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ERITREA CANNOT BE DIVIDED BY ANY MEANS

Topic of this week is ‘An Initiative to Rally the Eritrean Lowland Societies  … This initiative is a call to reunite all sectors of this society in order to enable them to properly defend their

Topic of this week is ‘An Initiative to Rally the Eritrean Lowland Societies  … This initiative is a call to reunite all sectors of this society in order to enable them to properly defend their legitimate rights and interests…’. (in Tigriyna = ሐንቲ ኢኒዝያቲቫ/ሐሳብ ናብ አክከበ/ጠርነፈ አርትራዊ ቆልላ ማሕበር … እዛ ኢኒዝያቲቫ ኢያ ሐንቲ ጽውዓ ናብ አክከበ ኩልሎም ሰትቶሪ ናይ እዛ ማሕበር አብ ስርዓት ናብ አስለጠ ናብ አግገባብ ሐልለቐ ናቱ ቅኑዓት እውን ሐረጻታት).

From different political views an idea that wants to divide Eritrea is not new. It was in its great form during the British administration in Eritrea but thanks to Eritrean wisdom it was tamed. Also it is too naïve to exclude the old Cairo’s political wish that search the whole or part of Eritrea as guard area for its water resources. But make no mistake. There was/is also another politics, like that of Italian colony that wants to see Eritrean lowland and highland untied in order to boost its military might, tax, etc. So the real and desired national unity that costs a lot is still to come.

First let us see Eritrean geographic divisions. Many books divide Eritrea into two: ቈልላ (=lowland: an area of land that is fairly flat and not very high above sea level) and ከበሳ (=highland: an area of land with hills or mountains).

But also there is another division that has local character:

a) Danakil depression ደሰርት (-120 … 0 meter): Of true deserts in Eritrea did not have any more than in the Danakil, volcanic region that is lowered to 120 m. below sea level and where it almost never rains.

b) Quolla ቈልላ (600 to 1700 m): where cotton, thorny acacias, doum palms, ዑቦል/obol, ጊንዳዕ-ኦም/ ghindà, etc. grow

c) Weinedega ወይነደጋ (1701 to 2399 m): Occupying the upper portion of Quolla. The natives call it weinedega, because you can grow vines. As an example Decamare town that enjoys Weinedega farms vines. Plus as that of ጊንዳዕ-ከተማ/ Ghindà, ፊልፊል/Filfilbelongs to a great for coffee farming. But above all Weinede-ga is famous of its ቈልቋል, ዳዕሮ, ጨቐምመጠ, ለሐም , ምልዖ … It is a natural zoo of many species of birds.

d) Dega ደጋ. in the upper part of the weinedega … the area that the natives call Dega and its limits elevation ranging from 2400 to 3700 m., which is in Ekkeleguzia. Senafe is one of the best places where to live.

 

Addikhuala 2054 m

Addiqheyh 2423 m

Aqordet 638 m

Asmara 2347 m

Barentu 980 m

Decamare 2018 m

Keren 1426 m

Mendefera 2022 m

Naqhfa 1650 m

Senafe 2445 m

Ekkeleguzai enjoys both Quella (as Zula), Weinedega (Decamare) and Dega (Addiqheyh and Senafe).  But Seraye enjoys only two Quella and Weinedega.

This proves that Eritrea or Eritreans cannot be divided by an area of land that is fairly flat and not very high above sea level or by an area of land with hills or mountains, etc. This puts our Eritrean Muslims brothers who have an idea that divides Eritrea by its geographical nature not on the right side of history.

Also the Eritrean Rivers can’t serve for the idea that wants to divide Eritrea, because they have only one task of unification Eritrean provinces and nationalities. For example the three rivers, Mereb, Barka and Anseba, their birth place Hamasien, leave their origin, Mereb to south and then to west and rivers Barka and Anseba to north of Eritrea. In their course in addition to unification share their waters. I was in Barentu in September 1970. In that moment I heard and saw while the town was welcoming the arrival of Mereb flood of that season. To arrive there the flood took many days.

