Lowlanders are celebrating the advent of a new era of hope with the formation of the “Tadamun,” or, in English, the Eritrean Solidarity Front. This has created some trepidation in some corners who now feel that they have to expose it, ridicule it, destroy it before it gets its footing, or, to form a competing block to it and dominate it. But the stagnation in Eritrea is due to the old expression about the cow who gave birth to fire. Who is the cow and who is the fire?
Lowlanders have been waiting for deliverance for a long time. Our eagerness to embrace the Tadamun is not because we are hateful to the others, but because we are so disappointed by them. A few years back, shortly after the G15 and journalists disappeared into the dungeons and ghost houses of the regime, Mesfin Hagos and the EDP [Eritrean Democratic Party], who would presumably have melted into nothingness along with the others, engendered hopes of a new beginning. Lowlanders in particular looked forward to a change of heart and a light of hope from within the nation for new perspectives that would ease the transformation into a better future for reconciliation and a reintegration of all as equal citizens.
Families of the G15 and countless other prisoners of conscience looked forward for an advocate for their loved ones to turn their cause into an issue far greater than a few pictures on a website and statistics in the flyers of a handful of do-nothing organizations. But it was never to be. It wiggled, it struggled and, this year, after 8 years of intensive labor, the EDP came up with a real abu al-houl (Sphinx) to replace Mesfin Hagos. True to his predecessor, the new indiras’e [viceroy] has not said a word since his election nor did the EDP appear to be heading anywhere other than accelerating its mobilization of the “opposition” version of the ethno-centric PFDJ. Can anybody, please, remind Tesfankiel, Mr. T, to rehearse kideley … kideley aydelyekan imbiley so he may display his singing skills the next time the EPP [Eritrean People’s Party] shows up for some “unity” talk.
It is nothing you should know but I want them to stay away from those guys (keyebelashwom). And don’t get me wrong: a lot of EPPs are Lowlanders just like myself including Mon Cher Amar. But do you think somebody who betrays his own cause and plays ostrich on his own misfortunes would be any good to others? The EPP is the simplest and most straight forward case of Wedi Shawl’s Inkililo, enacted by hopeless dropouts of the Eritrean struggle who have made spoiler politics into a way of life. After all, EPP is the only organization that transformed itself into a political party openly struggling for power at a time that every creature in Eritrea is struggling to make it to the next day. Any of us would have waited a little bit thinking intay kibluni’yom before rushing to swallow an innocent and decent but tiny and unsophisticated Gash-Barka organization.
The EPP’s rush to take over (mukawesha style) the Gash-Barka organization is a way to claim a commanding role in its “unity” negotiations with the sweet Teddy Bears of the EDP whom it knows are nothing more than a bunch of Tigrigna intellectuals decorated with a few other helpless names. I might even be wrong to assume that the EDP still exists as an independent organization as a visit to selfi-democracy shows nothing more than Amar’s kifli zenan bahlin reporting the breaking news from their lone reporter stationed at gahwet-dergiin Kassala and counting the number of arrivals. Mr. T! I suggest you break away from the norm; slowly pull your head out of the sand and shake it good (especially around the eyes); then take a good look at the once-in-a-lifetime golden window of opportunity that the EDP has to set the record straight and to avoid the nation the fun of living with Ali Baba’s map (happily ever after).
Then, open your mouth and call on the Tigrigna to distance themselves from the ethnic neo-fascist gang in Asmara; and chip in with the ESF (Tadamun) and the DFEN (the Kunama-Afar initiative) in isolating and stigmatizing association with the PFDJ. You will get a couple of punches (and those coming from your own will hurt most), but you will be rewarded by going into history books as the first Tigrigna leader who spoke the FORBIDDEN WORD to save a drowning nation. Trust me you will eventually be forced to say the WORD anyway only after someone else has already said it; and then you will appear more like a follower and a passenger on the bandwagon.
Do that and you will make every Eritrean proud for giving Lowlanders a reason to believe and to change tone and for providing Highlanders a mirror to get a picture of the dark stains that someone is painting on their behalf; and most importantly for igniting the domino effect of an avalanche of equal citizens coming together from within and without the nation. Tigrignas are looking for real leaders not fearmongers and nobody will blame you for trying in good faith. Thousands of those lost in the vicious cycles of servitude and those being chased out of their homes as we speak are looking for someone who would stand up to face the Cobra’s head not for someone who would follow its tail. Please, do not let Lowlanders have the honor of enjoying the sight of the cute little Cobra face alone while you lead Diaspora Highlanders into following the stinky tail forever.
