Eritrean Regime Holding the Nation Hostage
Michael Abraha – Addis Ababa The Eritrean government is trying hard these days to be loved and paid attention to. The tragedy is the system is incapable of understanding that it does not deserve anything of
Michael Abraha – Addis Ababa
The Eritrean government is trying hard these days to be loved and paid attention to. The tragedy is the system is incapable of understanding that it does not deserve anything of the sort. The US administration quietly rebuffed a letter dated July 30, 2011 from beleaguered Eritrea’s Isaias Afewerki anxiously wanting to get President Obama’s attention.
The leader of the free world cannot help unelected leaders who are not accountable to their own people. Isaias has not only subjected his people to mass poverty, mass ignorance, and murder but is also said to be aligning himself with Al Shabab in order to kill and terrorize innocent Somalis and other Africans.
In response, the US has allocated some drones to the Horn region in partnership with Uganda, Ethiopia and other East African states to try to quell Al Shabab and its backers.
The Eritrean leader’s July letter to Obama desperately tries to explain why he should not face more UN sanctions and why Ethiopia should move out of “sovereign Eritrean territory” meaning from Badme – an allegation no longer credible. In reality, this is a demarcation issue and a call for a talk on how to demarcate the border does not necessarily make Ethiopia an aggressor. The only way to find out is to sit down and talk.
This reporter has tried to reach out to Eritrean Ambassador to the African Union, Ato Girma Asmerom, several times in the last 3 weeks for an interview mainly centered on the Badme myth.
When phone calls were not answered, interview questions were hand-delivered to Ambassador Girma’s office in the Ethiopian capital. In view of the fact that several past requests from this reporter for Q&A with Eritrean Strongman Isaias Afewerki and his top aides have been ignored, it seems the current attempt to challenge another Eritrean official has also failed. Here are the questions and there is still enough time for Ato Girma to respond:
1. Some critics, foreign and Eritrean, say the government is holding democracy hostage because of Badme – a desolate village believed to be the size of not more than three to four football stadiums yet to be transferred to Eritrea under UN plan. Is that an unfair criticism?
2. Once the border line between the two countries is marked and land swap is carried out, Eritrea is to get Badme but it will also return to Ethiopia productive pieces of border land bigger than the size of Badme, according to the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission. Why has Badme become a thorny issue for both countries?
3. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi bluntly told Eritrean professionals, and opposition politicians and students in Addis Ababa in September that he won’t give up Badme unless it is in exchange for real and verifiable peace from Eritrea. His stance seems to enjoy the tacit support of the AU, UN and the super powers. Why?
4. The Prime Minister also stressed he would never initiate war and send Ethiopian troops to kill young Eritrean soldiers and draftees in order to reach Asmara. Eritrea has in the meantime kicked out UN peacekeeping forces tasked to ensure peace so that the two sides could focus on development. In their absence, Eritrea remains in a state of war not very conducive for democratization or investment. Do you regret the expulsion of the UN troops?
5. It seems Eritrea is yet to present strong evidence to counter charges that it is arming terrorists and committing acts to destabilize the Horn Region. What are your hopes there would be no additional UN sanctions on Eritrea?
6. Do you think Eritrea’s membership with IGAD will be restored anytime soon?
7. If, as President Isaias says, there is no famine or hunger in Eritrea, why is the government not confident enough to allow neutral experts to confirm that people are not starving or malnourished? Were the Eritrean professionals meeting in Addis Ababa earlier in September wrong in calling for a humanitarian access to people affected by drought in the country?
Of course this is an interview that never was – destined to be dead on arrival. The attempt could be likened to an independent Libyan journalist trying to talk to Tyrant Gaddafi or his confused advisors and ask them if they have ever heard of such ideas as human rights or democracy. “Who are you talking to? You spoiled son of a rat! I will come to Bengazi and cat your tail off”, Gaddafi would be barking out of his bunker somewhere in the desert.
Free press is the number one enemy of tyrants and their cronies. This is true of Isaias and his misguided emissaries – including Ambassador Girma – who have chosen a comfortable, easy, lazy, corruptible leadership style without having to face any challenges from journalists or from ordinary people. Independent, responsible media coupled with a robust, democratic opposition are needed for a society to function properly.
Evidently, Isaias’s Badme ploy and his claims of the “Ethiopia threat” are a bogus pretext to stay in power indefinitely and to prevent the people from demanding their right to democracy and freedom.
The regime is the most secretive in Africa and does not believe it is unanswerable to its people or to the rest of the world. The country is now affected by drought and the US and some UN agencies and non-governmental aid givers have expressed fear that Eritreans may be facing hidden famine.
The burden of proof is on the Eritrean government. If Isaias is confident there is no famine, he should have no problem letting neutral aid experts to independently verify the situation. There is no reason why the Eritrean independent press or the democratic opposition should accept Isaias’s denial of famine.
One last point about rats: It should be noted that thousands of regime supporters are defecting and quietly joining the pro-democracy camp. But there are still some diehard, non-thinking Isaias worshippers and greedy beneficiaries. If Isaias tells them they are rats, they will grow tail the next hour. If he tells them to march on the streets of Western capitals or attend his misinformed, disingenuous gatherings, they will show up with even longer tails on their behind. The encouraging truth is they are fast becoming extinct like dinosaurs before them
confront him October 10, 2011
How can we miss some one who can confront Girma asmerom in addis?
monkey chase for girma. October 10, 2011
Any one who wants to play monkey Chase on girma?
turana October 10, 2011
Chase the monkey in Addis!
