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Conversation with the son of Kunama Brother Marbati Amren

Conversation with the son of Kunama Brother Marbati Amren I dedicate this article to the most psychedelic Eritreans: the beautiful people of Kunama   Information: The vibrant revolutionary Dr. Teulde Vaccaro is doing excellent in Europe better organizing

Conversation with the son of Kunama Brother Marbati Amren
I dedicate this article to the most psychedelic Eritreans: the beautiful people of Kunama
 
Information: The vibrant revolutionary Dr. Teulde Vaccaro is doing excellent in Europe better organizing the movement everywhere in the continent. Things are slowly changing for the better and this reconfiguration process will affect all of us internationally. Work will start soon in the US with capable Eritreans managing the movement in all areas of its infrastructure. Bright days are ahead,  and God bless our unification movement to success.
From the Forum
The entertainers
Yohannes Zemichael: “Hey Illuminati: You happen to be one of the duped intellectual prostitute. I hope you have the guts to wake up and have this strong delusion rooted out of your mind and sprit once and for all. The Kebessa people brought the independence. Kebessa is the soul, heart and strength of Eritrea. Don’t try to open the Pandora box and you need to zip your mouth.”

Response: I think slick Yonny came home from school feeling macho with his friends about a little misadventure that may have something to do with a girl and showing it off here with maximum confidence. I felt the input imagining Yonny’s sexy looks and gait (walking style) with attitude. Now to you Kiddo: Do you dress your pants half way down the butt to attract your babe?