Plus, can we divide Eritrea into two or more according to religion, history, tradition, etc.? No, we can’t because all Eritrean people have the same history of oppression that teaches unity as the only way out. The perpetrators can be from inside or outside of the circle. Folks have no problem to know foreigner perpet-rators. But there is always confusion when we talk about native perpetrators like Bet Asgada of the past and PFDJ (People’s Front for Democracy and Justice) Iseyas Efewerqi lead ruling party of present. Let us learn something from history of oppression of Bet Asgada in Eritrea.

‘Italian policy in the western lowlands of Eritrea faced problems very different from those of the plateau. On occupying the western provinces the Italians were confronted in the Keren and Agordat region with a unique type of social structure whose generation of fighting has resulted in the emergence of two district social groups, in the Asgada and the Tigre, who have been described respectively as an aristocratic and a serf class. The power of the former are said to have been once so great that they could declare one of their vassals a slave for the smallest offence, the later being then obliged to serve his master until he could purchase his freedom. Such manumission (ጋዕሲ) cost 20 Maria Theresa dollars in the case of a man or 30 dollars in that of woman.

The Italian authorities were on the whole outraged by his system, which was denounced in 1921 by Cont Rossini who likened it to <<a human octopus of a few thousand parasites exploiting great number of vassals>>’ (1).

Also Eritrean highland tells old piece of history that was closed 150 years ago.

<< The land of Gundet were ‘gulti ጕልቲ ’ of the Enda Accolom of Meraguz family, and the Surrucso were gaining user ship rights, paying the relative royal tax subjecting them to heavy taxe by the ‘guleteyna ጕልተይና’ for the yearly delivery of rudders and yokes for one plow or another. At length, the Gundets began to show their dissatisfaction for the continuous abuse of power from part of Enda Accolom. One day …

… the Gundets fought with the gulteyna of Maragzu, achieved victory, and obtained their complete independence>> (2) .

We have seen two contradictions of the past that were between Asgada and the Tigre and between Gundets and Enda Accolom of Meraguz family. Plus we have mentioned today’s prevailing Iseyas Efewerqi lead dictatorship. What do we call these kinds of contradictions? We call them antagonistic or hostile contradictions. These contradictions can be solved only if we get organized, fight, achieve victory and declare independence like the Gundets.

All the other contradictions that we find between individuals, neighbors, groups, nationality and nationalities, religions, town and countryside, state and church, political parties, etc. are non antagonistic contradictions. These can be solved peacefully. Education is their best effective medicine.

In my understanding the idea (of our Muslim brothers) that wants to divide Eritrea has highlighted the contradictions that we find among the exploited people. In other words they tried to teach us that the non antagonistic contradictions weigh more than antagonistic contradictions. This is not right and bears no fruit. Our goal must be how to eliminate exploitation and to minimize ignorance born contradictions. Of ignorance to be or not to be free depends on the education that Eritrea offers. But exploitation produced contradictions, between exploiters and exploited, must be eliminated not tomorrow but now because we are fed up of being exploited. Nobody dares to say this unless he/she is not from Gundets or Tigre social class.

Here is example of wisdom. A mirror that shows past history of a nation called today modern Ethiopia. This nation is where it is thanks to right brain problem solving. The heavyweight Ethiopian nationalities Ormo and Amhara have determined to bury the unburyable past to make untied, modern and great Ethiopia. I believe that in genera all, and in particular Tigre and Tigriyna Eritrean nationalities must learn from this.

In Ethiopia, slavery was legal and widespread; slave raiding was endemic in some areas, and slave trading was a fact of life.[10] The largest slavery-driven polity in the Horn of Africa before the nineteenth century was the Ethiopian Empire. Though its intercontinental slave trade was substantial, the Ethiopian Highlands were the largest consumer of slaves in the region.[11]

In 1880, Menelik II, the Amhara ruler of the Ethiopian province of Shoa, began to overrun Oromia. This was largely in retaliation for the Zemene Mesafint (“Era of the Princes”), a period during which a succession of Oromo feudal rulers dominated the highlanders. Chief among these was the Yejju dynasty, which included Aligaz of Yejju and his brother Ali I of Yejju. Ali I founded the town of Debre Tabor, which became the dynasty’s capital.[12]

In 1889, Menelik II became emperor of Ethiopia. He thereafter set out to conquer Oromia, completely annexing the territory by 1900. The Oromo inhabitants were subsequently severely repressed by Menelik’s troops, with the majority reduced to tenancy and paying heavy tributes for the use of land. Thousands were killed, and large numbers were also sold into slavery.[13] Menelik II and Queen Taitu personally owned 70,000 slaves (3) .

