Source; Eritrea: The making of a Nation by Redie Bereketeab
Picture: UN Commission members with Haile Sellasie 1950
Left to right: Representatives of Burma, Norway, UN representative, HIH, Pakistan, South Africa, Guatemala
(Source: Zewde Retta's book on Eritrea)
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The
Liberal Progressive Party (also known as Eritrea for Eritreans Party) chaired by Ras Asberom Tessema was
formed in 1947 and its leaders, among others included Sium Maacho and Woldeab
Woldemariam. It called for the unity of Eritrea and Tigray or what is known as
Tigray-Tigrinya, to start with. Its base centred mainly in Eastern Akelle
Guzai. Ras Tessema was closely connected
to the noble families of Tigray and was close to Ras Haile Sellasie
Gugsa, a descendent of Emperor Yohannes, who had defected to Italy during
the war with Ethiopia. After the Liberal Progressive Party (LPP) realized that
the Tigray-Tigrinya unity was not feasible, later gave up this idea and called
for Eritrea’s independence and was a close ally of the Muslim League (ML).
Together with the ML, Pro-Italian Party and other small parties they formed the
Independence Bloc in 1949. This Bloc was changed to the Democratic Front after
the UN decided to federate Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1950. The LPP was against
the Union with Ethiopia, opposed to the Shoan aristocracy and was regarded as
close to the British. The previous title of Dejazmatch of Asberom Tessema was
elevated to Ras by the British.
According to
Trevaskis*, “after the death of the Tigriyan, Emperor Yohannes the Imperial
Crown was passed to Menelik, a rival Shoan Abyssinian branch, and thus the
Imperial seat was moved from Tigray to Shoa. It was natural then for the
Tigriyans to be resentful and to seek to recover their imperial crown. When the Italians were defeated in 1941 and
when there rumours were rife that Tigray’s leaders were planning to secede from
the Empire and set their own kingdom with Ras Seyum as its head, Haile Sellasie
took the prudent precaution of holding him in Addis under careful surveillance.
Therefore the Eritrean Unionists and Ethiopia saw Ras Tesemma’s moves with
suspicion, believing it was a British attempt to exploit secessionist feelings
in Tigray.”
It was under
those circumstances and due to many factors that a Tigriyan insurgency, widely known
as the Weyane revolt broke
out in 1943, under the leadership of rebel leaders such Blatta Haile Mariam
Redda. The insurgents took control of Aby Adi in Tembien in May and later
routed out government forces at several places and captured towns such as
Adigrat. In both Tigray and Eritrea, it was widely believed that the British
supported the rebellion, though the rebellion was crushed after British
military planes, based in Aden bombed the rebels, at the request of the
Emperor. Those rumours played into the Unionists suspecting that the party of
Ras Tessema was supported by the British.
The
Independence Bloc (IB), had a solid support after the Four Powers Commission’s
departure. But prior to the United Nations Commission’s arrival the Unionists
intensified their terrorist campaigns on the supporters of the IB and the
British failed to exert law and order. This terror, the Unionists propaganda
about Italy’s role, together with personal rivalries took its toll and within
few days United Nations Commission’s arrival the Bloc was disrupted and lost
many of its members. The two main parties that formed it split.
The
Unionists were also working to dissuade the LPP from working with the ML. In
June 1947, Ras Seyoum was suddenly released from detention in Adiss and
appointed as the Governor of Tigray as a gesture to the LPP. After a delegation
of the LLP led by Dejazmatch Abraha Tessema visited Addis Ababa and met with
Ethiopian officials, he formed the ‘Liberal Unionist Party’ which called for conditional
union with Ethiopia. Woldeab Woldemariam left the LPP to join a new group,
‘Association of Eritrean intellectuals’. The Chairman, Ras Asberom Tessema
remained committed to LPP principles. It to be recalled he and his family
was subjected to hardship for opposing union with Ethiopia.
