November 29, 2024
borkena
Toronto – Eritreans Ambassador to South Sudan, Yohannes Teklemichael, remark about relations with Ethiopia made headlines about Ethiopian news outlets.
With the suspension of 14 weekly Ethiopian Airlines flights to Asmara and reported disconnection of phone lines between the two countries for a few months now, deterioration of the relations between the two countries was apparent.
In fact, Eritrea has been even openly forging what appears to be anti-Ethiopian alliances (military, diplomatic and political) and a formal tripartite agreement with Egypt and Somalia had been signed in Eritrea last month.
The Ambassador’s remark rather appears to be a confirmation about the unfriendly state state of relation between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
According to a report by BBC Amharic, Ambassador Yohannes remarked about the relation between the two countries during an interview with the Eritrean Embassy in the UK YouTube channel. The video was reportedly removed from the Youtube channel after it made headlines in many Ethiopian news outlets.
In an interview he gave in Tigrigna language, the Ambassador is quoted as saying “At this time…due to the problems the Prime Minister in Arat kilo is creating, he is making the relationship that should exist between Eritrea and Ethiopia to be dead and buried.”
He was cited as saying Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s agenda in relation to the position Ethiopia should have over the Red Sea is directing Eritrea’s Independence towards “unnecessary things” and has caused pressure in the region. He reportedly described Abiy Ahmed’s alleged position as “intangible illusion.”
It is unclear why the Eritrean Embassy in the United Kingdom removed the video from its youtube channel.
Eritrea and Ethiopia restored friendly diplomatic relations soon after Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in 2018 – ending the two decades of no-war-no-peace relation. The two countries fought a deadly war between 1998 and 2000, and estimated 100,000 soldiers are reportedly killed from both sides.
In the first few years of Abiy Ahmed’s administration, the relationship between the two countries appeared as if it was heading to strong alliance and a range of agreements including in the security and defense areas were anticipated to be completed.
Officials from both countries did not remark as to why the relation between the two countries deteriorated.
A few months ago, a Spokesperson of Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry remarked that “there is no change in the relation between the two countries” which does not appear to be the case.
However, it is apparent that the Pretoria agreement which ended the war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Abiy Ahmed’s Federal government is the cause for the tension between the two countries.
Eritrea was involved in the war after TPLF forces launched rockets to Asmara in what was believed to be an effort to “internationalize the war.” It appears that Eritrea wanted the total elimination of the TPLF while Abiy Ahmed opted to negotiate – apparently under pressure from the U.S. government – to end the war although TPLF was near a total military defeat.
Also, after the war Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made claims that Ethiopia needs access to the Red Sea.
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