Oromay: “My group, my books,theory, philosophy,agenda,vision,formula, strategy,scenario, consensus, mission statement, road map,forum,guidelines,symposium,conference,workshop,meeting,conflict resolution,dialogue, assembly, civic society movement bottom up approach,caucuses,resistance group, vacaroian movement,focal point,Accra Peace Accord, low land league,kabessian Byzantine etc etc.Sometimes,the philosopher sounds frustrated with the general situation and grumbles about his personal affairs. Strange classification of change forces into Vacaroian movement, resistance group, parties doesnot make sense if someone is talking about unity. Another newly invented categorization is Kebessian/Christian Byzantine. there was no a such regime domination and power control over other by religion or topography …!!”
Comment: I read you brother; may be ten times enjoying myself and laughing out loud beyond control. That is what I did listening to the lost president’s interview where he said he failed in everything. There was a point in the video about HALEKA BERHE’S MEDICAL LICENSE PROVOCATION ISSUE that I re-winded and saw may be 20 times laughing out like a lunatic. What an entertainment you had been, God bless you Mon! I needed this kind of stuff to excite me a bit. There is no doubt that you teared up my eyes with laughter but let me ask you a question: Did you do this anarchic articulation in one breath? Did you observe emotional spikes in the process or you made it with unnoticeable emotional amplitude variation? Were you tranquilized walking around like Socrates shouting this stuff in solitude?
The real essence of our society: The guarantee that assures our Kunama family about the bright future ahead.
Tes: “Kunama issue is national issue and fair request. It needs to be handled with great care. Otherwise it might [get] out of control and they really have a point to feel intimidate by the Christine majority. As christian highlander I don’t have any problem my government or the so called opposition to listen to graveness of the minority. Whether we like it or not they are equal stakeholders of the country and it is our obligation to make them feel they are included in all the affair of the country. I am completely in agreement with you brother with all specially if they have graveness with Idris awate well there is a say in Amharic Yemeta biresa Yetemeta Iyresam. If they feel not comfortable about Idris then so be it, it is definitely their right.”
selamawit2: “I just started reading your article and I am very curious to read about our kunama brothers and sisters as I don’t know by far enough about them. THANK YOU!!!!
GidstiEritrawit: “You nailed it on the head. I don’t understand why we have been circling rounds for almost half a century to address our fundamental weakness. We should be able to call a spade is a spade.. for Eritreans to examine ourselves and help come together to root out the current Eritrean regime.”
rezen: “…the true color of Eritrean outlook came out to surface and most of it ugly. Unlike our ancestors, we don’t learn from each other, we don’t respect each other, we do not tolerate each other, we don’t accommodate each, we don’t reconcile to each other … we became certified to insult each other, to disrespect each other, to put down to each other, to disunite each other to label each other, to judge each other… And no wonder why we are failing to repair our damage, it is SAD! “
Folks! There is so much we have to learn about our Kunama family in the future because there may be many untold stories similar to each ethnic group’s respective experience in the society, but I declare that the Kunamas are the dignity of Eritreans as a whole that best represent us in the universal podium of mankind in terms of at least three specific premises: Authenticity, Art and Psychedelics needless to say they earned us the Eritrean independence together with the rest of the society through direct participation and sacrifice in the struggle that consumed us all equally.
Authenticity: I am not a historian or a sociologist to confidently claim that our Kunama people were the most indigenous Eritreans compared to the rest of us: My commonsense and subjective instinct, however, tell me that they were! If the authenticity of an African or Blackman’s image was to be measured by a person’s physical framework, our beautiful dark-chocolate Kunama family should be on top of the list in the diversified Eritrean society to most represent us in the universal Black People’s Encyclopedia
I assume no Eritrean has a problem defined as non-caucassian , which ultimately boils down to COLORISM that racially connects us with all black people in the world; like it or not!
Talking about East Africa as a place of mixed ethnicities due to colonialism, invasions and slavery (Arab, the Egyptian, the Turkish, and Italian) etc.; I feel comfortable entertaining the notion that most Eritreans could have acquired their current physical complexion as a result of at least the above factors, of course among few others. We could have been modified within the Black Race due to genetic contamination to end up acquiring our brown-chocolate skin color while we all started from our original African roots like the Kunamas with our genuine Dark-Chocolate complexion. My argument states that our Brown-Chocolate complexion may be a genetically contaminated derivative of our original Dark-Chocolate complexion. The Kunamas may then be the most genetically pure Eritreans.  Events seem to have made some of us look a little different in complexion within the generic Black Race, our roots being the same. We could have been a compound of our original roots (the kunama family) and whatever the external effects brought through the years of our existence to slightly modify our indigenous pigmentation (implying to brown skinned Eritreans), but we basically belong to the same family. You therefore may not be an Eritrean without your original Kunama roots, no matter how controversial! This contemplation may wait for Genetic Scientists to figure out in future Eritrea but it cannot be ignored without a conclusive academic explanation! Unfortunately we don’t have that luxury today although unnecessary going that far beyond curiosity so to say.
Art: Eritrea is blessed with different cultures and artistic composures. The vibrant Guaila makes us feel good going in circles on the stage with a little more shaking during Kuda. I love it in a tipsy mood and dance with it till I sweat it out, although I have never tried to play it in my limited musical career. It does not attract me for that. As great as it is, the Guaila can hardly represent us internationally because it is too unique to be classified under Reggae, R&B, Blues, African, etc. With very confined drum bits and rhythm-less monotonous melody that does not accommodate different styles of music; there is a good reason for it having a limited audience; us and few Ethiopians. One has to be born from that area to relate to Guaila with isolated exceptions, of course! No standard international musician can play it without a serious problem, if ever one does.
