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Forum for National Dialogue (Medrek): Challenges and Promises

Forum for National Dialogue (Medrek): Challenges and Promises Ghezae Hagos Berhe (The article is abridged from facebook discussion.)   Recently, former diplomats of the government of Eritrea and others have formed a group called Forum for National Dialogue (FDN.)

Forum for National Dialogue (Medrek): Challenges and Promises

Ghezae Hagos Berhe

(The article is abridged from facebook discussion.)

 

Recently, former diplomats of the government of Eritrea and others have formed a group called Forum for National Dialogue (FDN.) The topic is generating heated debates in the Eritrean social media circles. Here are my views.

 

1.At the core of any issue that every Eritrean, including many PFDJ members, agree is Eritrea is led by dictator Isaias and we need him be removed from power and be replaced by A GOVERNMENT THAT IS LEGALLY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. Let us mull over this as the main yardstick or principle that can’t be negotiated or changed under any circumstances. A lot of contours, misunderstandings on terminologies and lack of proper explanations have exacerbated our discourse. We need to define in clearer terms, than ‘xegenti’ ‘sur-mho lewti’ etc. CORE issue is ‘power should be returned to the people of Eritrea’ immaterial of the terms and strategies as long as we understand their meanings.
2. Now Mederek. According to their objective “To work as a catalyst in bringing together pro-democracy Eritreans inside and outside the country to replace the current dictatorship in Eritrea by an equitable governance structure based on a constitution that guarantees equal rights of all citizens, their democratic freedoms and human rights, equal access to social services, and equal opportunities to develop themselves and their country.”
3. So does Medrek advocate for transfer of power to the people of Eritrea or just change Isaias and keep the status quo (if that is ever possible)? It is not fair to put words on someone or some group just to project your own version. When some unfairly attacked EYSNS on false grounds, we objected that and it is not good to extend that to others. As far their press release show, (again please read it), there is nothing in Medrek that prove they wanted to keep the status quo. They clearly rejected Isaias and called for others to join the tide of change. They may advocate for peaceful means as much as possible but didn’t say ‘by all means’ should be rejected. They said their role is to be catalyst but if that is what they want to, we hope they be good catalysts. Again, I invite serious readers and activists to read the document and how it can help the overall movement for change. Our allegiance and struggle is for the people of Eritrea and hence we need to put them first.
4. In my humble opinion, we are better served and serve our people if we see the bigger picture of what we as people want and what is possible at this time. Focusing on personalities dilutes, obfuscates the message. For example, a lot have been said about Amb. Andebrahan Weldegergish. A lot us prefer if we come forward and openly tell us what his experiences was and what he wants to accomplish. This nation belongs as much to him as to all of us. We need to commend him for deciding to join when many other previous public officials didn’t want to. Some people have questions for Ambassador Anderberhan and the answers whether satisfactory or not should be given. If we seriously believe our nation is in great peril of demise, the issues that we think are big are not as big if we want to tackle them with candor and courage. I humbly urge Amb. Andebrahn to seize the opportunity and the spotlight to expound his views and enrich our opposition with lessons we can all learn from. I also urge his friends and Medrek organizers to encourage him as in my opinion the benefits outweigh the fears and concerns.
5. Engagement is single key issue. It should be encouraged in all sides. I am very optimistic with real and honest engagement; there is nothing that is impossible. At least you respect each other’s opinion and work in the minimum common issues such as advocacy, human rights, and refugees etc.
6. Conscientious and wise activists are deeply needed in these turbulent times. My main message for now is for our compatriots at EYSNS and Medrek. If we can gloss over the seemingly different or opposing views, you can find the end product we are all asking for is the same: which is ‘power should be returned to the people of Eritrea.’

 

7. In the end, MedreK will be assessed and judged on its subsequent actions, not in their statements. When one calls for engagement, one doesn’t mean or imply one has to accept everything said or believe it. You can reject it altogether if you will; but isn’t much wiser and more beneficial to reach out to groups; learn from their lessons; share their concerns; bring forth your concerns; find points of convergence; narrow points of divergences; and see if there is any area you can work together.

