“Fearless” Afwerki the Bravo – (PART I)
Fearless Afwerki the Bravo (PART I) Dedicated to President Afwerki by Fetsum Abraham Books: From Feminist to Rapist//The Curse of being and Living It//AMAZON BOOKS Dear readers; You know things happen for a reason and it so did in the FORTO
(PART I)
Dedicated to President Afwerki
by Fetsum Abraham
Dear readers;
You know things happen for a reason and it so did in the FORTO occasion for me to briefly introduce my books [on justice from different perspectives] specially the second one to the public. Believe it or not, this idea arrived in my mind after I finished writing this article including dedicating it to President Issaias Afwerki for missing the whole point of the peaceful rebellion at FORTO, to the tragic continuation of the Eritrean dilemma. I was surprised to read him attacking AUTHORS and talking about said total absence of fear or apprehension in his state of mind. The downbeat effect; because these were irrelevant; the fundamental issue on the ground that triggered the reaction of our troops at FORTO was not to litmus test president Afwerki’s fearless Machosmus against the Eritrean people but rather was a traumatized society’s quest for freedom and basic human rights through a constitutional political order. This unfortunate misunderstanding between the people and the president on the fate of the Eritrean society motivated me to dedicate this article to the delusional brother President Issaias Afwerki.
My first book “From Feminist to Rapist” challenges the fraudulent American government on its habitual distortion of facts in Court in favor of the prosecution end of the confrontation. It exposes the fact that the Police and the Detectives of the United States government lie under oath against defendants in certain criminological circumstances. The US justice system is, however, neutral and considers government witnesses (police, detectives) and defense witnesses equally under the law.
The book partially reads as;
“DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to INNOCENCE PROJECT in recognition to its spiritual mission of helping innocent American victims of injustice, to true victims of rape, to all falsely accused victims of bias and all political prisoners denied the due process of justice in the world“
As for the other book’s (The Curse of being and Living It) relevance to this opportunity, it happened to be motivated by my Eritrean experience in political asylum during the struggle. All the emotional ups and downs sustained by my generation’s attachment to the Eritrean struggle for independence through the years and far beyond.., the sacrifice, the emotional swings, hope and patience, lies and false promises, expectations and disappointments; denial and the unexpected metaphysical distress of an Eritrean under the absolute dictatorship of president Afwerki in sovereign Eritrea. The contradiction between my anticipation from independent Eritrea and the concrete reality at hand was too impacting for me to dedicate the book to the evil causes of unprovoked misery and darkness anywhere in the world; and of course in my country Eritrea as well. My book discusses JUSTICE in our country in general, including how the Eritrean mass organizations were conditioned to operate worldwide during the struggle. I have tried here to PSYCHOANALYZE President Afwerki in detail.
The title breaks down as: “Curse of Being”, because I did not choose to be a human being from Eritrea; an accidental natural fate beyond my control. “Living It” because once I became, I have been configured to live my life with Eritrean identity whatever it is worth for. Though ‘being” can also be a blessing, I would not have suffered psychologically as such had I not been an accidental Eritrean. Apparently, some people have advised me to have it ready in Tigrigna and I welcome any interested person to translate it under the title “TEKONKAS TISIHNA“
A portion of the book reads;
“DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to people betrayed by their own revolution; to the unfortunate victims of ego and fear that wasted the best opportunity to influence humanity through political power and to the suffering caused by freedom fighters that ended up becoming the burden of society at the end of the struggle“
One of the my guests in this reference is certainly President Afwerki of Eritrea.
Narrative: Afwerki’s opinion on the FORTO uprising
The president of Eritrea one way or another had to face the public on the Forto uprising and finally he did.