References

(1). Pankhurst, Richard, Economic History of Ethiopia 1800-1935, Addis Abeba, 1968, p.175.

(2). Eoyb Ghebreziabhier, Tigriyna Popular poetry As Medium of Communication, Switzerland, 2010, p. 4.

(3). Slavery in Ethiopia. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plus: Marinelli, Olinto, Uno sguardo geografico all’Eritrea, in, Martini, Ferdinando, Eritrea Economica, Novara-Roma, 1913, pp.20-60.

Gizie-lewTi.com   Eyob Ghebreziabhier   Swiss  10. 04. 2014

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
50 COMMENTS
  • open your mind April 14, 2014

    GET YOUR WALL TALLER AND THICKER AND EVEN BUY MORE CONTAINERS TO FINISH THE ERITREAN PEOPLE .AS FAR AS ESAYAS IS YOUE LEADER YOU GO NO WHERE .YOU MAY THINK ETHIOPIA WILL GET CHOCKED BEACUSE OF PORTS NO , NOT AT ALL .ERITREA IS THE ONE CHOCKED WITH TWO PORTS DUE HORIBLE REGIEE.ABEY ALEKA ZEYBELUWOS ABZI ALEKU BELE.ETHIOPIANS ARE GETTING STROGER WHILE ERITREA IS DIYING.IF YOU ARE REAL ERITREAN THINK SOMETHING BETTER.DONT WAIST YOUR TIME ADORING A DICTATOR.

  • denden April 14, 2014

    Bus Zon
    You are talking about yourself. Your entire family are scattered all over Sinai,lybia,yemen and the nasty arabs are raping them in front of your eyes and you the nerve to say to us the unionists homeless. Do you trust anyone in your family of course no. no Eritrean trust their own mother, brother and father for fear that they may be informers or spies. Tell me who is having sleepless nights and nightmares. It is Eritreans. The worst nightmare is they do not know who is their enemy, Could be their own mother or brother. Remember we are all Tegaru. There is no tribe or ethnic called bihere Tigrinya that was Gedli invention. Look yourself at the mirror and tell me what is the differences between you and Tigray across the river and also tell me what is the similarities between you and Saudi and Iraqi. Say something and make people laugh. If referendum held today majority will say yes united we stand with Ethiopians.However the question is whether Ethiopians will want us back after we became prostitutes and slaves of arabs they do not want their dignity to be tarnished, Because you lost your dignity voluntarily.
    You keep saying Tigraway, Ethiopia why don’t tell us how many times did you travel to Ethiopia, You might have relatives and family in Ethiopia. You have to appreciate that Ethiopia accommodate half a million Eritreans. If they want at will they can deport them back to DIA so that my cousin Eseyas can finish them.Remember one thing if eritreans said leave us alone, we are arabs, go away and leave our country you are our enemy and declared their hate and animosity towards ethiopia then why should ethiopia shelter them. Tell me what is the similarity between Quahyen(TSilima) or Tserona(Zalambesa) people and Budwin or Syrians people. Tell me they are all arabs. Let people laugh at you.
    e,

  • Hagherawi April 14, 2014

    “However the question is whether Ethiopians will want us back after we became prostitutes and slaves of arabs they do not want their dignity to be tarnished, Because you lost your dignity voluntarily.”

    Denden aka Tezareb, Bokre, Paradiso (rootless)

    Your country exports more prostitutes than any other one in the world. So don’t raise the issue of prostitution here.