 

Please note that apart from the general goodwill we extend (or should extend) to any Eritrean who wants to give his/her two cents to the tidal wave of history of fighting the Isaias regime, some of us actually notice groups such as Medrek do have a potential to register tangible results especially in lobbying which I think is one of the opposition’s biggest weaknesses. The reason we are saying let us give them a chance is not merely to appear nice or moderate or because we are docile (let the records speak for themselves, if need be) but because we believe they can help in areas mentioned below and other areas that I am not aware of. Hence, in the hope of enriching the discourse, I would like to forward my brotherly recommendations for Medrek. My recommendations in a nutshell are the following. Medrek:-

  1. Need to use the spotlight to engage the opposition public using pal talks, facebook and Eritrean opposition media. It is proper to be open to public questions and comments as what you are aspiring to do is of matter of grave, national importance that will affect all of us as citizens. Granted some people have serious concerns and grievances but as the overriding objective is to save the nation from imminent peril, the issues and controversies will pale in comparison to what we have in common. Candor and courage compels you to open your doors. I encourage them repeatedly to be available for public forums.

 

  1. Engage with civic and political groups and activists who have special focus in lobbying the international community, the UN, USA and the EU to put pressure on the Isaias regime on the grounds of gross violations of human rights and/or human trafficking.

 

  1. There are swaths of areas of international laws and national laws that the Isaias regime has been routinely violating and that we need legal experts and lobbyists to challenge them using legal instruments at their disposal.

 

  1. Use your expertise, networks, resources and connections to expose the Isaias regime in international media and forums.

 

  1. Give special focus and attention to the plight of Eritrean refugees in neighboring countries, Northern Africa and Israel. Eritrean refugees are suffering and languishing and they need well-seasoned politicians and activists to advocate on their behalf.

 

  1. It bears repeating experienced lobbying is desperately needed. We hope to see Mederek put its legal/diplomatic expertise, experiences and resources to bridge the gap with a view to step up international pressure and sanctions on the Isaias regime.

 

  1. I urge you not to be fazed by controversies as it is not about groups or persons. Eritrean people have been subjected to unprecedented degree of persecution and atrocities and our nation is facing risk of total annihilation. We need to save it before it is too late. We need to act..now.

 

Finally, as Martin L. King said “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” We owe it to ourselves, to our history, to our people and to our nation to learn to live together. The bells of history are tolling for all of us to save our endeared nation from a certain demise, a nation we have paid untold sacrifices for that you personally can bear witness of. Let us save it..together.

 

 

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Review overview
72 COMMENTS
  • marsa February 8, 2014

    GEZEA
    thankyou for your ballanced article this is what missing in the opossition side.

  • AWET BERHE February 8, 2014

    THEORETICALLY GOOD BUT NO SUBSTANCE.WE DON’T NEED 10000000 GOOD IDEAS IN 1000000 GROUPS .THIS MAKES YOUR
    OPINION NULL AND VOID.LETS COME TOGETHER AND HAVE COMMON ENEMY DEFEATED.WHEN WEDI VACARO STARTED CAMPAINING
    MANY COVERT PFDJ STARTED GROUPINGS TO DIVERT PUBLIC ATTENTION.THESE MEDREK IS NOT A NEW GROUP JUST ANDEBRHAN HAS OFFICIALY SHOWED UP IN THE OLD GARBAGE CAN. WE ERITREANS ARE NAIIVE AND JUDGE THINGS SUPPERFICIALLY.
    NO DOUBT;REST ASSURED THESE ARE NOT FOR CHANGE BUT REMOTE CONTROLLED PFDJ THUGS. DON’T FORGET THAT THESE ARE ALL EQUALLY CRIMINAL. I DON’T BLAME THEM IF THEY FIGHT TO BUY TIME TILL RELATIONS WITH ETHIOPIA NORMALIZES.
    WHO ELSE WOULD HELP ISSAYAS TO FORM AS MANY MEANINGLESS GROUPS AS SOMEONE CAN OTHER THAN THESE PUPPETS

  • hamassien February 8, 2014

    Andebrhan is a criminal. He should tell us about the crime in university. He needs to clean his attitude about hamassien and akele and tigre. No coordinated attack by this group under the fund od adwa. Mesketem.net want seraye to come to power with the hep of adwa. Still alena nhna hamasenot. Attacking hammasien by mesketem doesnt he Goo What is his crime.

    They are popuing to neutralize wedi vacaro. This area menaise and rats.they want to newtralize wedi vacaro. They are criminals and need to come to justice.

  • Bereket, February 8, 2014

    I think those who was close with Issais must ask pardon from the people like wedi Vacaro. Wedi vacaro apolotgize first before he start and Mederk should come up reconcilation within themselves and with others before hand.Otherwise their objective could loss confidence.

    I like Gezea’s article as he tried to make clear the road for them.

  • habrom February 8, 2014

    Rezen, I assumed that they are power hungry people and that is the reason they do not work together. power first & country second. Wecho entegelbetkayo wecho eyu nay eritrea neger.