In Eritrea’s president breaks silence over army mutiny incident, Monday, 11 February 2013 15:35 by Tesfa-Alem Tekle; Afwerki said;
“The 21 January 2013 incident was, and is no cause at all, for apprehension and that the government opted to remain silent regarding the matter so as to give no ground for the authors of sheer lies,”
Analysis
The army mutiny incident did not cause apprehension or fear which is okey; people have the right to refrigerate the heat through self-deception but what does he mean by “the government opted to remain silent regarding the matter so as to give no ground for the authors of sheer lies”? All people did was discussing the news he himself admits to have taken place in Asmara. Eritreans in the resistance and the so called authors on the other hand are only asking for a democratic constitutional government in the country. Where do his silence and the associated lies fit into this context? I do not see their relevance to what happened in the event, do you? Who were said authors of sheer lies here?
Only imagination or hallucination can make you think like the president in this matter. Telling what happened in Eritrea is considered a lie in his mind. No Eritrean is allowed to discuss Eritrea without praising his failed policies because he owns it and it is none of their business. Any different idea is immediately rejected in this intricate socio-political experience where a universal reality is sidelined without a thought. Opposing the regime and witnessing an event are not the same. Unfortunately, the president is mixing the two fundamentally different concepts: to the point of criminalizing seeing, hearing and talking about something he does not like in the country. In his final days, Mengistu used to jail or kill people suspected of seeing something (accidentally or intentionally) posted on the walls of Addis by Activists; hence, the concept of dictation comes from the same source; a twisted mind.
Dear brother Issaias Afwerki;
Let me share with you the mind of Philosopher Jose Ortega Y Gasset in collectively compact fashion if you don’t mind;
“Man is the entity that makes itself; [he] has a self-generated guideline to make himself. Man is impossible without imagination, without the capacity to invent for himself a concept of life. [He] is what has happened to him, what he has done.” Man has no nature: he has to earn his life, not only economically but metaphysically”
I am sure you understand the philosopher’s input very well. You made yourself what you are. You invented yourself out of your experience and have been practically living your concept of existence with maximum authority. You have abstractly earned your life; your legacy and radiated them out for the universe to do what ever it wants to do with; of course literally, psychologically or philosophically like what I did in my second book in detail. You did not become one by nature for nature only destined you to be born Eritrean, leaving the rest for you to decide what you wanted to be: you programed your existential outlook completely by independent voluntarism: you are what happened to you; the cause and effect of your condition!
Brother;
A liar believes his lies when lying becomes his/her way of life. But, if one says that the US practices Capitalism and Imperialism, is the person lying? If one says America is the biggest jail in the world with 2.3 million prisoners, which I believe; is he lying? If I say the US government has caused suffering all over the world from Patrice Lumumba in Congo to Sadam Hussein in Iraq, and is too unjust at home and abroad to be the universal role model of peace and freedom, which I believe; am I lying? If I say America practices labor camp slavery in its prison system, which I believe; am I lying? If one say Ethiopia is America’s favorite nation in East Africa, which I believe; is he lying?
Okay, let me say this and you can quote me on it: OBAMA has not delivered what he promised for the people in his first election campaign, therefore he lied. do you think he can jail me breaching my fundamental right of speech as an American? Of course not because Americans like me own the government; and Obama is only there to serve us by popular vote. He also must move on giving another person to run the country after this term is over whether he likes it or not, because the Law is above everybody here in the States. I am saying what I want to say about my government because I am protected by my constitutional rights to speak and write anything I want about the US. Now, do you believe freedom of speech practically exists in democratic America from this experiment or you will stick with your denial that no democracy exists in the world as you openly said once upon a time in Aljazira? Is there any ploy behind the negative things I said about Obama and the US?
