It is now 10 years since the TPLF regime unleashed a war of aggression against Eritrea. It is to be recalled that disregarding its own acts of provocation, the TPLF regime on May 6, 2008 claimed to have been ‘invaded’ by Eritrea. This fictitious accusation had been a strategic mistake and a foolish dream that led to a quagmire of defeat and failure. Moreover, while an Eritrean envoy was in Addis Ababa to investigate the minor conflict that had apparently taken place in the Badme area, the TPLF regime convened the parliament and declared war against Eritrea on May 13, 1998. At that moment the clique was not aware that the consequences of this strategic mistake would be dangerous and destructive. Just as all irresponsible cliques and governments, the regime did not understand that wars have only one route of entry; once you get in, there is no way out.

The people and Government of Eritrea had no doubts as to the real motives and intentions of the TPLF from the beginning. Furthermore, since the regime’s motives surfaced under the guise of a border dispute, the Government of Eritrea strongly maintained that such problems can only be resolved through legal and peaceful process. Hence, the Eritrean government called for the troops of both sides to temporarily withdraw from the border area and for the UN Cartography Department to delimitate the border according to colonial boundary treaties. Unfortunately, the TPLF regime had no time to entertain such proposals for a peaceful solution. Had the regime accepted the Eritrean government’s peaceful approach ten years ago, both the Eritrean and Ethiopian people would have been spared the massive human and material losses and the peace and stability of our region would not have been compromised. However, the TPLF objective went far beyond the border dispute. The clique’s ultimate objective was to defeat the Eritrean people, install a puppet government and then undermine Eritrea’s very existence as a nation by destroying its economy and basic infrastructure. The TPLF also had in mind to achieve a bonus victory by creating terror among the people of Ethiopia as an immediate outcome of the Eritrean people’s hypothetical ‘defeat’; and thus proclaiming itself a champion of the region.

To turn this dream into reality, the regime engaged all Ethiopian resources into war. However, the TPLF’s adventurism only ended in utter failure and the victimization of the Ethiopian people. The regime’s political and military plans and conspiracies all dissolved in the face of the Eritrean people’s unity and strength. Adventurism was defeated and justice prevailed in the end. Yet, the TPLF clique had not been alone in this adventurism. The clique was encouraged by a force behind the scenes that not only fed the regime intelligence reports but also subsidized its military and diplomatic adventurisms. Initially arriving on the scene as a mediator, this particular force not only further complicated the problem but also later on revealed itself to stand behind the TPLF regime’s refusal to abide by the rule of law. Nevertheless, contrary to the objective of the TPLF and its masters, the Eritrean people were not defeated but instead added another victory to their glorious history. Eritrea’s economy and infrastructure was not devastated as the enemy had intended but is on the contrary accelerating through the road to development.

War on Eritrea has long since been the cause for the demise of successive Ethiopian regimes. However, as history has shown, a mind marred with hatred and vengeance cannot learn from past experience. Hence the TPLF repeated a strategic mistake, the failure of which was proven twice and, as a result, steered the regime onto the road of inevitable demise. Thus, much insight is required on the part of future Ethiopian leaders so as to not repeat the strategic mistakes of the TPLF and its predecessors. It would be in the best interest of everyone concerned for future Ethiopian political leaders to accept and respect Eritrean sovereignty while maintaining good neighborly relations. There can be no more vivid proof other than the repeated defeats of three successive Ethiopian regimes! As for the TPLF’s conspiracy against Eritrea, it has backfired on the regime itself and perched it on a cliff facing an abyss.