In a couple of days, many of us will be celebrating the 18th anniversary of one of the landmarks of our history as a nation: the day we discovered that we were sold a false dream and a big lie. Those of us in the “opposition” who were the other side of the coin of Kilte gorahat hamkhushti sinqom refused to leave and chose to repackage and market good old hamkhushti for the next 18 years. The majority decided to go on ecstasy and threw themselves into each other’s arms in hugs and danced to the chorus of hade hizbi hade libi (again); not for long, though. As the party approached sibra the sweat and the stink drove dancing partners apart.
On the lead up to this important milestone in our history we don’t need to wander further than Awate to measure how far we have come and to notice signs of the fading hallucinations of the past. May 12, 2009, Selam Kidane wrote a brilliant and insightful commentary to S.Y.’s article (that featured the dynamics of romantics Vs de-romantics in our politics). Selam drew my attention to a sad reality that never crossed my mind: a whole generation lost in limbo between the blues and the hip-hop generations of Eritrean politics. This, as Selam described, is the misfit generation: too naïve to appreciate the voodoo implications of Adobaha for the 21st century and too old to attend classes in Sawa; resulting in a generation gap and a missing steppingstone into the future.
Within this context, Desbele Kahsai sings the dinosaurs’ favorite “hade nihbi hade kelbi” while Tesfatsion Okbit (May 20, 2009, article) sticks out a finger in typical 50 Cent pragmatic rap. I will stand in between and argue that we can still make Desbele’s dream come true only if we agree to change “business as usual” and accept Tesfasion’s new order of things. Some may not like my claim that the core of Eritrean politics is ethno-religious in nature. The 1st side includes the PFDJ, representing the interests of land grabbing Tererti (as in Wedi Shawl’s song) from the highlands and their shadows in the “opposition” paranoid with trying to make the others swallow the bitter pill; the 2nd side includes populations groups threatened with deliberate induced extinction.
The subject of this article is the mindset of Aboy Teraray with focus on the Ghosts of the PFDJ within the Eritrean opposition. For convenience, I chose to investigate the concluding statement (the relevant part of it) of the 3rd Regular Meeting of the EPP Secretariat, dated May 11, 2009. To avoid confusion, I have enclosed my additions in brackets unless the inclusion is clear from context. According to this statement the EPP (Inda Amar) “Secretariat studied the ramifications and harmful effects of the resettlement and eviction program of the dictatorial regime…” which implies that these guys actually discussed (inkan-haban style) the issue as something that has ramifications as well as harmful (Vs harmless) effects (not as an outrageous crime that is rejectable at face value).
Here is the interesting part; the esteemed Secretariat rightfully describes the policy as an “evil act of forcibly uprooting villagers from their places of origin”. Good job! But … wait a minute! Which “villagers” are they concerned about? Those that the regime is “settling … in the lands owned by other villagers” (the Tererti?)! And don’t you be worried about the legality of the acts in terms land claims; it was owned by the “other villagers” only “before its land proclamation”. The biggest concern for the EPP: the “action … did not take the prevailing social and political situation … into consideration” (it would have been ok if the prevailing conditions were taken into consideration). Their prediction: it “is likely to (may or may not) kindle dangerously disruptive conflict within society”. “For these reasons (which might include the risk that the new settlers might be bitten by snakes and bothered by bedbugs), the meeting of the EPP Secretariat expressed its total rejection and strong condemnation of the action.”
Please don’t rush to the conclusion that I have deliberately twisted and conveniently misunderstood the good intentions embodied in the statement because one guy, our own good brother Desbele, who sees the EPP-EDP way is the future echoes the Secretariat’s concerns and asks: “after uprooting villagers to NO MAN’s LAND, what is next”? He is right. Is the government going to distribute blankets or will they be allowed to bring their own agoza? What if they decide to send their folks back to the highlands some of their loots, will Himbol be providing services or will they have a Western Union? Did the government properly train these guys on lowland survival techniques apart from making them watch the standard training video of Weyane bigihatu Dubai atyu?
The concept of No Man’s Land is in turn highlighted in the EPP’s statement as the land of The Others assuming everybody is familiar with the 2001 movie. Al Islah’s website as well as the founding statement of the Eritrean Solidarity Front (ESF) seem to imply that the settlers (al mustawtinin – a concept borrowed from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) might have had more than just Ghostly encounters with The Others and if they didn’t they sure will; one day (may be when that very land is called The Occupied Territories and children start throwing stones to chase them out). If you are still asking how the EPP position links up to the PFDJ’s Aboy Teraray mentality click on meadna website and read Wedi Efrem’s interview (with teATeq magazine, July 2008) where he promotes the idea that it is perfectly ok to grab (as long as everything is taken into consideration) other people’s land, “ane keyde indihri werire, abti zihazkuwo meriet zimesleni’ye zigebr”. The other alternative he says is to wait for others to check-mate you.
For those who might refute my argument by the fact that the PFDJ is not any nicer with their own Teraro either, well, Wedi Efrem, has an explanation. He argues that heating the metal is key to beating it into something useful and intensifying pressure is crucial to forcing people to stand up to their challenges (he did not say if pressure is a two-sided blade). He backs his argument with a very valid example noting that the Italians would never be able to build Eritrea the way they did without taking the youngsters to fight a war in Tripoli. I admit I might have taken his arguments out of context but few of The Others will doubt the fact that the mentality itself has nothing to do with context. Wedi Efrem actually had highlanders (especially those in the Diaspora) in mind when he did the interview. Asked about why paying the 2% should exempt people from being forced to physically participate in the National Service, he picked an issue that drives home with his target audience.
He explains that the 2% (and other remittances) is a grateful contribution to the nation but is not a big deal for those in the Diaspora. All they need it for is to have clearance papers to exercise their right to Tiesa land (traditional mode of land ownership in the highlands) when they need to. One would think this was something that existed “before its land proclamation” to borrow the EPP’s expression. May be the Secretariat will explain to us why there is a before and an after the proclamation in the lowlands and no proclamation in the highlands. Just so as I do not sound heavy handed on the EPP I will draw your attention to a very superficial expression of Tigrigna nationalism/chauvinism (to imply that the EPP-EDP unity is well justified). Visit the headquarters of any regional administration (say Northern Red Sea) in Eritrea and read the sign that tells you what the offices are in three languages. In Arabic: Iqlim Al Bahar Al Ahmer (in Arabic script); in Tigrigna: Zoba Mimihidar Semenawi Keyih Bahri (in Tigrigna script); in English: Zoba Mimihidar Semenawi Keyih Bahri (in Latin script). Let us apply the same criteria to our websites and go ahead click the links in awate one by one. If you are wondering what the EDP is called, try “Selfi-Dimokrasi”.
I apologize to the EDP for associating them in a topic discussing Tererti and land grabbing chauvinists. I know my comments are uninvited. The EDP either did not feel the incident important enough to warrant a statement; it never came to their attention; or is looking forward to finally be able to establish secret cells in the lowlands.
I admit I am in the process of losing my mind but so is the nation. Let me take a deep breath and congratulate everybody on the 18th Anniversary. Applause to all the Unsung Heroes of Awate for consistently and persistently enabling voices of reason and perspective!