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The Central Council of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) on 29 January 2022 held an extraordinary meeting to review and take appropriate measures on the following three issues of central importance at this moment in time: 1. To once more discuss the dangerous  war that was ignited in Tigray and spread to several parts of Ethiopia; 2.to review the efforts of the Eritrean forces for change towards creating a common umbrella and the stage of their progress; and 3. to revisit the role of the EPDP in the two issues and take decisions on the basis of the existing Party positions and policies.

In this extraordinary meeting that lasted for several hours led by Party chairman, Tesfai Woldemichael (Degiga), the Central Council expressed deep concerns about worse consequences if the war is continued. It stressed that things could go out of hand in the entire region if hostilities continue in addition to the destruction so far witnessed in Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia as well as the long existing suffering inflicted upon Eritrea’s sons and daughters who were pushed into this war without their own will and decision.

At winding up discussions on the major two agenda times, the EPDP Central Council reached the following conclusions and decisions:

1. The repressive Eritrean regime, which exported to Ethiopia the heinous crimes it has been inflicting upon the Eritrean people, must always stand condemned for its illegal interferences in the affairs of a neighbor and its criminal acts of igniting war by sharpening the differences between the Tigray region and the Federal authorities in Ethiopia. The tyranny in Eritrea has done this in addition to its unpardonable crime of causing untold suffering and destruction in Tigray. The unholy alliance of the Eritrean dictator with the Ethiopian PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed against the people and regional government of Tigray is irresponsible and extremely harmful to the future relations between the two peoples and has adverse implications to Eritrean sovereignty itself. As such, the EPDP Central Council condemns the unholy alliance with the strongest terms possible. Likewise, having learned that the Eritrean regime is extorting money from Eritreans with the false claim that Tigray is waging war of invasion on Eritrea, the Central Council advised and warned Eritrean nationals not to be accomplices in the regime’s continued war efforts. It stated that it was the Eritrean people who so far paid the heavy price for the war of interference in non-Eritrean affairs and it is now time to our people to defy all excuses and stand opposed to the regime’s war efforts. The meeting also reminds the Eritrean people to direct to world actors their demands for accountability against all those who perpetrated war crimes so that the perpetrators can face justice after their participation is investigated by independent and neutral bodies. The Central Council is of the firm belief that the Eritrean people are themselves victims of their own regime that shall solely be accountable for all crimes it commits in the name of the Eritrean people who had nothing to do with the regime’s criminal acts.
2. The EPDP is of the conviction that the war started in Tigray and extended to other parts of Ethiopia is basically political with differing constitutional interpretations and cannot be solved with continued armed hostilities. It thus supports the peace initiatives being raised by several actors and urged the warring sides to accept a peaceful settlement of their differences. The CC meeting also called on the international community to respond adequately to the basic humanitarian needs of the Tigrayans and other peoples affected by the war in the region.
3. The most urgent action required is to release without any further delay the supplies of electric power, water, banking facilities, communication lines and others which were interrupted long ago by the ill-intentions of the aggressive forces. The meeting expressed deep sorrow over the suffering and death of many innocent Tigray people because of lack of food and medical care and asked appropriate action by those concerned to prevent repeating such inhumane and brutal acts in Tigray and other Ethiopian regions.
4. The CC meeting studied with deep sorrow and concern the criminal acts being perpetrated against Eritrean refugees and the aerial bombardments and related inhumane acts taken against displaced Tigrayans and once again called upon concerned bodies to investigate by independent bodies the criminal acts and grave violations against civilians and bring to accountability all their perpetrators.
5. Furthermore, the meeting reminded that prisoners of war must be treated according to international conventions and laws and be considered innocent until their cases are reviewed by independent judicial bodies.
6. The EPDP Central Council noted with measured satisfaction the approach towards finalization of the two-year coordination among sister political forces that are resolved to create a common umbrella. The Council insisted that joint work is not a choice but an obligation for Eritreans opposed to the regime in Eritrea and appealed to all concerned Eritrean forces to redouble their efforts towards finalizing the noble objective of creating one working national umbrella.

The CC extraordinary meeting also discussed about the unsettling political situation in the Sudan. While expressing serious concerns, the Central Council called upon all concerned parties to adopt peaceful means that guarantee the interests of the Sudanese people.

The EPDP Central Council took this opportunity to urge the Eritrean people to continue their struggle with added vigor against the tyrant regime which, on top of their existing bad situation, created new invasions against others to prolong its stay in power. We as a people are nowadays facing a national challenge that can only be resolved by a unified stand of a whole nation and not by one organization or community.  The meeting also once more calls upon its members and committed supporters to work hard as ever before and help promote the objectives and action plans of the EPDP through implementing the policies and decisions of the Party’s Central Council.

We Struggle for Democratic Governance and Progress!

The EPDP Central Council

29 January 2022