I regret that I cannot talk a lot about our different musical styles because of lack of adequate contact but I believe music from the Tigre region might be the original Reggae music considering the link between the Ras Tafarian movement and our society (habesha) through the relativity theory vis a vis emperor Haile Selassie. I think the Reggae music is directly connected to the music in our region as strong as the Ras Tafarian Movement had been to us via the emperor. This connection could have allowed the Tigre music influencing the Rarsta Tafarians along other factors to take that direction and develop their resultant music to the current full-fledged musical exception. In other words, music from Tigre could’ve been the original Reggae music that influenced the Rastafarians to adopt and internationalize it. The reason is direct: It was there before the standard Reggae music came to existence (from Jimmy Cliff to Bob Marley), is the closest music to Reggae in the region and it is indeed Reggae music by artistic classification. Therefore, Tigre music represents us internationally because Reggae is today enjoyed by people all over the place. One does not have to be born from our area to relate to and enjoy Tigre Reggae and any standard international musician should comfortably play it without a problem.
In so saying, Eritrea looks incomplete without the artistic legacy of the Kunamas.  They are our connection to the universe as good as our Tigre family had been. The Kunama music uses different types of beautiful sounding drum bits that can move any human being the way a typical African music should. Their vibrant dancing styles, stage appearance and musical bits certainly match all inclusive African standards for me to say that they well represent us internationally. One does not have to be born from our area to relate to and enjoy the Kunama music; and any standard international musician should comfortably play it with a little difficulty.
Finally of course in Psychedelics or Colorfulness that our Kunama family brings to the society! I love the way they traditionally dress and shake on the stage and enjoy it with maximum self-respect and confidence. I believe this was the reason I was strongly infatuated with the talented Artist Dahab Fatinga at a point in the go. You know what? I saw her probably a year ago at an Eritrean Restaurant in DC (open mic jamming) and expressed my love on the stage (guitar/singing) Raggaing it out with the following lyricks:
Downtown Asmara is where I want to stay
With Dehab Ftinga is whom I want to sway
Music in Metahit is what I want to do
Before chilling in Barentu with my Voodoo
It went fine and she enjoyed it very much so. I backed her up in Guitar while singing on the stage too. She did not know me at all and that was kool: I left the scene without any further motion because she was here making money for the regime in Asmara.
Narrative: I was very happy to see Brother Marbati Amren attending my forum on the Kunama Democratic Party and feel dignified to have this little conversation with him for the bliss of the Eritrean unity. I was also surprised by our people’s reaction to my article in strong support of this family; God bless them! I love you brother; let us go!
Marbati: “Dearest Fetsum; First of all I would like to express my gratitude for your good gesture toward, genuine reconciliation aspiration [] based on equality and liberty. Yes, from history we can learn so many things, either negative or positive. Like other communities in this world, we the Eritrean community also have our own constructive and gloomy memories. Admitting historical mistakes from the oppressor’s side, in return showing clemency from the oppressed are two inseparable pillars to resolve long-lasting dispute. “
Comment: Brother, I am dignified to have had a response from a person of your caliber and want to clearly tell you that you are modestly teaching us a very important lesson here; about the significance of repentance and forgiveness: that everything was a duality where one side alone cannot exist without its opposite pair. If apology is missing from a party in a community, forgiveness from the opposite side can rectify the situation as well. The fact that Apology and Forgiveness were mutually inclusive and that either one can resolve human contradictions. This of course requires the courage to dominate ego by spirituality. Thank you sir and well taken!
The reason the EDA excluded the Kunama Party was because of trying to solve the difference through APOLOGY without willingness to unconditionally FORGIVE otherwise. It did not try the other means of solution and therefore failed to rectify the situation. An equally valid solution was rejected to resolve the familial problem because of fixation and EGO. What you taught us here is not only correct but also the only way to change a broken society for the better.This mistake should nevertheless be taken as a foundation to harmonize our differences by learning from instead of using it to separate us further. Therefore, I hope our Kunama family forgives the EDA and works harder to make it stronger.
 “Secondly, as a Kunama son, your article overwhelmingly touched my heart and l recalled all regrettable histories which l was learning from my grandparents. I did not disregard the magnitude of compassion and genuine leniency. In the meantime, I am deeply convinced that the broken heart can be healed with a sincere[] apology and firm stand for rule of law only. To my little knowledge, expression of regret and forgiveness must start from our deep hearts. As that is only viable way, that we could ensure solidarity and peaceful co-existence of our Eritrean Nations and Nationalities. “
Comment: Wow! Brother, you hit me with another valuable lesson again and thank you. History is contagious: Parents tell kids their history to make sure it stays constant forever and I respect your grandparents for teaching you the regrettable history of the Kunama nation vis-à-vis the rest of us. I am sorry for this and beg you to accept my sincere apology, brother in the name of any Eritrean that misdeed your community without mandate to do this from the people.
We Eritreans will have to genuinely feel their pain in order to relate to the Kunama community effectively. I found your statement deep in spirituality: a victim teaching the values of compassion, apology and rule of law instead of showing anger on and vengeance for the ill-deeds of few member of the society against our Kunama family. Through this height of spirituality, you are basically offering us love out of your broken heart as a son of the Kunama family! We were supposed to apologize for what happened to you but you chose to surpass this conventional approach becoming the extraordinary example of spirituality to your people; accommodating forgiveness as well. You are blessed to use your highly enlightened consciousness for the benefit of the Eritrean people.
I agree that one has to make peace with the inner-self to create peace in the environment. One has to forgive the self and reconcile with it first before positively affecting the external. This is the reason the “liberators” failed to positively influence our society: they were not liberated themselves. Radiating peace to the society is impossible without internal peace through repentance and down-to-earth retrospective meditation on the Self.
