Mekelle, Tigray – On the 34th anniversary of Eritrea’s independence, President Isaias Afwerki delivered a speech that sparked controversy due to remarks concerning Ethiopia and Tigray.
Isaias, who has repeatedly espoused the ideology that “Eritrea is built on the grave of Tigray,” has a well-documented history of aggression toward the Tigrayan people. In 1977 E.C., he blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the region during a devastating drought, resulting in the deaths of thousands. In 1990 E.C., he launched a brutal invasion of Tigray, a campaign that included the airstrike on Ayder Elementary School, which killed 54 children.
After two decades of calculated preparation, Isaias coordinated with the Ethiopian federal government and Amhara forces to launch a full-scale genocide against the Tigrayan population.
In his Independence Day address, Isaias stated:
“The people and government of Eritrea have given unreserved support to the so-called reforms initiated by the Prosperity Party with high hopes and without reservation. With this sudden reversal, they have nothing to regret or worry about!”
A few months earlier, in response to a UN call for Eritrea to withdraw from occupied territories in Tigray, Isaias responded through the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“I am on my land, and I will not leave my territory for anything.”
Rather than expressing remorse for the atrocities committed during the war, he asserted that he had “no regrets,” reaffirming his ideology that “Eritrea is built on the grave of Tigray.”
The irony lies in the timing of this speech. He makes this remark at a time when relations between the Eritrean government and the Ethiopian federal government are severely strained, and many analysts warn that another war between the former allies may be inevitable. Meanwhile, the TPLF is being accused of engaging with the PFDJ — making Isaias’s remarks even more provocative.
Observers note that his recent engagement with the TPLF appears to be a tactical move, aimed at using Tigray as a strategic base to prolong the survival of the PFDJ regime — once again at the cost of the suffering and sacrifices of the Tigrayan people.