Dawit October 10, 2011
It’s very ironic to see HGDEF officials give interviews to foreign journalists but not independent Eritreans.
Temesgen Medhanie October 10, 2011
Isaias is a student of history. However, for the wrong reasons. As per Wikileaks, a high government Chinese official once quipped, “Isaias learned the wrong things from China.” The tyrant of Syria who has ruled Syrians with an iron fist for decades has always “justified” his lack of democratic system, transparency and freedom of press and speech to the occupation of the Golan Heights which is hitherto under Israel. That is, the tyrant for the last forty years or so has been telling his people that, he can not afford or have the luxury of focusing on democratic ideals when the sovereign Syrian territory is under a foreign occupation. It sure sounds familiar. Doesn’t it? Isaias does not limit his ‘voracious’ learning appetite to the Far East but he learns from the Middle East as well. He says, we can not afford to focus on implementing democratic institutions when our sovereign land is still under a foreign occupation. I personally do not blame Isaias for he is an incorrigible and recalcitrant in temperament where he is too old to rectify his attitude. What I find disturbing and hard to fathom is, his supporters’ fall for a lame excuse and travel an extra mile to express their allegiance to a tyrant at the expense of the Eritrean people in back home.
abdi October 10, 2011
Badme – an allegation no longer credible? Mushmush
In reality, this is a demarcation issue and a call for a talk on how to demarcate the border does not necessarily make Ethiopia an aggressor?
The only way to find out is to sit down and talk?duruz
you missed that your lord signed for a no talk or any further discussion after the eebc’s decision, stop ur nonsense and be fair for once.
The more you write, the more you make ppl sick, and the more you lose your credibility.
SHAWEL MOVEMENT October 10, 2011
Dear Temesgen
This is the problem in Eritrea where the majority are silent, it is easy to turn a blind eye to some of these things and hope that they will either go away or miraculously get sorted and then the minority express their allegiance to a tyrant at the expense of the Eritrean people in back home, but soon changing once and for all and every one know it!
The truth is coming out every day, this is a copy of one paragraph from the interview of the former prison guard in Era’ero.
””””””””””’
The climatic conditions at Era’ero were too harsh for the prisoners and prison guards. Let alone inside the prison cells, it would be difficult to withstand the heat outside. The longer you stay there, the less able you are to recover from any illness that might have affected you. This is my observation.
It has been reported that due to the harsh living conditions and ill-treatment, a number of prisoners have died in captivity. Other than the deaths of Joshua, General Okbe and Mahmood Sheriffo, who else do think survived or died at Era’ero prison?
Joshua, General Okbe and Sheriffo died in Embat’kala. When I was in Era’ero, 12 more died.
Can you recall their names?
Their names are:
Salih Kekiya
Yusuf
Aster
Mehari
Tesfameskel or Ghebremeskel (I am not sure – maybe Tesfameskel)
Mohammed Sayed
Hamid Himed
Jermano Nati
Mattewos
Mehari Kidane
These are the names – if I have not forgotten.
SHAWEL MOVEMENT October 10, 2011
Dear Temesgen
This is the problem in Eritrea where the majority are silent, it is easy to turn a blind eye to some of these things and hope that they will either go away or miraculously get sorted and then the minority express their allegiance to a tyrant at the expense of the Eritrean people in back home, but soon changing once and for all and every one know it!
The truth is coming out every day, this is a copy of one paragraph from the interview of the former prison guard in Era’ero.
””””””””””’
The climatic conditions at Era’ero were too harsh for the prisoners and prison guards. Let alone inside the prison cells, it would be difficult to withstand the heat outside. The longer you stay there, the less able you are to recover from any illness that might have affected you. This is my observation.
It has been reported that due to the harsh living conditions and ill-treatment, a number of prisoners have died in captivity. Other than the deaths of Joshua, General Okbe and Mahmood Sheriffo, who else do think survived or died at Era’ero prison?
Joshua, General Okbe and Sheriffo died in Embat’kala. When I was in Era’ero, 12 more died.
Can you recall their names?
Their names are:
Salih Kekiya
Yusuf
Aster
Mehari
Tesfameskel or Ghebremeskel (I am not sure – maybe Tesfameskel)
Mohammed Sayed
Hamid Himed
Jermano Nati
Mattewos
Mehari Kidane
These are the names – if I have not forgotten.
abdi October 11, 2011
The majority are not silent,they are satisfied with the gov’t of Eritrea and its policy.why you denying them the right to support their gov’t ,the rules say majority win,isn’t it?
guest October 11, 2011
Let alone to be satisfied, no one asked them if they want the regime. Though they are quiet they are showing their disdain for the regime by abandoning the government day and night.Elders are being left behind , if you go to Adi, u will find elderly people where their sons daughter either in refugee camp or being enslave in the fields by the regimes Generals and Colonels
Temesgen Medhanie October 10, 2011
Dear Shawel Movement,
As much as it is disheartening and nerve-racking the plight of the said prisoners, they have become mere characters on the screen as time passes immeasurably. Let alone their timeless Spartan caliber bravery, their sense of human nature seems to disappear as we remain apathetic and callous to their suffering and unimaginable injustice that has befallen upon them. As events are unfolding however, their plight is not going to last long where the voice of the majority seems to graduate as you have aptly put it from silence to a roaring discontent that is about to shake up the otherwise formidable PFDJ edifice. May God help us all.
Weldit October 10, 2011
I don’t know why people want to interview GoE officials when we already know thier answers. They have been giving identical answers for the past 13 years. Front ideology won’t allow them to be flexible in their responses. you can submitt your questions in 10 different ways, but the answers remain stagnant.