Unfiltered Notes: Better Questions Isaias Should Have Been Asked

EriTV’s recent “interview” with Isaias looked more like a rigged boxing match between a giant equipped with spiked gloves and a five-year old with hands tied behind his back. The “champ” stepped in the ring after making sure his opponent is incapable of throwing any punches -- thus the pre-arranged and self-serving questions. Of course, he was declared the undisputed winner again as in years past since there was no one to dispute anything. And with his signature celebratory ritual, he stepped on the head of his fallen five-year old opponent to claim his trophy.

That is how it felt anyway. The choreographed “interview” was full of incoherent rumblings where just about everything was meaningless and how tried methods the rest of the world uses to measure progress are irrelevant in unique Eritrea. The collective intelligence of Eritreans must have dropped down by a few points listening to the drivel. I felt like I had a few brain cells fried myself, something I can ill-afford as I don’t have that many to spare.

Satire by Tesfagabir Tesfu and Misgina Tesfamicael (from South Africa) summarized the mumbo jumbo beautifully where the response to a simple question whether milk is white or red was: “… before I answer your question first we have to look at where milk comes from. Basically, it comes from cows. Cows are slaughtered for meat in most parts of the world, although in India they are worshipped and that is why they call them holy cows and they freely roam the streets…”. Follow the link above to assenna.com to get the full text. It is hilarious. Great job guys, you really nailed it.

Given Eritrea’s dire situation, there are many relevant questions to be asked compared to the farce we were treated to. What questions would you ask if you had the chance -- assuming there is someone who can honestly and truthfully answer them on the other side of course? Here are a few.

1.To start on a lighter note, who is your best friend and why?

2.There is an often told story that you and Haile Woldetinsae (DruE) made friendship pact years ago to stick together through thick and thin. Is that true and how is DruE now?

3.In what sounded like a roundabout way of offering condolences for Meles’ death, you expressed your disgust for those who wish death on others. Among other things, you said someone who harbors such feelings must be “mentally unstable”, “denqoro” etc. Fair point. If wishing death on someone is so offensive to you, what do you think of those who deny burial rights to the already dead?

4.Why did you deny burial rights to your friend Naizghi Kiflu? What you did was against Eritrean societal norms and traditions. What lesson should those living take from this act?

5.Eritrea is said to be full of prisons. People know about Adi Abieto, Eira Ero and the metal containers where victims are exposed to extreme heat and cold. How many prisons does Eritrea have? And how many universities?

6.You have jailed your former comrades for more than 11 years and some of them are believed to have died in prison. Since you don’t allow anyone to visit them, can you tell the Eritrean people how they are doing?

7.People are routinely killed under mysterious circumstances in Eritrea, Mohammed Hagos the former owner/manager of OMO factory among them. Yet such murders are never investigated. Why? Eritrea has also become a place where people disappear without a trace. Where is Senay Kifleyesus, for example?

8.As your comrade of many years and according to good-old Eritrean traditions, the children of Petros Solomon are considered to be your children too. And yet, you made them instant orphans by taking away both their parents. Why?

9.Switching to economic development, everything is so expensive these days and getting worse. Even the highest wage earners in the country cannot make ends meet with their honest earnings. What is the inflation rate in Eritrea currently and what can we expect for the near future?

10.Just to take one example, eggs used to cost much less. Those in National Service earn 500 Nakfa/month and their whole salary can’t even buy 100 eggs. What do you say to those tied up in endless national service whose productive years are getting wasted? Isaias interrupting: Before I answer that CIA instigated silly question, it is important to understand whether the egg or the chicken came first…. (sorry, that was hard to resist)

11.Those stuck in national service with no end in sight are totally deprived of normal life such as building careers and raising stable families. Don’t you think this demoralizing environment is weakening Eritrea and undermining the nation’s security and its future?

12.You talk at great length how the CIA is siphoning the youth out of Eritrea for human trafficking. Are you serious? Is there evidence you can share to show this is so? Wouldn’t the enslavement of our youth in the endless national service and total lack of freedom to create a better life for oneself be a better explanation? But more importantly, what are you doing to prevent the exodus? Didn’t you at one point trivialize it as people going on a picnic? You also dismissively told Eritrean students in South Africa they can get lost because you can buy labor from India and Pakistan. How is that working out?

13.You told the nation that you were awakened from sleep to be informed about war breaking out in Badme. The way you have been running Eritrea, it is hard to believe anyone else can make such a decision. How was that decision reached and who gave the order to roll the tanks in?

14.What do you remember about Tesfay Temnewo? He sure remembers you and, according to him, the severe mistrust and divisions you created among tegadelti and the eliminations that happened back then are the root cause of Eritrea’s current state of affairs. Do you want to comment on that?

15.You have dominated Eritrean politics for the last 40 years or so now. The character that comes across through all these years, some say, is that you are vindictive, divisive and you are willing to sacrifice life-long friends or the nation’s wellbeing to stay in power. But your power was under no threat, especially after 1991. People loved and respected you then. Why didn’t you choose to capitalize on that to achieve your power goals? You could have had it all – love, respect and power. Yet, you chose to be merciless – even to the lifeless body of your friend Naizghi, which seems extremely petty and unnecessary. Why?

16.Assessing Eritrea’s current situation, Natnael Esifanos Sium, a young man wise beyond his years and whose father you have jailed without charges for over a decade, paints more or less the same picture (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STz5vssnE-M) as that of Tesfay Temnewo. In what ways would you say you have changed over the last 40 years that is different from Natnael’s and Tesfay’s assessments or, for that matter, vis-à-vis the growing perception that you are even worse than Mengistu? At least Mengistu allowed family members to visit prisoners

17.You talk big about self-reliance. But the record shows people who were self-reliant and those who strive to become self-reliant are deprived of opportunities to exercise their dreams in Eritrea. In fact, they are leaving Eritrea in droves. Do you see how losing it’s most dynamic and productive citizens can be harmful to Eritrea?

18.In various interviews you said there will not be democracy or freedom of expression in Eritrea for decades to come; that you will not leave office because you don’t have a contract from anyone. In spite of this you also say you will step down if the Eritrean people tell you to do so. Yet the environment you have created – the killings, disappearances, intimidations, denial of personal freedoms and no elections – only guarantees people have no means of telling you anything. Don’t you see how you can come across as one who underestimates – a better word may actually be despises – your own people?

19.You are human and you will die one day. With everything decided in your office Eritrea’s institutions are severely weakened or destroyed. As a result Eritrea lacks a smooth power transition plan and can end up in a chaos after you are gone. Does that bother you?

20.Other than speaking vaguely that mistakes were made, you never take responsibility for anything. Your old comrades have been either eliminated or frozen and it is only you with no one else left to blame now. You make all decisions – big and small. And the poverty, the intermittent services, our crumbling cities, people stuck in dead-end situations earning 500 Nakfa/month, people disappearing, disempowered institutions, runaway inflation, seem to only get worse year over year. Do you ever wonder if you could actually be Eritrea’s biggest liability.

Unfiltered Notes: How Much Do Eritreans Love Their Country?

Boundless love is what most of us believe we have for Eritrea. But our tendencies to embrace the king of the day (znegese ngusna) no matter how harsh the sacrifices seem to suggest otherwise. Judging by the only measurement that matters – our collective inability to remove what has turned out to be a modern day feudal lord – it is hard to determine what is loved. So what exactly do we love about Eritrea?