  • Tamrat Tamrat April 14, 2014

    The unity or division of a nation is determined by the different Groups living in that nation. The alarming thing is suddenly the unity is a thema, like now ‘Eritrea can not be divided’. Was there a reason? How kunamma would be allowed to move freely to their Family in South of the ‘unmarked’ border? There is no ethnic Group either in Eritrea or ethiopia which is closer to kunama that is kunama in Ethiopia and Eritrea. So this unity declaration affect the movement of Kunama People. The war between Eritrea and ethiopia damaged both kunama and afar. Afar ethiopian and afar eritrean separated only 16 years ago. In this 16 years the afar eri havent improve their relation With tigringa dominant government while their longing to joine their People in South is greater. Thanks to tplf it oppresses the afar government and it in Return prohpited all eri afar move to their Naiton. Imagine Afar has get the attention like Tigray! Anyway blamming the europ cololialists is double standard when we are on the way of making afar nation, and the differnt ethnic Groups movement and developing their area.

    Let’s not see Our unity on the benefits of Our economical Development like the euro colonizer. From its practical solution let’s Accept the now eri and ethio geo peolitics as it is but lets not be part of the freemovements of People. I will never expect an ethio-afar defend the interest of for example ‘amhara’ and kill his own Brothers in Eritrea.

    Let’s open Our etyes. Put the border where ever you wish but free movements of Our Peoples must be garanted. This is for all ehtnic Groups in eri or ethiopia becasue some blinde pfdj are ready to Call me woyane. You woyane yourself before you open mouth. I am tired of these old tricks. ‘Whip shout itself while it is the one beating the hell out of others ‘ says the ethiopian proverb.

  • Merhawit April 14, 2014

    @ Denden,
    The name is actually Eritrean, but ur writing suggests u’re not one. Worse yet my friend: ur poor beggarly soul seems so tormented, enraged and embittered by the fact that u happen to be not eritrean or not fully confidently eritrean, that ur derogatory utterances toward Eritrea and Eritreans can be easily interpreted as lamentations for one’s misfortune.
    We believe, however, that Eritreanism is more a question of the heart than of one’s ancestry, and that is why hundreds of Eritreans of Tigray ancestry fought and died for an independent and democratic Eritrea. After all, one’s ancestry is a matter of coincidence that cannot be helped, but one that has to be adorned and embraced by the immediate concerned and accepted and respected free of bias by others.

    U don’t seem to realise this, because ur heart is filled with hate and a sense of vengeance emanating from a feeling of inferiority. That said, u should be indeed one of those Ethiopians, who till dato could not swallow the fact that Eritrea is a sovereign country and a full member of the international community of nations. U’ll attain nothing with ur innuendos, revanchist, hateful and slanderous statements on Eritrea and Eritreans. And the more a revanchist Ethiopian attempts to belittle and let us down, the more we become fervent patriots of our nation Eritrea. Yes, we’re facing innumerable setbacks under the incompetent and illegitimate regime, but even then we feel we’re better off alone.
    Ur allegations concerning arabisation, arab slavery, prostitution of Eritrean women and so on and so forth are only an expression of an embattled beggarly soul and necessitate no further deliberations from the Eritrean side.

  • open your mind April 14, 2014

    DENDEN, ADAM, TEZAREB

    TALKING TRASH ABOUT ERITREAN WOMEN OR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN WILL BRING A DINAMIC QUETION PROBAPLY NON OF YOU CAN ANSWER IT.

    WHY DO YOU THINK ERITREAN /ETHIOPIAN WOMEN ARE BECOMONG SLAVES IN THE ARAB COUNTRIES IN TODAYS WORLD? HAVE YOU EVER YOU GAYS THOUGHT THAT WOMEN WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT YOU TO THIS WORLD AND NARTURED YOU THINKING YOU WILL BE GOOD FOR YOURSELVES AND FOR HER WHEN SHE IS OLD ENOUGH AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT? I BELIVE YOU GAYS BELONG TO A WILD ANIMALS .YOU PUT YOURSELVES IN A DIFFERENT CATAGORY AND YOUR OUTLOOK FOR WOMEN IS JUST CRAZY.
    ERITREAN /ETHIOPIAN WOMEN ARE SUFFERING BECUASE GUYS LIKE YOU MADE THEM TO BE LIKE THIS.WHO DO YOU THINK IS SELLING OUR SISTERS TO ARABS FOR PROFIT ?WHY OUR SISTERS CANT LIVE A DECENT LIFE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY? IT IS BECAUSE GAYS LIKE YOU ARE SUPPORTING WOYANE AND HGDEF.GOVERNMENTS THAT SELL HUMAN BEINGS ALIVE FOR PROFIT AS IS THEY ARE COMMODITIES.PEOPLE SPECILLY WOMEN ARE BEING TRANSPORTED WITH OTHER COMMODITIES AND DROPPED AT THE BORDERS IN BOTH COUNTRIES FOR SALE.

