Thread by @DeqiWoldeMikel, There's an old saying, ሕቡእ ቁስሊ፣ ሕቡእ ፈውሲ, roughly translated: "Hidden Wound, [...]

There's an old saying, ሕቡእ ቁስሊ፣ ሕቡእ ፈውሲ, roughly translated: "Hidden Wound, is a Cure Hidden".

In #Eritrea, we've a uniquely chaotic regime wounding every part of the Nation, then hiding those wounds & letting them fester. Inevitably leading to disaster.

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Almost every calamity that befalls seems to come out of the dark. It's true origins obscured by an unaccountable regime. Leading to to confusion & catastrophe.

Since #Eritrea|n independence, none has changed our trajectory & cost us as Badme has.

But it's story is much older

October 1974. A period that should be heralded as probably one of the greatest moments in our collective history.

Sickened by infighting & fratricide, over 30,000 #Eritrea|n Citizens march to the Village of Woki-Zager & force EPLF & ELF to sit down for face to face talks.

A year later, unity agreement is reached. Over the next 3 years, their coordinated assaults were unstoppable. By 1977, 90% of #Eritrea is liberated.

But there were ominous signs. Within EPLF, Isaias had used the detente to consolidate his power through his secret party EPRP.

He would squeeze out Woldeab Woldemariam & Osman Saleh Sabbe. Hijack the #Eritrea|n diaspora through his agents Hagos Kisha & Yemane Monkey.

While enforcing massive recruitment drive to tilt balance of power. With rampant 03 rumors reinforcing "inevitable betrayal" from ELF.

He also used this period to recruit a new ally, Weyane. Over 1,500 TPLF fighters made their way to Sahel to train. Their numbers in #Eritrea would swell to an est. 5,000 later on.

In time, he started questioning &/or completely denying all agreements with ELF.

Even Sudanese President Nimiery hosted both fronts to iron out differences.

Which Isaias stormed out of.

1978, with liberation in sight, 10,000s of #Eritrea|ns converge on Keren. A raucous crowd packed the soccer stadium to celebrate the movements achievements once united.

Bursting with joy, #Eritrea|ns watched in awe as the entire leadership of EPLF & ELF make their way to the centre hugging, smiling & dancing. Except one: Isaias Afewerki.

Saeed Saleh (ELF) & Romadan Nur are seen begging him to join - even pulling him - as he refused.

An elderly #Eritrea|n lady would walk up to him in front of everyone & exclaim, "With u, our children united, nothing can stop us".

His reply: ብዛዕባ ሓድነት ኣይትገደሳ ፣ ቅጫ ጥራሕ ኣርግድዋልና።

"Dont bother with our unity, just ensure to fatten the kitcha for us".

Breaking point would come soon after with USSR joining Ethiopia in what would be the first major assault (out of 8) in #Eritrea.

Having failed to capture Massawa, EPLA would begin strategic retreat from all fronts to Nacfa. ELF unaware, would bare the brunt of the offensive.

Suffering severe losses, ELF was in crisis. Accusations of betrayal flew at EPLF, & divisions within the ranks due to failure of leadership.

Sensing chaos, Isaias saw an opportunity. While bulk of EPLF was busy fighting off USSR backed Derg, he made a deal with TPLF.

#Eritrea

An EPLA mechanized unit, allied with TPLF aka Weyane, attacked ELF. In less than a year, disillusioned ELF forces would be pushed out of #Eritrea & into Sudan. Where they're forcefully disarmed by the Sudanese Govt.

Marking the end of ELF as a fighting force.

For TPLF, it was win win. It cemented itself a powerful ally, & a was given a town it deeply coveted.

One ELF had used as a base:

Badme.

Here's former EPLF head of Foreign Intel E Africa, & EPRP describing an incident when crossing enemy lines from #Eritrea to Tigray 1982.

In the words of #Eritrea|n Citizens from the Eritrean territory of Badme: "ሓገር ሸዪጥኩምዋ!"

In immediate yrs after, COUNTLESS ELF leaders are hunted down & assassinated in Sudan by Isaias's henchmen. EPLF Leaders such as Ibrahim Afa who confronted him are also eliminated.

Decades later in 1998, facing ratification of #Eritrea|n Constitution, & Presidential Elections that would permanently weaken grip on power, a cornered & desperate Isaias, pulled pin on a grenade he & TPLF buried long ago.

Sending Army into Badme without anyone's knowledge.

In 2000, #Eritrea|n National Assembly tore into Isaias, & announced formation of committee to investigate root causes of the border war.

A yr later, he abducted & disappeared members of NA & Committee, plus shutting down Press.

Followed by disbanding Parliament all together.

Now, 2 decades after all that Sacrifice, & a Nation held hostage to THIS day, Isaias is telling you forget about Badme. It doesn't matter.

Cause for him, it never did. Nothing but staying in power does. Having wiped out entire leadership of #Eritrea, Badme served its purpose.

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