Category: عربي
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Excuse Me PFDJ, I’m Sorry
Rumors about Isaias Afwerki grooming his son, Abraham, to take over the presidency of Eritrea. Is it just a father passing down his legacy, or does it reflect a broader trend in global politics where dynasties and nepotism take center stage? Should Abraham be blamed for his father’s actions? The political system in Eritrea, along…
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Negarit 308: The Ethiopian Red Sea Craze
Over a week ago, I started to record an episode that I didn’t finish. This is what I prepared: For the last five or six months, I have been suffering from a nasty papilloma growth in my nostril. Tomorrow, I will lie on an operation table to get rid of it. Those of you who
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What is the PFDJ problem with the UN?
If you are oblivious to how things work, you risk feeding on every propaganda or rumor and endlessly blaming everyone but yourself. There is a danger of forgetting the root cause, thus point your fingers in the wrong direction. For instance, if you misplace any of your clothes, you would make sure to check the
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Negarit 306: Saving or Shooting?
Negarit 306 is the final episode for 2024; Happy New Year. As we welcome 2025 though the security situation in the Horn of Africa is as worrying as ever: Eritrea is still in the middle of a precarious situation. And nothing can improve unless the single ruling party and its leader change their attitudes and
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Negarit 305: Merry Christmas and New Year
Holidays, festivals, and celebrations are days to escape the grind of life and unwind. Christmas is one of those holidays. Before independence, though life choked with oppression and was brutal, we still remember it with nostalgia. Eritreans enjoyed a few holidays that we still cherish the memories despite the tragedies. Anything with limited supply is
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Brezidenti Isaias Named to Lead IGAD
Usually, there are a few people who get knee jerk reaction whenever Isaias is mentioned in a negative tone or criticized. Given the situation at home, I wish they get used to it. Isaias is not your pet, but a man who is ruthlessly ruling Eritreans unelected, for a too long. It’s better to swallow
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Isaias Calls for Intifada in Eritrea
Recently a usual “interview” of Isaias Afwerki was aired on Eritrean television; none of the people I talked to expected something new, but somehow all had the urge to listen to it. The interview was widely spread, thanks to the many Youtubers who rushed to publish it. People speak to the public because they have
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Dear Brezidenti, Is The PFDJ A Fairy?
Growing up, my old aunt was bedridden. I used to visit her in her room, which had a rope with two ends fitted to the opposite wall. Clothes, towels, and a host of other things were hung there. My aunt saw things we couldn’t see hanged on the string. I will return to the remaining
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Celebrating Dr Saeed Forma
The last time I eulogized my friend Mebrahtu, I didn’t think I will do another one for a while. But life is such that we cannot predict who leaves next, or when. Yet, we do not stop taking life for granted, especially with our loved ones, or ourselves. But unexpectedly death strikes and reminds us it
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My Uncle Malik Amber
The Siddis-Ahbash in the Gujarat and Maharashtra regions of India are of African ancestry. They were brought to India by the Arabs, the Dutch, and the Portuguese, as soldiers or slaves. From among them rose the famous Abyssinian ex-slave who became a Kingmaker known as Malik Ambar. Malik Amber, original name Chapu, was born in
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Singers and Poets
About ten years ago there was a popular singer named Tarreqe. He had a unique voice. Until his slow disappearance, he used to remind me of Mohammed Wardi the Sudanese singer. Last time I watched Isaias’ marathon interview–I had to because it’s my raw material. After the end of the interview, Helen Meles screeched, neberlna,
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Proclamation No. 1
Last Friday, Abiy Ahmed released a few prisoners of conscience who posed a risk to his control of power. The announcement sounded as if Abiy Ahmed had pardoned the prisoners. In the first place, I don’t believe Abiy alone made the decision to imprison them; the Dergue and Haile Selassie clusters were part of it.
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Teashop culture
I have a habit of reading the ads on the Starbucks bulletin board as I wait for my coffee. Two days ago, there were for sale ads offering a chair, a table with a broken leg, and a lady appealing to the public to help her find her lost dog. She described the dog, including
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The Story of the #BlueEritrea Flag
Today, I hope the restless would stay calm as I narrate a basic history of the Eritrean flag–the significance of our AwlieE, meley, HKhedra. I realize some people may have an opposing view, or to believe a contrary narration; it’s fine provided the counter narration is based on knowledge not on ignorance or bias. Some
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“Goush the Shepherd Did It”
In a village council, when it was on a consultation break, a restless young man interrupted and said, “It’s Goush the shepherd who broke the bull’s leg.” A dumbfounded councilman asked him, “who is Goush, and what bull are you talking about?” The Young man confidently answered, “aren’t you talking about Tesfai’s bull whose leg
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Tug Of War
When a country faces a risk of war and invasion, the best precaution is to strengthen is national unity. But what kind of unity? And exclusive unity or a comprehensive one? When ruling parties fight, it’s mostly like a tug of war; forces pulling each other to the fall line. The force that gives in
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Eritrea, Ethiopia’s Hostage
Anyone who went through the miseries and cruelties of the successive Ethiopian occupation (Haile Selassie’s and Mengistu’s) followed by the PFDJ oppression, would never wish for a perpetual rule by similar regimes. In fact, if it was possible, the victims of these regimes wish to erase the painful memories, let alone welcome their reincarnation. But
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The Six-Husbands of Eritrea
In the Tigrinya language we do not have separate words for sebay, as in husband, and sebaay, as in Man. Both are sebay. Therefore, the title is not about men but about husbands. Also, we refer to Eritrea in the feminine gender, Eritra t’Ewet, not Ertra y’Ewet, always in the feminine gender. But what triggered
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Eritrea and the Ethiopian Civil war
[9 mnts. reading] Writers or speakers who discuss everything under the sun should not shy away from raising critical topics for fear of annoying a few. Discussing sensitive issues is what I intend to do in the coming few episodes. In today’s Negarit 149, which is an introductory episode, allow me present to all
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Casualty and Effect
Living in Eritrea, far from the Sea, I only knew canned Sardines. Then I went to Massawa and tried grilled chunks of fish—I thought Massawans were pulling a joke on me, giving me beef, and claiming it was fish! Years later I lived in Jeddah and AlKhober but never cared for fish. Then I moved