Author: Saleh “Gadi” Johar
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Eritrean Symbols Of Many Colors
[This article originally appeared on November 14, 2001, it is updated for republishing] A Lion dons a crown and holds a banner; on top of both the crown and the banner’s mast is a cross. That was the emblem of “moAa ambesa ze-amnegede yehuda, grmawi qedamawi atzie haile sellasie, ngusse negest ze-itioPia (The Lion of
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Hamid Mahmoud: Another Hero Buried In Exile
The following post contains my personal notes as well as quotes taken from the Arabic obituary that was issued by the Eritrean Liberation Front on the death of one of the prominent leaders of the Eritrean Liberation Army. In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. “Among the believers are men true
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Ona: Nine-Meter Shroud
As we push towards reconciliation, we have to expose the wounds of the past that always pop-up to hinder the journey. Real reconciliation should not be considered for the sake of political expedience alone. The festering wounds need to be recognized and healed to reach a meaningful and lasting peace. Reconciliation requires a holistic approach.
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Bridge Over Mereb and Other Rivers
[This article is being republished on awate.com with the consent of the Editorial Team of Discourse Magazine to which it was contributed. The maiden edition of the magazine which is published by The Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies Institute appeared on Thursday, 19 January 2017. In a 2010 interview, I asked the late PM Meles Zenawi if Eritrean ports
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Negarit Episode 3: Asmara University and Leba-Shay
I believe the PFDJ’s justice system is inspired by the old Abyssinian tradition of Leba-Shay. Anyone who can spell JUSTICE properly cannot possibly disagree with my assertion. And I am that sure of it. Also, I hope you will enjoy the episode and kindly like, subscribe and share it. Mainly, I am counting on the goodwill of
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The Smashed Eritrean Wristwatch
[this was first published in May of 2015 in objection to an attempt by some hacks to revive old partisan rivalry, and their obsession with partisan politics. Yet, they are the ones who insist on national unity and on focusing to achieve change [justice] in Eritrea. The current debates in some circles make me stick to my
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Berekhet Mengisteab on the Answering Machine
This was first posted on Dehai twenty-years ago (Sun, 3 Aug 1997). I was going over some old files when I accidently stumbled upon it-–I don’t remember the occasion or the inspiration that made me write it, but with minor editing, I thought it serves as an entertainment and easy reading for the weekend. ______________________________________________________________
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Asmara to Geneva: A 25-Years Journey
Clarance Darrow, the famous civil libertarian wrote, “No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed.” He also said, “True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.” Eritrean patriots would attest to that; they have been facing injustice in their own land for
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Untie The Knot In Your Life
Today’s edition is very personal. I am celebrating my 87th cigarette-free day. Three-months of detoxification and I am treating myself to a cup of tea, not in the usual open air, but inside the shop. Over the years I got used to sitting outside, come rain or shine, because I liked what I thought was
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The Prayers Of Good People
Mr. Johar! Mr. Johar! It was Big Bird calling my name; I could see the bright red mouth when it opened its yellow beak. There was clamor, unusual commotion for the calm Sesame Street Show. The noise became tense, and louder. Big Bird continued calling my name: Mr. Johar. Mr. Johar! When I opened my eyes there
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UHURU: An Eritrean Cry From Nairobi
This edition of Negrit comes in two sections. The first is about the journey that culminated in the convening of the Nairobi meeting; the second is a postscript. I believe many are expecting my personal reaction to the “Veto” exercised against my attendance by Andeberhan at the final session of the Nairobi meeting. Indeed they might expect
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Tesemma, The Lion Of Maareba
The history of Eritrea in the forties cannot be remembered without mentioning the Independence Block. And that cannot be mentioned without remembering Ras Tessema Asmerom. The independence block played an important role in the struggle against Eritrea’s unconditional unity with Ethiopia. Tessema Asmerom, a member of the Akele-Guzai nobility, was exposed to limited traditional church
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السياسة الإرترية والتنوّع … بين القول والعمل
حضرت في التاسع والعشرين من شهر أغسطس الماضي إجتماعًا بدعوة من منظمي منتدى بولونيا في أوكلاند . وكنت قد أعددت خطابًا باللغة الإنجليزية ، ولكنني قررت أن ألقيه باللغة التغرينية ، بدون التمسك بالترجمة الحرفية لما في الخطاب . لذلك لست متأكدًا ما إذا كانت كلمتي مختصرة أو مسترسلة ، ولكنني على ثقة بأنني غطيت
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Ali Baabe, Adolescent At Seventy
Sometime ago I discovered Banyan is a name of a tree, but I don’t know why the Indian community that lived in Eritrea was called Banyan. As a child, I was a client of a Banyan barber until he left town. Then I shifted to Aya Estifanos, who also moved to Tessenei. My next barber
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Miriam Was Here In Tigrinya Coming Out In July
It’s with great pleasure that I announce that the Tigrinya translation of my last book “Miriam Was Here” is now accomplished. The translation took almost a year and another several months in editing, checking, proofreading, cover design and registration. I am also glad to announce that I received the prestigious “#BookSeller” award from the PFDJ
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Eritrean Opposition’s Pink Panther Show
I envy people who grew up watching the Pink Panther cartoon show; there was no television where I grew up. But as an adult, I avenged myself; I watched all Pink Panther shows. If you find a strange word, run for the dictionary. If you want to check a location of a country, go for
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The Smashed Eritrean Wristwatch
Some anecdotes are timeless, I will tell you an old one: Adey Tekh’a, was a very old senile woman. A combatant asked her how old she was. She tried to remember, “Since I was baptized as Tekh’a, since I shepherded the goats. What! I could be 400 or 500 hundred years old! ” እምቧዕ!፡ተኽኣ ካብ
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Eritrean Janus Ethiopian Hydra
This edition of Negarit was about to be published when the tragic events in Libya, and then the Mediterranean Sea overwhelmed us. I delayed it for a few days to give people time to mourn. Here, I would like to commend the Ethiopian government for handling the Libya massacre case responsibly, and the Ethiopian people
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Put Off The Lanterns of Terror
This is a bribe, in a nice way, the legitimate kind of bribe. I thought of offering it in preparation for the next edition of Negarit which I suppose will make a few readers uneasy. Please accept this Arabic poem which I wrote over fifteen years ago while I lived in Kuwait. In those days,
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Eritrean Salvation Front Attacks A Government Garage In Asmara
In a statement issued today, March 13, 2015, of which Gedab News received a copy, the Eritrean National Salvation Front (ENSF) announced that its armed unit attacked a government garage in Qohawta neighborhood, southeast of the capital city Asmara. ENSF is an Eritrean opposition organization. According to the statement, the attack was carried out at