Is our love for the people of Eritrea? The massacre of the disabled veterans; the reckless sacrifice of 19,000 the sadistic Isaias gloated about being too few compared to Ethiopia’s losses; those perishing in deserts and high seas;  the thousands suffering and dying in prisons across the country;  elderly parents held hostage for ransom are all Eritreans we claim to love. Yet, we simply forget them after every sad event and the lawless regime goes on to concoct the next tragedy. Where is the love when we have let every year get worse than the previous one for the last 21 years?

Secondly, Eritreans seem to be too eager to offend each other and equally ready to be offended these days. Hardly anyone is willing to forgive and forget the small stuff or apologize for transgressions. Opposition groups, churches, community centers, civic organizations who are and should be allies against injustice are busy tearing each other down on secondary issues. Cooperation is a bad word absent from our everyday vocabulary. Faced with common problems with so much to gain by working together, the focus on trivia is only comforting a ruthless regime that does not deserve to live another day. What kind of love is that?

Is our love for Eritrea’s good societal values grounded on justice, freedom and the pursuit of happiness? Hardly. In fact, whatever decent values Eritrea had are either uprooted or severely damaged by a vampire regime (to borrow from George Ayittey) known for its ruthlessness and deceit. Tesfay Temnewo (man of the year indeed and thank you Seyoum) eloquently encapsulates this when he describes the sleepless night he had over 30 years ago worried about the hijacked version of “independence” that will disappoint Eritrean families; including the one in whose warmth and kindness he had his first meal in a family setting since he joined the independence movement.  Tesfay also explains the culture of embezzlement and terrorism that was set in stone way back then when innocent families were deprived of their livelihoods for “crimes” of association.

Similarly, KubromDafla describes the grand robbery by a regime whose legacy to date has been massive poverty and loss of all types of freedoms Eritreans have never seen the scale of before.  Thank you Kubrom for exposing it for what it really is with calm and fact-driven finesse! Based on how we -- diaspora Eritreans in particular -- had so willingly denied the same freedoms we enjoy ourselves to our brothers and sisters in Eritrea, there isn’t much love to speak of here either.

Is our love for the courage of our educated class speaking truth to power? This is probably the most disappointing of our shortcomings. To mention the latest drama: Dr. Woldai Futur spoke about the efficient infrastructure and solid institutions that are in place to encourage new investments. Sadly, even the best education our planet has to offer can’t steady a weak spine or enlighten a self-enslaved mind. Everyone knows the crumbling infrastructure and the intentional destruction of Eritrea’s institutions by the very regime the good doctor serves. Dr. Woldai, blessed with a good education, should have been pained by the closure of the only University Eritrea had and the ignorance era this regime has sunk the country into. As an economist, he could have used his skills and experience to analyze the root cause of Eritrea’s abject poverty and find ways to reverse it. Instead, he chooses to be a mere errand boy for a failed despot who so despises education and the educated. I wonder what Dr. Woldai would mention as his single accomplishment that has resulted in Eritrea’s improved economic health.

Unfortunately, Dr. Woldai is not alone. We also have the likes of Dr Ghideon Abays, Dr Woldeab Isaacs, Dr Amare Tekles who have greatly contributed for dictatorship to flourish in Eritrea. Likewise, many Eritreans who sleep soundly under the comfort of freedom the West provides them are perfectly okay with Eritrea heading to the Stone Age as they continue to support a failed regime that is bleeding Eritrea to death (follow the links and listen to Tesfay Temnewo and Kubrom Dafla with love of country as a compass. Hopefully, you will get it this time).

Is our love for a corruption free and self-reliant Eritrea? Not even close.  Kubrom Dafla who has witnessed the regime’s corruption first hand explains how Eritrea’s entire resources are controlled by Isaias and Hagos with zero accountability. Money is the first and only thing this pair cares about. Whatever money flows into Eritrea (be it from Gaddafi or Qatar for whatever Isaias sold them in exchange, the elusive gold revenues, loans in Eritrea’s name etc) does not belong to Eritrea and its people. Eritrea’s entire resources (from land to people), are for Isaias and Hagos to do whatever they please.  Now they are cooking up another future-is-so-bright, never-to-be-missed investment opportunity. Without rule-of-law, however, all it takes is a single awaj or a false accusation to shut down a business (teEashigu) or imprison or kill anyone they feel needs to be taught a lesson. That is all. No questions asked. Investments are necessary for Eritrea’s development and should be encouraged. But everything dies under this regime and sustained development can only flourish in its absence.

Regarding self-reliance, Isaias or Hagos haven’t earned a living based on honest hard work and never had to worry about the challenges people face balancing income and expenses to support their families and to run their businesses. What they don’t earn, they steal, they hold elderly parents hostage for ransom, they kill for. Decent, hard-working Eritreans like Mohammed Hagos were murdered in cold blood with no one held accountable? So the concept of Eritrea becoming self-reliant under the stewardship of this parasitic pair is only a pipe dream. Where is our love then, if it doesn’t even manifest itself in reversing a feudal system that has taken complete control of people’s lives – modern-day slavery and all?

Is our love for the beauty of the land?  At great risk to his/her safety, Bana from Asmara showed us this once beautiful and peaceful city is crumbling. Kentiba Haregot, with minimal education and great love for the city, managed it well and it showed. We can’t even build on the solid foundation this great mayor and native son left behind. 21 years after “independence” Asmara and other cities are decaying, the shrimp farm is gone, our 1000 Km of sea shore produces nothing, there is no commerce flowing through our ports and tourism is dead.  What kind of love is it that keeps silent when the land and its people are getting destroyed?

Is our love for the personal freedoms our people enjoy? Nope!! Can anyone honestly say Isaias ever stood for safeguarding personal freedoms of the Eritrean people? These are the very ideals so many died for and what free Eritrea was meant to represent. And yet, the one who has so betrayed the promise is still in power 21 years later-- some love, eh?

Is the love for our problem-solving skills? What national problems have we solved since “independence” -- anything worth mentioning? How about reliable electricity, vibrant cities, rule-of-law, economic development, food security, quality education, accountable leadership? Anything?

So What Next?

That we believe we love our country is a good thing. What is needed now is honest self-assessment and taking concrete actions– big and small – to convert that belief into reality. How about these?

1.       Own your mind and think freely. If you believe the CIA is the cause of Eritrea’s problems based on foaming-from-the-mouth tirades to cover our failures, think again. Did the CIA kill our disabled veterans in cold blood? Cure thyself and those around you from “worship the king of the day (znegese ngusna)” disease.  This disease kills.

2.       Reject the regime’s culture of arrogance. It is a shame this failed regime has become the face of 5 million Eritreans to the rest of the world. That can’t be who we are.

3.       Accept reality and deal with it. Talking about Ethiopia’s problems to hide ours won’t solve anything. Our problems are worse. At least Ethiopia had a peaceful transition of power after Meles died. What is Eritrea’s transition plan? Anyone?

4.       Focus on how 5 million people CAN defeat a handful few who are destroying this once promising country. Remember the Arab Spring?

5.       Make a personal pledge to contribute, even in tiny, tiny steps, to bridge divisions and promote cooperation to solve common problems. Small positive steps add up to form a solid national character, which is good insurance against bad guys.

6.        Embrace other Eritreans. Be a good man/woman and apologize when/if you offend others.

7.       Think more about the future and talk less about the past. Yes, the past was painful and the history not told fully or truthfully. Let’s hope more Tesfay Temnewos come forward to document the past fairly and honestly.  But Eritrea is dying now and collective focus should be on the future and how to salvage what is left.  The younger generation with the least baggage from the past but deprived of normal life since “independence” can play a pivotal role in shaping the future. Take charge and run with it.  

