Category Archives: Negarit

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That is from the bible, just in case. But the bible is ancient, and thanks to the modernizing factor of the PFDJ, we should have another bible: “After the beginning there was another … more

In Salem, Massachusetts, they threw suspected witches into a lake: if they floated they were witches and if they drowned, then they were dead witches. In the abysinian highlands in the past, an Anteregna (goldsmith) faced almost similar mistreatment. Masons, wood-carvers, iron-smiths and goldsmiths sustained much of ancient Axum’s civilization. But the … more

It has been 21 years since Isaias occupied Eritrea, became the Expropriator General, owned everything under the Eritrean sky, and everything that moves or stands on the land—including the cemeteries. It has been 21 years since he began oppressing living Eritreans and denying them a burial space after they die. For … more

Today I feel like throwing a thousand proverbs. Why not, we have an ample supply of anecdotes and other sayings that embody folk wisdom. They lend their use to the most boring writers and speakers. And whenever ideas betray me, I use them; they are handy fillers for a marathon … more

On December 20, 2011, reporting on the meeting of the Eritrean regime’s so-called Cabinet of Ministers, Asmelash, the mouthpiece of the regime recited (among many other personal declarations of Isaias) that the tyrant had given new directives to his servile cabinet ministers. This is what Asmelash reported: “…President Isaias continued, … more

What is in a name? Awasa is a name many considered correct. I found out that it is a corrupted form of Hawassa, which is how its natives call it: Awasa is probably some corruption of the name by some “neftegna” based on the convenience of another language; and it … more

According to Abrahamic religions, the Sinai Peninsula (and Jebel Mussa or Mount Moses), is where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the first set of rules of ethics and worship that still shape the moral values of much of humanity. One of the commandments is Thou Shalt Not Kill, (according … more

I am accustomed to always report to my readers whenever I return from my travels. Here is my report covering a four-week tour to Europe that started  towards the end of September. I delivered speeches in Birmingham, London (UK) followed by Frankfurt (Germany), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), and finally two speeches … more

[This is a speech given on July 20, 2011, at a gathering organized by Eritreans in Las Vegas, Nevada.] A lot of you might think that Eritrea is that small country hugging the western shores of the Red Sea; but you couldn’t be more mistaken. Eritreans have filled the four … more

(The following was presented at a panel discussion under the theme “Eritrea’s Path towards Democracy: Dialogue on Constitutional Issues”. The event was held at the Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville, Maryland, on June 25, 2011; the organizers of the event assigned the topic to the presenter.) I didn’t choose the topic; … more

In the last edition of Negarit, I lamented the sad situation of Assab, and the sadder situation of the people of that region who are denied job opportunities in their own country by a reckless policy of the dictator and his enablers. I was going to leave it at that, … more

As much as I try to stay focused on Eritrean issues, the spirit of the Horn Of Africa pulls me towards it; and the last two months have been phenomenally busy for me. Whenever I sit down to write about something, another thing comes up, and then another, and another. … more

If it wasn’t spoiled for me, I had intended to give my readers a light reportage about my trip to Djibouti (April 3 to 10) and Ethiopia (April 10 to 27). I will do that soon after I take care of a small glitch and do some cleaning up. I … more

(This is a speech delivered on Saturday, March 26, 2011, at a conference organized by the Eritrean Ethiopian Friendship Forum in San Jose, California: “Ethiopia & Eritrea: Healing Past Wounds and Building Strong People-To-People Relationships.”) One night a man came upon a child who was searching under a street lamp for a … more