During my last conversation with Mr.
Hussein Khalifa, I had the occasion to raise the matter of regional
financial support to the EDA; his response was far removed from the facts of
the situation. He painted the picture that all the forms of solidarity were
managed by the representatives of Sana’a Forum (in exclusion of the
governments of the region), and that this support is given only to the
organizations of the EDA. This claim corresponds with his campaign against
the Eritrean Congress Party, and his dream that the Sana’a form would impose
the EDA on the Eritrean people.
Mr. Hussein Khalifa also informed
concerned authorities in Addis that only the Nahda and M. Osman’s group
applied for membership; this ruse is intended to exclude the Eritrean
Congress Party from participation in the coming meeting of the EDA. The
right of our party to participate in the meeting is stated clearly by the
resolution of the EDA; any other course of action is illegal. Contrary to
the expectations of Mr.Khalifa, the Sana’a Forum is not in the business of
imposing any political force upon the Eritrean people; furthermore, the
Forum does not have any obligation to support the EDA exclusively. The
intention of the note delineated bellow is to correct the wrong assumptions
of Mr. Kahlifa.
The Eritrean Congress Party
Stockholm/06-03-23
.......................................................................................................................................................
A Note to the Authorities of the Sana’a Forum
Regarding the Eritrean Opposition File
Please accept my most cordial salutations!
The formation of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) was the product of the
summit of the Sana’a Forum held in Khartoum at the beginning of 2005. The
leaders of the states of the region encouraged me (by virtue of the fact that
I was then the secretary general of the Eritrean National Alliance) to convoke
a reconciliation meeting of all the opposition forces. The said meeting was
facilitated successfully by the concerned authorities of brotherly Sudan. The
leaders of the Eritrean National Alliance, the Eritrean Democratic Party, The
Revolutionary Council, and the Eritrean People’s Movement, agreed to hold a
conference that led to the formation of the EDA. The strategy behind this
conference was to unite the opposition forces under one umbrella in order to
give the questions of peace and democracy a meaningful push. This objective
was consummated in March, 2005.
Unfortunately, no sooner was the conference
in session than there emerged strange groupings to remove the organizations
that declared their intent to form a united party. The strategy of creating a
united Eritrean opposition was dealt a heavy blow by the introduction of a
divisive clause dabbed ‘small and large organizations’. By this formula,
organizations that have been historical enemies, united to deny five
organizations from participating in the leadership of the EDA The same
coalition put every possible obstacle against the unity of the seven
organizations that formed the Eritrean Congress Party. Our party’s membership
has been suspended, and from what we hear, tongue-in-cheek excuses are being
concocted to deny our party membership in the EDA.
The present leadership of the Alliance
claims that only those organizations that have been admitted into the EDA
shall have the support of the countries of the Sana’a Forum: worse the
leadership of the EDA also assumes, fallaciously, that countries of our region
are working to install them into power. The leadership of the EDA has failed
to grasp the following facts (that are best corrected before damage is done to
the strategy of maintaining an umbrella organization that accommodates all
Eritrean opposition forces).
- That legitimacy in Eritrean
politics is to be derived from the Eritrean people.
- The Sana’a Forum – in as far as
Eritrean issues are concerned – is an organization of solidarity with the
Eritrean people and not a legitimating fount of Eritrean politics.
- The Sana’a Forum has the duty to
ensure that founding members are not marginalized from the EDA.
- The fount of legitimacy regarding
the opposition forces is a National Conference that is attended by the EDA,
refugee organization, civil societies, Eritrean communities in the Diaspora,
and Eritrean thinkers.
- This conference should be organized
by a Council composed of representatives of the above-mentioned
categories and not by the EDA alone.
Respectfully,
Herui T.
Bairu,
Secretary
General of the Eritrean Congress Party
Addis Abeba/06-03-06