Meles on why Eritrea got united with Ethiopia & armed struggle started in the lowlands

The views of the late Meles Zenawi in Amharic on why Eritrea got united with Ethiopia, who was responsible for that and on why the Eritrean armed struggle started in the lowlands; The link;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DXIOb95RTg&feature=player_embedded

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A Summary of What Meles Said as summarized by Ustaz Mahmoud in an article at Awate.com: 

 Meles said that many people hold an erroneous opinion that Ethiopia lost Eritrea due to the lack of a skilful diplomatic policy from the part of Meles’ government in contrast to the effective policy that the Emperor waged to secure the unification of  Eritrea with  “Mother Ethiopia” and thus secure sea ports for Ethiopia. Meles went on to explain that the victorious nations in World War II agreed that the fate of all former Italian colonies be decided by the UN.  Eritrea, which during the period was under the British rule, was given three choices for a solution:  full independence, mainly supported by the lowlanders/Muslims; unity with Ethiopia, supported by Christian kebassa; and the choice of dividing the country into an eastern part that would be annexed to Ethiopia and a western part that would be united with the Sudan—this was opposed by both parties. A final compromise solution was proposed by the UN: federation with Ethiopia. The Muslims accepted this compromise though it fell short of their aspiration for a full independence. At least it guaranteed their basic human and political rights, self-rule, elected parliament and government, language, national institutions and symbols, flag—a national identity and culture all enshrined in a constitution that the UN guaranteed to preserve.  

After a while, the Ethiopian cabinet decided that this situation was unacceptable as it basically contradicted the cornerstone principle on which the Ethiopian Empire was built and it was a system unlike any other. The ruling class in Ethiopia believed that those who do not resemble them shouldn’t be tolerated or allowed to be different for that would jeopardise the country’s unity. Thus the Ethiopian government embarked on a systematic and gradual dismantling of the federation until finally it abolished the federal system and annexed Eritrea. This led to the outbreak of an armed struggle that was initiated and led by the lowlanders as they were the side that lost everything they gained through the federation. This demonstrates that Eritrea was not won by diplomatic effort or because Ethiopia and its allies wanted that, but primarily because the decisive role was the will of the kebessa Christians who wanted unity with Ethiopia and who were instrumental when they finally realised the emperor’s aim.

 If it was only the wish or the interest of Ethiopia and the result of its effective diplomacy, why was Somalia not incorporated despite the fact that Ethiopia was also striving to get that country? The Somali people, strongly and unanimously, rejected that. I emphasise again the fact that we were able to be united with Eritrea only because that was the will of part of Eritrean people. The Christian kebessa, despite the opposition of the lowlanders who finally gave their consent in favour of the federation; but the beginning of the end of the unity was the abolishing of the federal system. At later stages, the Dergue’s indiscriminate war campaigns waged against all Eritreans was the last nail driven on the coffin of that unity which alienated even Ethiopia’s former allies and forced them to join the revolution against Ethiopia and struggle for the independence of Eritrea. Thus, all the Eritrean people were united for the first time in fighting for a complete breakaway from Ethiopia—a matter that culminated in the independence of Eritrea.
 We had no choice but to recognise that result as the other alternative was to continue in the footsteps of our predecessors and carry on waging series of wars which would ultimately jeopardise the unity of the rest of Ethiopia and would result in further breaking up of the country. We made the choice of recognising the independence of Eritrea and we are proud of that as this is for the mutual benefit of both countries based on our unwavering principle, that, unity cannot be imposed on any people against their will. 

The link to the full article: http://awate.com/realisation-ones-wrong-deed-is-a-virtue/