab, we dont share borders with Eritrea but with Ethiopia who is bent on taking over Somalia...

A strong Somalia is good for Eritrea, while a weak Somalia is in the interest of Ethiopia..

[FAH1223]

I'm sorry guys, I don't see Eritrea really giving two shids about Somalis.

Same Xabashi, just a different title and flag.

[Alchemist]

I'm sorry guys, I don't see Eritrea really giving two shids about Somalis.

Same Xabashi, just a different title and flag.

FAH ofcourse they dont, they dont have to and there is nothing wrong with them having interest..

Everyone has interest but is just that some people's interest agree with yours while others are against it..

You get me... No one is stupid enough to expect Eritrea to help us just for the sake of helping us, when did countries ever do such a thing..

[James Dahl]

Sharif Sheikh Ahmad isn't a sellout, he always said he favored open talks and negotiations to war, going all the way back to Sept. 2006. He and ex-speaker Sharif Aden were the ones who drew up a fair peace treaty in Dec. 2006 but the hard liners on both sides rejected it.

If more people had listened to Sharif Aden and Sharif Ahmad, we would have a unified and peaceful Somalia today.

[AbdiWahab252]

James,

Sheik Sharif & Sharif Hasan went to Nairobi a few weeks ago and committed the Alliance to peace talks with the TFG without the precondition of an Ethiopian pull out of Somalia & they both failed to present the option of attending the talks to the ARS Committee thereby failing to adhere to the principles of the Alliance.

Read the ARS press release:

http://www.waagacusub.com/news/14.05.08.2.htm


Some talks started in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 2008, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between some members of ARS and UNPOS in Nairobi, Kenya. The MOU has secretly been negotiated without due process of ARS Charter, and illegally signed.

This MOU illegally committed the ARS to hold indirect/direct talks through UNPOS with the so-called TFG on 10th of May 2008 in Djibouti. These face one indirect talks are currently underway in Djibouti.

The same applies to those who are currently conducting indirect talks with the so-called TFG.


Those who claim to represent the ARS in these indirect talks have no authority to do so from the Central Committee of the ARS. These people have no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the Alliance or commit us to any obligation.

According the provisions of our charter, any major policy decisions must first be proposed by the Executive Committee, endorsed by the Standing Committee and finally be approved by the Central Committee.

By disregarding the Charter, as well as, the competent democratic decision making organs and its leaders of our Alliance, those who claim to represent the ARS illegally in the current Indirect Talks in Djibouti have willfully violated the main principles of our Charter, the ARS Political Program as well as the internal Rules and Regulations of the ARS.

[Alchemist]

Sharif Sheikh Ahmad isn't a sellout, he always said he favored open talks and negotiations to war, going all the way back to Sept. 2006. He and ex-speaker Sharif Aden were the ones who drew up a fair peace treaty in Dec. 2006 but the hard liners on both sides rejected it.

If more people had listened to Sharif Aden and Sharif Ahmad, we would have a unified and peaceful Somalia today.

Everyone wants peace but the problem is, what can TFG honestly offer..

In the end we all know all TFG can really say to ICU is, Put down your weapons and come join the government, Ethiopia will leave when things are straight..

And we all know that can not be accepted..

[AbdiWahab252]

Alchemist,

Didn't Sheik Sharif sell out by agreeing to commit the ARS to talks while Ethiopian troops are still occupying SOmalia ? He and Sharif Hassan are working to undermine the ArS.

the ARS have been winning the war on the ground and inflicting high losses: 40 Ethiopian vehicles destroyed, over 500 men killed etc.

Now is not the time to talk & give in.

[Alchemist]

Alchemist,

Didn't Sheik Sharif sell out by agreeing to commit the ARS to talks while Ethiopian troops are still occupying SOmalia ? He and Sharif Hassan are working to undermine the ArS.

the ARS have been winning the war on the ground and inflicting high losses: 40 Ethiopian vehicles destroyed, over 500 men killed etc.

Now is not the time to talk & give in.

We cant accuse them of selling out until a official statement comes out from the ARS.. You never know, im sure they werent the only ones who thought it could work at the time..

But i do agree with you in the case of no peace talks while Ethiopia still occupy the country..