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02/05/2009 - The Ethiopian ruling coalition is urging for several political parties in the Afar Regional State to merge. Those concerned are for from enthusiastic.
 
A delegation from the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, in power in Addis Ababa) went to the Afar region in Ethiopia from 9 to 16 April.
 
A delegation from the EthiopianPeople's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, in power in Addis Ababa) went to the Afar region in Ethiopia from 9 to 16 April. This delegation consisted of a general and Gebre Yohannes, a high ranking security official. During the discussions with the local authorities, the delegation suggested that the Afar political parties supporting the government should merge ahead of next year's general election. This proposition would concern the Afar People's Democratic Party (APDP) of the President of the Afar Regional State, Ismael Ali Sero and the ARDUF of the Deputy Minister for Tourism Mahamooda Ahmed Gaas. However, neither Ali Sero nor the two other leading men in his party, Mahmad Kadir known as Anbata and Seyo um Awal, are particularly keen on such a merger.
 
The EPRDF delegation also had meetings with dignitaries in the Afar Liberation Front (ALF) including Ali Mirah's two sons Habib and Osman. It is believed to have asked them to dissuade young Afar from joining the Eritrea-backed Ugugumo underground or another group linked to the ALF. Indeed, the Addis Ababa government is worried by the Afar attacks. The rebels have carried out three operations between 3 and 7 April: the destruction of an Ethiopian armed vehicle on the As'alé road, near a salt mine in the north of the Afar region; a small skirmish in the Terru district in the south; and an attack against Chinese workers building the Samara-Afdera road, not far from the Erta Ale volcano.
 
In the background of these discussions on the merger of Afar political parties is the replacement of Ali Sero from the presidency of the Afar Regional State. The circle of aspiring candidates to succeed Ali Sero has recently grown, with the addition of Habib Ali Mirah (who had already held this post from 1993 to 1996), Mahamooda Ahmed Gaas, Abdu Algeria, a Tigrigna-speaking Afar who recently returned from Canada and Mohammed Ahmed. The latter is not an Afar but is linked to the Sahoo tribe.

Source: ION