Ethiopian teff is Meles Zenawi’s peacemaker in Eritrea By Our Staff Writer: January 22, 2005

Teff disappeared from Eritrean markets after the government of President Isaias Afwerki invaded Ethiopian territories in May 1998, and angry Ethiopia’s response was a mix of devastating military offensives and economic sanctions which not only deprived Eritrea of access to the prized commodities of coffee and teff, but also left it hanging to life by the thread.

At the height of the war when Ethiopian borders were closed to Eritrea, and Eritrean markets ran out of Ethiopian produces such as teff, a desperate President Isaias had remarked: “The Eritrean people don’t want injera. They are used to eating spaghetti. They use forks, and not bare hands.”

Now he is warning teff retailers in Asmara to distribute the precious food crop without creating any mess.

And Eritreans are praying things would roll back to pre-war conditions with Ethiopia.

“Buying teff was beyond the reach of ordinary Eritreans. Only very few managed to buy a quintal (100 kg) of teff at the staggering price of 8000 Nakfa (about US$100.00). Those were high-ranking government officials,” a source said on Friday.

However, Teff has begun to reach Eritrean towns in recent weeks, and the price of a quintal of teff has plunged from war-time 8000 Nakfa to 800 Nakfa in the Eritrean border town of Teseney, and 1600 Nakfa in Asmara, the source added.

But there is a long way to go.

Recently, the Asmara regime warned businesses of impending government action if they try to hoard the Ethiopian food crop in a bid to create scarcity, and sell it later at higher prices.

Asked how come there is a sudden flood of teff into Eritrea, the source added Eritreans credit [Prime Minister] Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.

With a hope to ending the Eritrean leader’s war-posturing, Prime Minister Meles recently adopted a five-point peace plan with Eritrea, and this includes “normalization programs,” the inference of which means opening Ethiopian resources for Eritrean use.

In spite of the prime minister’s desire to assist Eritrea, Ethiopians continue to denounce Meles over his controversial policies.

Ethiopian opposition parties warn time and again that any agreement Meles entered into with Eritrea would be subsequently revoked by a successor government since all agreements were designed by the Ethiopia-born Eritrean Meles at proping up Eritrean sovereignty while reducing Ethiopia to a landlocked status.

It is to be recalled Meles had purged his arch rivals from the ruling TPLF regime when they challenged he was an Eritrean mercenary who aborted Ethiopian offensives aimed at crushing a menacing enemy in Asmara.

The victory has enabled Meles to restore the status of Eritreans to pre-war conditions in which they had privileges from employment in key government positions to securing lucrative business contracts.

Similarly, recent news reports from Addis have indicated Eritreans deported during the last war as “security threats” were coming back to Ethiopia, and seeking out their previous jobs.

When asked by employers, “the Eritreans flash recommendation papers from the prime minister’s office,” one newspaper reported in Addis recently.