8.       And diaspora Eritreans? We are the sorriest lot of all. In plain language, Isaias said you will not live in the houses you are building because you will come to Eritrea in coffins to be buried. Why the misplaced love for the very person who despises you and your people so openly? Stop the madness and give your moral support to those fighting for justice and freedom instead.

9.       Don’t underestimate the good that can come out from a transformed PFDJ. The regime having destroyed all other institutions, the only organized entity left is PFDJ. Without Hagos, Yemane, Alamin and few others with blood in their hands, it can play a positive role in reshaping Eritrea’s future for the better.  Most of its members are living the harsh life themselves and there are decent people waiting to be empowered to do the right thing.

10.   This is a bit of a stretch but it would also be great if the Dr. Woldais and Dr. Ghideons of our world follow Kubrom Dafla’s example. Abandon the regime and use your education and experience for the good of Eritrea for a change. The Titanic is sinking. You don’t have to go down with it. What makes you think you will be treated better than Naizghi Kiflu’s lifeless body? Help Eritrea rid itself of its worst enemy and cross the line to the right side of history.  

Unfiltered Notes: Where are we and where are we headed?

 

 

Tewelde Stephanos, 31 July 2012

21 years after Eritrea’s geographic sovereignty, the things that really matter -- like individual freedoms, economic vibrancy, quality education and Eritrea’s long term viability as a respected member in the community of nations still lag far behind. Measured against the high hopes Eritreans had in 1991, the disappointments are far too many; accomplishments scanty little. There is hardly a family that has not been negatively impacted by the regime’s brutality against innocent citizens, disappearances, modern-day slavery, growing poverty, mass exodus that is hollowing out the nation of precious human capital critical to its rebuilding – just to list a few. And the self-delusion that we are, somehow, “number one” continues.


On the brighter side, action oriented movements by the younger generation are warming up. Tireless efforts by fearless individuals like Elsa Chyrum, Meron Estifanos, Aaron Berhane and others (bless your hearts!!) continue to keep the candle lit against the forces of darkness. Renewed challenges against the regime’s various intimidation schemes and innovative approaches by Arbi Harnet team to expand the scope of the resistance inside Eritrea are gaining momentum. But much more remains to be done.


There are serious shortcomings that are impeding the progress towards true freedom. We need expanded and inclusive dialog to replace the unproductive chatter and fratricidal wars of the past (why the movements of the younger generation are relevant). Do we really need 30 plus opposition parties, for example? That this is the best government and the best opposition we are able to assemble so far, in spite of the severity of our problems, is not reassuring. We can and should do better.


First, stop the blame game and own our failures


It has so far been an endless game of shifting the blame away from us; that we are somehow not responsible for things we actively or passively brought on ourselves. The regime blames external forces for its massive failures. Its supporters parrot its claims and falsely label their compatriots who are fighting for justice as traitors and sell outs. And those in the opposition almost exclusively assign the blame to a few in the ruling elite. What is our joint responsibility as people then? Some even reach out to the fringes of psychology to point out Isaias is intentionally destroying Eritrea because he is not Eritrean. That is silly and dishonest at best because it fails to address the other side of the coin. How about the so-called ‘full blooded’ Eritreans (whatever that means), who are enabling or committing horrendous crimes against their fellow Eritreans? What psychological explanations do we have for their despicable acts?


I believe the answer is far simpler than the overly complex scenarios being painted. Isaias is an ill-mannered Eritrean who lacks the grace to cherish the boundless love and respect that was so graciously given to him. He is doing what he has always been able to get away with; where any outrageous act he commits meets no resistance and he goes on to the next outrageous act. Nothing happens when he turns children of his fellow tegadelti into orphans, or when he denies burial rights if that is what pleases him (hint: the message is not for the dead but for the living dead). So, it is really not his problem, is it? It is time to stop blaming him to cover up our failures. The right thing to do to brighten Eritrea’s future would be to remove his abusive regime and to erase the legacy of brutality, poverty and lawlessness it has put in place. Let’s also not forget Eritrea is a small country of 5 million (if that) and fragmenting it through exclusions based on silly ‘blood-tests’ will only deepen the failed state it is trending to become. As team Arbi Harnet put it eloquently: “We either make injustice in Eritrea obsolete or we risk Eritrea becoming obsolete”.


Do we have an ‘environment’ that breeds tyrants?


My first inclination would be to say “no”. But that ‘no’ is put to serious doubt when recent experiences are thrown into the mix. A despot is worshiped as god; as witnessed when Isaias visited the U.N. last year. The timing was particularly significant because the brave people of the Arab world were fighting tooth and nail to rid themselves of failed leaders like him at the time. Essentially, we saw privileged Eritreans giving their unconditional support to one who is victimizing millions. And if not them, who do they think will speak for the victims? (Thanks to the outnumbered member of EYSC, some seeds of hope were also planted then).


We still see highly educated diaspora Eritreans becoming willing instruments of oppression; where we have misused the luxury of our own freedoms to kill freedom itself. We raise funds and hold demonstrations to prop up a regime that we know allows no such rights in Eritrea. Such uncanny adulation for tyranny is deeply demoralizing to those fighting the regime’s injustices everywhere but especially so to those inside Eritrea. Lies and raw propaganda are spread daily through regime owned media and repeated thoughtlessly as eyes witness something entirely different. Richard Pryor’s “Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?” would have been a fitting tag line for EriTV. Of course, it has to be Orwellian and “serving the truth” is what we have instead.


Disturbingly, one also sees similar undemocratic tendencies in the opposition camp. We see potential allies often undermining each other and breaking short-lived alliances acrimoniously. Severely divided, they pose no threat to the regime and they have unwittingly become the best allies the ruling elite can ever hope for.


Eritrean womanhood and motherhood, normally the core of Eritrea’s good-heartedness, has been one of the regime’s strongest support bases. This happens, in spite of continuing abuses against women and growing single-parenthood (a new phenomenon) perpetuated by the regime’s failed policies – keeping families apart and driving them deeper into poverty.


The heroic tegadelti who made independence possible, can’t seem to help the beautiful baby they helped deliver either. The tegadelti, the only group who could have said ‘enough!!’ with unquestioned authority and credibility to reverse the betrayal, didn’t – at least not with sufficient voice to make a difference. So, maybe there is something about the Eritrean ‘environment’ that breeds tyrants after all. Why do we so miserably fail to raise our voices TOGETHER to protect the country we profess to LOVE from crimes no one denies are taking place, but many either find lame excuses or blame others for?


But an apology before going further: I do admire and acknowledge the brave men, women, tegadelti and diaspora Eritreans who have been at the forefront of the fight for justice and freedom. They have paid dearly - some with their lives – and of course, this broad brush does not apply to these fearless few. They are the ones whose fearlessness we need to honor and emulate.


Do we have what it takes to expand the dialog and to get along?


It is time to find new and better ways to rectify the mess we have gotten ourselves into. Making genuine attempts to listen to the ‘other side’ and forgiving others (as well as ourselves) for past mistakes would be a good place to start. No matter which group we belong to, the fact that we have the same hopes and aspirations for a better Eritrea should not be in question. We can challenge the effectiveness of the methods we want to pursue to get there but not the end goal. It is okay to support the regime, for example, but only conditionally -- especially when the crimes are so egregious.


I once tried this logic of all of us having common national goals with one of the regime’s supporters. He fired back saying ‘Hade zeykone Elamana!’ asserting “patriots” like him and people who publicly disagree with the government of the day that is behaving badly cannot have the same goals. Such self-appointed ‘super citizens’ will always be there to impede good dialog but the focus should be on how to engage the vast silent majority that is hedging, reserved, doubtful or afraid to stand up and to demand better – an accountable government with adequate checks and balances to tame a rogue regime from destroying the nation.


