We are stuck in a rut, going nowhere fast, running on a treadmill. There is this crushing familiarity from the headlines of the Eritrean state media; the announcements of the opposition organizations; the polemic writings of the writers; the readers’ responses to the writers; and the non-response of those who … more
We are stuck in a rut, going nowhere fast, running on a treadmill. There is this crushing familiarity from the headlines of the Eritrean state media; the announcements of the opposition organizations; the polemic writings of the writers; the readers’ responses to the writers; and the non-response of those who … more
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Philip K. Dick The best way to understand reality has been to contrast it with what it is not: imaginary and false. But that is not as easy as it sounds for reality, like knowledge, is always … more
This was going to be the second installment of the Eritrean Spring, of events from ten years ago, but comes now a horrific story in the here and now, an Eritrean Scream. We Eritreans have the capacity to be shocked still, which was a shock to me: Over 200, nearly … more
This being ten years after 2001, I have been thinking a great deal about what happened in Eritrea ten years ago. Ten years ago, there was a conflict: on the one side, you had journalists, reformers, students, the elderly, ordinary citizens all politely and peacefully requesting modest changes; and on … more
My New Year resolution (which usually lasts all of January) was to get all my news and entertainment from Eri-TV because I heard a true believer explain, with conviction, that Isu-TV provides him with all the entertainment, domestic and international news he needs because he just likes a source that … more
Does our different background translate to different “attitudes and subsequent behavior”? Does our religious, regional, ethnic identity trump our generic national identity? What is the emotive hierarchy among religious, regional and ethnic identities? Say anything negative about things you observe in your own ethnicity, region or religion and you are a self-hating whatever-you-are; say anything negative about somebody else’s ethnicity, region and religion and you are dangerous and divisive. And silence was the norm. That stilted language of polite pretense, QelAlem, is our official language.
moreTo recap, in Part 1, this column argued that one of the primary reasons that Eritrea is in the mess it is in, is because of the Isaiasness of Isaias Afwerki. Thanks to wikileaks, the whole world is now getting a much more detailed, and frightening, glimpse of what every … more
Would the same Isaias Afwerki, but born a Somali, be able to acquire and hold on to dictatorial power for decades in Somalia? Would any Eritrean who didn’t possess the traits of Isaias Afwerki but had strong dictatorial ambitions be able to acquire and hold on to dictatorial power in Eritrea for decades?
moreConsequently, the ICG reports were always famous for their string of non sequiturs. Their conclusions could never be supported by the premise. And the latest one, with or without Andeberhan, is no exception. So, whereas the government supporters are questioning the premise (without going to the details or bothering to present counter arguments), the real problem with the ICG report is, as always, its conclusions. Or, to paraphrase, Dr Ghidewon, it is really a case of Full Monty In, Half Assed Out. I won’t even bother with the acronym for that.
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Yemane Gebreab, the political director of Eritrea’s ruling party, the PFDJ (who is also a “special advisor” to President Isaias Afwerk), was being interviewed by Swedish TV earlier this month. The interviewer wanted to know, among other things: what was the crime of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak who is in … more
“Of Kings And Bandits” is described by its author as the story of Jemal, a young Eritrean boy who grows up in the “garrison town” of Keren, in the heart of Eritrea, in the crossfire between governmental and rebel forces. The title of the book harkens to Steinbeck’s Of Mice … more
On June 2nd, awate.com’s Gedab News broke the news (you are most welcome) that the government of Qatar brokered an agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Djibouti. It took five days (June 7th) for Somaliland (Somalilandpress.com) to confirm the news, 6 days (June 8th) for Qatar and Djibouti to … more
You know those kids who stood outside movie theatres and told the patrons that they were only 5 cents short of the admissions price and could they please get help when, in fact, all they had was 5 cents? You remember those who ate beles “ny sania”: standing in front … more