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The Eritrean keyboard Master: Abdalla Abubakar
Abdalla Abubakar’s towering contribution towards the development of the Eritrean music had not received its due acknowledgement until late. Thanks to the efforts made by Habtom Debessay, there is a documentary released recounting the 50 years of musical life of the legendary Abdallah Abubakar. The war of liberation was raging and came closer to the…
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The Priorities of My Compatriots
Alzheimer’s, or dementia, a disease that causes memory loss, forgetfulness. What happens if a government has Alzheimer’s? God forbid, what happens if the entire population is inflicted by that disease? AS it is, both the government and a big portion of the population seems to have forgotten Eritrea’s prisoners. A few days ago, UN voted…
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Despising Weavers and Tailors!
Comments reflect the commentators’ character. While some are insightful and they help sharpen one’s views, others are vulgar, uncouth, and primitive in nature. But still one can learn from them about the different segments of our society and how they think, their prejudices, perceptions, and worldview. One should not be annoyed by them but on…
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The Primitive Mineliks
A friend told me a joke about someone who frequently climbed up a hill and prayed to win the lottery. One day as he was praying, an angel came gliding and stood in front of him. He screamed: ‘what’s wrong with you, how would God make you win when you haven’t even bought a lottery…
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Three-Legged Stool: Team Lemma, Loses Its Luster
[This Pencil Editorial was first published on March 18, 2019. Today, three years later, we are republishing it hoping it might help refresh our memories on what transpired since then might//Editor] At the beginning, avid admirers considered it pure gold, now they are startled, Team Lemma has lost its luster. Also, unbeknownst to many, it’s…
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So Long Dear Friend
[This memory is the memory of Ibrahim Negash, translated from Tigrinya into English by his younger brother Beyan Negash.] No matter how inevitable. No matter how old. No matter how young. No matter how or when it arrives. The passing of an individual hits hard. When it is the passing of a childhood friend, two doors…
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Book Review: The History of Bilen (by Dr. Jamil Idris)
Book Title:The History of Bilen, past and present Pages. : 245 Publisher: Dar Alma’arif, Aljeria, 2018 Language : Arabic (تأريخ البلين ـ الماضي والحاضر ) Author. : Dr. Jamil Idris Reviewer : Ismael Ibrahim Al-Mukhtar Diversity is a social treasure with immense power to enrich, enlighten and broaden social perspectives. Reversely, it could be a social poison…
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Celebrating Dr Saeed Forma
The last time I eulogized my friend Mebrahtu, I didn’t think I will do another one for a while. But life is such that we cannot predict who leaves next, or when. Yet, we do not stop taking life for granted, especially with our loved ones, or ourselves. But unexpectedly death strikes and reminds us it…
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My Uncle Malik Amber
The Siddis-Ahbash in the Gujarat and Maharashtra regions of India are of African ancestry. They were brought to India by the Arabs, the Dutch, and the Portuguese, as soldiers or slaves. From among them rose the famous Abyssinian ex-slave who became a Kingmaker known as Malik Ambar. Malik Amber, original name Chapu, was born in…
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The Curse of Perpetual Civil Wars
The ghost of the ongoing civil war in our region will be a curse that will haunt us for generations to come. Historical figures are invoked bereft of their historical contexts by those who think they are the only heirs to these historical figures; little do they realize be it the region’s historical figures or…
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Singers and Poets
About ten years ago there was a popular singer named Tarreqe. He had a unique voice. Until his slow disappearance, he used to remind me of Mohammed Wardi the Sudanese singer. Last time I watched Isaias’ marathon interview–I had to because it’s my raw material. After the end of the interview, Helen Meles screeched, neberlna,…
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Ethiopia Prepares for a Negotiated Settlement
On Sunday, a two-day long pan-Ethiopian meeting concluded in Addis Ababa. The preparatory meeting elected a committee that will draw plans for a wider nationwide consultation and negotiations conference in which the constitution and the federal status of Ethiopia will be discussed. Regional notables, academicians and politicians attended the meeting. The attendants overwhelmingly agreed that…
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Proclamation No. 1
Last Friday, Abiy Ahmed released a few prisoners of conscience who posed a risk to his control of power. The announcement sounded as if Abiy Ahmed had pardoned the prisoners. In the first place, I don’t believe Abiy alone made the decision to imprison them; the Dergue and Haile Selassie clusters were part of it.…
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Welcome Home Trilogy
A Trilogy Project – that ended up as perpetual work in progress only to be recovered fortuitously after almost seven years from archives saved on an old pen drive! Introduction With the proverbial ‘other’ within the socio-political divide along the national context in my mind, some time last March, 2016 I began writing the verses…
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Teashop culture
I have a habit of reading the ads on the Starbucks bulletin board as I wait for my coffee. Two days ago, there were for sale ads offering a chair, a table with a broken leg, and a lady appealing to the public to help her find her lost dog. She described the dog, including…
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Tens of Newly Arrived Eritreans Flood Ethiopia
[Gedab News, Dec 26, 2021] Reports from Ethiopia indicate that since the beginning of 2020, more than 65,000 Eritrean escapees have arrived in Ethiopia, including some who abandoned the army. According to our sources, the number represents about a third of the actual number. Many new arrivals avoid reporting their presence to the concerned Ethiopian authorities but melt…
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The Story of the #BlueEritrea Flag
Today, I hope the restless would stay calm as I narrate a basic history of the Eritrean flag–the significance of our AwlieE, meley, HKhedra. I realize some people may have an opposing view, or to believe a contrary narration; it’s fine provided the counter narration is based on knowledge not on ignorance or bias. Some…
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“Goush the Shepherd Did It”
In a village council, when it was on a consultation break, a restless young man interrupted and said, “It’s Goush the shepherd who broke the bull’s leg.” A dumbfounded councilman asked him, “who is Goush, and what bull are you talking about?” The Young man confidently answered, “aren’t you talking about Tesfai’s bull whose leg…
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Global Initiative to Empower Eritrean Grassroots Movement (GI)
Proposal for forming legitimately elected representative of Diaspora Eritreans Global Initiative to Empower Eritrean Grassroots Movement (GI) December 5, 2021 Content Introduction The need for legitimately elected representatives of Eritreans in Diaspora –the Eritrean National Congress (ENC) The Role of the ENC C1. Facilitating democratic change C1.1Winning the hearts and minds of the Eritrean security/intelligence…
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Tug Of War
When a country faces a risk of war and invasion, the best precaution is to strengthen is national unity. But what kind of unity? And exclusive unity or a comprehensive one? When ruling parties fight, it’s mostly like a tug of war; forces pulling each other to the fall line. The force that gives in…