A severely weakened Eritrea with no clear succession plan should be an issue of deep concern for everyone. But a great opportunity to expand the dialog was missed recently when Isaias was rumored to be gravely ill or dead. And a precious moment to elevate the dialog to a relevant national issue of common interest was squandered. The regime had full control to stop the rumors at any time but it chose to create mini-dramas within the drama instead. No surprises there. What was truly surprising, however, is the rest of the population did not demand to know why Eritrea still has no clear succession plan either. As it turned out, Eritrea’s future remains shackled to one sick man’s whims and we are back to the grand strategy of waiting for him to die. Then what? Wait for the next tyrant to die too?


There are probably more good reasons in Eritrea than in the Arab world to legitimize mass uprising. What could be the chances of that? But this article is too long already. Time to wind it down by repeating team Arbi Harnet (who deserve everyone’s support!!): “We either make injustice in Eritrea obsolete or we risk Eritrea becoming obsolete”. The rewards of not allowing Eritrea to become obsolete are massive -- if we can only learn how to get along!

Unfiltered Notes: Rays of Hope with EYSC’s Freedom Friday

By T. Stephanos              Email: testifanos@gmail.com
April 13, 2012

It is refreshing to see EYSC’s (Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change) Freedom Friday initiative launched with the stated goal of eradicating dictatorship in Eritrea. According to EYSC, 10,000 robocalls and 2000 personal calls have been made so far (listen to recorded message here: http://eysc.net/pr/arbi_harnet_voicemessage.WMA). Could we be witnessing a long overdue tipping point building up that will finally free Eritrea from the string of negatives it has been subjected to?

Although Eritrea has been a source of bad news for a long time, the news over the last few years has gotten consistently worse. Eritrea being one of the top exporters of refugees, about 400 drowning in the Mediterranean last year, Eritreans raped or murdered for organ harvesting in Egypt, the sadistic regime mocking those facing these horrific crimes as ‘people going on a picnic’, sanctions that have left the country isolated and friendless, an impoverished and severely weakened nation on the brink of irrelevance are just a few of the negatives Eritrea is unfortunately known for. Regime supporters routinely point out infrastructure development as a major accomplishment, which is true. But building roads, schools and clinics -- although a good thing -- should not be mutually exclusive with freedom and justice. Our roads have failed to become arteries of vibrant commerce and free movement; and our schools have failed to become centers of excellence ( click here to read journalist Amanuel Mahdere’s excellent summary and the tragedy of students begging for bad grades and teachers threatening misbehaving students with good grades as punishment ). Instead of waking up people’s conscience for Arab spring type of uprising, however, we have a population that is numbed into paralyzing inaction on one hand and a vicious but lucky dictatorship comfortably holding on to power on the other.

In spite of the ruling elite’s habitual tendencies to self-destruct, it faces no threats from the opposition which continues to be severely divided. Additionally, the tolerance for suffering by the larger population has been unnaturally high with no apparent threshold for outrage. And whenever we get to a point where we think it can’t get any worse, it does. Latest case in point: after Yemane, Osman and ‘wedi Gerahtu’ assured the late Naizghi Kiflu’s family the regime will take care of his burial expenses, Isaias got totally unhinged and blocked the burial from taking place in Eritrea. The stalemate with the dead body is over two months old now. The family is still waiting but Isaias, unfortunately, holds all the cards. The shame continues.

ምስ ሬሳ ዝረባረብ ፈዅሱ ድዩ ተጸሊሉ
ተጸንቂቐየ ጉሓፉኒ ይብለና ድኣ ከይህሉ።
አምበር ሬሳ ኣውዲቐ ኢልካ ፈኸራስ ኣይጥዕናን
ኤርትራ ተዋሪዳ ሓፊራ ነውሪ'ዩ ኣይባህልናን።

Could this be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back? If the notorious Naizghi was buried in Eritrea as the regime’s three officials promised, the petty grudges would have been buried with him and Eritrea would have been spared another embarrassment. Getting into a duel with a corpse only illustrates yet again that Africa’s so-called “strong men” are indeed a sorry lot who never fail to find deeper bottoms to sink their countries to. Will the ruling elite’s messengers finally get it that as far as Isaias is concerned, everyone is disposable (kedemti, in the regime’s vulgar vernacular). If he does this to his friend and once trusted partner in crime, why would anyone’s fate be different?

EYSC To The Rescue?

Whether EYSC’s robocalls will spark positive change to come from within Eritrea remains to be seen but the approach is refreshingly brilliant. Of course, the regime will unleash all its dirty tricks to divide the movement as it has so successfully done with other groups before. This time, for Eritrea’s sake, the new wave better be strong enough to live up to the task. There will be challenges and missteps along the way. The important thing is to learn from them and to regain the stride quickly. Here are some random thoughts for EYSC and supporters to consider as the struggle continues.

• Keep it young. This doesn’t mean the older generation has nothing to offer but given our track record so far, we have very little to show for the noise we generate. Based on past experiences, if we are given two hours to come up with serious plans for the future, we (the older generation) will waste one hour and 55 minutes re-hashing the past. More often than not, nothing enlightening comes from such exchanges. Let time take care of those who won’t let go. Keep it young, keep it action oriented and keep going.

• Embolden people inside Eritrea. That is where the center of gravity for real and durable change should be. Boost the morale of change agents inside Eritrea by challenging and exposing the regime’s messengers (minus inappropriate insults) and foiling its events (legally). Illegality is the regime’s domain, don’t go there.

• Be humble and listen to other voices. Give credit to others when credit is due. Share successes and take responsibility for mistakes. Extreme arrogance as personified by the ruling elite (complemented by our gullibility to be fooled almost all the time) is one of the root causes of Eritrea’s total lack of self-reflection and inability for self-correction – so far.

• Be very clear about what you are for and what you are against. The reason why Eritrea’s independence is devoid of freedom and justice is because almost all attention before independence was focused on getting rid of Ethiopia. Necessary time and energy was not invested to develop a vision of what a free Eritrea should be like. We should not repeat the same mistakes again by focusing all attention on just getting rid of hgdef’s dynasty. Will we allow injustice and lawlessness to be the norm again under different players?

• Prepare for things to get worse before they get better. Previously functioning laws and community-based problem-solving practices have either been destroyed or severely weakened denying Eritrea a roadmap for quick recovery. When the regime goes (and it will go), the void can trigger unpredictable events a future dictator in waiting can hijack. How will such events be contained? That is when good leadership from EYSC and from change agents inside Eritrea will be most needed.

• Engage the YPFDJ positively. Challenge them to live up to the ideals of their name -- Democracy and Justice. Many are misguided and/or misinformed but are smart enough (and hopefully humane enough) to see the irony of their ‘royal’ treatment at the expense of Eritreans their age who are doomed to a life of servitude. Based on its actions so far, the regime will have no qualms repeating the devastating ghedli-era civil war by pitting Eritreans against each other just to stay in power. Anticipate this and deny it its habitual addiction to sadistic pleasure.

• Reject the temptation to associate someone’s bad deeds with what percentage of their blood is Eritrean or with their religion or region. Such mindset diverts attention away from real issues that need to be addressed urgently. Repeating this mistake will only contribute to Eritrea’s backwardness, making it look more like Somalia and less like the civilized nation it should be.

• Refocus attention to the economy and good education ( the negatives Amanuel Mahdere has identified must be reversed). With hyperinflation and existing anemic economy (with exports estimated at $20 million annually), no one in Eritrea can afford day-to-day living with honest earnings today. Even higher revenues from gold over the next decade or so, will not change the situation much without fundamentally changing our educational and economic realities.

