Ena_Together

The formation of the ENA took place after the member organisations in it have passed through a lot of mutual mistrust and animosities against one another. Thus, the creation of the ENA was an important achievement, and was historic when seen in the background of the recent political developments in our country. Before the Alliance came into being, it took long years of dialogue that ended up in the writing of the Charter in 1999 by which the members had agreed to abide by. As every one knows the Alliance was formed in 1999 by a few organisations and expanded to include 13 organisations and some national figures. The coming of the Alliance into being gave our people hope because they were convinced that the Alliance would serve as a means that could help them to free themselves from the repressive regime in Asmara.

The Alliance has relatively succeeded to work together during the past few years after its formation to co-ordinate its efforts and achieved a lot of good things together such as organising demonstrations in different part of the world. The most significant among these was the march in Washington D.C of July 2002, which was attended by Mr. Tewolde Ghebrezghabiher, the Alliance chairman at the time, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Nasser, Dr. Habte Tesfamariam, and as well as other national figures. For sure, this event had frightened the leaders of the dictatorial regime.

Such activities of the Alliance had forced the regime of Isayas and other anti-Alliance forces to take it seriously and work with considerable determination to weaken and finally disperse the ENA. The events that surrounded the 5th ENA session of 2002 in Addis Ababa and the political developments that followed it could be taken as telling indications of what the opponents of the Alliance had in mind. The turmoil that was triggered in the Alliance and also inside the ELF-RC had worked to the advantage of the regime because the weakening of the ENA appeared to have been common objective between the regime on the one hand, and the elements who caused discord in the 2nd session of the ELF-RC meeting in 2002.

At the 6th session of last year, the ENA was able to solve some of its problems after the ELF-RC lead by DR. Beyene Kidane had returned to its fold. This session came out with successful results, which shows that the organisations have transformed themselves in endorsing criticism and showed stamina for debating sensitive issues that concern our nation. They therefore came out united after reaching compromise on some key clauses in their Charter. This demonstrated that the organisations under the umbrella of the ENA understood the need to give priority to national responsibility rather than private organisational programmes and eventually desire for power.

The aim of writing this article is to remind the member organisations to be aware from outside enemies that work day and night to disperse it. I read some news in cyber media about leaders of an organisation, who were always against the ENA trying to mislead some of its members appearing on the surface willing to work with it. Danger always comes from such hypocrites who change their stand as Chameleon. At one time some of them openly declare working with bearded men “chahamat” would be the same as living with as Mines “Fengi” “inside one's stomach”! Next time, they say that they have no problem with articles 3 and 4 of the ENA Charter ( on this read the news item which the Arabic site, “Alnahda” had published in Arabic on 21 December 2003).

The aim of such elements is to disunite the ENA in the name of bilateral relations just to sow mistrust among its members. There was no problem if they are genuine and want to work within the ENA or to work together as they called it in Tigrina “GONIE GONIE” , but the fact is they are not genuine, and it is a very Evil agenda that aimed the organisations to be suspicious of each other, the second face of their conspiracy is the dispersal of the ENA. They need to do that because they want to form an Alliance, which they can control for their own power interest.

This kind of an stable stand of the leaders shows that they are determined to disunite the ENA through different means, if the member organisation in the ENA became irresponsible and gave primacy to their power interest than the deliverance of our people and disunite themselves, they are going to commit a crime against our people who are suffering under the dictatorial regime of Isayas and who are awaiting the ENA and other oppositions to save them from the darkness they are in. The mistake been done in the 5th session have been corrected in 6th session and our people have forgiven and looked forward to the future. But if any member of the organisations under Umbrella of the ENA take steps out of the ENA procedures they must be accountable for their steps, if the ENA cannot do that, it is going to be lawless and if there is no accountability there will be anarchy and will lead to its dispersal.

In principle I believe that the ENA must open itself to all Eritrean organisations, individuals and civic societies, the aim of the national conference is to achieve that goal and reach an understanding in which we as Eritreans can have equality at all levels, prosperity and live in peaceful co-existence, but first you must stick together before you open yourself to others, if you do not do that, you will never achieve your goal which you intend to do, in other words, first you have to be united among yourselves before you call for the unity with others, if not you are not fit to speak about the unity of the nation which we intend to accomplish, as a Tigrina proverb Zembielalie nebsa zeikidnet Medrie kidnet goes.

If the ENA member organisations or individuals start to conspire against each other and destroy the achievements of years for the sake of their power interest and bring us to square one in other words to the situation before the formation of the ENA, it will have a very bad impact to the unity of our people and will destroy the hope of getting rid of Isayas and his group.

I call upon all member organisations and individuals under the umbrella of the ENA to take national responsibility in their shoulder seriously and to stick together to be strong and fit to accomplish the goal of the national conference and to get rid of Isayas's regime that has suffocated our people for decades.

God bless Eritrea
Glory to our Martyrdom
Our diversity is the source of our strength
Democracy will serve as a means for solving our national problems

Sadia contributed and has sole responsibility for the content on this page. Comments about this article can be sent to the author directly by sending e-mail to: Sadia