Author: Saleh “Gadi” Johar
-
The Second Era of The Princes
This is part 1 of a series of four episodes of summarized history of the era in which Atzie Tedros, Queen Victoria, King Yohannes IV, Ambassador Hurmuz Rassam, General Napier, Ras Alula, King Menelik II, and King Umberto of Italy were the main actors. Part 1 is about King Tedros, and Napier and Rassam, the Discoverer
-
Negarit 127: the Mountain That Gave Birth to a Mouse
Ramadan Kareem. This is a special month, and it brings memories though most of my childhood I lived under curfew. Someday I will tell you about characters I associate with Ramadan—Amm Bekhetiay Mohammed Drar Hella, Saleh Ewaale and others. But for toady a simple wish will do; Ramadan Kareem. In addition, I am wishing the
-
Eritrean Insiders and Outsiders!
“I and my siblings against my cousin, I and my cousins against a stranger.” An old Arab clannish saying. The above saying doesn’t promote a principled support of what is right and rejecting what’s wrong but reinforces clannish mentality. It is good to support your relatives provided it is to convince them to cease their
-
Negarit 125: The Testimony of Massawa
ባጽዕ ትመስክር – The Testimony of Massawa – فلتشهد مصوع Colonizers and occupiers of a country influence its people and impose new ideas and languages. The Italian colonization didn’t only introduce Spaghetti to the people but also tomatoes which has now become an integral part of Eritrean cousin in the Eritrean highlands. South of the
-
Eritrea and Eretria
A misfit blaming me in your presence It is a testimony that I am perfect It’s a fact that Italy named our country Eritrea. Colonizers or their agents named other countries, including Aetopia. The Greeks called Africa as Libya—anything below it was Sudan or Aethopia. Some smart guy proposed to Minelik to name his occupied
-
“You Get The Leader You Deserve”?
As Isaias repeatedly reminds us, we are still a primitive subsistence society, but he forgets his system has shackled us in that state unable to break free. But if he was a caring enlightened leader, we could have advanced incrementally, not regressed to where we are now. We are living in the state we lived
-
Ramshackle * ሓሙስ-ሓሙስ ይብል ኣሎ * آيل للسقوط
Before I begin, there is a Tigrinya saying, “Hamus- Hamus tbl alla,” I do not know its origin. If anyone knows, please let me know on the comments section. In my three recent episodes of Negarit I talked about an imminent flood building in our region. It looks like it’s in a “Hamus-Hamus” state—particularly Isaias’
-
Reasons for the Approaching Political Floods
There are many instances of governments that are overthrown, pushed out, reclaiming their authority or totally dying out. In the Horn of Africa, there were many such change of governments. Some short-lived, others permanently die out. Ethiopia In 1960 the Ethiopian Brigadier-General Mengistu Neway led a coup with his younger brother Germame Neway and the Imperial Bodyguard that
-
Get Prepared Before The Flood Arrives
In the Senhit region, all the way to the West, there are rock mounds, there are ancient conical tukul-shaped pyramids covered in fist size stones scattered in many places. They are covered in black stones, rarely with white. I discovered they were graves of notable warriors or clan leaders. The locals told me the colors
-
The Wicked Pact Against Tigray
How do people keep their composure despite an anger? I will start with a Tigrayan Lady whose views I really liked. Principled, to the point and very genuine. Obviously she is in pain due to the current situation in Tigrai; I would be as angrier if I was a Tigrayan. Today the people of Tigrai
-
Ethiopian Northern Command Troops Were Asleep
I am not sure who the president of Sudan was then, but I think it was Ismaiel AlAzhari when a propaganda war followed the 1967 Arab-Israel war. Soon a joke circulated quoting claiming the Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, said, ‘we can occupy Sudan while the people are eating their breakfast.’ The Sudanese are known
-
Abyssinians And Arabs Have Similar Traits
Happy New Year, Aamkum Mubarek, RHuus Haddish Aamet, Bekitet Haddas Senet lideyya, Feliches neues Jahr, Feliz Agno Nuevo, Felice Anno Nuovo, Bonne Annee, Melkam Addis Aamet The following are today’s topics of Negarit 114: 1. The Arab and Abyssinian counting of time is similar, and the origin of Gregorian calendar. 2. A popular saying, if
-
News and Information, Life and Property
My generation grew up consuming news. In Teashops, particularly in the morning, radios blasting, news bulletins from BBC Arabic, VoA, Monte Carlo, and many others. Every artisan on the streets had radios on the shopfronts. Each day I walked to school through the textile and grocery shops, tailors, tin artifact makers who made pots (jebena),
-
The Massacre of Ona and Besekdira: When Scars Replace Wounds
Almost all my generation carry scars on their upper arms. Scars left from the crude type of vaccinations: smallpox, Measles, typhoid, TB, Yellow fever, etc. I say crude because it was not a drop on the tangue, or a pinch with a small needle. They use huge syringe and keep emptying it on your arm.
-
The Sixth and Seventh Kings of Ethiopia
A man from Keren arrived in Asmara and headed to the neighborhood where his relatives lived. Though he had seen the house long ago, he was not sure exactly where in was. Then he saw his relatives’ son sitting on the stairs of a door. He kissed the boy and asked if his parents were
-
What Follows Condemnation?
The dead do not hear. One can whisper, shout, scream, and call a dead person, but you do not get an answer. And like a dead person, the leaders of our region do not listen. I have concluded long ago that they have become prisoners of the social media simply because they cannot control it.
-
Rejecting Wars– A Matchstick in The Horn of Africa
My call for participation from the friends of Negarit is very encouraging. I got a few worthy comments and feedback. They are gems. Imagine if we share all that we know? I am encouraged and I will not stop reminding you to share your knowledge. Thank you and keep them coming.Oh! Before I forget. I
-
The Difference Between Propaganda and Public Relations
When I started to work after leaving Eritrea, I landed at a sales and marketing job. My understanding of sales was clear, but I didn’t understand what marketing meant. My boss at the time, an American veteran of marketing, taught me that a sale is the about taking the product or service to a consumer,
-
Graduated in Coffee Bean Picking
On Negarit 104 I talked about vowels and consonants and why Tigrinya speakers add a “i” vowel to many words like Oklandi, Taxi, Hollandi, etc. A commentator (HTT) explained the reason: it has to do with the word construction and combinations of vowels and consonants. I found his explanation palatable and that is why I am
-
Negarit 103: ከፊሎም ደዊሉ ነሩ- The sponsor called- وأتصل الكفيل
What a change! Smartly dressed PFDJ official, with a bonus. For the first time he travels alone, and he scores two full points. The second person who comes (used to come) second to Osman Saleh was the previous information minister. The current one, I testify, used to dree sharply. But since he started to carry