• Stay focused on the real issues. The regime has perfected the art of diverting people’s attention away from its failures by blaming others (CIA, Ethiopia etc). So much so that we easily recognize and condemn injustice with exaggerated moral indignation when we see it done to others only to fall silent or fish for incoherent excuses as we witness worse injustices committed by our own against our own. We don’t stop to think that the CIA did not mow down the disabled veterans in cold blood, embezzle money from families by holding aging parents hostage, create havoc in society by deposing and promoting religious leaders, or make Astier Yohannes and countless others disappear. And more recently, we know Ethiopia or the CIA did not shame Eritrea by picking a fight with a dead body.

With action-oriented and renewed energy, EYSC is on the right track to accomplish its stated goal to end dictatorship in Eritrea. Such worthy goal deserves our full support. If done well, Eritreans will finally be able to enjoy true freedom and justice which independence was supposed to have brought along 21 years ago.

Unfiltered Notes: Eritrea at a Crossroads – The people and a disgraced regime

T. Stephanos
testifanos@gmail.com

If Eritrea is to have a better future, the regime that has been actively dimming that future has to go. I love Aklilu Zere’s writings but this article (http://www.ehrea.org/birth.php) from 2003 in particular, still rings in my head. It paints a clear picture of how Isaias and his murderous ways have been continuously destroying lives for almost 40 years. As Aklilu aptly puts it "Why would a mad man change his behavior if every time he takes an action nothing happens to him?" Isaias is in New York now for UN’s 66th session facing demonstrators, both for and against – and the against is particularly significant. Organized by Eritrean Youth for Change and other brave Eritreans, this is probably the first time on American soil he will be hearing a different music directly. We are at a crossroads.

Since the regime has confiscated all of Eritrea’s resources, it has the means to make louder noises compared to the opposition – good material for its propaganda machine. But the voices of reason are also getting steadier and louder giving one hope that Eritrea could be next in line to topple another brutal dictator as the brave people of the Arab world have been doing. Could this be our own Rosa Parks moment, finally tipping the balance in favor of people power?

Following are two true stories to illustrate the two competing value systems in play – one based on mutual respect, listening and problem solving and the other on embezzlements, lawlessness and destruction. The first story, from a recent family gathering, is as inspiring as the second is depressing. Hopefully, the first one will prevail.

Bashay Zerai was a prominent member of his village’s baito (court). Through dialog, he and his friends regularly settled village matters under the proverbial daEro tree. One day Bashai Zerai hired an orphan boy to tend to his cattle. The boy, mesmerized by the baito discussions failed to attend to his duties and the cattle he was supposed to shepherd grazed someone’s wheat field. Understandably, there was one unhappy villager who reported the incident to Bashai Zeral. In a temporary loss of temper, Bashai Zerai hit the boy as elders often did to reprimand the young. Bashai Zerai’s good friend was not pleased when he heard this.

After deliberations of the next day’s cases were completed and people were getting ready to go home, Bashai Zerai’s friend made an announcement that they are not done for the day yet. Surprised, everyone settled down. He said "Bashai Zerai, everyone knows you are my good friend. And as your good friend it is my duty to point out something that is troubling me. You hit a boy who has no mother or father yesterday. That is not good. I know you very well and I am sure how you reacted does not please you either. As your good friend I just want to let you know that".

To which Bashai Zerai replied "HaqKa, Hmaq meAlti wEile", meaning you are right, it was unbecoming of me to behave so. The next day, Bashai Zerai went to Asmara to buy new cloths for the boy as an expression of genuine apology.

The story has many layers of beauty. It is indicative of the intrinsic kindness people have towards each other, their readiness to feel the pain of others and do something about it. The story also shows the true meaning of friendship – one pointing errors when they occur as a good friend should and the other heartily accepting responsibility because real friendship is just so. And finally closing the matter, with a specific action that leaves no doubt that words and deeds are in complete harmony.

Contrasting this value system, we now have Eritreans flying from all over to welcome a murderer (re-read Aklilu’s above mentioned article if still in doubt), which leads to the second story.

My wife and I were at a friend’s house where friends of friends were also present. As is often the case, Eritrean affairs started dominating the conversation. I thought I had heard all the vulgarity spewed by the regime’s supporters until someone (not my friend) said the reason why DuruE and his colleagues are imprisoned is because Isaias cares about them so much, he had to put them away to protect them from an angry public that would kill them for the treason they committed against the nation. Wow!

I guess it matters little to this crowd that many of the disappeared have died in prison already. Family members were not allowed to visit them when they were alive nor claim their bodies for proper burial. Having been stripped of all human dignity in life and in death, where do they see the caring?

Isaias has made sure democracy is dead in Eritrea as long as he remains in power and routinely ridicules democracies that are not perfect ("there is no democracy anywhere"). The one who has nothing to offer is laughably declaring those who cannot deliver 100% as failures. How would you feel if your friend or your child told you "I failed ALL my exams but no worries. Not all of my classmates got all A’s either?" Strangely, his worshipers somehow swallow this whole failing to see the irony even as they are actively squandering their own democratic rights to glorify tyranny -- essentially cursing their own free lives in the West and condemning their own people in Eritrea to continued indignities of oppression and poverty.

Some 2400 years ago, Pericles, paying homage to Athenian culture of his time, said the real disgrace of poverty is not in owning to the fact but in declining to struggle against it. Only in Eritrea’s case, the disgrace is deepened by a regime that has actively promotes poverty through slave labor under the guise of "national service" and by killing all forms of personal freedom.

So, are we -- as a society -- going to choose the values Bashai Zerai and his friends lived by or that of a regime that has outdone its predecessors in the distribution of misery? Click here to read an excellent article by "Bana from Asmara" with poignant points on what those who still support the regime can do to redeem their humanity. There is still hope for many. For some, there is really nothing that can be said or done. They will die with the disgraced regime – not unlike those who blindly followed Hitler, Idi Amin, Gaddafi, and countless dictators that history is, unfortunately, full of.

Unfiltered Notes: Blood Gold -- Western mining companies enabling tyranny in Eritrea

T. Stephanos
testifanos@gmail.com

With dreams for a better future all but shattered, Eritreans have been fleeing their country in droves giving Eritrea the unenviable distinction of becoming one of the world’s biggest prisons and exporters of refugees (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/17/eritrea-human-rights). The regime’s terrorism against its own people spares no one. Peacefully demonstrating disabled veterans were brutally mowed down in the early 1990s. The cold and calculated message conveyed by Eritrea’s dictator, Isaias Afworki, at the time was if he can be that barbaric to disabled veterans who made Eritrea’s independence possible, then anyone who dares to ask for freedom and justice will fare no better.

Thousands of courageous Eritreans who dared have disappeared since. And those under 50 are condemned to a life of slave labor under an endless national service program -- supposedly designed to safeguard Eritrea’s security. To get it out of the way so they can get on with the rest of their lives, young people willingly signed up for the program when it was first announced with an 18-month limit in 1994. Sixteen years later, denied of all forms of personal freedom to lead normal lives, they find themselves trapped and betrayed.

Not surprisingly, those who can are leaving to "anywhere but here" facing harsh deserts and high seas in the process. And that is after surviving the regime’s shoot-to-kill policy. 335 Eritreans who braved the Sahara desert drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to cross to Italy on March 22, 2011 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/lampedusa-african-migrants-feared-dead). Hundreds more perished in Egypt’s Sinai desert trying to reach Israel. Incapable of feeling the pain of his own people, Isaias and his blind followers routinely mock these victims as people going on a picnic.