“I always astonish by what we call the politicians and elites of our beloved country, Eritrea for their unfounded excuses in the cover of national interest. Despite to the fact that they are few in number, yet they have a significant role in keeping our Eritrean people in unnecessary hatred and meaningless abhorrence. So far I have never seen a single Eritrean politician or elite, who committed himself to be a good messenger of peace among Eritrean Nations and Nationalities. I am also deeply regretted not to find someone who have an inclusive political platform that can embrace all Eritrean people. My main concern here is, if our politicians and elites could not stand for such holy and compressive move, how can we achieve the justice and peace that we all meticulously looking for?
Comment: Brother, we have been struggling to correctly address the issues that you brought here for consideration. Yes we have yet to see a leader fully addressing our issues and concerns but I think we are getting there slowly. I for instance believe that Vaccaro is a down to earth unifier who can do it behind our support. He directly contacts people that help our unconditional unity to discuss matters that concern us all as Eritreans. That is called transparency and it will work with God’s help! The few spoilers of our love will continue infusing hatred in the community but can hardly succeed if we fight them back. They cannot help dividing us because they have splintered inner souls! Remember that we are a new nation with a society mentally experimenting different things in the midst of this savage dictatorship that threatened our survival. We are in the journey to the final destination: democracy. Every stage will have its own challenges to overcome until we reach the destination. As you said, it is regrettable that we don’t have ‘an inclusive political platform that can embrace all Eritrean people” and it is obvious we cannot march forward with this void in the journey. We are trying to resolve this issue with great difficulty in the way and I hope we will produce something to this effect within this year either with the resistance as a unit or as individuals in isolation. I can directly share with you what we have been doing to this effect if you may contact me at202-702-3977. This may be an opportunity to reach our Kunama family and please do contact me. I agree that there will never be peace and justice in Eritrea without keen interest of the politicians achieving them. What we need is a formula that collects us all together through equal participation and representation in the country. There is no alternative here except doing it and I hope we will.
“Mr. Fetsum, I therefore boldly appreciated your good gesture to invite all Eritrean Nations and Nationalities into inclusive reconciliation, hoping other elites to follow your footsteps. You also need to be vigilant more than any time else because Bismarks of this era are reacting with their odd concept of ‘’a friend of my enemy is my main enemy.’’
Comment: Please accept my appreciation for this outstanding contribution. I want to tell you frankly that quite a few people contacted me on my article and they all were very happy that I stood for the cause of the Kunamas. They were uncomfortable on EDA’s action against the Kunama party and even more on the recklessness of the elites that supported the action for unjustified reasons. We will work together with them because they are Eritreans and we cannot do it without. We should then move on loving them unconditionally without expecting anything in return hoping they will join us in the current PEACE and LOVE movement of the society. But we will never allow the history to repeat against our Kunama family and the people’s progressive reaction on my last article tells me that we have a brighter future together. We have no difference at mass level of our relationship no matter how very few individuals may distort this reality. No Eritrean should get away at the expense of any Eritrean from now on and let us all participate to this end. Yet, we need to practice what we say; we will embrace every Eritrean citizen irrespective of mistakes done in the past including the EDA family and Brother Saleh Gadi still thanking both for their relentless struggle against the dictatorship.
I will try to put your advice in practice staying vigilant as much as I can but it is not easy to do and I leave this for time to tell! I have my moments; brother! I sometimes feel discouraged and consider myself a person that tried hard to make a difference in the society but that failed. I feel like people may remember me for being overly optimistic about our sociopolitical issues without clear understanding of the society. What most matters, though is the fact that I love all of you from the heart and I am trying my best to help with very limited resources. I don’t have to visualize my dream in practice as long as I succeed planting the seeds of unification now for the society to harvest the fruit in terms of democracy tomorrow with or without me.
 “Last but not least, using this convenient moment, l strongly remind to all Eritrean politicians that, “ the imposed politics could not workout in the Eritrean Nations and Nationalities contemporary life. The only political program which can serve the Eritrean people is an inclusive political platform.’’
Comment:  I agree and I hope they will read us to understand how important your words were for our decent coexistence. We certainly need one political program to unite our people for transitional government to democracy. I guarantee you that there is a collective activity going on in our community and you are welcome to be part of, if you may accept my invitation!
”I also would like to convoy my little recommendation to our elites,’’ please stop your long fabricated stories, which are causing unquenchable resentment and animosity among our peace lover Eritrean people. We are fed up of your ill mentality of belligerency, antagonism, segregation and well rooted meaningless concept of superiority and inferiority. What we need is justice, peace and equality. “
Comment: Thank for the reminder but there is no egoistic and inferior human being that does not exhibit the problem by superiority complex excluding the spiritual. Superiority complex is the outer jacket or the syndrome of the opposite complex for us never to worry about but rather focus on justice and equality in Eritrea. What is apparent is that whether the Kunama nation breaks away from Eritrea to stand independent or to unite with Ethiopia, the end situation of the Kunama people would not change for the better. I cannot see peaceful and safe Kunama nation sandwiched between two chauvinistic societies (Ethiopia and Eritrea). I believe our Kunamas will be better off, staying within democratic Eritrea to enjoy everything that it offers with the rest of their people. God bless the Eritrean Unity and the Kunama Eritreans forever!

