Tag: eritrea
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The Disease the Colonizers Left Behind – The River Remembers Series*
This first entry in The River Remembers series lays the foundation for a postcolonial reckoning across Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. Blending historical analysis, cultural memory, and theoretical insight, the essay examines how different colonial powers left behind not only borders but ways of seeing—and mis-seeing—ourselves. With reference to thinkers like Fanon, Bhabha, and…
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Shariati’s Rooster; Honey budger Eritreans (Seramat)
Ali Shariati (Nov 1933 – June 1977) was an Iranian thinker and poet. He was 44 years old when he was found dead in England. British authorities said it was a heart attack, but many believe he was assassinated by the brutal Iranian security service, SAVAK. That was during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza…
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Negarit: 325: Is’t Time for Another Cyclical War in the Horn of Africa?
A candid look at the unfolding chaos in the Horn of Africa. This video dives into Ethiopia’s economic collapse, Abiy Ahmed’s war ambitions, the fractured Tigray and Amhara fronts, and Eritrea’s quiet but critical role in the region’s future. From myths to IMF loans, from scattered flour to baked revenge—this is a raw political chronicle…
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Destiny of Conflict, and the Red Sea: A Reflection on Power and People
ethiopia #eritrea In this commentary, we explore the dangerous rhetoric and provocative actions brewing in the Horn of Africa—from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s imperial ambitions to the Amhara splinter group ABEN’s rejection of Eritrean sovereignty. * Framed by poetry from Abul Alaa Al Ma’arri and Abul Qasim Al-Shabi, this reflection contrasts fatalism and free will—questions…
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Aferkebu Bun Dereja – Stop the Empire
In Eritrean tradition, coffee is served in three rounds—Awel, Dereja, and Bereka. This is Aferkebu Bun Dereja, the second round in a conversation about empire, exile, and the ongoing silencing of Eritrean voices. We explore how authoritarian power survives in modern disguise, how dissent is criminalized, and why Eritrea today is flying on autopilot—with no…
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Negarit 322: Emergency – A Fresh Cup of Coffee
A deep dive into Rousseau’s Social Contract and how it applies to the diplomatic impasse between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Why understanding the foundations of justice, negotiation, and power is vital to resolving regional conflict—and why failing to do so is an Aferkebu, an emergency. With cultural reflections, political satire, and critical analysis, this video explores…
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Wobbly Thrones of Tyrants and Echoes of Empires
Ancient empires ruled with swords—today’s regimes rule through propaganda, proxies, and fear. From Baathist Iraq to Abiy’s Ethiopia, the playbook of power, deception, and oppression remains the same. This piece reflects on history, misinformation, and the urgent need for genuine national healing in Eritrea and beyond. #Negarit321
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Between Approbation and Anathema Justice Suffers
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity.” Faulkner, W. (1955), “Requiem for a Nun” This is a reflection on the insightful conversation between Daniel Teklai and Saleh “Gadi”…
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Thanks to Dr. MK Omar, Inputs Enriching the Eritrean Library
Many Eritreans are for sure not well aware of how much poor the Eritrean library still is. Records of the colonial period were themselves scanty on top of being mostly distorted or written by less informed authors. But nothing can be done about that except regretting that it was so. Eritreans of the first two…
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Notes on Culture, Identity, and Social Change
I have a habit of jotting down interesting things I see or hear. Today, I’d like to share a few of those notes with you. Yusra, the amazing performer Recently, many people sent me a clip of a young woman—a gifted artist—singing in multiple languages: English, Arabic, Bedawyet, Tigrigna, and Tigrayit. What an amazing performer!…
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What is the PFDJ problem with the UN?
If you are oblivious to how things work, you risk feeding on every propaganda or rumor and endlessly blaming everyone but yourself. There is a danger of forgetting the root cause, thus point your fingers in the wrong direction. For instance, if you misplace any of your clothes, you would make sure to check the…
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Negarit 305: Merry Christmas and New Year
Holidays, festivals, and celebrations are days to escape the grind of life and unwind. Christmas is one of those holidays. Before independence, though life choked with oppression and was brutal, we still remember it with nostalgia. Eritreans enjoyed a few holidays that we still cherish the memories despite the tragedies. Anything with limited supply is…
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Isaias Calls for Intifada in Eritrea
Recently a usual “interview” of Isaias Afwerki was aired on Eritrean television; none of the people I talked to expected something new, but somehow all had the urge to listen to it. The interview was widely spread, thanks to the many Youtubers who rushed to publish it. People speak to the public because they have…
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A Secret Letter To President Donald Trump
Satire: republished twice since 2016, and the following is a slightly updated version of it.11 Eight years ago, on November 8, 2008, I published Isaias’ congratulatory letter to the then president elect, Obama. On Nov. 9, 2016, I published Isaias’ congratulatory letter to president-elect Donald Trump. You will notice the two letters seem to have…
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Modeling Election Done; Govern’t Election…
Today’s Negarit could well be version 2 of the 5-year-old episode, which was a sort of social critique. Generally, writers, journalists, and artists are keen observer of life; they mirror the life of societies. They expose forces, mainly pseudo-patriots who spread ignorance, bigotry, and chaos, unwilling to change despite the frequent reminders pointing to their…
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Dear Brezidenti, Is The PFDJ A Fairy?
Growing up, my old aunt was bedridden. I used to visit her in her room, which had a rope with two ends fitted to the opposite wall. Clothes, towels, and a host of other things were hung there. My aunt saw things we couldn’t see hanged on the string. I will return to the remaining…
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Isaias and Abiy: The Fallout
Often times, news surfaces only to be quickly subdued and forgotten, though it occasionally reemerges in surprising ways. Below is a brief list of key events: After the liberation of Massawa in 1990, Isaias returned from London where he attended a meeting between the TPLF and EPLF to discuss the future of the two countries.…
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A Corporal Warned Eritrea!
In 2021, Negarit 147, I raised the issue of SFO Safer, an oil tanker that was stranded across the Hodeida, a Yemeni port on the Red Sea since 2015. At the time, it carried over a million barrels of oil. SFO Safer used as a storage tank for Yemeni oil that was piped from the…
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Shall we calm down or not?
Our dialogue is a thermostat that reflects our mental development; reading comments, observing debates shows it all. I always strive and encourage my compatriots to dialogue calmly and rationally. So far, its satisfactory and I continue to do my part. Our state of mind needs to be refreshed like beating cotton. Sometimes mattresses and pillows…
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Do Eritreans Envy Tigray?
Envy is a human trait; however, most people are often envious of people they know. They are rarely envious of people they don’t know or are geographically far removed from them. What’s the difference between envy and jealousy? Are they basically rooted on superstitions? I am not sure if the evil eye is envy or…