Brother;
Do you think the resistance is against you or against your leadership: about you as a person or about the condition of a society at large? If I say there is free or cheap labor slavery in Eritrea through the SAWA detail by global understanding; am I lying? If she says you have somewhat improved Eritrea infrastructurally, which I believe; is she lying? If she says you are a dictator and unjust; is she lying? How about if she says you are democratic and just: is she telling the truth now? Am I lying if I say something took place at FORTO? Am I telling the truth if I say otherwise? Am I okay your excellency, saying you joined the Eritrean struggle for independence and lead it to success but denied freedom to the people by means of the worst type of dictatorship then after? In pure logic they (true and false) were both relative; but which one is correct, which one the defective! ‘You are serving the truth through the ERi-TV’, but did you tell the people what happened at FORTO and why? Should I deny the existence of PORTO uprising for you to consider me as one who serves the truth like you?
THE ERITREAN PEOPLE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOU ABOUT THEIR FREEDOM: thousands of our people are being wasted in your prison enterprise without due trial? We have no constitution. Our kids are being wasted in the seas and deserts of the Middle East, in SAWA slavery and refugee life instead of developing the workforce and staying in school. People are tired of being ignored, lawlessness and hopelessness. Are these not good causes for resistance? Shouldn’t the kids justify the FORTO uprising for their freedom like we justified your resistance for freedom during the struggle? What makes the current struggle for freedom unjust and yours just?
I do not expect an answer but I can expect you to privately face your integrity and consistency on the burning agendas of the people; based on the merit of your administration if you read this article. You, however, can not rationally attack the resistance because it was provoked by a cause, which is your absurd and cruel dictatorship that caught our freedom by the neck; that paralyzed the movement of our society. We have no other choice other than struggling for our freedom to breath but you have the choice to peacefully resolve the problem before it is too late; the game is in your own court, and the key in your hand.
See you Mr. President in PART II of our communication via ASSENNA
Edmonton February 19, 2013
brother Fetsum Abraham you are the best,I always love to read you. I also learn from you, thank you.
David February 19, 2013
“that caught our freedom by the neck; that paralyzed the movement of our society. ”
Wedi Abraham,
Your statements are very vague. What do you want? What is your vision about how we should organize our society? I have noticed that you are one of the few who write articles and are prepared to answer question.
fetsum abraham February 19, 2013
David;
I am not here to answer question because I do not have the desire and capacity to do so. Just sharing my thoughts with no intention to convince. You need to take it from there on your own, brother.
TNX
Shalom February 19, 2013
“People are tired of being ignored, lawlessness and hopelessness. Are these not good causes for resistance? Shouldn’t the kids justify the FORTO uprising for their freedom like we justified your resistance for freedom during the struggle? What makes the current struggle for freedom unjust and yours just? ” I like your mature analyzing thought thank you fetsum aberham keep up the good work brother . Justice and democracy will prevail
belay nega February 19, 2013
FETSU
“ETHIOPIA IS AMERICA’S FAVORITE NATION IN EAST AFRICA”
SLOWLY YOU ARE APPROACHING THE DEEP ROOTED ERITREAN PROBLEM
USA HAD IT’S OWEN REASON TO ANNEX US TO ETHIOPIA
ETHIOPIANS THEY NEVER BELIEVE IN ERITREAN FREEDOM
UNFORTUNATLY ETHIOPIA IS THE BEST ALLY TO USA
USA IS THE SOLE SUPER POWER IN THE WORLD
THE OUTCOME OF THE ABOVE RELATIVITY THEORY MADE ERITREAN FREEDOM TO BE FRAGILE
CONCLUSION
P.E.A IS NOT THE CAUSE BUT A VICTIM LIKE ANY ERITREAN TO THE REASON WE SUFFERING FROM
FACT IS FACT
Wedesmera February 19, 2013
Belay Nega, you must be out of your mind to suggest that Esyas is a victim unless you are him using the alias. Eseyas ruled for the last 21 years without any rule of law, accountability or transparency. Surely, you are not trying to convince anyone of us that USA told Esyas to opress Eritrean people and Haijack the heroism and history of the 30 years struggle.
I could go on forever but I thik I have made my point concisely, my advice to you is have a heart and side with the youth who are being tortured in Sinai some of them are kidnapped from Sawa, Wake up and smell the coffee. people have risen there is no going back.