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
9 COMMENTS
  • ogbai June 3, 2014

    With out love among each other that we can’t build a healthy nation at all.
    Therefore, lets’ break the dirty trick of the dictatorial system with honest
    love and respect each other as equal share holders of our nation. We have to start
    reconcile to each other to heal our old wounds. Mr. Fetsum your Article is most appreciated.

  • Kombishtato June 4, 2014

    Here is some intro information on the Kunama people:

    Source: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3f520a484.html

    BACKGROUND ON KUNAMA POPULATION

    The Kunama ethnic group lives mainly in the border areas between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Estimates of the Kunama population range from 50,000 (CNEWA 2003) to 142,000 (Ethnologue 2002). The number of native speakers of the Kunama language in Eritrea is estimated by Ethnologue to be 140,000 (Ethnologue 2002). According to a report from the UN information agency, “There are estimated to be around 100,000 Kunamas in Ethiopia and Eritrea….About 70,000 are said to live in Eritrea–mostly in the Gash-Barka region” (UN IRIN 2 Dec 2002). The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) estimates the Kunama population of Eritrea and Ethiopia to be between 50,000 – 60,000 (CNEWA 2003). According to Okbazghi Yohannes, Political Science Professor at the University of Louisville and author of the 1991 book, “Eritrea: Pawn in World Politics”:

    “The Kunama are a Nilo-Saharan ethnic community living between the Gash and Setit rivers in Southwestern Eritrea. Said to number about 70,000, they are remnants of the ancient inhabitants of the region. Originally the Kunama were animists and their conversion to Islam and Protestantism is of recent history. They are agriculturalists organized into villages” (Yohannes 1991, 7-8).

    KUNAMA CULTURE, RELIGION AND LANGUAGE

    The Kunama were formerly a nomadic people and today are settled agriculturalists and pastoralists living from cattle. They are matriarchal with a prominent role played by women. According to the Kunama social system, a child is a member of Kunama society only if his or her mother is Kunama, and relatives are only recognized on the mother’s side. The Kunama have ceremonies for rights of passage–birth, circumcision, and passage to adulthood–performed by members of the particular kinship group (Eritrean-Kunama.de 2001). Female circumcision (or female genital mutilation, FGM) is normally performed on young girls between the ages of five and twelve, and the most extreme form of FGM (infibulation, or type III) is carried out on 31 percent of Kunama women according to the U.S. Department of State (US DOS 1 June 2001; Eritrean-Kunama.de, 2001).

    The Kunama carry out many tasks communally, including house building, collecting firewood, setting fences, plowing, weeding field-crops, harvesting, crop-gathering and storing, death and burial, and memorial rites (Eritrean-Kunama.de 2001). According to a report from a Catholic pastoral and humanitarian organization:

    “The Kunama venerate their ancestors and have a special reverence for the elders of the tribe. This respect for their elders allows the tribe to make important decisions, called “democratic choices,” which always involve two elders. The Kunama work together, designating certain months for special “events.” September, for example, is the time for harvest; January is the month for repairing houses. Everything is done as a community, each helping the other. Even at funerals, the entire village attends: It is their custom to bid farewell as a group, though children are not allowed to participate” (CNEWA 2003).