    ZEHIFR TEGBARKUM MEWEDAETA YEBULUN.IF YOU ARE REAL MEN AND SEARCHING THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM CORRECT THE ONES THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED (YOUR GOVERNMENTS) NOT WOMEN (THE VICTIMS).INSULTING WOMEN WILL NOT BRING CHANGE IN ERITREA OR ETHIOPIA .FIGHT THE DIRTY GOVERNANCE IN BOTH COUNTRIES AND SAVE OUR WOMEN FROM THIS MOTHER FUCKER ARABS.

  • denden April 14, 2014

    Merhawit,Hagherawi
    I can tell you confidently with great dignity That I can count to the seventh(7) generaion from my both parents which village, wereda and HIGI ENDABA in Eritrea they belong unlike you would not even tell who your father is. Secondly I have never ever landed my foot in Ethiopia or Tigray. People like who crossed mereb river yesterday with tigray blood running across their veins and arteries tried and are still trying to saw hatred between the two nations. I want any one to prove me wrong that those people who hate Tigray or the word Ethiopia is just their personal problem. Example they might have Tigray brother in law, sister in law,father in law, step father, friend or neighbour who they have a quarrel and grudge (Kirhinty) with and they want to infect their personal disease into the whole society hence sawing hatred. Others are those who regarded Ethiopia as their mother land and were living confidently with investment in Ethiopia then the war broke and they were deported to Ethiopia inhumanly for this they hate Ethiopia specially tigray. So I say get over it. I will never hate Ethiopia because you simply hate your mother in law or brother in law. Thirdly How cheap like DIA and his Hegdef you are to tell me that Eritrean is by thought but not by blood. So DEMHIT qualified to be more Eritrean than you since they are fighting Wayane and deterring eritreans from falling into the hands of savage arabs while you are saying bla , bla….living in the west. More than that Italians built most of asmara infrastructure, chinese are there too, Sudanese are there too according to you they are eritreans. May be you’re your boyfriend is sudansese or arab too who you happily get him Eritrean citizenship. Let’s count our bones and resti enda aba.
    Finally no Ethiopian or tigraway will west time commenting in Eritrean websites because they are working hard to catch up with the rest of the world while you are busy making enemies from every direction to the detriment of the nation. People say Ethiopia wants red sea. What a rubbish politics what is red sea or port to you or me? Since we are living abroad are we gaining anything from it? Let me remind you if Ethiopia want access to the ertrean ports it is enshrined in the international law that they can have access by peacefull means or by force it is absolutely their right they just have to pay duty tax.So far Ethiopians abstained from using force to open the port. Say do not repeat words of those who try to blind fold you, brain wash you illiterate people of Zemen Gedli the forgotten History.

    • Asghedom Woldeghiorghis April 17, 2014

      Myself I agree with you, even me I can count my fsmily root until ,chaluk, Malk , Afaluk.
      No name is mixed with any root, but only Tigrigna meaning.
      Eritreans have no habit to hate people and insult people without any fondamental reason.
      Those who hate ethiopia or Tegeru , they have their owen problem and they lack identity. Those who accuse people giving adgetives you are agame you are these snd thst because you have different idea from them they sre resly not eritreans.

  • Bus.Zone April 14, 2014

    @Denden

    (Seven Generation ) in Shiraro

  • shikker April 15, 2014

    I hope it is a technical mistake that the poster do not contain The BILIN and The HIDAREB.

  • solomon eritrean April 15, 2014

    eritreans wil not be divided!1

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