Power to the people
belay nega February 19, 2013
I WISH ERITREAN PROBLEM WAS AS SIMPLE AS YOU ARE SAYING
Eritrea February 21, 2013
Yes it is simple but Eseyas is making it very complex. If the constitution is implemented first step forward then others will follow.
Discuss?
Haben February 19, 2013
Belay Nega
Your reasoning is old and obsolete. Don’t export our own problems from Eritrea. Our enemy is inside Eritrea and his name is Issayas Afwereke and the name of his party is PFDJ. It is this dictator that is denying Eritreans their freedom. It is him who is jailing Eritreans without any trail. It is him who is killing Eritreans by torture and slow death in prisons across Eritrea. It is PFDJ and Issayas who has made Eritrea a giant prison.
Thank you Fetsum for your touching factual reporting.
belay nega February 19, 2013
AS A RULE OF NATURE ISAYAS WILL PASS AWAY
BUT ERITREAN ISSUE WILL REMAIN WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
Angesom Hagos February 19, 2013
dear mr. belay
i apriciate the author mr fetsum for oppening basic and fundamental arguments about current ussues and future destiny of eritrrea.and i apritiate you(mr. belay nega) for sharing your ideas for i believe it is this very nuitrent of freedom that we eritreans hunger.nonetheless i disagree with your argument that it is the american policy which favours ethiopia to us that is deteriorating demacracy and rule of law in eritrea.”is not becoming what your enemy wants you to be the greatest defeat of all”? can not any leader be it pr.issayas or else foster democracy and freedom while defending the sovereignty of the nation? if this is impossible then,do we eritreans have to agree to keep our freedom(democracy) a hostage and wait until america changes its policy towords ethio-eritrea, which is a very slim possibility. are we to be condomned to uncertainity!no..no..no, we dont have to recognize democracy as american identity but a gift which has to be bestowed to all people.if we are to live without freedom,what is the meaning of nation for us then?
belay nega February 20, 2013
DEAR ANGOSOM
I WISH OUR PROBLEM WERE:
P.E.A
DEMOCRACY
CONSTITUTION
THESE ARE PRETEXT TO ARRIVE AT THE FINAL GOAL [UNDERMINING ERITREAN INTEGRITY]
Angesom Hagos February 21, 2013
Dear mr. belay
when you loose something is it not wiser to start searching from the nearest point?..
Don’t you think its the stab from within which is driving eritrean people into diaspora..and all the suffering that we are experiencing?
And who is holding the knife stabing us all…..why don’t we admit it?
is it a taboo to suspect or blame a head of a family? why shouldn’t we entertain this? for as it is said in our tigrigna proverb…someone who hides his wound hides his cure!
although forming a hypotesis is among the scientific steps of solving a problem…..it should never come before identifying the problem and gathering data.so please try to contemplate beggining from what is around us and the very evident sircumstances in our country.
thank you
to the record– P:E.A should not be assumed as the only and only capable leader(sole leader), if we are thinking so. otherwise we should admit that our believe is..”the fate of eritrea eds with the end of Essayas!
belay nega February 21, 2013
DEAR ASGODOM
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AS EVER
ALL WHAT YOU MENTIONED IS A CONSEQUENCE
OUR PROBLEM IS DEEP ROOTED
WE ARE VICTIM OF OUR CHOICE
“P.E.A SHOULD NOT BE ASSUMED AS THE ONLY AND ONLY CAPABLE LEADER”
I NEVER SAID IT AND IS NOT REALISTIC
BUT I GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR PREDICTING[FORESEE]THE WOULD BE ATTITUDE OF THE WORLD TOWARDS ERITREA
Aman February 19, 2013
Ortega, whoever he is, said it all about being human. If you have followed Tesfay Temnewo’s description about Isayas, yuk will find the truth in Ortega’s saying. Mr. Tesfay said, ” Isayas nezi hizwo zelo bota wey sultan b’sruu rekibwo….” He, Isayas paid a price, a big one to get in to the position he is on. It may be at the expense of the entire Eritrean population, but I can assure you that he will pay whatever it takes to live the kind of life he only knows. It takes a brave man as individual or a leader of a society or organization, a leader with Ortega’s human nature , to take down your brother Isayas (Afeworki).