Western Companies - Lifeline to Tyranny
Western mining companies, mainly Canadian (Nevsun) and Australian (Chalice Gold), now prop up Eritrea’s tyranny further extending the misfortune of the people. Given the current situation in the Arab world, a Western firm would be widely ridiculed if it openly praised Gaddafi or Assad. Sadly, praising Eritrea’s dictatorship brings no such shame.

Mr. Clifton Davis, The CEO of Canada’s Nevsun Resources Ltd (NSU-TSX), says "there is no government corruption in Eritrea (http://www.capitaleritrea.com/business/nevsuns-ceo-makes-the-cover-of-resource-world/). This is morally and factually wrong. To give Mr. Davis the benefit of the doubt, maybe he does not realize Isaias already owns all the resources of the country and doesn’t have to ask him for bribes directly. But contrary to Mr. Davis’s assertion, government corruption is so pervasive the regime has ruled the country opaquely without a budget for the last 20 years. Courageous Eritreans who demanded accountability and transparency about their country’s affairs and its finances have all disappeared -- many presumed dead after years of no news of their whereabouts (http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/eritrea-prisoners-conscience-held-decade-must-be-released-2011-09-19). Corruption at the top is flagrant running the gamut of embezzlements, contraband trade, human trafficking and rampant sexual abuses of young women.

It can be said with almost 100% certainty that Nevsun is using slave labor in Eritrea today. And how does this happen? The regime, through the many companies it owns, assigns itself to be a subcontractor for foreign firms like Nevsun and collects full worker salaries that appear reasonable by ILO standards from them. It then pays the poor Eritreans it has subjugated to slavery under the guise of national service, 400 Nacfa per month -- the equivalent of less than $10 USD at current real market rates.

What can $10 per month buy you? A young family of four, if it has the luxury of three meals a day, and bread is all the family had every single day, the 400 Nacfa will not even last 10 days. That is with nothing left for vegetables, eggs, milk, shelter or other basic necessities. And how do people survive in this severely mismanaged country? The lucky ones have relatives outside who can support them. Those who don’t, suffer all the indignities of poverty including begging.

As hopeful as Eritrea’s gold rush may sound at first glance, very little if any, is expected to trickle down to the people. As it has been doing with Eritrea’s meager resources during the last 20 years, the regime will squander the gold revenues too – to fund internal and external terrorism. Luckily, some now understand the true nature of the regime and the UN has sanctioned it as a sponsor of (external) terrorism. To Eritreans under its direct control, however -- especially those under 50 – infliction of fear and terror have always been its ever present trademarks.


What Eritreans hope Canada and Australia would do

Although Eritreans bear the primary responsibility of deposing the oppressive regime, they also need moral and material support from the world at large. The UN is doing its part to tame the rogue regime partially. Similarly, the Canadian and Australian governments can play a decisive role to support the Eritrean people in their struggle for freedom and justice. A couple of months ago, England was able to free four of its citizens the Eritrean regime imprisoned for six months. The UK’s threat to declare the 2% embezzlement tax the regime imposes on Eritreans abroad illegal was all it took for the regime’s bombastic posturing to fizzle out. If Canada and Australia use the same threat and make it stick, Eritreans victimized by this criminal regime will be forever grateful. The press of the free world can also help by keeping officers of Western companies and their PR departments to be truthful by challenging them when they make outrageous statements that are offensive to the people victimized by unelected regimes they happen to be partnering with. Dictators are horrible creatures. Glorifying them with positive attributes they don’t possess, as Mr. Davis did, only adds insult to injury.

Eritreans do understand Nevsun and the other mining companies are in the business of making money and should be rewarded for the risks they take in their endeavors. The shady character it is partnering with in Eritrea increases the risk even more. In fact, Nevsun itself was a victim of the regime’s erratic leader when it was kicked out from Eritrea in 2004(http://www.resourceinvestor.com/News/2007/10/Pages/Nevsun-Flies-on-Bisha-Go-Ahead.aspx) that shareholders need to be keenly aware of. Second, it is possible but unlikely Nevsun can accelerate recovery of all expected profits before the regime falls to minimize the risk. If not, it would not be unreasonable to imagine a future Eritrea that feels no obligation to fully honor contracts that enabled this regime to inflict so much misery. That day of reckoning could arrive suddenly as it did in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Syria and Yemen should be next and Eritrea, hopefully, not far behind.

To accelerate the arrival of that day, the Eritrean opposition and civic organizations must create much stronger alliances than before. Some have started puncturing the regime’s bombastic propaganda machine as some brave activists did in London recently during a meeting organized by the regime’s ambassador there. Isaias is now in New York for UN’s 66th session and to rally his worshipers who have, so far, failed to feel the pain and the crushing poverty their own people are subjected to. It is time Isaias and his puppets faced the same music their cowardly peers in the Arab World got loud and clear -- thanks to the inspiring iron will of the Arab people. And little by little, this regime will be no more brightening Eritrea’s future

Unfiltered Notes: Comments on “The Eritrean Covenant”

testifanos@gmail.com

I finally got a chance to read The Eritrean Covenant (http://eritreancovenant.com/blog/the-eritrean-covenant) and in spite of some misgivings, which I will get into later, I found it to be a well intentioned document worthy of everyone’s support. Its clarion call for “radically different and transformative approaches” is a timely one. If heeded, it will go a long way in refocusing the disparate activities of many people and organizations who have so far failed to cooperate effectively to bring about positive change. The document invites everyone to imagine a better tomorrow and its emphasis on “emancipation of women” through education is particularly refreshing. After all, it is impossible for any nation to grow to its full potential when half of its saner population is intentionally diminished.

The document’s first words are “reviving the Eritrean Covenant”, indicating there is an original the authors were striving to bring to life. Could this be a reference to the two underappreciated giants of Eritrean history, Ibrahim Sultan and Woldeab Woldemariam – who, along with their followers, swore to fight for a common cause on the Quran and the Bible some seven decades ago? If so, even better. (Incidentally, Ibrahim Sultan has at least one high school in Asmara named after him. I can’t name anything named after Ato Woldeab, which is a real shame).

The authors identify the real culprits marginalizing Eritrea today by saying “the privileged clique is a small minority that is mostly made up of Tigrinya-speaking men, Christian Highlanders who now are in their 60’s and whose number is estimated to be a maximum of several hundreds (emphasis added)” -- which is a good thing. But a few hundred misguided individuals out of 4 million people is hardly representative of “Tigrigna speaking, highland Christians”. That being the case, why focus on this wording -- especially since these words often stir negative emotions among some? And even after such decent attempt to identify the real enemy of the people, the authors -- by implication or by assertion -- repeatedly chose to credit this “clique” with attributes it doesn’t possess.

For example, the authors falsely portray the regime as an entity that is advancing “.. the position of their particular ethnic group(s) to the detriment of others” to which one can only say “ezgiher wanaKum!”. One hopes the authors will realize, at least in hindsight, how deeply hurtful it is (some might even say insensitive or outright insulting) to tell the victim of abuse that the abuser is actually a caring protector. Doesn’t this contradict the call for “radically different and transformative approach”, that is so critical to building much needed bridges and alliances?

Some of the things missed or misrepresented may not seem important when taken individually but juxtaposed against “apartheid like ... ethnocratic patronage system...” that advances “… the position of their particular ethnic group(s) to the detriment of others”, it make the good intentioned document lose some of its edge.

