Source: RFI
Translated from French by Google
In Ethiopia, the application of the peace agreement between the federal government and the Tigray authorities is progressing day by day. Humanitarian aid, basic services, transport resume. One question, however, remains unresolved: that of the withdrawal of the Eritrean army from Tigray. Eritrea does not envisage without without solid guarantees for its security.
The Joint Committee consisting of the Ethiopian Federal and Tigray military leaders met for the first time in the town of Shire in northwestern Tigray on December 1. However, this would not have been possible without the Eritrean army, which had recently occupied the city, withdrawing from it, explains an expert in the Eritrean military.
“It is therefore a sign that Eritrea is not totally deaf to calls to withdraw its troops from Tigray”, in accordance with the Pretoria peace agreement, says this source. That said, according to her, the Eritreans have only moved closer to the Ethiopian border territories, in the current state, and would not have received the order to go further.
An opportunity for Asmara to establish itself well in Ethiopia
“For President Issayas Afewerki, the military commitment in Tigray is an investment he will not give up,” explains former Eritrean diplomat Fathi Osman, now a journalist. Because the rapprochement with Ethiopia not only brought it out of its diplomatic isolation, but it also allowed it to establish itself militarily in Ethiopia, confirms the source close to the Eritrean military.
On the one hand in Tigray, but also in intelligence, in the Amhara city of Gondar – where the Eritreans train the special forces – as well as in terms of political influence.
According to the director of Radio Erena Biniam Simon, Eritrean President Issayas Afewerki especially wants “guarantees that the Tigrayans do not threaten him”. Because when the Tigrayan troops were getting dangerously close to Addis Ababa, during the summer of 2021, the political leadership of the rebels suggested that the next step would be to “march on Asmara”, the Eritrean capital.
“The Tigrayans remain a scarecrow serving to keep” the Eritreans “under siege”
The Eritrean head of state therefore intends to keep the border territories around Badmé and Zalambessa, which were occupied by Tigrayans before the war, in violation of the Algiers peace agreement, signed in 2000. Intentions authorities in Mekele are still unclear about these two border areas.
“Eritrea therefore seeks to maintain this situation of neither war nor peace,” adds Biniam Simon. Thus, the Tigrayans remain for Issayas Afewerki a life insurance and a scarecrow serving to maintain its population in a state of siege. »
The two journalists finally agree on another point. The original Eritrean war aim of “destroying the TPLF” was not achieved. But at least the Pretoria agreement formalizes the significant military weakening of the Tigrayan party, which also governed Ethiopia until 2018. we wanted, sums up Fathi Osman, we have to take what we got. »
Martin Plaut 
The translation is not great.
Leaves one to think 2 erroneous things:
1) Eritrea is only occupying the areas they were granted by the war settlement border commission.
FACT : they are occupying a far larger chunk of Tigray than was ever in question, and they are looting and harassing the population of the areas they are occupying, exactly as they did when they occupied Tigray in 2020/2021.
2) Leaves one to think Eritrea just wanted security from TPLF all along.
FACT: Tigray is not a military threat to Asmara, or at least was not before Eritrea’s criminal conduct of this war. However Tigray is an existential threat to Eritrea’s very existence. Eritrea is an accident of colonization. There is no independent population in Eritrea that doesn’t have close relatives across borders – with Sudan, with Tigray, with Afar. What would make far more sense is to split Eritrea up to join their close relatives. An independent Tigray would be an even greater threat to Eritrea’s existence. Isaias didn’t just hold a grudge for 20 years. In fact, he’s deathly afraid and has stunted his country as a result.
D’une part dans le Tigré, mais aussi dans le renseignement, à la ville amhara de Gondar – où les Érythréens entraînent les forces spéciales – ainsi qu’en termes d’influence politique. Translation : On the one hand in Tigray, but also in intelligence, in the Amhara city of Gondar – where the Eritreans train the special forces – as well as in terms of political influence. Source: RFI,is an acronym for “Radio-France Internationale.” Eritrean amok troops serving the terrorist state, Eritrea, and its genocidal self-appointed party named PFDJ(ሕግደፍ) should not only leave Tigray but also need to be expelled from the entire regional states of Ethiopia. The presence of these genocidal troops has caused a bloody chaos throughout the country .Eritrean troops , whose euphmestic names is « foreign forces » are reportedly giving military training for Amhara forces in Amhara towns .As opposed to some medias propagating the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, Eritrean troops are still operating in many cities including northern parts of Tigray inhabited by Irob, minority ethnic members who are massively massacred by Eritrean troops since Nov 2020 . Hence, the total withdrawal of these criminal gangs from few towns couldn’t guarantee of perpetual peace of all Tigrayans , while they are still massacring and plundering in the rest of Tigrayan territories in frenzy of bottomless hate , murderous ferocity and politics of reprisal instilled by top-dogs of PFDJ. Fanos and eritrean troops out of Tigray. We ask the release of all Tigrayans , formely serving ethiopian federal army in various titles and positions before the genocidal war broke out in Nov 202O. Thus far , the peace deal is not fully honored and implemented by the ethiopian government in all its forms and details based their mutual agreement signed on the dotted line. Complete withdrawal of Eritreans out of Tigray and release of all Tigrayans detained indefinitly should be ascertained by the international entities !