By Tewelde Stephanos Email: testifanos@gmail.com
17 Nov 2013
I read an
article in asmarino.com recently that illustrates how deeply PFDJ’s culture of
negation has penetrated the Eritrean psyche. Zekere
Lebona’s1 article with Yosief Ghebrehiwot’s (YG) supporting
comment lashes out at the twenty two Eritrean Intellectuals who wrote a
petition addressed to Eritrea’s despot and his muted ministers (click
here to read the petition)2. I do admire both writers for their eloquence
and brilliant minds. Both are regular contributors I have learned a lot from
over the years. Although I disagree with YG’s conclusions, his diagnosis is -
more often than not - on the mark. My favorite is “Equality
by Subtraction”3, a must-read for Eritreans.
To be clear,
I am not suggesting Zekere or YG curb their rights of self-expression. However,
a pinch of humility and respect for others can advance the discourse a great
deal. Just a little pause to check what we say or do is not condemning Eritrea
to continued PFDJ oppression, unintentional though it might be, will do. This
does not mean, however, bad ideas from allies should go unchallenged (and I
find the stand the 22 took to be a good one). But often, we tend to spend more
time going after each other instead of channeling our energies against the
oppressive regime.
The said article’s
anger is directed at the twenty two Eritreans, whose hearts happen to be in the
right place. But as Zekere puts it, the
appeal “… made by the twenty-two intellectuals from the diaspora is the most
scandalous” compared to other appeals before it. YG chimes in accusing the “22
muhuran” of “… enabling [the regime] to stretch its
life beyond necessity”.
YG’s accusation of extending PFDJ’s life is not getting
through my thick head. In this case, I would argue that the dismissive tone of
rejecting those who dared to speak up, albeit tenuously, is more to the liking
of the despot. I can almost see Isaias grinning ear to ear satisfied with how frequently
and readily - we the people – go full force to break the stride of those who are
taking their first steps against his rotten regime.
I do agree with their point that appealing to Isaias is a
futile exercise. I even agree with Zekere’s point the appeal lacks a “sense of
urgency, indignation and outrage”. But by focusing on its weakness, we are
discounting its positives. This group of fine Eritreans has moved away from the
club of silent majority (Isaias’ greatest asset) and they have chosen to be
vocal. That is a huge deal. As such they deserve a welcoming spirit and a nudge
to do more, not dismissal.
Recognizing this significant shift to break away from silence
of the majority the despot has been enjoying, it would have been more
productive for YG and Zekere to just chide the group for what obviously is a dead-on-arrival
appeal, while making a good faith attempt to challenge them to do more. And they
can do more given their immense intellectual capacity and the connections at
their disposal to help make things better.
Inexplicably, Isaias has chosen death and destruction for
Eritrea. To reverse this unfortunate choice, we need to encourage and welcome
those who are stepping up, regardless of our personal biases how late or
tentative we perceive their actions to be. There is no doubt in my mind this is
NOT
what Zekere and YG intended to do
but through their dismissiveness, serving Isaias is exactly what they ended up doing.
Hopefully it won’t be the case, but who wins if some of those 22 thoughtful Eritreans,
go back to being silent or end up participating with reduced enthusiasm?
Lack of
humility in our discourse and the quick negative reactions we exhibit towards each
other are things the regime has been exploiting a million fold to its own
advantage. This attitude of my way or no way is the main problem that has made
the 30 plus opposition parties ineffective. Intentionally or not, they continue
to serve Isaias’ interests. Is there no common goal these folks can work
together on to bring about a better outcome?
These 30
plus groups have been in the opposition camp for decades now. Yet, I doubt if
there is any action they have taken singly or collectively that matches Arbi Harnet’s approach to connect with
change agents inside Eritrea. Apologizing ahead of time for my potential
ignorance, Aribi Harnet is the only action-oriented group in the opposition
camp that I am aware of. One can argue whether what Arbi Harnet is doing is
sufficient or not. But that is the best we have so far and they deserve everyone’s
full support to accomplish more.
We all know
now that Eritrea’s struggle for independence was a single task undertaking. It
was very narrowly framed as freedom from Ethiopia with no vision or strategy on
what follows next. And that is why we are paying the heavy price today. We can’t afford to repeat the same mistake
again. Although Isaias’ demise will be a welcome event, the day after will be
messy and we need to look beyond that day itself. Eritrea is a failed state
where all state infrastructures are either completely out of commission or in
need of serious repair. Adopting a culture of inclusion and a welcoming spirit
for everyone’s efforts – big and small – will be critical in reversing the
damage that has been done sooner than later.
Which is all
the more reason to stop this bad habit of spitting in the wind. The often repeated phrase one hears when
someone or some group begins to make sense is ‘where have they been’ (abey nerom). We need to resist this temptation
of belittling those we should be embracing. Any break away from the regime, as
long as they are clean from proven
criminal record, should be welcomed and embraced.
It is my
hope Zekere Lebona and YG will take no offense from this posting and accept it
for its intended spirit.
