Author: Saleh “Gadi” Johar
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Awate Day 2026: Twenty-Six Years of Commitment
Today is Awate Day. We mark the 26th anniversary of awate.com and its sister publication, Negarit. Above all, we commemorate the courage and sacrifice of Hamid Idris Awate, who, on September 1, 1961, raised his rifle and lit the first spark of the Eritrean armed struggle for liberation. With that single act of defiance, Awate…
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Court of Law–Seattle as an Example
The rule of law finally reached the PFDJ that spent decades believing it was above the law. The recent Seattle court decision was a victory for the “Eritrean Justice Camp.” It is more than a legal ruling—it marks an important historical milestone. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to that outcome. I also have a few…
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The Horn of Africa’s Catch-22: War Without End
This episode is dedicated to the bereaved—to the ordinary people who pay the price for wars they neither start nor control. In the Horn of Africa, bloodshed has become a grim ritual, as predictable as the ancient sacrifices once offered to appease imagined demons. But the victims are real. The slaughter benefits no one except…
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Who Owns the Legacy of the Martyrs?
Inspired by a Sufi parable and Dante’s imagery of flickering flames, this episode examines the meaning of sacrifice and political memory. Drawing lessons from Algeria’s civil conflict and Eritrea’s post-independence experience, it explores how ruling elites can appropriate the legacy of martyrs while genuine remembrance belongs to the people who continue to honor their ideals.…
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Deposit Your Money or Else: Eritrea’s Banking Ultimatum
Eritrea’s latest directive orders citizens and businesses to deposit cash into banks by July 31 or face legal action. This analysis examines the official notice, its implications, and what it reveals about state control, banking policy, and citizens’ rights.
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The Gettysburg Lesson Eritrea Never Learned
What separates genuine leadership from the exploitation of sacrifice? Using Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as a historical reference point, this essay examines the moral power of leadership during times of national crisis and contrasts it with Eritrea’s post-independence experience. It explores freedom, citizenship, remembrance, national unity, and the responsibility owed to those who sacrificed their…
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Dr. Kebire, The Man We Called Uncle Camera
Last week, we lost an exemplary and peaceful person endowed with a kind heart and a beautiful soul. He was reconciled with all that life gives and takes, both from himself and from others. He lived a spiritually and physically content life. But like every creature, his time was up, and after a long struggle…
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The Merchants of Division: Faith, Fanaticism, and Rationality
For decades we have appealed for national unity, peaceful coexistence, and rational public discourse. Yet fanaticism, intolerance, and hate continue to poison our civic space. Is religion truly the problem—or is it those who misuse it? A personal reflection on faith, reason, and the politics of division
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Archived Interview With Mohamed Taha Tewekel
Introduction The following interview with Mohamed Taha Tewekel was originally published by Awate.com on Sep 12, 2003, at a time when Eritrean politics, regional alliances, and opposition movements were evolving rapidly. The interview captures Tewekel’s recollections, political assessments, and personal experiences as they were expressed at the time. It reflects the atmosphere, assumptions, debates, and…
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From the White House to the Stonehouse
I used to meet an animated, patriotic girl at a neighbor’s house where we gathered on weekends and special occasions. In 1985, just a few days after the September 1 celebrations, we were chatting over coffee. She was nice; only she inserted “Gedli” (struggle) into almost every other sentence she uttered. I teasingly called her…
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The Hewett Treaty and the Road to Adwa
This is a two-part story about Gerald Portal’s delegation to King Yohannes IV, based on Portal’s own book of 144 pages. It’s from a paperback copy of an Arabic Translation by Abdul Hamid Al Hassen and published by “Dar Al Kunuz AlAdabia” in Beirut (1978). Portal’s narration reads like a travelogue and an adventure series.…
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Renewing Awate Without Losing Its Soul
Awate.com is back—with a cleaner, faster, and less intrusive experience after the removal of the excessive pop-ups and disruptive plugins that had burdened the site for far too long. This moment gives us an opportunity not only to announce technical improvements but also to reflect honestly on where we have been, the challenges we faced,…
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Peekaboo: The Ethio–Eritrean Game
The current cycle of this familiar political game began in 2018, when Abiy Ahmed traveled to Asmara to meet Isaias Afwerki. The visit was presented as historic—a turning point not just for two states, but for two peoples long defined by conflict. Yet from the outset, the encounter carried a tone that was more personal…
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PM Abiy, Teddy Afro, and the Politics of Art
For the past few days, Teddy Afro’s new album has drawn wide attention. A friend told me its lyrics have irritated Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and sent me a clip of Abiy lecturing parliament about the difference between artists and activists. That pairing—music and political instruction—raises a deeper question: can art ever be separated…
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Ustaz AbdulHamid: Among the Few Left from the Umma Generation
It was Mendefera, on a January morning in 1929. The wife was expecting; soon, the child refused to remain in the womb and came into the world. An elderly midwife was there to help. The baby looked healthy. She was glad because her prediction had come true—it was a boy. Smiling, she cupped her hands…
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Abiy’s Errand to Abu Dhabi
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Habrengaqa: The Forgotten Line That Almost Divided Eritrea
Many Eritreans do not know the village of Habrengaqa, halfway on the Keren–Asmara road, at the top of the escarpment—a geographical divide between the Eritrean lowlands and highlands. But that is not the source of its fame. Rather, during the turbulent years of the 1940s, the British Military Administration (BMA) of Eritrea had a devilish…
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Power Needs Compliance
Every power structure requires obedience to survive. Intelligent people question authority; obedient people preserve it.
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Lies Define The PFDJ
Most of the materials for this 5-part mini-series are compiled from awate.com, primarily the detailed first-hand testimony contained in Gebremedhin Zegergis’ eyewitness report. It was the first comprehensive testimonial on this subject. This series sheds light on one of the most sensitive and gray chapters in the history of the Eritrean struggle—from the late 1960s…
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Kidane Kiflu, Welday Gidey, and Serryet Addis
“Painting white over the black spots of history does not erase them; it only turns them into shades of grey”