    • rezen February 8, 2014

      Habrom, THANK YOU

      I like your reply– especially when you started by saying: “I assumed”. Only a wise person would hesitate to be definitive about human nature. And with “Eritrea” we can only guess, assume,and wonder about the manifestation of a bizarre characteristic of an entire nation which does not seem to know where its INTEREST lies. Could it be some sort of a ‘curse’. Just a question.
      Thank you again, Habrom

  • Michael Ghebre February 8, 2014

    Isaias is not the only enemy of Eritrea. All the the PFDJ leadership are tainted with Eritrean blood. Without the support of the Eritrean people Isaias cannot manage to make cup of tea by himself. All the dirty work is done by his puppets.
    My advise to our fellow Eritrean opposition groups is please make a unity in order to defeat the common enemy, the PFDJ leadership. Time is running out no more squabbles.

  • heyawie February 8, 2014

    I regret Mr Ghezae Hagos Berhe, your views and analysis is good but you need to identify as well by saying who are this people we talking about, are they worth it having them and also you need to question their motives.
    1.Some of the groups are already participated in the struggle against the dictator from the onset.
    2. The others were most prominent figures during the struggle for independence and after independence. In addition they were most sub servants of essias.
    3 They were part of the problem in Eritrea as they deeds shown so.
    4. Some of them they want publicity in order to further their carrier at UN or another NGO organisation apart from that they never cared about their own people.

  • Sarah February 8, 2014

    Gezae,
    You can not push something down the throat of the Eritrean people! If we do not trust these people, it is our right to reject or not accept them. If we feel insulted by their assumption that we are so desperate that we will accept any one and anything, then we have the right to tell them that they are wrong and that we are wise enough not to rush to another dictatorship then it is still our right to say NO!! You can not make excuses for them or try to explain what they meant or what they said.
    You wrote ‘We need to commend him for deciding to join when many other previous public officials didn’t want to’ How many years is it since Dr Tekeste left the country? how many years is it since Andebrahan left the country?
    Then you write ‘MedreK will be assessed and judged on its subsequent actions, not in their statement’ Are you for real? this is not a game. This is politics. Politicians are judged by what they say also. If what they say and what they do are different things, then we can not TRUST them. Either they are liars or cheats and even incompetent! which one is it with Medrek?

  • Selam February 8, 2014

    Great wise analysis. I support most of your ideas. Yes we need to respect each other, and we don’t have to base on rumors as facts and put heavy allegations on each other meaning within the opposition camp. And the dictator is destroying us. Th

    • Haile February 8, 2014

      Hi Dekebat, first, I would like to express my appreciation for Ghezae Hagos’s excellent idea and suggestions. As one of you said, first let us respect each other and convince each other. That is what is lost among Eritreans. We should know also, every Eritrean has the right to speak or share his/her opinion or ideology about his country. We should not rush to criticize and judge individuals emotionally without knowing them their intentions and their backgrounds. Some of you, for example, have tried to criticize Ambassador Andebrhan based on rumors or on no grounds. Anderbhan has done nothing, except that, like other high ranking EPLF members he worked at different higher positions. And during those times he has done his best as a professional. I understand that whenever you work, it is natural to make mistakes, everyone of us makes mistakes. Like other EPLF members Andebrhan or the other Medrek members might have made some mistakes and this is natural. In fact, Ambassador Andebrhan should be appreciated and encouraged on what he did and is doing now. First, during the struggle he and other brave Eritreans left their PhD studies in the USA and joined the struggle for the cause of their country. Second, he is a very talented and outspoken person with long-time experience in diplomacy and politics. He therefore can convince the international community to support the fight for democracy in Eritrea. One mentioned about Awraja, please, please for the heaven sake, stop this narrow attitude. First, those who are using Awraja as critique are those narrow minded and who believe in such divisions and who don’t have any capacity, except criticizing those fighting to bring peace, democracy and rule of law in Eritrea. Last, I would like to condemn those narrow minds, who don’t even can’t write a single paragraph, but rush for criticism with no ground. As the saying goes,”Small minds talk about people and big minds talk about ideas” , please talk about ideas rather than talking about people, try to contribute, otherwise your are one of the supporters of dictator Isayas.

  • MightyEmbasoyra February 8, 2014

    መድረክ “መፍረ ድኽነትን ረብሻን ክንተክል” ማለት’ዩ ። ምሉእ ትሕዝቶ, ኣብ ዝቕጽል ኣዋርሕ ክስዕብ’ዩ.ብትሕትና ዓቕሊ ጌርኩም ክትጽበዩ ድማ ንምሕጸነኩም ክብሉ ድማ ኣቶ ዓንደብርሃን ገሊጾም.

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