Author: Ismail Omer-Ali
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Independence Day Reflections
Friday, May 24, marked the 28th anniversary of Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia -Eritrea’s proudest and happiest moment when it finally threw off the shackles of colonialism once and for all. The memory evokes in us a sense of liberty and freedom, but as we learned from bitter experience independence does not equal freedom. While freedom
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The Abiy Phenomenon
How volatile human affairs are! A couple of decades ago, who would have thought the wave of democratization that swept the globe after the collapse of the Soviet Union would suffer such a reversal in such a short time? The world had seemed to be moving inexorably towards freedom and democracy and many experts believed
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Are Muslims or Muslim Societies Prone to Violence?
I want to highlight three points in this article. First, I want to underscore the obvious fact that killing of innocents or terrorism is a universal problem and not a “Muslim problem”. Second, I want to present data from official sources to show that things are not always what they appear to be and that
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Is There a Silver Lining for Eritrea?
After living 25 plus years under a dictatorship, hope is one thing many Eritreans will find difficult to hang on to. The question in the title is therefore something that is already in the minds of many Eritreans. Some have given up a long time ago and will answer categorically no. Others continue to hope and
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The Games Of Dictators
In this article, I want to elaborate on the theme I started with in my previous article, “Recognizing The Games Dictators Play“. My objective in bringing the issue is not to stir up old controversies or to wallow in the past but because I truly believe the past is intruding on our thoughts in a
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Recognizing The Games Dictators Play
Have you ever wondered why dictators loom so large in all our history books and why they are so often mythologized and eulogized despite the horrors they unleash? Fear of punishment may explain the submissiveness but what explains the fascination many people have or have had with dictators past and present? More close to home:
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Eritrea: The Fall of Dictatorship And Consolidation Of Democracy
I wrote my introductory remarks (Part 1 of this series) on this topic before reading Saleh Y’s latest piece. Saleh’s article was published on August 30th, mine on 9/3 but I actually sent it on 9/1. So I have not read his article when I wrote my introductory remarks. Curiously, I decided to write on
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Democratization And Transition: Introductory Remarks (Part 1)
The struggle for liberty and justice did not start on September 1, 1961. The date marks the beginning of the armed struggle for independence from Ethiopia. Nor did the struggle end on Independence Day (May 24, 1991). Nor will it end when the dictatorship falls. The search for liberty and justice is an ongoing process
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There Are No Shortcuts To Struggle for Freedom!
In times of great distress (social, economic, or political), nations sprout two types of people: the panicky and the resolute. The panicky as the name implies are those that lose hope, courage, or confidence when “the going gets tough” and whose hopelessness deepens as the struggle drags on. They lack vision, courage, and stick-to-itiveness. Every
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Pondering Democracy
One of the most astonishing phenomena of recent history is the rapidity with which former communist countries forsook communism to flock to democracy. If success can be measured by popularity, democracy has been the most successful. According to Freedom House, 118 out of 195 countries are electoral democracies–the highest percentage since 1989[i]. From Africa to
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Eritrean conditions: Reflections On Independence Day
May 24, 1991. Independence Day! The memory may have faded but few will forget the joy they felt when they first witnessed or heard about the triumphant march of battle-weary EPLF soldiers into the streets of Asmara. Across the board, Eritreans were ecstatically happy and the dancing and celebration would continue for several days. Even
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Yosief’s Circular Journey In Search Of Ethiopia
Yosief’s Circular Journey in search of Ethiopia: an identity Crisis or just plain mischief? When I suggested ignoring Yosief Ghebrehiwet in my last article[1], I had no idea that he had already netted quite a few disciples or that his views were spreading. Since then, I learned from many quarters including from comments on my
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Operation Forto: A Prelude To A Final Showdown?
If you return to awate after a few weeks or even a few days it is hard to catch up but skimming quickly through some of the discussions that passed, the most outlandish was that triggered by Yosief Ghebrehiwet who unabashedly declared that the struggle for independence had been useless! Yosief writes eloquently and cleverly
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Ageism In Eritrean Politics: A Stereotype Gone Berserk?
Why? When that three-letter word is uttered (or rather blurted out) by my daughter, I sometimes wish the word never existed (J). Tell her it is time to go to bed, she wants to know why. Explain that she needs to sleep because she will wake up early to go to school the next day, she
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As You Head To The Conference…
The conference is almost here! In a few days, hundreds of Eritreans from all over the world representing all kinds of political organizations and civil associations will converge in Addis to participate in what will surely be recorded in Eritrean history as an important milestone. The grand gathering will attempt to tie up all the
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Remembering September 1
If you think you know the history of Eritrea, here is a pop quiz: when did Eritrea’s armed struggle for liberation really begin? Was it on 9/1/1961 when Awate fired his first shot as many Eritreans believe or late October 1961 when my late uncle joined the revolution? If you answered 9/1/1961, you would be
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A Short-lived Democracy That Never Was
Two men surveyed the scene in Eritrea from afar. One saw (or thought he saw) a new era of freedom and prosperity and turned to his companion with tears in his eyes and said “how lucky we are to finally witness the birth of a free and democratic Eritrea” His companion who was peering
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Elites, Isaias, EPLF, And The Eritrean people
It is always better to look ahead than to look back; better to propose solutions than to lament the past but the future is so inexorably linked to the present, the present so intimately intertwined to our past, that to ignore the past is to guarantee future failure. As George Santayana once put it “those
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A Nation ready To Explode!
As I was passing by the brilliant young Eritrean who sells hotdogs near where I work, I noticed that he took off the picture of president Obama that always hang on his stand. When I asked him why he said he was mad at him for breaking many of the promises he voted him for.
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On Christmas, Christianity And Islam: Basic Similarities And Differences
Tomorrow more than a billion Christians will be celebrating Christmas all over the world. For Tewahdos, the big day falls on January 7. A day of intense joy for some; a quite day of contemplation and prayers for others; still a nightmare for others, Christmas – whatever secular accretions it has acquired over the years