Their coordinated policy to annihilate UGUUGUMO continued till the rupture between the two sisterly organizations in May 1998. Because of this development our organization had not only gained a breathing space but also gathered momentum to accelerate its activities. UGUUGOMO not only emerged stronger, but also was able to extend its activities to far away places in the Afar region. We were able to protect the defenseless Afar civilian in places as far as Awash Valley from the Issa-Somali intrusion. Our gallant army and the Afar people at large, however, made heavy sacrifices to score these victories.

When it became clear that the use of force was not effective, the EPRDF leader adopted a new tactic to achieve their old objective; to weaken and if possible to dismantle ARDUF from within. Mr. Mohamooda Ahmed Gass, a member of our central committee and representative of Europe, volunteered to implement this plan by defecting to EPRDF regime. It is to be remembered that we announced the defection and surrender of Mr. Mohamooda in our statement issued on October 21, 2002. At that time our organization gave a statement that Mr. Mohamooda A. Gass had been removed from all his positions and responsibilities. Mr. Mohamooda since his surrender has announced at several meetings in Mekelle his willingness to accomplish the mission of dismantling ARDUF from within. In a recent statement in December 11, 2002 in the name of our Central Committee the same renegade announced that UGUUGUMO had undertaken the "political transformation of ARDUF from armed struggle to a peaceful and democratic struggle with the idea of forming a political party that contends democratically for State power in the Afar Region".

Mr. Mohamooda A. Gass was able to lure a dozen of our fighters and organized them into a faction that surrendered to the enemy. His statements are also designed to confuse our supporters and international community at large by giving the impression that ARDUF has given up its struggle, and has joined the EPRDF regime. It is true that Mr. Mohamooda A. Gass has not only given up the struggle, betrayed ARDUF's programme and objectives for which many fighters sacrificed their lives, but also his recent actions have proved that he has sold his soul to the highest bidder. Mohamooda before his departure to Mekelle was negotiating with the regime to surrender to SHABIYYA in order to be appointed as the governor of Assab, a title that he lost when SHABIYYA occupied Assab in 1991. It is to be remembered that Mohamooda was the first secretary of Derge Essapa in Assab Autonomous Region before joining UGUUGUMO in 1995.

The TPLF leadership under Meles has already forced the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) to join the ranks of the Eritrean Opposition Alliance. Disarming the UGUUGUMO fighters is the second step in Meles Zenawi's plan of disarming all the Afar resistance forces. The motto "THE RED SEA BELONG TO THE AFARS" under which these two Afar resistance organizations fought was anathema to the Eritrean regime.

The EPRDF regime is now preparing to take desperate and barbaric measures to exert pressure on UGUUGUMO forces that has ignored the defeatist faction's call for surrender. It is also planning a major military offensive against Afar civilian in the name of fighting UGUUGUMO forces.

We would like to take this opportunity to inform the Afar people in particular, the Ethiopian people in general and our supporters and the international community that ARDUF is intact, and reaffirm that our struggle against the dictatorial EPRDF regime will continue with vigour and determination until democracy and justice prevail.

We promise to our people and the Ethiopian people that this futile and desperate attempt to divide ARDUF will fail just as other attempts has failed.

Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF)

© COPYRIGHT 2002 Ethiomedia.com Email: admin@ethiomedia.com.