The Muslim
League which was formed in 1946 split into three in 1950, including the parent
organization. The reasons were among others the situation of the IB that was
subjected to Unionist terror and propaganda, plus other reasons related to the
formation of the organization. Ibrahim Sultan has led what was known as the
“Serf-emancipation Movement” which undermined the role of the ‘Shumagulle’ over
the serfs, as it has weakened the old traditional structure and led to the
formation of many tribes and tribal leaders. The Unionists had promised the
tribal chiefs that they will make then regain their power if the supported
Union with Ethiopia. The Unionists although they exploited the Coptic Church to
their full advantage sent petitions to the British Administration to dissolve
the ML, on grounds that it was based on religious grounds. The two split groups
were:
1.
Muslim League of the Western Province
(MLWP):
This was the
biggest faction and was led by Ali Mohamed Musa Radai (1913 -1974) who was in
conflict with Ibrahim Sultan, some of which were personal rivalries and others
were politically motivated as he accused Ibrahim Sultan played into the interests
of Italy. It represented Barca, Senhit and Sahel provinces. It is believed that
the British were behind Ali Radai. Despite all claims that the MLWP never
supported the partition of Eritrea between the Sudan and Eritrea, it had never
issued such a stand. The Memorandum
Submitted by the delegations of Pakistan
and Guatemala, stated that even those Muslim nationalists, who eventually made
up the core of the MLWP “expressed their opposition to the annexation of the
Western Province to the Sudan.” It was
also opposed to union with Ethiopia. Trevaskis
indicates MLWP was limited to Western Eritrea and claims that if it hadn’t been
the conflict between the Beni Amer and Hadendewa, it may have supported the
union of western province with Sudan. He states that it fell back on the
somewhat absurd demand that western Eritrea acquire independence after a period
of British Trusteeship.
The MLWP won
15 of 68 seats in the Parliamentary elections in 1952 (Unionists won 32 seats,
the Democratic Front (a coalition of parties who wanted to safeguard the
Federation Act: ML, LPP, Italo-Eritrean Party and other small parties) won 18
seats. The rest 3 seats were won by Independent Muslim League of Massawa,
Nationalist Party, and an independent candidate, 1 each. The MLWP, even
threatened the seat of Ibrahim Sultan. Though, the Democratic Bloc won a few
seats in the western province, but its main seats came from the coastal area,
Saho tribes, and the Jeberti.
As the
result of the elections, Trevaskis* noted that MLWP hold the balance between
the Unionists and the Democratic Front. Though both Democratic Front and MLWP shared
many views but due to rivalry and bitterness with Ibrahim Sultan that they
could not form a coalition. The Unionists took a moderate position which
enabled them to form a parliamentary coalition with MLWP that enabled Ali Radai
to be the Chairman of the Parliament and Tedla Bairu to be the Chief Executive.
Ibrahim Sultan and his colleagues accused the MLWP of selling Muslim followers
for positions in the Government. Other observers saw that the MLWP, seen that
the Federation was unavoidable, decided to make the best of it. Trevakis* also
noted that the constitution draft would have never been approved if either the
Unionists or the Democratic Front had overall majority.
2. The
Independent Muslim League of Massawa (IMLM)
This group included merchants of Massawa and was led by
Mohamed Omer Gadi and the split was due to differences with Ibrahim Sultan in
1949. This group was against the return of Italy in Eritrea and Ibrahim Sultan
was accused of working with Italy. The group favoured British trusteeship to
begin with. Later, its representatives met with Ethiopian officials who
guaranteed them that Ethiopia will respect Islamic institutions and that schools
will be taught in both Arabic and Amharic, the group accepted federation with
Ethiopia. This won Omer Gadi, a membership in in the Federal Parliament and was
assigned as Director of the Unionist newspaper, after the implementation of the
Federal arrangement. But he realized soon that Ethiopia did not respect its
pledges and was working to dismantle the Federation. He filed a case in the
Supreme Court, requesting that the parliamentary elections of 1956 be regarded
null and void. He did not win the case
and later travelled to Cairo and filed a complaint in 1957 that was sent to the
UN against Ethiopia’s encroachment on the federation. Ethiopian officials in
Cairo, convinced him that the Emperor was not aware of this and asked to go
back to Eritrea. He was arrested upon arrival and was sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment in 1958. He was released on 1969 and appointed as Mayor of
Massawa. The Derg imprisoned him again from 1975 – 1977. He travelled to Saudi
Arabia afterwards until his death.
Source: Eritrea:
Colony in Transition 1941 – 52 by Trevaskis & other sources
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