Meretse Asmelash February 19, 2013
With all respect, by now , if there is any problem it is with the people itself and not with the dictator. Here is a reason why? a virus which causes a disease is not expected to be a cure at any given time. Having said that, at this time whether he likes it or not his days are numbered due to THE TIME OF AWAKENING.
belay nega February 19, 2013
WHAT ABOUT IF THE VIRUS IS HIV?
Meretse Asmelash February 20, 2013
You won. Wrong word choice
Angesom Hagos February 21, 2013
Dear belay
fostering pessimism…..where does this lead us?
suspicion on identity of the foster.
g. ande February 19, 2013
Fisum, your article is great. However, like many Eritrean writers you are more inclined to make your analysis Isayas-centric. I think in these dark days of Eritrea we need to be more strategy-centric so that we develop strategic models to bring about change in Eritrea. What do I mean by this? Mahtma Gandhi, who is thought of as the architect of the “civil disobedience” theory developed this strategy and led the Indian population to victory. His approach was very passive on the surface but very effective in hitting the target. What kind of strategies do you conceive of in Eritrea that can awaken the people to enable them live as free people? We can go on talking about what Isayas did or did not ad infinitum. I believe such an approach is an exercise in futility. I am not at all comfortable with forceful military takeover (coup d’etat), because history has thought me that elements that come to power through forced takeover almost invariable more dictatorial than the regimes they oust. I want to see the people (the average Hagos and Ali) cook up something that will make the regime feel like it is standing on a quick sand. The people can do it without tanks, cannons and machine guns. The people have to start saying “no” to the regime in the same manner the South East Indians said “no” to British colonialism. The question is, “Is there any organized form of popular movement in Eritrea that is strategy-centric” that can moblilize the people to launch a passive resistance against the regime. To my knowledge there is execept the efforts of the fearless youth that are makeing robo calls to Asmara every Friday. My point is Fitsum let us not be Isayas-centric. That is a counterproductive. It only gives Isayas a certain degree of legitmacy and recognition. Let’s think of Isayas as an insignificant dictator who cannot stay a single day in power, should the people reject him and say no to him. Unfortunately, the dictator has enough supporters to go around. Well, what can we say, what stratgey could be applied to deplete his power base and awaken the Eritrean people from their deep slumber? That is what we need to focus on.
Seb February 19, 2013
Two thigs we can say about your comment:
1. Yes, you are right, President Issayas and the Eritrean government are still standing, only and only because the Eritrean people are standing and supporting them. And as history can teach us, the Eritrean people do not just support any one for the heck of it. Meaning, Issayas and the Eritrean government must be doing a great job for the people to bless them with the support.
2. You said “…unfortunately, Iseyas has many supporters……” The question to you is why “unfortunately” ? And if you beleive, the government has the majority or the biggest portion of the pie, the. Why are you fighting the majority?
It is better for the 1% to change and join the majority- than the impossible task of trying to change the 99% to be forced to fallow the 1%. What happened to the majority rule?
3. Few years back you fools did say you going to make a tactic change- issaye Issayas, attack Issayas. So what happened now?
The writer is retarded kind. He has not catch up with you zigzagging thing
Aman February 19, 2013
You are either ignorant or a moron to say ”Eritrean Government”. There is nothing in Eritrea which looks like ”government” if you know the meaning of government. It is a collection of a bunch of stupid, criminal farmers who think they are running a ‘government’. It is pity that the descent Eritrean people and a great nation like Eritrea is called by a few insane individuals who are able to fool the majority for so long. You will not be able to understand the writer with the mentality you develop after 20 years of listening the same song over and over again. Free yourself from slavery.
jonah February 19, 2013
Fitsum good article.