The authors seem to forget since this regime came to power, every segment of Eritrea’s population has been impoverished, villages have been drained out of their resources and youthful energy, the family unit has been gutted out to provide the raw material for the regime’s failed social experiments, people have become virtual slaves and the list goes on. Can one really name any ethnic or religious group for whom the quality of education has actually improved (remembering the regime closed the only university the country had)? Or where freedom of religion and expression has flourished? Any place where people are free from harassment, imprisonment or disappearances? Any doubt the only thing this regime is good at is distribution of misery?

It is not hard to appreciate and sympathize with the grievances of Muslim Eritreans. Some, like Muslim sites not being included in the Cultural Heritage restoration program, are uniquely Muslim and, of course, shameful. But when the authors list “religious discrimination, marginalization, torture, murder by death squads, abduction, .. harassment; persecution of religious leaders and scholars; imposition of government appointed religious leaders; …” as “grievances of Eritrean Muslims”, it leaves the rest of their compatriots wondering why they don’t seem to recognize these are also crimes being committed against ALL Eritreans.

The regime has devised and implemented many ways to divide Eritrean society. And with easily manipulated population, whatever they tried have worked very well for them. The gebar vs tegadalay dichotomy was a clever ploy that worked very nicely for them right out of the bat. The authors add one of the many divisive practices of the regime by saying “whenever there is a roundup of draft dodgers, some residents of the Eritrean Highlands misdirect their resentments towards those who conduct them, who often are disproportionately Muslims from the Lowlands”. That said, why isn’t it clear to the authors that they themselves are misdirecting resentments when they say there is an “ethnocratic” regime that is protecting highlanders/Christians to the detriment of others – thus punishing their compatriots for uncommitted crimes? There could, of course, be differences of degree. But that is perfectly in line with the clique’s objectives – to give the impression that it cares about this group or that, when it actually doesn’t.

Here is a good example of where the authors play right into the devil’s hands. The document says “anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of the youth fleeing conscription are Christian Tigrigna speakers from the Highlands. This evokes painful memories in our history when one segment of our society is perceived to be less committed to national causes”. The fact that Tigrigna speaking Christians are voting with their feet only proves the clique has never been there to promote their interests in spite of the authors’ assertion to the contrary. Yet, and I sincerely hope I have misunderstood this, the authors chose to give the plight of the fleeing youth an unpatriotic twist. Comparing this with “Eritrean Muslims have always been true to national unity” which lacks historical perspective (ELF) and the authors’ brave admission of “Muslim leaders played a destructive role in igniting the fratricidal battles that wasted the lives of many Eritrean combatants”, only compounds the confusion their readers are subjected to.

At times, it appears the authors could not agree among themselves and it seems statements were thrown in to appease opposing stakeholders who can’t reconcile their differences. An example of which is “the amelioration of Christian suffering was not Isaias’ concern..”. And then there is this: “The hopes of Eritrean Muslims were quickly dashed when the course of events conspired to bring about Isaias at the helm of power..” and “...his old hatred of Eritrean Muslims”.

No matter how one tries to spin things, there is no denying it that everyone’s hopes were dashed. In the eyes of this regime, there is no privileged group be it lowlander or highlander, Muslim or Christian. And this point is actually not lost to the authors because they acknowledge as much, at times by positive assertion and sometimes through negative logic – as when they suggest highlanders fleeing the wrath of the regime are unpatriotic --but nevertheless admitting, albeit involuntarily, that the regime is not in the business of protecting anyone. What does one expect from a clique whose leader says democracy will never see the light of day in Eritrea and that Eritrea is a place where “nobody promises anything to anybody”? And why is that alone, not sufficient to galvanize people together? It is not helpful to argue whether this tragic figure hates Muslims more than others -- he hates everybody.

The authors state they “... are encouraged to see the regime is being abandoned daily by its rank and files who are rejecting its divisive policies of pitting Eritreans against each other along regional, ethnic, and religious lines (emphasis added)”. Recognizing this fact alone should have been sufficient for the authors to pause and restate some of their dubious assertions. After saying this, it should not have been necessary to say “Eritrean Muslims are treated as second-class citizens by the ruling clique in their own country”. There is no doubt Muslims are treated as second class citizens. But then who isn’t? Compared to Abdella Jaber, Ali Abdu, Alamin and other Muslim members of the regime (and remembering the ruling clique numbers only a few hundred), any highlander/Christian is a second class citizen. Unfortunately, by focusing on Muslim victimhood and presenting it as if it is happening in isolation, the authors themselves, one could argue, may have inadvertently contributed to “pitting Eritreans against each other”.

While applauding the level headed Muslim and Christian writers who objectively share their thoughts with balanced perspective, it is hard to fathom the obsession of some who exaggerate regional, ethnic and religious differences -- playing right into the hands of the regime they proclaim to be fighting against. Why is it necessary to call victims being uprooted from their ancestral villages and forcibly being relocated “land grabbers”, for example? Doing so indicates the lack of understanding of Eritrean village life. Does anyone really believe highland villagers woke up one day and said “let’s go grab some land from the lowlands?” It will be wise to make a distinction between victim and victimizer.

Remembering where I grew up in Eritrea, it does not resemble anywhere close to the hateful division our cyber warriors keep on perpetuating. What I remember is PEOPLE (Muslim and Christian) sharing peaceful village life, mutually respectful of each other, at times risking their lives to protect life time friends of the other faith, chatting away for what seemed to be eternity asking about each others’ families wellbeing, sharing moments of happiness at each others’ weddings, sharing moments of pain at each others’ funerals, mischievous Muslim and Christian youngsters conspiring to cheat fasting traditions to the angst of conservative parents and so on. I never witnessed or heard of violence or exchange of angry words based on religion. Where our cyber warriors hail from, I can’t say.

If it is prejudice and ignorance that irks them, it is part of the human DNA and there is really not much one can do about it other than to reach out to each other, and to educate one another. Prejudice, of course, should never be justified but it should not be given more weight than it deserves, especially when the one feeling the outrage at the moment is not free from it to begin with. One hears Muslim grievances that Eritrean highlanders/Christians have closer affinity with Ethiopia and are prejudiced against their Muslim compatriots. Similarly, one also hears grievances that Eritrean Muslims have closer affinity with Muslims from anywhere and are prejudiced against their Christian/highlander compatriots. In the minds of those who have made up their minds, all this is no doubt “true” – even when it is not.

That is why The Covenant is a good place to start for reaching out and for cross education. Although it falls short in some of its analysis and diagnosis, it should be supported for its intended spirit. It should be shared and discussed widely. Hopefully, the authors will one day come out to promote it openly and actively. That will be a great way to honour Ibrahim Sultan and Woldeab Woldermariam – by stopping the blame game and trying “radically different and transformative approaches” to bring about positive change for ALL.

Unfiltered Notes: Idi Amin Buffoonery Reincarnated in Eritrea

testifanos@gmail.com

The latest Al Jazeera interview with Mr. Isaias (http://asmarino.com/interviews/563-talk-to-al-jazeera-president-isaias-afwerki- ) was, for me, by far the most painful to watch. At one level, you feel sorry for him as he demolishes the dignity of his own person and that of the nation to shreds. Then you think of the hundreds of thousands of lives he has willfully destroyed and the initial feeling quickly fades into anger and disappointment. Every fact the journalist posed was rebuffed as a “pack of lies” not backed by “evidences”. Even responding to the question about the defection of Eritrea’s soccer team in Kenya and other athletes who defected in Scotland - which everyone knows to be true - is apparently, another “pack of lies”. He flatly said “this is news to me, I have never heard anything like that”. Whhhaaat!? So who is running the country if he is that clueless? Of course, he knows better and leaves little doubt as to who is the real source of the “pack of lies” - him.

