Eritrea - Ministry of Information

The U.S domination total or partial of the industrial development of Japan, the Far East, Western Europe, Canada and Australia that started in earnest after the Second World War has grown steadily over the past ten years spurred on by meteoric technological advances. There is an aspect of competition in the relation between the U.S and other capitalist countries. But this is secondary and does not constitute a significant factor obstructing U.S domination of the world capitalist system.

In today’s world, political developments, international relations, wars, conflicts, treats, economic relations and cultural exchanges increasingly influence each other and no political phenomenon or movement should be seen in isolation. To properly asses the EPLF’s diplomatic activity during the struggle, therefore, it is necessary to analyze the international and regional political atmosphere under which it was undertaken.

Before the talks had broken dawn, peace initiatives advanced by other parties multiplied and gained wider support presenting the Dergue with a new challenge. On numerous occasions, many governments and organizations called on the Dergue to resolve the issue through peaceful means. To alley the pressure, the Dergue replied that it was already there by meeting with the EPLF, by divulging the preliminary talks which it had insisted should be kept secret and to which it paid lip service. This, in itself, was a bone of contention in the preliminary talks. Even then, the Dergue did not desist from exploiting the meetings for this purpose, while at the same time denying that it was violating the confidentiality of the talks.

The Dergue too went on the propaganda offensive, to accompany its large-scale military campaign professing to have made a serious for peace and alleging to have been re buffed by the EPLF. Confident of quick military victory, the regime, after the Berlin talks did not consider using peace as a maneuver chip. Meanwhile, the Numeiri regime in the Sudan, which had earlier (at Free town, Sierra Leone) and for purpose of its own expressed support of the Eritrean Peoples cause change its stance, offered to mediate and started exerting pressure on the Eritrean revolution to induce it to compromise. Taking in to consideration the effort of the Sudan and other interested parties to organize negotiations, and more importantly, assessing the experiences of Berlin, the EPLF issued its Referendum  Proposal on November 23, 1980 in which it set, in unequivocal terms, its views on a peaceful solution of the Eritrean case, moreover, the EPLF continued with unflagging seriousness its intensive political and diplomatic works   in search for sincere dialogue.

In the second meeting, the German authorities retreated from their previous opinion, informed the EPLF delegates of the presence of a Dergue delegation in Berlin and stated that it has assured them of its readiness to meet with the EPLF delegation. The EPLF delegation proposed that since the East German authorities were aware of EPLF position, they should also get the opinion of the Dergue’s delegation and act as mediators between the two groups. The EPLF put forward this suggestion because it wanted to rind out if the Dergue really had a new proposal as the East German had claimed. On their part the Germans proposed face to face talks, and the EPLF agreed. But contrary to the assurance and statement of the Germans, the Dergue did not have a new proposal. In the meeting the delegation of the Dergue launched into a spiel on the 3000 year old history of Ethiopia, the place of Eritrea in that history, the role of the Eritrean revolution in the downfall of Haile Selassie, the Dergue’s “program of Democratic Revolution” and the purported gains achieved by the people on basis of the program. The EPLF delegation stated that the myth of a 3000 year old history was specious and baseless, elaborated on the history and the just and legitimate struggle of the Eritrean people and expressed the EPLF’s rejection of the Dergue’s case. In addition it asked the Dergue’s delegation to present its proposal if it had any.

The EPLF had, in the course of the heroic struggle for independence, proven many fundamental points. It showed its loyalty to the just struggle of the Eritrean people. It had proven that  a just struggle cannot be vanquished no matter how huge the colonial military force (and that of extra force) arrayed against it. It has demonstrated beyond any doubt the correctness of the military strategy it pursued. And the protracted war which has demanded heavy sacrifices, the EPLF has built a people’s army with regular, regional and militia units evincing numerical growth., employing sophisticated strategies and tactics, possessing consciousness and morale, well organized, equipped and proficient in light and heavy weapons; dedicated, productive’ and a guarantee for the liberation of Eritrea and its reconstruction.