In SERACH OF ERITREAN MANDELAS IN THE HORN OF AFRICABy Hadish-Tesfa Group & Associates
May 5, 2004So much as been written about Eritrea and Eritreans. However, we doubt whether what has been written about Eritrea and about our people is intended to give a false image and false pride for ourselves or whether what has been said about Eritrea and Eritreans is true?
Our argument is simple. We are one of the least developed countries in the world destroyed by needless war and conflict with our own Ethiopian brothers. This has brought about incalculable death, destruction, internal displacement, poverty, famine, influx of refugees and humiliation for our people. Many Eritreans have fled to richer Arab countries. Many changed their Christian names from such as Gebre Christos to Mohamed and have lived as servants of the Arab world. Even our Eritrean Moslems living in the Gulf are not welcome to live there. Thus the fact that some Eritrean Moslems went to countries such as Saudi Arabia, another Moslem country to save their lives did not turn out to be a panacea.
That is why many Eritrean Moslems have been forced to migrate to the West from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Whether a Moslem or Christian or a Jew or any one else there is nothing like home.
As far as we are concerned, the state of un acceptable abject poverty, underdevelopment and ignorance are part of the problem. Poverty is the mother of conflict. It creates a fertile ground for some extremist elements to engage in the politics of ignorance and mobilize the poor by inciting them to engage in violence and do the unthinkable.
Eritreans have been at war for 40 years. Eritrea has become an abandoned and betrayed country by its own leaders and some opportunist elites. More than 1.5 million of 3.5 million Eritreans are outside Eritrea and find themselves scattered around the world. Many Eritreans in the countryside are illiterate and they lack basic survival requirements such as basic needs. The war has brought about incalculable consequences on the mental, cultural and other aspects of Eritreans. Hatred, gun culture, lampenism and many manifestations of ignorance seem to prevail. Isayas's campaign of information and lies has had unthinkable consequences and ramifications in our society. Opportunism, lies and hopelessness have prevailed over good norms and values.
Many Eritreans in Diaspora talk a lot but do very little to help the people of Eritrea outside their respective families. While many Eritreans claim to love their country, there are not many concrete things they have done to help heal old wounds and build the war torn country. They blindly supported war and refused to face truth and the facts. Now they are paying a heavy price.
Eritrean men and women of reason and vision are subdued by the irrational and lampen elements. Lampen elements have dominated our politics. Sanity, reason and vision do not exist. Many Eritreans not willing to sacrifice to:
1 Bring about democratic order and remove Isayas and his criminals by any means.
2 Find strategic answers to how the real improvement in the living standards of the Eritrean people can be promoted and protected.
3 Boycott all activities that directly or indirectly keep Isayas Afewerki and some of his criminals in Power.
4 Eliminate ethnic, tribal, religious and regional divide among Eritreans inside and outside the country.
5 Satisfy the basic needs of our people, build integrated community development programs in our villages and the rest of the country to ensure that every Eritrean get the opportunity to go to school, get a decent health care system and nutritional foods to avoid malnutrition and to live a decent standard of life.
6 Tackle the real issues that matter to our people such as
_ Conflict prevention and Peace building,
_ Developing strategies of removing Isayas Afewerki and Promoting human rights, rule of law and democratic order
_ Good governance,
_ Gender issue
_ NGO, CSO and community participation,
- Rehabilitation of our economies and infrastructure are not given our attention.There are many educated Eritreans. But how many of them do they sacrifice every day, every week and every month to help the Eritrean people? What in concrete terms have they sacrificed? How many of our medical doctors, nurses and professionals including our architects and engineers have sacrificed their time, energy, knowledge and financial resources for the collective good of the Eritrean people other than perhaps helping their respective core families and some relatives?
How many Eritreans have sacrificed to defend truth, justice and freedom? How many have devoted and sacrificed to provide our people access with basic needs? How many Educated Eritreans have helped to introduce electricity and access to basic services such as clean water, clinic, school and other services that directly benefit our rural inhabitants and villagers?
How many Eritreans have sacrificed as Nelson Mandela for the cause of the Eritrean people?
How many have remained true to their principles and how many have made a difference to ordinary people of Eritreans?
How many have sacrificed the promote the policy of good neighbourliness with the Ethiopian people?
How many have sacrificed their personal, family and professional life to promote the collective interest of the Eritrean people?
How many Eritreans sacrificed noble objectives of truth, peace and justice?
If many Eritreans claim to have fought for true freedom and democracy why did many Eritreans not fight to translate such noble objectives in deeds since 1991?Can Eritrea and Eritreans have a bright future if they continue to opportunists, and pay a mere lip service to the issue related to the existing human tragedy, poverty, ignorance and humiliation that is being perpetrated by Isayas Afewerki and his criminal gangs?
Our view is clear, Eritrea badly needs many Mandela type self less leaders. These are the only individuals and groups that can rescue the Eritrean people from a much greater tragedy. But what have they sacrificed?
