Year in Review of the Important Events in the Horn of Africa
Top Stories
Historical visit of president of Republic of Somaliland to Kenya
Attack of Abiye Ahmed a noble laureate transformed into a war monger and war maker on Tigray region
Repercussions and the danger of the multiple-state attack on Tigray by Ethiopia, Eritrea, UAE and other unspecified entities
Farmaja’s plunder to sever diplomatic relation with Kenya that coincided with the official visit of Kenya by the president of the Republic of Somaliland his Excellency Musa Bihi Abdi
Background/Historical Perspective
It was 1974 when age old Ethiopian emperor Haile Salessie was ousted by the Ethiopian military led by Generals, Tafari Benti, Atnafo Abeta, Aman Andom and Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam. All the above-named generals have been gunned down by Mengistu in an apparent power struggle and disagreement over the execution of the Eritrean war. The Generals and especially General Aman Andom was a decorated veteran who an Eritrean proposed to Mengistu who was the main man behind the military coup that deposed Haile Salessie to start peace negotiations with Eritrean liberation movement-the EPLF. Unfortunately Mengistu did not listen to General Andom’s advice that was immediately gunned down by Mengistu Haile Mariam. What followed Mengistu;s mad dash to military solution regarding Eritrean question ended up with the total defeat of his army, the countries of the Horn African nations should be alarmed and concerned about Abiye’s actions, his overtures to create alliances with dictators such as the notorious Afwarki of Eritrea and others. Horn of Africa nations such as Sudan, Somaliland, Djibouti, Uganda and Kenya need to closely watch this new Menelik 111 of the 21st century. A lot of observers were so puzzled why he waged such an all out war on Tigray with the help of Eritrea, UAE which are foreign countries. This man’s actions will plunge the whole of the Horn of Africa region into war. The Ethiopian strongman; the aspiring absolute ruler of Ethiopia seems the fact that he is losing his mind following the disastrous war of aggression he waged against the people of Tigrai. The man has shutdown the communication of the whole country. He appears to be even more dictatorial and autocratic than the notorious Mengistu, Haile Salessie and all the past absolute rulers of Ethiopia. The man has expelled International media from Ethiopia, and refused any international mediation to resolve his aggression on Tigrai. He has taken the permits of operation from international media groups such as Reuters, BBC, Aljazeera, and the director of international Crisis Group of Eritrea, and his ouster from power by the TPLF in 1991 who are the current rulers of Tigrai region of Ethiopia.
Historical visit of president of Republic of Somaliland to Kenya
On the 13th of December, 2020 the president of the Republic of Somaliland left the country for an official visit to Kenya. In Nairobi the president of the Republic of Somaliland has met the president of Kenya, his Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. The second day of the official visit the His Excellency Raila Odinga invited the Somaliland delegation and delivered a historical speech in the occasion indicating the undeniable reality of the shinning Republic of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa. Mr. Odinga reiterated his unbending support to the Republic of Somaliland.
Attack of Abiye Ahmed a noble laureate transformed into a war monger and war maker on Tigray region
On the 4th of December 2020 Colonel Abiye Ahmed waged an all out war on Tigray which most of the world believes as an unwarranted war against an Ethiopian region. Abiye Ahmed massed more than five hundred troops to attack an Ethiopian region. Abiye Ahmed did not use Ethiopian troops, tribal militias to attack Tigray but Eritrean and UAE and other unspecified groups. In this ongoing war Ethiopia used all weapons of warfare such as heavy weaponry such as long range artillery, missiles, warplanes, and sophisticated drones.
Repercussions and the danger of the multiple-state attack on Tigray by Ethiopia, Eritrea, UAE and other unspecified entities
Abiye Ahmed unwise all out war on Tigray Repercussions and the danger of the multiple-state attack on Tigray by Ethiopia, Eritrea, UAE and other unspecified entities will definite increased the tension on the troubled Horn of Africa region an area characterized by a great deal of crisis, conflict and wars. The participation of Eritrean forces complicated the already tenous situation in Ethiopia in particular and the greater Horn of Africa region in general. Abiye is attack on Tigray is destabilizing the whole hHorn of Africa and the war is already expanding to Sudan. According to reports a state of war situation is happening in the Ethiopian-Sudanese border. On the the 16th of December Ethiopian forces crossed the point of control between the two countries and waged a surprised attack on a group of Sudanese soldiers patrolling the border between the two countries. Note there is an agricultural region within the Sudanese border,
Farmaja’s plunder to sever diplomatic relation with Kenya
Farmaja’s plunder to sever diplomatic relation with Kenya coincided with the official visit of Kenya by the president of the Republic of Somaliland his Excellency Musa Bihi Abdi offical visit to Kenyan based an invitation he received from the president of Kenya Ahuru Kenayata has angered and aggravated him and he cut diplomatic relations from Kenya, a rather a dump, naïve and undiplomatic move. Since he was selected to become president of the weak internationally propped figment in Mogadishu he was embarked in a rather belligerent fashion whereby he did leave no stone unturned to damage and harm the Republic of Somaliland. For the last four years his focus was to harm the Republic of Somaliland. He completely forgot that man can’t go out a 4-5 square mile radius where African forces guard him and his government. This man has lost a complete four years on futile activities he has no control over. This is a man who does not stand for anything. He saying something today, and tomorrow he contradicts that thing. “Those who do not stand for anything will fall for everything” President Harry Truman. His childish actions and attitude towards s the Republic of Somaliland is based on personal hatred and vengefulness regarding the forceful ouster of his uncle by the SNM.
Analysis
Abiye Ahmed unwise and unwarranted attack on Tigray will have serious consequencies of Ethiopia as well as the overall stability of the Horn of Africa. Another grave development of Abiye’s war on Tigray is the invitation of the Eritrean troops to participate in an all out war on Tigray Repercussions and the danger of the multiple-state attack on Tigray by Ethiopia, Eritrea, UAE and other unspecified entities will definite increased the tension on the troubled Horn of Africa region an area historically characterized by a great deal of crisis, conflict and wars. The war on Tigray is already expanding to Sudan. As I am writing this letter the Sudanese forces has taken over large swaths of the disputed Sudanese agricultural lands territory the Amharas were using. Egypt also issued a statement condemning the Ethiopian ambush and the killing of several Sudanese forces few days ago by Ethiopia forces and militias. Egypt clarified that they will support Sudan repel the Ethiopian aggression on Sudanese lands. This is a new dangerous escalation of the war on Tigray which potentially bring in Eritrean troops who with Abiye’s invitation already occupying large swaths of Tigray, a move that may pull in Egyptian participation in the war. Those potential cascade of dangerous events may change the war on Tigray and the war between Sudan and Ethiopia a regional war involving multiple countries.
Prof. Suleiman Egeh is a freelance writer and a senior science instructor