    “Though there are different theories as to the origin of the Kunama, some say that they came from the historical town of Axum, which in the Kunama language translates to “the fifth small hill.” Others say that the Kunama originated in the Nile River basin. According to linguistic classifications, the Kunama language is a distinct category within the West Nilotic group, and is related to languages in Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia” (Ethiopia Humanitarian Update 28 Feb 2002).

    According to the State Department’s report on international religious freedom, “A majority of the Kunama are Roman Catholics or Muslims, and some practice traditional indigenous religions” (US DOS 7 Oct 2002). A report from a non-governmental organization, however, stated: “Some half of the Kunama people are faithful to their original natural religion, half have already taken up Islam, others are Christians” (Esel-Initiative no date). Traditional Kunama religion is monotheistic, but without the hierarchies and formal external practices of Islam or Christianity. According to a study of Kunama religious practices:

    “Unlike the traditional and world religions like Christianity and Islam, the Kunama religion knows neither clergy nor any types of religious rites, celebrations or functions performed in congregation and in established localities such as churches or mosques. It does not even use formal set of prayers or body positions like kneeling or prostrating. The Kunama has a natural attitude towards the material as well as spiritual matters. It is a kind of religion consisting purely on personal and basic belief in the existence of one God…who has created and governs everything…and possesses all the other divine attributes” (Eritrean-Kunama.de Aug 2001).

    ….

  • Kombishtato June 4, 2014

    I can not wait to see the documentary film made on the resettlement of some ethnic Kunama people in the USA, titled:
    “Home Across Lands”

    Here is another introduction on the history and tradition of the Kunama people in a blog titled “Trip down a memory lane”:

    http://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.ca/2013/01/kunama-people-eritreas-indigenous.html

    ======================

  • Quest Keshi June 5, 2014

    Well I never thought that a man evolves from the land rather moves around until s/he gets a convenient place to settle. That said, I don’t see Kunama’s originality in Eritrea more than any other ethnicity. They could be immigrants from places down the Nile river as our ancestors immigrated from south Yemen. Our complexion and some features that make us different from our kunama brothers are not a result of merely slavery or colonial ties but immigration was and still is one form of mobility for a better life and people were migrating in groups (families or clans together) to acquire new territories then settle down and establish their villages. As long as we do not know the true history of the people – we are all ደቀርባዓ።

  • fetsum abraham June 6, 2014

    Hi Quest:
    U think we have no difference on this because I said “Talking about East Africa as a place of mixed ethnicities due to colonialism, invasions and slavery (Arab, the Egyptian, the Turkish, and Italian) etc.; I feel comfortable entertaining the notion that most Eritreans could have acquired their current physical complexion as a result of at least the above factors, of course among few others.” This phrasing does not limit my argument about our complexion to only slavery or colonial ties but to few other factors as well, which in this case includes immigration and other factors too. We are 100% in harmony here.

    u said ” I don’t see Kunama’s originality in Eritrea more than any other ethnicity.” I agree with you. What I said was strictly about the complexion not about the origin so to say. We are all indiginous to that land as long as we have a drop of blood from that society but I still believe that the dark chocolate color of the Kunamas is the authentic blackman’s or African’s color without genetic contamination, thus the purest African complexion in a sense compared to the brown chocolate color most Eritreans have.
    Thank you

  • Genet-orginal June 6, 2014

    Dear Fetsum
    Thank you for your hard work. Sorry to say, but I don’t know that much about our Kunama people. The only thing I know is they are the original inhabitants of Eritrea. In the past, the communist Gov of Ethiopia used to characterized them as pro-Ethiopia and anti independent Eritrea. I am sure, this was a strategy to turn our people against each others. In the near future, I have no doubt, we will take our county back. Therefore, our Constitution will enable us to make sure all Eritreans are included in our country’s affairs. Fetsum, You said, Regarding Wedi Vaccaro’s/our movement, “work will start soon in the US with capable Eritreans managing the movement, in all areas of its infrastructure” I hope you are one of them.
    Genet

    • fetsum abraham June 6, 2014

      Dearest Gennet; thank u for showing up after missing for a while. The Kunamas were charcterized being in favor of ethiopia during the struggle but only few of them like all of us with many people from their community in the struggle. What i heard was that the mistreatment of the Kunamas from our fronts insecured them so much to contemplate a relationship with ethiopia for safety and survival. This is something we need to study and learn believing that they otherwise believe they were Eritreans having no problem to live within our society given equality and freedom. Genni, i lost my phone and all the contacts and can not reach anyone unless they call me. Please do that so I can tell u the development with vacarro.
      Great to see u here, i was really worried because u have been the engine of this forum!!