G. Ande you make a very strong and powerful observation. I like the idea of Strategy-centric or solution-centric approach instead of Issayas. I also understand your reservation with regard to coup d’etat and how this approach might bring change but it doesn’t empower the people. Most of us are in diaspora need also a common platform. As an Eritrean in diaspora, I just feel we have to many organizations or we are dis-jointed as far as I know.
Yes, we have websites like assenna, asmarino, awate (I wonder why all these website start with letter A? I am not sure if that is form alpha-bet competition 🙂
But joking aside, it would be nice to have an Eritrean opposition website with clear platform and causes, etc.
Yes we can tell or recommend to Eritrean in Eritrea to do this or that… but they would be the ones sticking up their neck. It would be nice for them to know that they have the support of many Eritreans in diaspora organized and prepared to help in their cause for change. http://www.causes.com/discover/human-rights?ctm=cat_nav_Human+Rights or http://www.greenparty.org.uk/ as an example website.
Or organization like this for leadership development and organizational improvement..
http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/about/offices-foundations/open-society-initiative-eastern-africa I know we Eritrean during our independence didn’t rely heavily on outside people or organization but maybe it is time to look outside.. this would give Eritrean opposition or causes visibility around world.
Even if there is an internal coup detat, it would be good for organizer to know diaspora is united with common platform. There are going to be some die-hard believer of Issayas but most those are Old and if you can’t change their view, time will take care of them.
Angesom Hagos February 21, 2013
dear jonah
you have put it in a cristal clear. a demonstration with out a slogan and slogan with out a high voice is like an echo returning to its caller.
good job
Angesom Hagos February 21, 2013
dear G.ande
thank you for your observation-it is becoming strategy-centric that we are lucking at this point.in the days of Noah,when God told Noah to build a ship..Noah did and saved his family.to the Eritrean case unlike that of Noah’s time,almost every eritrean(apart from the very few messing their hand with the blood money..) is wispered for and is choosen to be saved from the engulfing fload of injustice and missery inflicted by the master-juda of eritrea.what we need is the ship(an organization with clear strategy that would gather us all together)and competent sailors. only that way we can survive as one nation and one people.
Sarah February 19, 2013
Hi fitsum,
good job as usual!!! You always do a good job by putting light from different perspectives!
Seb February 19, 2013
If I am not mistaken, you called Eritrean women a very bad name. Are you that same woman?
Selam February 19, 2013
Selamat,
Brother Fetsum, you are bitten by the same bugs Isayas have been bitten.
Was President Isayas your teacher?
Sesenayu
Saba February 19, 2013
Dear G.Ande.. you mentioned several good points! However,in regards to Isayas Supporters i compare them with prostitutes.. They go with anyone who is going to pay “more”… Kedaat people just clap with anyone… They are ignorant.. Maybe their nature.. This is a part of personality.. You are right, to be too Isayas-focused is nonesense. We shall argue about it when he is caught, strategy is needed then plenty complaints..
belay nega February 19, 2013
TRY TO HAVE SELF RESPECT AS A LADY
sara February 21, 2013
even by assumption i don’t think she is a lady, the problem in these website is people us aliases and feel free to spit dirt wards they wouldn’t say if they were using their actual names.
belay nega February 21, 2013
IT IS UP TO ASSENA TO PROTECT ERITREAN NORMS
ahmed saleh February 22, 2013
belay
Anta denkoro , if you get the message SABA might be your daughter age .
belay nega February 22, 2013
YOU COUNTRY LESS SEASONAL BIRD WHERE IS YOUR NEXT DESTINATION?
MEKELE OR ADDIS ABEBA ?