One of those spewing the stinky odor is meskerem.net. For the last few days Meskerem has been decorated with images of what they describe as “Red flags popping up everywhere and we hide our heads”. They even have a picture of a giant ostrich with the head buried in desert sand. Nobody claimed responsibility for the writing and my only guess of the culprit was the ostrich itself. Luckily no sophisticated forensics were required to come face to face with the ostrich reading the “Statement by the Eritrean Democratic Party, On the Killings of Innocent Members of the Eritrean Defense Force, August 9, 2005” and wondering why the ostrich colony are “Still hiding our heads since 2005”. I am not authorized to confirm or deny EDP’s official involvement with the culprit (ayfelTom ayTiyiqom).
The writer calls for a discussion of “the danger posed to our national unity by the EDA’s religious and ethnic organizations … carrying religious and ethnic wars against who they erroneously label the “Christian and Highland regime” … Kunama … has accused the regime they unashamedly call the Tigrinya regime of genocide and the Afar …”.
It is not about ostriches, but cows. Which takes us to the reason why we are in stagnation. LaHmi Hawi weledet, key’tiliHso nededet key’tgedfo weledet” A cow gave birth to fire; she couldn’t lick it; it burned; she couldn’t leave it be it was its baby. Those who have been burned by the PFDJ regime but identify themselves with it are always in a dilemma. They wiggle, they struggle, they go into labor all to avoid disclosing the fact that the regime in Eritrea is there to promote the interests of the Tigrigina. This is why they go into a mode of self-destruction when a force that can really defeat the regime appears.
What is the most probable consequences of the wiggling, struggling and fiddling with ostrich politics? I refer you to the Ali Baba map (in this posting).
I especially dedicate the map to the new EDP leadership and (their partners in Hashewye) the EPP, as well as the countless winy-mini organizations of wannabe abyotawyan Skin Heads to remind them of what is at stake if the mistrust and skepticism towards their ambiguous intentions and declared contempt, disregard and denial of the plight of others surpasses the breaking point beyond which the train will accelerate on its own steam.
Hurrah to the Kunama and Afar organizations for coming up with an unprecedented genius and decent conciliatory move to invite good hearted Tigrignas to read the warning signs of Pink Politics sooner than latter and distance themselves from their own fascists in Asmara and to stop ganging around an apartheid regime that is fueling the hate and distrust.
All those who might think Ali Baba’s Map is the fantasy of a nasty mind need not be worried about Lowlanders. Trust Abu Suheil’s words that the new orientation is not directed against others (to the extent that he can control forthcoming events that are contingent on the reactions of those who decide that their swindling achievements of the last 18 years are at risk). The recent call of the Government of Regional National State of Tigrai (posted on Meskerem) and the crocodile tears of “qesin’e kiHadir’si gorebetey yiqsen” [I can’t relax until my neighbor is relaxed.]
One of them, Yosief Ghebrehiwet, questions (Asmarino, June 16, 2009) the viability of Eritrea as a nation and makes a very eloquent and well-founded case arguing that Eritreans (doesn’t say which of them) were actually better off under Ethiopian rule and that the whole independence struggle was a scam that made Tigrignas fight other people’s battles (the last part is my interpretation). Despite his courageous and carefree eloquence, however, he wiggles, struggles, goes into labor and just like Meskerem’s ostrich ducks his head into the sand (just in time) to avoid calling the PFDJ a government of the Tigrigna. He suddenly (maybe somebody walked into the room only to bust him writing the forbidden song) realizes that his own arguments and characterization of the two “camps” (Moslems and Christians) drove him right into the lion’s den of Eritrean politics. His eyes widened; he started sweating; and his articulate tongue lost traction and started stuttering “FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS … LET ME CALL THEM “religion-based” and “secular-based” … and DESERVEDLY OR NOT, Shaebia is closely associated with Tigrignas … and look to West/Habesha for inspiration”. Many others have expressed their frustration and anger that we are giving the PFDJ all these bad names.
If wise Highlanders (provided some are still alive) do not step up to the plate of Truth & Reconciliation (South African style) to demand confessions of wrongdoing by their own self-appointed advocates and heal the nation, the subject matter of our discussions here will change for good. It won’t be very long before we will be arguing on whether Mai Dimma belongs to Seraye or Gash; whether Irafayle belongs to Akeleguzai; whether Denkalia stops at Marsa Fatma or extends to Massawa; and whether the cliffs of Shindwa belong to Senhit. Thankfully we won’t be part of it, even if that does come true, as our two giant neighbours will take care of it in friendly bilateral talks between hyenas sharing a prey. Highlanders might still stand a chance of attending the meetings as part of the ruling Tigrai-Tigrigna delegation. As for me: nere diye basso!