      Tnx

  • Selamawi' June 9, 2014

    Selam Dr Futsum,

    In your previous entries you challenged Yosief Ghbrehiwot about the existential implications of the Eritrean people – particularly the highlanders. Please kindly read ‘Where is Your Brother?’ Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops and see if the ‘beef’ you were asking for is to be traced in this document.
    [Sorry this entry is not related to the current article, which I have not even read]

    Thanks

  • Marbati Amren June 12, 2014

    Re:Conversation With the Son of Kunama Brother Marbati Amren

    Dearest, Fetsum, behold my appreciation and gratitude for your firm commitment to allocate your precious time by opening an amicable channel through which we may discuss our beloved country’s current corrosive situation and of course our people’s potential peaceful coexistence at large. I profoundly read your article; above your language eloquence, l was deeply attracted by your feasible vision – the vision of imminent unity and solidarity of our people for which we the Kunama children are more than ready as usual. Unquestionably, your friendly conversation gave me big homework and l accepted it willingly. Putting the magnitude and emergency of our people’s agony under consideration, l decided to see a possible way that might bring us more close so that to discuss our national issue sooner but not later.

    As the concerned Kunama children also, your latest article certainly brought us into a hot discussion on the question how we should resume our discussions on the ongoing informal national dialogue – the dialogue that can attain us a common platform whereby we can re-enforce our democratic struggle. Therefore, for the time being allow me to reassure you that l am surely going to do all my best to pave a secured communication channel through which we can continue our basic but historic discussion. Fetsum, in addition to what you replied to our sister Genet, allow me to use the momentum and give a little highlight for our sister Genet and our Eritrean sisters and brothers who have shallow perception on our Kunama tribe. To my knowledge, this is the only way through which we can exchange constructive ideas, whereby we can build trust and firm credibility. Moreover, although, my reply addressed to sister Genet, l kindly would like to underline that my main aim is not one person (Genet) alone, but the all the people who have incorrect background of our Kunama history, including our own Kunama children too.

    Dear Genet, First of all l sincerely appreciated for your openness to put on the round table all what you know about the Kunama tribe, regardless whether it is correct or not. Geneta, it is also my pleasure to have a practical discussion among our selves. However, our discussions should not be just for the sake discussion but it must be for clear objectives. l always don’t surprise by what you heard and knew about the Kunama tribe – because much more was narrated before and still get worsening; consequently our innocent Kunama people became victims of unfound stories. As l have assured to our brother Fetsum in my previous conversation, we the Kunama children will not and are interested much in digging the past peculiar phenomenon. Despite to the fact that we have as clear as crystal feedbacks to each bias yet we firmly believe that dragging unfounded stories will not enable us to go forwards to sort out our people’s tribulation inside our country. Hence, what we are thinking is very simple and what we want to achieve is very clear. As the citizens of the country, our objective and aspiration are,’ allaying with the Eritrean progressive and democratic bodies and re-liberate our beloved country from discriminative regime just to ensure justice and peace, whereby all Eritrean Nations and Nationalities could live in peaceful co-existence’. We really fed up of groundless bias for which we are paying high cost of a systematic ethnic cleansing, forcibly eviction out of our ancestral fertile lands and being considered as a second citizen just because of our skin color. Unlike other tribes of Eritrea who even didn’t count half of century, our fore parents settled in this land for centuries. We therefore deeply believe that we are inhabitants of the land, for which no one has right to snatch our origin, identity and citizenship.

