At Setit Media, we believe in calling things by their name—plain and clear. This piece by Abel Kebedom speaks boldly to the political noise coming out of Arat Kilo, challenging the Prosperity Party’s dangerous posturing toward Eritrea. It’s not just commentary; it’s a wake-up call grounded in truth, historical memory, and respect for sovereignty. Eritreans didn’t sacrifice for decades just to watch their independence questioned again. This article reflects the spirit of those who know where they stand and why they stand there. As always, we publish this in the interest of facts, justice, and the right of nations—especially ours—to live in peace and dignity.
It is evident that the Prosperity Party in Arat Kilo, Addis Ababa, comprises individuals who lack understanding of the aspirations of the Ethiopian people and the governments of neighboring countries. They disregard international law and treaties that govern diplomatic relations between nations. They are essentially war criminals who acquire modern weaponry, showcase it in the streets of Addis Ababa, and use it against their own citizens while threatening their neighbors with invasion. For them, war is simply a means to maintain their grip on power, and they show little concern for the current economic hardships, hunger, and instability plaguing Ethiopia. The loss of lives, displacement of people, and destruction of property that accompany war seem to be of little consequence to them.
Recently, Ethiopia’s former prisoner of war and current General, Berhanu Jula, told Ethiopia’s rubber-stamp parliament that the quarrel between Eritrea and Ethiopia originated when Ethiopia asked Eritrea to share its sovereign territory (the sea) and Eritrea refused. It is astonishing that a senior Ethiopian general believes Eritrea should surrender its territory so that Ethiopia can acquire a port and establish a navy within Eritrean borders.
There is no doubt that the ignorance exhibited by the current leadership in Arat Kilo, the Prosperity Party, has been inherited from its predecessors. However, Berhanu Jula’s comments suggest that the Prosperity Party is the least informed of all its predecessors. Unsurprisingly, the Prosperity Party made a similar request to Djibouti and Somalia, which was categorically rejected. Now, the Prosperity Party is threatening Eritrea with invasion. In light of their threats, Berhanu Jula and his party should consider a refresher course on Eritrean history.
Pre-Armed Struggle for Liberation (1889–1962)
Eritrea was colonized by Italy from 1889 to 1941, followed by a ten-year British administration until 1951. In 1952, the United Nations forced Eritrea to federate with Ethiopia. However, in 1962, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia unilaterally dissolved this federation and annexed Eritrea, which led to a 30-year armed struggle. Eritrea, which possessed its own flag, parliament, and boundaries based on colonial agreements, was turned into an administrative region of Ethiopia. Before this annexation, Ethiopia had no access to a port. It was only after Eritrea was illegally annexed that Ethiopia gained ownership of Eritrea’s two ports, Massawa and Assab. Thus, throughout history, Ethiopia only illegally controlled Eritrean ports for about twenty-nine years (1962–1991).
Armed Struggle for Liberation (1961–1991)
After 30 years of war and destruction, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) expelled Ethiopian forces and achieved complete liberation in 1991. Following a referendum monitored by the UN and the AU, Eritrea became an independent country on May 24, 1993. Consequently, Eritrea, with its two ports, Massawa and Assab, was recognized as an independent African nation, while Ethiopia reverted to being a landlocked country.
After Eritrean Independence (1991–Present)
As a gesture of goodwill, Eritrea declared its ports to be free and allowed Ethiopia to use them for a nominal fee. However, in violation of the 1964 Cairo Declaration, which upheld colonial borders as sacred African boundaries, Ethiopia claimed the Badme region of Eritrea in 1998 and waged a two-year destructive war against Eritrea. Ethiopia unilaterally abandoned the use of Eritrean ports and shifted its focus to Djibouti. The then Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, justified this move by stating that using Eritrean ports would benefit Eritrea more than it would Ethiopia.
In 2002, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, referencing colonial agreements, declared Badme to be Eritrean territory. Ethiopia, however, rejected this ruling and occupied Badme and other Eritrean territories for two decades. During the 2020–2022 Tigray civil war, Eritrea retook the land that the Boundary Commission had determined to be Eritrean.
While Eritrea hoped for normalized relations with Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government requested a port and a land corridor ownership inside Eritrean sovereign territory. When Eritrea declined this request, the current Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, attempted to undermine colonial boundaries by replacing the 1964 Cairo Declaration with ethnic-based boundaries. He argued that, since the Afar ethnic group lives in both Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Afars should have a say regarding the Eritrean Red Sea. He extended this reasoning to claim that, because Somalis inhabit both Ethiopia and Somalia, the Ethiopian Somalis should have influence over the Indian Ocean. In doing so, he asserted a historical right to a port and a corridor to the sea, in violation of the 1964 OAU Declaration.
Conclusion
Contrary to the objectives of the African Union, Ethiopia has been a source of instability in the Horn of Africa. As part of its ongoing efforts to undermine Somalia, Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is not internationally recognized. The MOU stipulates that, in exchange for a share in Ethiopian Airlines and recognition of Somaliland as an independent country, Ethiopia will acquire a 20 km coastline for building a naval base and a commercial port. This agreement suggests that Ethiopia seeks to maintain Somalia as a failed state. However, Somalia resisted this arrangement, and as a result, the MOU has been suspended.
Additionally, the Prosperity Party has requested that Djibouti allow Ethiopia to possess a seaport, land corridor, and establish a navy. Djibouti, however, rejected this request. Following this series of rejections from all three neighboring countries, the Prosperity Party is now attempting to pressure Eritrea into allowing Ethiopia to share its territory.
With these challenges, the Prosperity Party faces two options: reconcile with the fact that Ethiopia is a landlocked country and work collaboratively with its neighbors to secure sea access, as outlined by the 1982 Law of the Sea, or pursue aggressive actions against its neighbors. If I were part of the Prosperity Party, I would choose the first option. Ultimately, the leaders of the Prosperity Party, who are under significant pressure from internal issues in the Oromia, Amhara, and potentially Tigray regions, must recognize that their futile propaganda will lead nowhere. It would be wiser for them to remain silent.
Victory to the Masses and Eternal Glory to Our Martyrs.