We believe the quality, farsightedness and vision of leaders is crucial. It is not religious difference that brings conflict, but the absence of tolerance and democratic culture that invites extremism. Poverty seems to be one of the main reasons for conflicts. If there is a system that treats Moslems, Christians, Jews and other faiths equal and focuses on poverty reduction strategies and education, we are sure the religious divide and conflict will not be as sharp as we see it today around the world.
We advise our readers to read seriously the history of Malaysia and how it transformed itself and what internal and external factors helped it to achieve what it, its leaders and people have achieved now.
In our view many of the politically motivated Eritrean and Ethiopian scholars, intellectuals and interest groups have failed our brotherly peoples. They have abused and misused the innocent and ignorance of the vast majority of our people. Many Eritreans who were educated and had a better life in Ethiopia betrayed the trust and confidence of Ethiopian people and joined the secessionists led by individuals like Isayas Afewerki.
To add insult to injury they even supported the 1998- 2000 Ethio-Eritrean conflict. There were not many sensible Eritreans who publicly condemned the war irrespective who started it. War can only bring death, destruction and suffering. In that sense it is anti-developmental.
Many opportunist Eritrean intellectuals and businessmen did support the Saddam Hussein of Eritrea for many years. If they are honest and genuine they must repent and plead for forgiveness.
Eritreans must understand that emotion and hate driven politics did not bring about peace, stability and prosperity for the people of Eritrea. In the era of globalization and regional integration Eritrea cannot live alone as a separate island.
What we need is leaders who can unite and guide the Eritrean people irrespective of our religion, sex and other divisive factors to bring about a lasting peace, reconciliation and prosperity. Ignorance, abject poverty, lack of creativity, innovation, inventiveness, adaptability and some parts of our back word culture remain a serious obstacle. Our state of abject poverty is the mother of our conflict and humiliation. We can only get rid of our poverty if we have hundreds of Mandela type of leaders in our region who are selfless, committed, dedicated to restore the pride and dignity of our brotherly peoples.
The question is where are they? The truth is we have none.Some may mention some names that have been part of the ruling clique of Isayas and who later became Ministers, Ambassadors and advisors. The question is for how long will Eritreans like to be ruled by opportunists who have neither principles nor integrity?
Our advice to many Eritreans in Diaspora they should becoming part of the problem. They should think for the next generation. Many Eritreans must stop pretending to be what they are not. The truth is we have become a people in a crises.
Imaginative, selfless, dedicated and selfless leaders who are committed to leave a good legacy behind them can only solve it. The problem is there are not many. Many are happy congratulating themselves whatever little thing they claim to do such as writing in the internet and become part of gossip and confusion and being leaders of the highly fragmented and divided Eritrean opposition groups in Diaspora. The other tragedy is many Eritreans refuse to listen and accept the truth. The other big tragedy is too many Eritreans who have neither the knowledge, experience, integrity and vision want to replace Isayas and many Eritreans do not listen to Eritreans who can generate good ideas. That is why there is total confusion, anarchy and division among Eritreans. Every one wants to be a leader. This has become a perenial disease of many Eritreans. Whatever the case may be without a clear, strong and united leadership with a vision, Eritreans will continue to suffer. There is simply no good future for Eritrea under Isayas and his criminal clique.
The only way we can stop the vicious circle of conflict and permanent state of poverty and dependency is to get new leaders with a new vision. There is simply no other alternative choice or option.
1 No negotiations or political deal with Isayas and his core criminal clique
2 Creation of a Grand World wide Coalition against Isayas
3 Boycotting all Sha-Ebia activities, meetings.
4 Stopping financial support to the mafia clique in Asmara
5 Promoting an Inter-Eritrean Dialogue that will prepare a coherent plan for a caretaker government in post Isayas Eritrea and create a strategy for a transitional arrangement until free and fair elections are organized inside Eritrea.WHAT ARE SOME STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT ERITREANS SHOULD FOLLOW?
We call upon the Eritrean youth to rise up to promote freedom, justice, democracy and accountable government and make Eritrea un governable by civil disobedience until Isayas is removed by any means.
Eritrean women and parents must demand explanation why their children have died in vein?
Eritreans in Diaspora must be seen to promote honesty, integrity and oppose Isayas's dictatorship.We call upon ALL ERITREAN men and women of reason and vision particularly those above 55 to create Elders Council of Concerned Eritreans wherever they may be. Let them get together to reflect past mistakes and suggest some alternative solutions and advice. The Eritrean youth and women must also get organized independently and let them declare what type of future they would like to have for themselves and the future generation of Eritreans?
Democracy is partly about public consultation and participation as well. Good politics also implies listening to the people. We are ready and willing to listen to what our people have to say? What is bad is conspiracy of silence.
For feed back and civilized exchange of information we can be reached via
Fisseha@planet.nl
