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Above: Mohamed Ali Abou Rijela, commander of the battle
of Togoruba, today in his 80s |
Eritrean Liberation Front
جبهة
التحرير الارتريه
Washington DC branch
فرع واشنطن
الولايات المتحدة الامريكية
The
Washington Dc branch of the Eritrean Liberation Front held its annual conference
on March 17-18, 2007. Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam, on a visit here, chaired the
opening session. In his opening remarks he stressed that now more than ever the
forces struggling for replacing the dictatorship with democratic institutions
should close their ranks and secure the unity of the Eritrean people. He further
explained that those powers benefiting from the existence of this dictatorship
will not hesitate to do all in their power to replace it with one just like it
so they could continue to control events of the Region
The annual conference
then heard the report of the outgoing leadership, and thoroughly
and frankly
debated the papers presented. The conference also evaluated the activities of
the branch in the past year, both as an organization and in cooperation with the
other Eritrean opposition organizations within the Eritrean Democratic Alliance
(EDA) in Washington DC. Before closing its works the conference approved the
work plan and renewed the mandate of the leadership with a unanimous vote of
confidence.
The conferees then
commemorated the battle of Togoruba. Togoruba symbolizes the determination and
resolve of the founders of our struggle for freedom. The heroes of Togoruba
stood their ground and defeated an enemy determined to destroy them before they
could grow further. Following Togoruba the Eritrean Liberation Army (ELA)
accomplished victories and feats that made its legend, liberating territory
after territory and town after town, paving the way to the independence of our
country in 1991.
The vision of the
founders of our struggle was to build a nation of and for all Eritreans based on
justice and fairness. That vision was betrayed by those who hijacked our
liberation and established a fierce dictatorship that is brutally repressing our
people and looting the resources and wealth of our country. The conferees
saluted the Eritrean democrats that are challenging the dictatorship and
struggling with the same valor of the heroes of Togoruba to attain a nation of
values found on democratic institutions that would guarantee peace, stability
and development.
The conferees reiterated the
principles that guide the Eritrean Liberation Front to struggle to solve the
serious problems faced today by our people together with other Eritrean
democratic organizations. Following the events of the last congress of the
Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA), the conferees appealed to all concerned not
to dwell on differences, and spare themselves and the Eritrean people arguing on
hollow labels describing self or others as more or less democratic, progressive
or else, but commit on establishing a common platform allowing all to concert
their efforts to remove the dictatorship and initiate the process of transition
to democracy in our country.
Aspiring to become the dominant
force of the Eritrean opposition (as a leader of one of the organizations stated
in an interview with an Ethiopian magazine – The Reporter -citing as examples
the role of TPLF within the EPRDF or that of FATAH within the PLO) is neither a
reflection of the historical development of the Eritrean opposition
organizations nor a real help towards cooperation of all forces and our
experience of democracy. In fact, mutual respect and acceptance of each and all
on an equal footing is the key to establishing the common platform that brings
out the spirit of cooperation of all the opposition organizations and groups.
The member organizations of the
Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) should take this opportunity made available
by the events of the last congress, to evaluate their contribution to the common
cause and engage to improve internal democratization.
In conclusion the annual
conference of the Eritrean Liberation Front Washington DC branch salutes all
those forces with which it has closely worked here in Washington DC to promote
the cause of democracy in our country, and pledges to work harder with them and
with all those joining the ranks of opponents of the dictatorship.
DEMOCRACY WILL
PREVAIL IN ERITREA
ELF Washington DC,2007
1- The Issaias's regime is a dictatorial , suppressive and violent regime which dose
not depend on any constitutional rule .
2- The today's regime of Aslmara is a political , cultural and social strech of an Isolated group led by Issaias Afwerke at the begining of the seventieth in the past century and known as ( Selfi Natinet ) which introduced itself in it's political proclamation ( Nahnan Alamanan , ie we and our aims ) that it is a youth Christian group aimed at averting the concepts which the Eritrean Liberation Front was bearing .
3- Shabia is distinguished in the course of the National Liberation by it's aggregation to all steady of Eritrean revolution and it's principles specialy the national union and fought against all Eritrean organizations
and executed many operations of assassinations and body liquidation against revolution strugglers .
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