There is nothing wrong with asking for evidence. In fact, it is a responsible thing to do. But if he is so fond of “evidences” all of a sudden, then we should also turn the tables and ask “evidences” from him. So, to start with, where are your “evidences”, Mr. Isaias, to back up your claims that your former colleagues and the journalists you have jailed for a decade are spies?

But let’s not fool ourselves. After all, this is a chap whose future is sadly behind him. There is really no point in trying to make sense of what he says anymore. Barring blind believers waiting for miracles of rapture, I have to believe there are decent folks who, for one reason or another, supported the regime in the past but keep finding themselves conflicted every time Isaias opens his mouth. Here are a few points to pause over and think about that even a five year old would have no trouble debunking. The quotes are his exact words from the interview.

“We never had any problems with Ethiopia”. Good. Then why did you sacrifice tens of thousands of our youth in a bloody war with people you don’t have any problems with? Aren’t you the one who started the war that consumed so many lives and property to supposedly avenge the killings of a handful of Eritreans whose names you have not shared with the public yet. Oh, by the way, where are the “evidences” for that?

“There has to be inclusive and comprehensive political process” for Somalia, Sudan etc, And not for Eritrea!? Does he even remember anymore that he is supposed to be Eritrea’s ‘leader’? As his supporters, doesn’t it make you angry that he actually knows what is good (like inclusivity) but never wishes those good things for his own people? In fact, not only does he not wish them for his people, he does everything he possibly can to make sure they don’t ever set foot in Eritrea’s soil.

Let me go off a tangent for a bit here. I have heard arguments before that he does these things because he is truly not Eritrean. Don’t believe it. Isaias is Eritrean, it is just that he is an Eritrean brute, our brute. Framing one’s thoughts around what percentage of one’s blood is this or that, on top of being so archaic, is also absolutely wrong. Although Woldeab Woldemariam was not 100% Eritrean by birth, he was 100% Eritrean by all other measures. I can’t even imagine anyone daring to call himself/herself to be more Eritrean than him.

I was in Eritrea for the duration of the 1998 war, the one Isaias now claims “was instigated by the United States in the first place” -- which, by the way, is absolutely false. During one of the major breaches of Eritrea’s defenses, stories were rampantly going around town that this was the work of a “traitor”, supposedly a former Eritrean tegadalai of Tigrean origin. The story smelled fishy and I asked another tegadalai I knew if this was true. The name of the guy being blamed for the debacle escapes me now, but I learned that the poor fellow was very sick and hospitalized all along. Not only that, the tegadalai I asked said he knows the so-called “traitor” in person and swore that he is no traitor and that he would do no such thing.

I venture to guess some of the “Eritreans” who were spewing this venom would not measure up to match the level of integrity or patriotism of the so-called traitor. I mention this to highlight how irrelevant differences are often cooked up or exaggerated to create divisions where none existed or should exist. The constant demonization of this group or that in our websites falls into this category. Potential allies going at each other with such misdirected energy, as CDRiE was the recipient of recently, only extends the oppression that is suffocating all Eritreans.

"There is no commodity called democracy". This is a tired phrase of Mr. Isaias and can probably be brushed off as such. But doesn’t that make you wonder why the word "democracy" is so prominently included in PFDJ's alphabet soup? Selling a non-existent commodity and successfully getting premium currency for it through various embezzlement schemes for so long, is a sad testament to the willingness of some Eritreans, especially the highly educated ones who can’t stop singing his praises, to be screwed over and over again.

Still doubt democracy actually exists? Even with the benefit of hindsight of the damning interview, many Eritreans participated in demonstrations in support of the regime. Nothing wrong with that if it is done out of deep conviction. But deep conviction is hard to fathom given the context of things these days. Folks participated in the February 22nd demonstrations, probably hurled a few insults at the democratic countries that have generously given them safe haven, went home, slept soundly (I hope) and woke up next morning with no one knocking at their doors in the dead of night to haul them off to jail. Don’t you ever wonder why you can’t do what you did here in Eritrea? Doesn’t that bother you?

So, you see, democracy is still a precious commodity -- except in Eritrea, that is. It exists and you are a living proof that it does. The only difference is Isaias has made sure democracy is a dead commodity in Eritrea and that is why he can declare it so with certainty. And many don't see anything wrong with that, unfortunately.

Eritrea is a country where "Nobody promises anything to anybody". This would be absolutely tragic if it was true. But it isn’t. On the contrary, Isaias himself has been making countless promises all along. Didn’t he promise Eritrea will be another Singapore? Only problem is he doesn’t deliver on those promises; or he delivers the exact opposite of what was promised. "Democracy" and "Justice" were indeed promised, at least by implication, when he created PFDJ -- a misnomer of a beast at whose door steps justice and democracy die every day. The question is: if he makes no promises to the nation he is supposedly 'leading', what is then the point of his "presidency" or even his own personal existence? With no vision to promise and deliver on anything, no wonder things are falling apart.

"This is a mockery of justice". Out of all God's creatures, Mr. Isaias should be among the least qualified to utter these words. He has mocked justice in Eritrea like no other ruler before him. At a whim, he has made people disappear, to which I am sure, he would say “where are the evidences”. We know Astier Yohannes disappeared from the airport as her children were waiting outside for her. I know my friend, Taha Mohammed Nur, died in Isaias' jail. We know the journalists are jailed because Isaias said they were spies, without “evidences”, of course.

"Let the people talk". Kind of ironic coming from the very person doing everything imaginable to ensure people's mouths remain shut - except when it is necessary to grease his weak ego. In essence, making sure all avenues for expressing oneself are non-existent and, for the “show”, declare “let the people talk”. How can people “talk” when demonstrations are illegal inside Eritrea, when news and opinions are only available through propaganda-spewing regime-owned media outlets, when people are not allowed to form associations to solve their own community problems, when it is illegal to gather in groups of more than a handful, when religious leaders are appointed and fired by an atheist regime…?

"Did you enjoy the show?". This was a question posed to the journalist if she enjoyed the Fenkil Festivities in Massawa after she asked why his shoot-to-kill policy is necessary. Yes, orchestrated “shows” are our answer to everything. We have "shows" to show artificial happiness the same way PFDJ is a front (as in not the real thing) for justice and democracy.

When asked who do you consider to be your friends, Isaias said “the whole world outside liars… Everybody is asking why these lies, why these sanctions..”. How I wish he was right! Yes, we did start on the right footing in 1991 with incredible goodwill from the whole world. But squandered it all in no time to the point where “the whole world” -- our neighbors, the whole of Africa and the UN body - took a united stand against us now. In spite of its small population, Eritrea is now among the highest refugee generators in the world. But where would be the evidence for that?

And the conclusion, "We are number one in this continent". This is the type of Idi Amin buffoonery that continues to haunt Africa. Unelected and unaccountable “leaders” stripping the dignity of their people willy-nilly, delivering nothing but empty slogans. Like the tigrigna saying "kebtimo wesidomen, ente xerfi gn zgedfanlom yeblanan". Isaias boastfully claims there is no food shortage in Eritrea and we know better. Isn’t that the sort of callous denial -- the refusal to feel the pain of his people – that eventually brought Haile Selassie down?

Even the most rabid diaspora supporters of the regime are not fooled by this “number one” bull, however. They may wrap themselves in the flag for the "show", curse the very freedoms they enjoy daily, and ungratefully slap the generous hand that feeds them. But they are staying put in their safe havens. They are not moving. What, no one wants to live in the number one country in Africa? Obviously, something must be wrong with that picture.