Saleh Johar has got PM Meles Zenawi all in focus in explaining his domestic and international policies, his relations with Eritrea, Middle East, the Sudan and his involvement in Somalia; PM Meles was thoughtful and unpretentious.  It seems PM Meles has a fascination and commitment with open dialogue, unusual for African leaders.  He responded to all Johar’s challenging questions with clarity and eloquence including his eventual retirement from politics.

By doing so Saleh did justice to the gullible Erireans who connects all that  is wrong in Eritrea with the demon “Weyane” led by Meles Zenawi or what is left of it because like Meles the Gebru Asrat, Seye Abraha axis are also Weyanes. The  political party led by Gebru Asrat, even though its strong selling point is to claim the Eritrean port of Asab for Ethiopia, has not been subjected to attack by TV-ERE simply because it is anti-Meles. Saleh Johar in his extensive interview with PM Meles has broken these myths.

To call the Ethiopian Government “Weyane” is a blind denial of the undeniable facts in that a strong Federal Government of Ethiopia has evolved and is consolidating further.  However, the Pro-PFDJ Eritreans will continue to call the Ethiopian Government, “Weyane” because they don’t listen to the voice of reason and they will never will. Their conscience is dead.

The interview developed into something more profound. Free dialogue in search of lasting peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea based on the principles of democracy and shared values. It is in line with these principles that PM Meles passionately believed in the sovereignty of Eritrea and inviolability of its ports.  Meles explained to Johar, “any attempt to incorporate Eritrea in the fold of Ethiopia will not succeed in incorporating Eritrea; it will simply succeed in dismantling Ethiopia, because it will dismantle the fundamental principles on which Ethiopia is formed”. For that matter PM Meles has always been consistent and unequivocal with the Sovereignty of Eritrea.

This is diametrically opposed to the relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea as exhibited between CUD (Kinijit) and PFDJ. Their relationship is based on the enemy of my enemy is my friend. This kind of relationship is opportunistic, temporary, and unsustainable and does not build peace between the estranged people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Once CUD comes to power they would not be bothered of the impending war to regain Eritrea. The reason is clear in that CUD is obsessed with the atavistic passion, the struggle for honour and glory, the legacy of Emperor Menelik, Emperor Hailesellasie and Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam. In their election campaign the CUD kindled Ethnic Tigrean hatred of the kind that has produced conflict throughout the African continent (recently the sad incident of Kenya and South Africans against their fellow Africans who migrated from other African countries mainly Zimbabwe.) The unholy alliance between PFDJ and Kinijit is deemed to be a moral and ethical failing. It can only orchestrate hatred and more suspicion instead of peace and brotherhood.

About the outlet to the Sea:  PM Meles explained, “Port service is a service like hotel service…..the port is clearly a matter of buying and selling services.”

That is absolutely the global reality.  In a globalize economy, it was widely believed that nations had no choice but to liberalize economically and politically, if they wanted to compete and survive. For Meles to use the Port of Asab is an economic rationale which is preferable for Ethiopia if only there is peace.

On the question of Somalia:  If one ignores the background history of Ethio-Somalis conflict it is easy to accuse PM Meles of carrying out a proxy war for the USA. During the period of de-colonization in mid 19 century the Ogaden which is inhabited by Darod clan came under Ethiopian rule while the newly independent Somali wanted a Greater Somalia which included the Ogaden. Since then there were many wars between Ethiopia and Somalia.  In 1977 when Ethiopia was weak due to the internal power struggle President Said Barre of Somalis seized the opportunity  and invaded Ethiopia and reached as far as the gates of Harrar deep inside the Ethiopian heart land. With the help of Soviet weapons and direct involvement of Cuban soldiers the situation was reversed and a large portion of the Somali army was wiped out. Siad Barre not only was unsuccessfully to realise a “Greater Somalia”,   he sowed the seeds of disunity and hatred among various tribes. He only succeeded in destroying the self-esteem of the proud Somalia people and resulted of the people to the rules of the war lords who brought him down in 1991 and caused more destruction and rendered Somalia a failed state.

CUD and other opposition party are too keen to attack Meles and refrain from sincerely analysing the background history that made Ethiopia and Somalia traditional enemies. Had they been sincere they would have recommended for a peaceful resolution of the Ogaden which is at the centre of the conflict, based on the Ethiopia’s new constitution which allows substantial autonomy or independence.  

When Saleh Johar asked, “Considering the anti-American sentiments in the region, are you not positioning yourself in an antagonistic position?

PM answer goes, “Where we see a coincidence of interest and policies, we interact with the American plan as we interact with anybody else. Where we see lack of coincidence in our positions, they go their way and we go our way. So, we do not want to be part of anti-Americanism for the sake of being anti-American.”. What a statesmanship this is the ethos of foreign relations policy to win friends on the basis of mutual interest and shared values, and minimize enemies particularly if the perceived enemy is militarily and economically strong. 

To combat global terrorism is the main foreign policy of the USA and USA happen to be the only supper power. However, by interacting with USA on this specific issue Meles had won the most significant foreign relations niche ever. Meles explained the decision to fight against Islamic Courts because the court had already declared Jihad war on Ethiopia and he explained they started it alone. The Americans jumped on the band wagon later on. On the other the PFDJ ended up isolated by supporting the Somali insurgents.  

Combating Poverty: Poverty in Ethiopia is endemic. The basic needs of the people in Ethiopia are “bread and butter”.  They wanted their life to be improved and if possible completely transformed from misery into prosperity and dignity. Meles is the only leader ever who put to end poverty at the centre of his policy.

To over come poverty the government has put in place a comprehensive policy. They set out to build the desired infrastructure such as roads, electricity and human resources building and spread education all over Ethiopia

But they do it in such away that they have put the people at the centre of development so they became the agent of their own development. That is the best policy. The way Ethiopia is advancing such poverty which claims the life of millions seems to be history.

This is compared to Eritrean failed social and economic policies which ushered in poverty to a hardworking people.

The Short coming of the interview:  There is no mention of the most contentious issue between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the border issue.  The Ethio-Eritrean war is one of the most regrettable and devastating wars. More badly the no-peace, no-war scenario is killing Eritrea. And PM Meles is partly responsible. The Eritrean workforces are depleting unable to sell their labour at a free market and leaving the country in their thousands. The worst damage more damaging than the war is imposing serfdom on the Eritrean workforce and indirectly a siege and an attack on the institution of the family.  Had the boundary issue been resolved there will be no excuse for PFDJ to keep the youth in the army appropriating their labour which is a violation of their human rights.

In spite of this shortcoming the discussion between an Eritrean journalist, a very nationalist as such, and the prime minister of Ethiopia symbolizes a dramatic and positive change in the parameters of human understanding and the search for genuine peace between the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia.