Araya Debessay

My goal in writing this article is to make a case for the change of the undemocratic government led by Isaias Afeworki, the self-appointed President of Eritrea. No matter what concessions Isaias is willing to make, the man cannot be trusted, because he has broken many promises to the people, including the introduction of a constitution that has been duly ratified. He has destroyed our country for the last 27 years, and now he has crossed the red line by signing an ambiguous peace agreement that has not generated dividends for the people of Eritrea, or that does not provide clear perspective for the establishment of peace. Eritreans are eager for peace and we are happy that Ethiopia has agreed to implement the decision of the Border Commission without any preconditions. Yet, PM Abiy clearly stated during his visit to the US that the border issue was not even raised in his discussions with President Isaias because it is non-issue.  May be it is non-issue to Ethiopians but Eritreans celebrated the peace deal ONLY because they believed peace meant Ethiopian troops withdrawing from our occupied land.  After all, the livelihood of the Eritrean people has been kept hostage because President Isaias insisted that we are at war with Ethiopia until Ethiopia leaves our sovereign land and our borders are delineated.  Furthermore, while happily accepting the peace agreement he has made toxic statements to create a rift with our neighbors and natural allies, the people of Tigrai.

Let’s not allow Isaias to do further damage. Bluntly, we should all in unison with a loud and clear voice tell him, enough is enough and that it is time for him to go.  I believe this is going to be the theme of the August 31, 2018, demonstration in Geneva.

The independence of our country was achieved after 30 years of liberation struggle and at the cost of too many of its precious citizens who have been martyred and maimed. Unfortunately, all the sacrifices made have failed to realize the dream of establishing a democratic government.

Life for Eritreans under Isaias Afeworki has been deplorable and intolerable. Isaias is responsible for all the hundreds of young Eritrean men, women and children who have perished on the way fleeing from the unbearable situation and the endless military service. Many Eritreans risked their lives fleeing the country, knowing fully well that they could be shot on sight.  Isaias is accountable to all those who lost their lives in the hands of Bedouins who mercilessly killed them to harvest their organs when they could not pay the required insanely excessive ransom money.  Isaias is answerable to all the hundreds who lost their lives in the deserts of Sinai and those who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.  How can we forget the cruelty of Isaias who ordered the shooting of our disabled veterans who rightly asked for better treatment? And how can we forget the tragic incident of Lampedusa where hundreds of Eritreans drowned and denied proper burial in their own country? The UN Inquiry Commission on Human Rights abuses has extensively documented the atrocities and abuses being committed against the Eritreans people that amount to crimes against humanity. No question, Isaias is guilty as charged.

The Badme War could have been could have been settled on the negotiating table.  But Isaias, rejected the several attempts that were made by countries such as the United States, Rwanda and others to settle the border dispute peacefully and got us into a senseless war. According to those who were on the ground, there were many more than the 19,000 dead that Isaias admitted.  A country that was admired by the world for heroically defeating the huge Ethiopian army that was financed by the Soviet Union and supported by Soviet and Cuban troops, was humiliated in Badme because of the reckless decision of Isaias Afeworki.

It is now widely accepted by all sides that Isaias rejected peaceful resolution of the war to avoid implementing the constitution. He knew the constitution would limit his stay in power and his authority.  He is a dictator, and dictators are repugnant to anything that challenges or limits their authority. Isaias has proven to be among the worst brutal dictators the world has ever seen.

Besides, Isaias had instigated  armed conflicts with our neighbors, Yemen, Djibouti and had at one time severed relations with the Sudan, a country that gave unlimited support and access to Eritreans during the war for independence. Isaias has also been accused of destabilizing Somalia by supporting Al-Shabab.

Isaias Afeworki is ungrateful and has offended and antagonized the many foreign supporters, sympathizers and particularly journalists who brought the heroic deeds of Eritrean fighters to the world’s attention, such as Dan Connell, Roy Pateman and many others.

Eritrean heroes who gallantly fought in the struggle for independence and who served as members of the cabinet are languishing in jails for years for daring to challenge his dictatorial tendencies democratically and for questioning his reckless decision to ignite a senseless border war. It is heartbreaking to learn about those gallant freedom fighters and cabinet members who have died in prison due to inhumane treatment and for lack of proper medical attention. Isaias has jailed several Eritrean private newspaper editors and members of the press to silence them. As a result, Eritrea is among the few in the world without free press. Isaias has also imprisoned many Eritreans for practicing their Evangelical religion.

The Isaias government is known by the international media as the most repressive regime in the world. Eritrea has also gained the distinct dishonor for being the largest refugees producing country in the world relative to its size.  Who else but Isaias is the one to blame for painting this negative image of our country?  Eritrea’s tourism industry has suffered big time due to this negative image.  The beautiful port city of Massawa has literally become a ghost city, despite its potential to attract many Eritrean and non-Eritrean tourists.

Eritrean economy is in shambles. Unemployment is rampant. Many Eritrean families are barely surviving through remittances from family members in the Diaspora and many who are not so lucky are suffering in silence. Buildings, roads and whatever little infrastructure the country had are in a sad state of decay and disrepair. The small private industries and factories that existed at the time of independence are no more there.  Eritrean entrepreneurs who enthusiastically returned to their country had to return back to where they came from discouraged by the crippling government policy that gives an upper hand to companies belonging to the ruling party of Isaias. Many Eritrean businessmen have become successful in several countries in Africa, Europe, America and Canada.  Imagine how much Eritrean economy could have benefited from such successful Eritrean entrepreneurs.

Isaias rejected any help from the international community and NGOs claiming “self-reliance” when in fact the true reason is he did not want to meet the demands of donors: good governance, accountability and constitutional rule. For the same reason the country did  not attract foreign investors  except some mining companies that have been sued for using slave labor by hiring those in military service. As a result the mining companies are exploiting Eritrea’s mineral resources that has not resulted in any benefit for the average Eritrean.

Isaias has destroyed higher education in Eritrea. At the time of independence, Eritrea had one reputable university. After 27 years after independence, Eritrea has lost its one internationally recognized university.  By contrast our neighboring country, Ethiopia, that had five universities at the time of Eritrean independence, at present has 158 colleges and universities, government and privately owned. Isaias purposely dismantled the one true university we had for fear of possible uprising from a large mass of university students.  We all remember when the Isaias government sent more than 2,000 students to WiA, for staging a peaceful demonstration for the release of the President of the Students’ Union who was jailed for the remarks he made as the President of the Students during the 2001 graduation. I was invited to attend the graduation ceremony and I have personally heard the speech and did not find anything wrong with it.  Some of the jailed students died due to heat stroke. Isaias approved the firing of over 13 of the University of Asmara faculty for unjustifiable reason thereby causing a big blow to the only university that was functioning well.

Isaias pursued a divide and rule policy that pits one social, regional, and religious group against the other to keep the Eritrean people weak and divided. As a result he has continued his repressive regime unchallenged by any credible group.

“The Last Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back “– the recent deal with Dr. Abiy Ahmed

Isaias held the nation hostage for the last 17 years declaring that no democratic changes will take place as long as Ethiopia refuses to accept the final and binding decision of the Border Commission, and as long the Ethiopian army is occupying Eritrean territory. The “no peace, no war” situation was a perfect excuse for him not to implement the ratified constitution and to prolong the military service indefinitely. The peace agreement that has been signed by Isaias is scary. Many are worried that Isaias might be compromising Eritrean independence observing his unusual behavior and undiplomatic statements during his visit of Ethiopia. Isaias’s recent unwise and undiplomatic statements and the shameless behavior he displayed during his visit in Addis Ababa, has humiliated, angered and infuriated Eritreans at home and abroad including his supporters.  We should not let Isaias gamble with our hard won sovereignty. Hence, we need to act soon and stop Isaias from committing further damage.  We should all say, Enough is Enough! Isaias must GO!

I wish the Geneva Demonstration a spectacular success.

August 13, 2018