Lampedusa tragedy is not only to commemorate those innocent Eritrean lives that perished in the sea that day but also to remember those in their ways to another Lampedusa tragedy, each day of the year.  Yes, we not only remember those who lost their lives that darkest day but we also remember the hard to believe behaviors of the Isayas’s mouth piece calling those who lost their lives names.  Indeed, hard to believe behaviors of Isayas that day necessitate hard to believe public reaction on this remembrance-day.  His diehards too mimicked his words calling names those who lost their lives, like there was no any better description.

The opposition should use the narratives of the tragedy to arouse public stirring each year.  One of Isayas’s mottos in reference to those who lost their lives is that they were bad apples and the country is better off without them.  And, one of the escapees’ mottos is that Isayas has become the nightmare of the young generation and that the Sawa generation will be better off without him.  The mass exodus proved that the whole population is targeted now, evidencing that Isayas is already done with the targeted persecution of specific groups in that they are either all in prison or already left the country.  Therefore, there is no better time for the opposition to come together now and do something for the youth.  Sudan and Egypt are out of the equation now to come to Isayas’s rescue because of their relationship with Saudi Arabia making them by default enemies of a country in a close relation with Qatar.  So also, Yemen, Djibouti and of course Ethiopia are enemies of Isayas.  That means the escapees (Eritrean youth) are in safe hands as and when they cross the border.  The opposition can directly be involved in the affairs of the youth building safe environment for them where they can be trained for contractual jobs in those countries and beyond on outsourcing jobs.

Focusing on issues that are of central importance to the opposition can be a uniting force among the divided groups of the opposition.  However, because the opposition groups under the two umbrellas have different perception about Isayas’s dictatorship, their implementation of different political decision with one side trying to erase the political achievements of the other group is hindering their united action.  The opposition groups/members on both sides of the aisle should focus on broader and deeper Eritrean youth politics rather than factional politics.  Only their involvement in salvaging the Eritrean people will change the Eritrean public perception about the opposition.

Although inter-opposition collaboration has improved a lot post the formation of the Eritrean Alliance as well as the other forms of groupaging, more work is needed to gain the support of the Eritrean people inside Eritrea.  It may be worth remembering that pre-Eritrean National Alliance, one of the ELF-RC members in Washington DC was the first to propose opposition’s working under the umbrella of alliance was an answer to the divided Eritrean opposition.  The suggestion advised the opposition to function like two wounded veterans of the Eritrean revolution who were committed to working together, where one of whom was a walky talky but blind veteran and the other was a limbless veteran whose eyes were healthy and full of light.  The blind walky talky veteran piggybacks the limbless veteran and in the process the two wounded veterans were cooperating to reach their destination safe and sound.  Through working together and cooperating like the two veterans, the opposition members were expected to achieve uniformity in structure and political views needed for their final march to Eritrea.  Additional, through working together the opposition was to develop more focus on the enemy of the people.  In line of cooperation, each member of the alliance was expected to gain best knowledge and structure it was missing by learning from each other.  But all these went to no avail because the piggyback ride was not done effectively.  Indeed, the suggestion emphasized that only through alliance the opposition groups could be on the same page and the same wave length.  Now, the opposition is on lost time, therefore, it has to only focus on timely issues like the conditions of the Eritrean youth at home and sufferings in their refugee life in order to generate reinforcing and uniting thoughts.

The opposition is lacking a clear and deep perception of the needed change and that, in turn, failed them to build upon the momentum derived from Isayas’s betrayal to victims of Lampedusa tragedy.  Also, the opposition failed to build greater commitment using Lampedusa tragedy to actually create a united opposition stand to fight Isayasism, the worst enemy of the Eritrean childhood and youth-hood endeared to every Eritrean parents, which they are missing.

No doubt, each opposition group is contributing in its way.  Yet, ambitions to dominant the other opposition groups and the worries not to be dominated are holding many back and hindering cooperation as well as drawing the opposition groups into conflicts across the aisle.  The ambitions to look bigger by imposing on other opposition groups proved to be counterproductive resulting in breeding dissension and disrespect for each other and within ranks internally.  Many dissenters are seen to create internal chaos and division before they finally leave their group.  That inter and intra conflicts among the opposition made the opposition busy opposing each other over how to become the best opposition, when there is no need to be so.  In most cases, it is not known why the dissenters are dissenting.  More than a difference in political opinion, the lack of tolerance for differing views appears to be the cause. Sometimes lack of internal rules and regulation may make political or internal conflicts unchecked and widespread within a group resulting in further splits of an already fractured group.

Many within the opposition while they are experiencing fragmentation internally they are seen to lecture others on internal unity.  The intra-group competition, i.e. competition among the members of the group can be destructive, while the intergroup competition can be productive.  Conversely, intergroup intensive competitions can create across aisle bad influence becoming ground for intra-group conflicts thereby increasing blames and finger pointing for gaps of expectations.  Indeed, the Eritrean people have seen many of Eritrean opposition groups that lost their cohesiveness resulting in fragmentation due to intra-group competition.

All these march in place of the opposition could be due to their non-focusing on the people’s priorities, the youth’s problem.  The lack of a clear focus is turning around each opposition group to end up in a vicious cycle bringing up trivial and irrelevant issues, while the so-called government is busy emptying the country of its youth, compelling them to leave their country of nationality.

Embracing and learning from a change, if prompt, can come with a cost because the hardcore (those stubbornly resistant to changes) may break away.  For those who have difficulty in balancing between politics and rights, the change that a group of opposition is seeking to achieve can also be very difficult and bitter to swallow.  In some cases, some opposition members are out there always wondering, from what they see, if there is any qualified Eritrean to replace Isayas.  It seems that such thoughts come out of desire to see the opposition united even through another dictator like Isayas.  From seasoned Eritrean opposition perspectives, asking the question: Do we have any qualified who can replace Isayas?  Such a question would make one to wonder what qualification need one to have when only a sound system in place is what the Eritreans are seeking to establish.  Constitutionalism, an effectively functioning constitution will produce qualified and responsible people to serve the nation, each serving in her/his capacity and, in turn, will allow others to participate in serving the nation.  As a new nation, democracy and constitution remain to be in an unexplored territory for Eritrea and its people.  No doubt, the opposition leaders have better ability to work with the people in explaining why the change is sought.  The people, on their part, are already determined to nurture the change, if the change is the one that works for the people and nation.

Eritreans, as a people, have most important responsibility now to save those at risk fleeing the country.  To ensure their safety, the opposition should have broader and deeper discussions.  However, that cannot be achieved without coming together.  The opposition already has good picture of the refugees experience and learned a lot from their reflection on who is behind their ordeals.  We know there is no a safe return for any of those youth at risk so long Isayas is in power.  As advocates for the youth’s safe return, peaceful environment, freedom to pursue their own future interest, the opposition should start working now by improving their lot, quality of life and preparing them for tomorrow.  The UN has already called on Isayas to end the youth’s slavery.  On this remembrance day of Lampedusa, the opposition’s moral obligation is to issue a declaration condemning Isayas’s moral garbage.  Just let the opposition declare it loud and clear, and the world will respond positively with no hesitation supporting the youth.

Adam Noel