    Geneta, history can pull us back to decades, even centuries but such momentum will not enable us to save our people from the current barbaric regime in Asmara. Eritrean people in general, the young generation in particular being subjected to the arbitrary detention, barbaric torture and ruthless murder. Let us remember the hysterical slave trade ear by foreign colonizers. Our young brothers and sister, by one way or other were driven out of their land and thus the whole continent (Africa) remained without young generation – this wicked conspiracy was badly affected the continent and behold we are today living in what they call us below the poverty line . Above all and the most miserable scene here is our country leaders in Asmara are repeating the same history even now days. I therefore cannot see any urgent national agenda than addressing the existing ordeal in our beloved country, Eritrea. Unfounded accusation that targeted on the color of skin (from the oppressors) and unforgivable sentiment that leads to unnecessary revenge (from oppressed side), certainly will not serve the recquired peaceful co-existence of our contemporary Eritrean Nations and Nationalities. To ensure this, we are in desperate need of an authentic dialogue – a dialogue that may build confidence and credibility among us. That was only reason led me and brother Festum to exchange basic but encouraging ideas.

    Geneta, despite to the fact that l insist not to stick on the past histories, allow me to give few bullet points with which any interested person may reconsider his/her perception on our Kunama tribe:-

    • Was it Kunama tribe who welcomed the invader (Alula Aba Nega) from across river (Mereb-Gash) and allied with just to annihilate the rest Eritrean tribes?
    • Was it Kunama Chief who went to the Shewa King with a precious gift of that era to annex our beloved country with Ethiopia?
    • Were they Kunama politicians who were chanting, ” Matto Eritrea mis Ethiopia hanti iyen?”
    • Were they Kunama pastorals who were claiming, ” Pro-Italia?”, the fact was that Italians navigated thousands kilometers and come to subdue our country.
    • Is there any Kunama son who inherited any Italian garage or nice building for his/her being a good trustworthy servant to the Italian settler in Asmara?
    • Were they Kunama children who took three chairs out of 119, Derge counsel, just to overthrow the monarchy?
    • Were they Kunama children who promoted to the Ethiopian top military rank (Lieutenant General) and become commanders of largest army of the African continent at the time – and gradually become head of the country?

    Come on guys! Whether we like it or not these were the realities and simultaneous events that we come up across throughout decades and centuries. Geneta, if this is the truth, then, who should be characterized in first place as being in favor of Ethiopia?’ Will it be the poor Kunama nomad whose life being anguished in the bushes of his ancestral land or the Lieutenant General who entrusted to be head of the country by Derge regime?

    To my knowledge, currently there are only 14 Kunama individuals who are serving in the Shabia prison for the allegation that they took side with Mengustu regime. Just for the sake of simplicity and transparency that we are all crying for, is there any person who can come up with similar figures of other Eritrean Nations and Nationalities so that to quench once for all this unnecessary suspicious which is emerging from out of blue? Frankly speaking, the corrosive unjustified blames against our innocent Kunama tribe are badly obfuscating the unity and solidarity of our Eritrean people.

    Moreover, as a community, we the Kunama tribe have our own custom, tradition, culture and of course we have our own records of history, but all this can/will not put us in isolated island just by seceding from other Eritrean community. We love our beloved country, Eritrea and we are more than ready to safeguard our territorial integrity. We are not in favor of repeating the same mistake which conceived in 60th and born 90th – because that historical mistake marginalized the minority tribes and forced them to raise army and demand their full rights again. To our knowledge, the Kunama children were among the first 2-3 tribes who took army to struggle for their independence. However, after three decades long struggle and in the light of above mentioned bullet points yet the whole Kunama tribe being labeled as less nationalist and traitors. Consequently, along the past 23 what we consider as independence years, the Kunama tribe gravely suffered by the regime’s security apparatus. Thanks to their childish and irresponsible provocation, because that intimidation pushed our innocent Kunama people to another long-lasting struggle which can assure, freedom, equality and rule of law among the Eritrean Nations and Nationalities. This is very reason today we are putting our concerns on the rounded table, hoping to reach on a feasible consensus among all Eritrean people who those are really want to bring about a radical change in the Eritrean soil.

    We therefore optimistically calling to all Eritrean progressive and moderate individuals, civic societies, organized armed groups just to minimize unnecessary blackmail, which targeted toward each other. We also encourage them to work hard on the looming rudimentary common ground that might lead toward a decisive democratic bitter struggle, which posed in front of all us.

    Marbati Amren

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