Democratic Palestine : 45 (ص 39)
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- Democratic Palestine : 45 (ص 39)
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continue the unjust fight against the
Eritreans and other national movements
in Ethiopia, Mengistu sought and
obtained Israeli support. This last action
made it undoubtedly clear that the
Mengistu regime’s originally progressive
role in the region had been exhausted.
Today the opposition forces in
Ethiopia are united within the Ethiopian
People’s Democratic Revolutionary
Front (EPDRF) which is composed of six
organizations working within a national
front, based on a democratic program.
The EPDRF’s main aims were to topple
the Mengistu regime and establish a
democratic government based on
political pluralism. A significant element
of the EPDRF’s National Charter
emphasizes the right of the nationalities
to independence, as opposed to the
National Constitution of the defeated
regime which only gave the right to
autonomy. Perhaps this explains the
EPLF’s coordination with the EPDRF
over the past several years.
The EPLF, a Marxist — Leninist
organization, has a_ broad base
composed mainly of peasants and
workers; it has been liberating Eritrea bit
by bit since the mid—1970s through
armed struggle. Consequently, the same
factors which weakened Mengistu’s
regime, and strengthened the Ethiopian
opposition forces, also gave a push
forward to the Eritrean liberation
process, but the decisive force behind
Eritrea’s freedom was the popular
struggle, organized by the EPLF.
The EPLF’s program
Unity, a clear political line and sound
leadership, coupled with self-reliance,
were the major elements of Eritrea’s
struggle for independence. Since the
early 1970s, the EPLF has been able to
mobilize most of the masses and realize
tactical and strategic achievements based
on a program for ending Ethiopian
domination in Eritrea and establishing
an independent democratic state. To this
end,the EPLF and the ELF ended their
civil war in 1974 and concentrated all
their efforts in the battle against
occupation, although they never actually
united in one organization.
At the same time, the EPLF has been
preparing for independence by building
an infrastructure in the liberated areas.
They have developed agriculture to
provide for their people’s needs, and
have also set up workshops to produce
certain items like shoes and clothing. In
addition to this, they have set up several
hospitals, medical clinics and schools.
As was mentioned before, the EPLF
has worked closely with the EPDRF,
Democratic Palestine, August 1991
militarily and politically, based on a
mutual agreement that prevents the
latter from entering Eritrean land and on
recognition of the Eritrean people’s right
to self—determination and secession.
This is a clear demonstration that the
EPLF is in complete control of Eritrea’s
territory. At the same time, the EPLF’s
decision not to participate in the interim
government formed by the EPDRF,
testifies to the former’s determination to
achieve independence. A recent exam-
ple of cooperation between the two
fronts is the official agreement that .al-
lows Ethiopia to use the port of Assab,
which is its main access to the sea. In
turn. the EPDRF officially recognized
the Eritrean front’s desire to hold.a re-
ferendum on Eritrea’s future, whereby
Eritreans can vote for the type of rela-
tion they want with Ethiopia: indepen-
dence. province or confederation. A UN
— supervised referendum has been a
priority for the EPLF since 1980. in
order to gain international legality for
Eritrea and safeguard its sovereignty in
the future.
The ground -— _ breaker of the
Eritrean liberation process, and that
which most enabled the Eritreans to
achieve victory, is the armed struggle.
For over 30 years the EPLF has
steadfastly fought and given this form of
struggle utmost priority. Although they
suffered a military setback in the mid
1970s, due to the regime’s escalated
offensive, assisted by the Soviet Union,
the Eritreans never wavered or
surrendered. The opposite is true; they
continued to fight and grow stronger.
The EPLF was consistent and persistent
in pursuing its goals, and _ its
revolutionary practice never gave way to
making concessions.
We can safely say that steadfastness
and the accumulation of correct) re-
volutionary struggle have been rewarded
with victory. And since the Fritreans’
struggle is an integral part of the interna-
tional liberation movement, their victory
is a victory for all just struggles. giving
hope and encouragement to all people
fighting for freedom.
Solidarity from Sweden
We received the following message of solidarity from the KPMLr
(Communist Party Marxist — Leninist, revolutionary) in Sweden.
To PLFP and PLO:
We the 500 participants at the
summer camp of KPMLr express our
solidarity with the Arab masses and the
struggle of the Palestinian people.
When the dust after the Gulf war has
now settled and the propaganda phrases
diminished, the reasons for and the
effects of the war can be still more clearly
visible. With promises of money and
threats, the USA, as the sole dominating
superpower in the world, has been able
to fight a war in the name of the UN with
the aim to gain total control over the oil
resources that justly should belong to the
Arab masses. With the reason of fighting
for human rights and UN resolutions,
more than 100,000 people have been
killed, a country has been bombed 100
years back and the corrupt dictatorship
in Kuwait has been restored. At the same
time, the USA is totally uninterested in
putting in practice 25 year old
resolutions calling on Israel to withdraw
from the West Bank and Gaza, 40 year
old resolutions calling on Israel to let the
banished Palestinians return to their
country, and innumerable resolutions
calling on Israel to respect the basic
human rights of the Palestinians. No
American forces, neither in their own or
UN uniforms, have been employed to
protect the Palestinians. No_ real
Initiatives are taken to solve the
Palestinian question in the only way that
is possible to reach «a lasting peace in the
area,» namely a just solution. This is no
surprise since the US aims are not justice
or peace but power, wealth and control.
The struggle of the Palestinian
people is now facing a hard period in the
shadow of «Pax Americana.» The latest
assault, the attack of the Lebanese army
against the Palestinians in Lebanon,
must be strongly condemned. Historical
experiences, e.g. from the massacre in
Sabra and Shatila, show that the obvious
right for the Palestinians to defend
themselves must be recognized.
This is not the first time that your
struggle is facing strong difficulties, but
as in 1948, 1967 and 1982 we know that
your struggle will survive and reach still
higher levels due to your knowledge,
experience and consciousness. We, that
always rejoiced in your success, are of
course also standing beside you during
your difficult times. Our enemy is also
yours and your enemy is ours.
KPMLr summer camp, 6 July 1991 - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 45
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