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I returned to this country after the Ethio-Eritrean
conflict, something I have never complained about,
so I cannot speak for the times leading up to and
during it. But since I have returned, there has been
relative calm, and the questions of national
security have not been raised to an alarming level.
Considering the extent of conflict and crime on the
continent, and in other parts of the world, we
residents of the capital have been living in a
fairly cushioned manner thanks to adequate security
and relative calm.
But these days, I am not entirely sure how to view
the state of our nation and its national security.
It is not as though there have been any breaking
developments on front lines or new enemies declared,
but some of the trends in the latest developments
that are being noted in the media, coupled with this
strange and unusual deserted eeriness that has been
noted on the streets of our capital have me quite
anxious. I would have even passed this off as being
a crazy female intuition thing, but the subjects of
choice on the mouths and lips of the rulers of the
country have been aggressive, to put it mildly.
President Girma, at the opening of parliament, and
other high officials since then have been pretty
accusatory towards certain groups and countries. As
you watch the progression of events, you cannot help
but begin to develop doubts.
The latest visit by United States (US) Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice only went to make my doubts
more reasonable and whatever tiny sense of calm and
security I had been feeling disappeared like a
fleeting first love. The anticipated statements
brought us no closer to closure on the slew of
conflicts throughout the region.
With all the small incidents here and there and the
mention of certain "rebel groups" being blamed for
ransacking this and that, there are an increasing
number of conflicts raging across the nation. My
question these days is where exactly the security
situation of our country lays.
Are we as secure as we have been over the last few
years or has the situation deteriorated
significantly? From all the things that I have been
observing and hearing of late there has not been a
single shred of evidence to the contrary that would
make me feel progressively better about the general
security of the nation.
I suppose that you could say that this all started
with the Somalia incursion. Being that Ethiopia is
technically the sort of superpower in the region, it
would only make sense that it is the country that
went in to defend its endless sovereignty and the
threats that would inevitably seep into the country
if they were not handled with speed and efficiency.
But a war that we were told would end in a short
time is still making headlines and is still probably
the only place that Ethiopian soldiers are being
killed and mauled on a regular basis.
But even before the security forces that had taken
on the task were able to handle the Somalia
situation to the best of their abilities, which we
all have to admit is difficult given the foe that
they had chosen to take on, Ogaden showed up. As far
as media is concerned, outside of the usual 'must
expose' foreign corps there has been relative quiet,
which means that the government is running a very
tight ship, which would, in turn, tell any logical
political animal that there is a lot more action
involved there than anyone would care to mention.
While all these spots are boiling hot, here comes
Eritrea, obviously being blamed wholeheartedly for
fuelling all the angst that has been directed the
way of this country, to ignite, or re-ignite rather
yet another fire. With the dissolution of the United
Nations (UN) Border Commission without demarcation
there is even more reason to worry about instability
in an area with heavy troop deployments. To make
matters even more, worthy of note, Condi shows up
harsh and very much herself.
Being an utter fatalist, I sit and wait for all hell
to break loose. I for one am worried, I mean really
worried, what in the world is going to happen? I
wish someone would throw me a bone and tell me
everything is going to be alright.
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