25/10/08 (B471) Shabelle & Shabit / L’Erithrée déclare que les réunions programmées au Kenya, pour la recherche d’une solution en Somalie, ne sont que « des pertes de temps », qui se dérouleront « en vain ». // Eritrea says planned talks on Somalia in Kenya « futile attempts » (En Anglais – Info lecteur)

Eritrean government has insisted that Somali talks expected to start in Nairobi as fruitless.

A statement from foreign ministry of Eretria was written as follows:-

The invasion of the sovereign state of Somalia by external forces in gross violation of all international laws and principles is a shameful chapter in the history of the world that prides itself on its civilized laws and principles and modern philosophies of human rights. The massacre, destruction and displacement of innocent civilians that ensued after the invasion that was carried out in clear violation of the principles of the right to self-determination and the rule of law are by far the worst crimes on humanity in the 21st century.

Ill-devised invasion

The outcome of the ill-devised invasion has, so far, been nothing but failure and embarrassment. For two years the world has seen and heard the news of war, turmoil and human loss coming out of Mogadishu.

Desperate search for way out of Somalia

Having entered into a quagmire of fire to please its masters, the TPLF [Tigray People’s Liberation Front, reference to the current Ethiopian government] regime is now in desperate search for a way out.

Inescapable quagmire

Realizing that they are immersed deeply in an inescapable quagmire, the quarters that invaded Somalia have been making attempts to divide and weaken Somali opposition forces in a bid to cover up their failures and shake off accountability for the crimes on humanity they committed on the Somali people.

Futile attempts in Kenya

It is to be recalled that the ill-conceived so-called reconciliation attempts made by external powers in Djibouti had failed without accomplishing anything, because they did not include the wishes and desires of the Somali people and their political forces.

Yet, apparently having learned nothing from previous experience, the same quarters are now engaged in similar futile attempts in Kenya. However, there is one fact that these quarters have been unable to recognize, or refuse to recognize, i.e., the primary reason why the aforementioned attempts could not success is because the initiative was not taken by the Somali people, and its contents did not address Somali issues.

Deaf ears

It is to be recalled that the government of Eritrea two years ago warned that the invasion of Somalia by the TPLF regime and the US Administration could only lead to an inescapable quagmire and that it will entail dangerous consequences on the Horn of Africa. The Eritrean government had also pointed out that the Somali issue should [be resolved] and could only be resolved by the Somalis themselves. But the warnings fell on deaf ears and the illegal invasion was carried out.

In their attempt to cover up the failure they sustained in their initial erroneous measure through the use of excessive military force, these forces have in the past two years committed gross crimes on humanity against the Somali people which history will never forget. The Somali experience of the past two years in particular and what the world has learnt regarding the US Administration and their agents in general is that their tactic of trying to redeem one mistake by another is only a march forward to failure and destruction. Repeating in Kenya the failed attempt for so-called reconciliation in Djibouti is a clear example of the aforementioned fact.

Formidable challenge

Although the US Administration and the TPLF regime refuse to face facts as they are, their most formidable challenge in Somalia is the people’s own initiative for peace and reconciliation. Thus, it is clear that there is only one effective solution, i.e. to accept and respect the Somali people’s choice without interference. The problem is that of the Somalis and accepting the fact that it can only be resolved by the Somalis themselves would be a wise move.

Somalia’s territorial integrity

The only constructive role the international community can play is to encourage and create conducive grounds for the Somali people to come together and deliberate on their differences, and more importantly to respect Somalia’s territorial integrity.