Addis Abeba — Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), Ethiopia-based "political and insurgent group" which says it is fighting against the Eritrean regime, held a public conference in Semera-Logia city, the capital of the Afar regional state, on 13 July.
In a statement released at the end of the conference the organization, which vowed fight against the regime in Eritrea, said it will continue "its political and military struggle, with sacrifice, until its objectives are achieved."
"The Red Sea Afar People's General Conference, organized by the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization, Youth Association, Women's Association, and various civic associations, has successfully concluded," RSADO, "a political organization and armed insurgent group based in Ethiopia," said.
In a six-point call, the groups said, its struggle will continue with determination until the Eritrean regime led by the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ is dismantled, "and the Red Sea Afar people's right to self-determination, up to and including secession, is fully guaranteed," among others.
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"...since Eritrea's independence, the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) regime has, from the outset, committed numerous injustices and atrocities against the Red Sea Afar people. In particular, it has violated the rights recognized under the African Union Charter, specifically those outlined in Articles 1 to 25, implementing ruthless oppression and injustice against the Red Sea Afar people," the statement said.
The conference was held in the backdrop of recent accusation and counter accusations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which, RSADO said will "turn the area into a battlefield have displaced the Afar people of the Red Sea from the border area."
It is to be recalled that in October 2023, the Eritrean Afar National Congress (EANC), another political organization that claims to represent the indigenous Afar people of Eritrea's northern coastal region, has called on the Ethiopian government to recognize the territorial rights of the Eritrean Afar people.
The call came shortly after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia should explore options for gaining access to the Red Sea.
However, days after PM Abiy's remarks, neighboring Eritrea and Djibouti issued counter statements, reigniting debates around Red Sea sovereignty.
Eritrea was the first to respond, firmly rejecting "any talk of excessive Ethiopian access" through Eritrean ports. The statement from Asmara asserted that Eritrea's "full territorial sovereignty and integrity" would not be compromised under any conditions.
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Djibouti also asserted its territorial sovereignty, acknowledging Ethiopia's dependence on its main port at Djibouti while emphasizing its status as an independent nation.
The role of Afar people who straddle the borders of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, is since being widely discussed.
