Category: Al-Nahda
-
Nothing Irreconcilable in Ethiopian-Arab Cultures
Th following is a comment at the Awate Forum in reply to Semere Tesfai’s comment linked here. 1. There is nothing irreconcilable between the “cultures, faiths” of Ethiopia and the Middle East. True, they are a sea apart (geographically) but there is much shared history, not to mention faith (assuming the Islamic identity of Ethiopia
-
Ethiopian PM Abiy Unscrambles The Algiers Agreement
The Algiers Agreement is a peace treaty, which came about after 29 months of bloodshed, displacement and negotiations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Named after the city where it was signed, the Agreement was a culmination of several agreements—OAU’s Framework Agreement, Modalities for its Implementation–that the two parties inked while they were fighting. And part of the
-
Al-Diaa: No, It Wasn’t About The Curriculum
Writing for the pro-government website tesfanews.com, a certain Alamin Adam (“Wedi Hajji”) has written an article entitled “Al-Diaa School Incident and the Frenzies[sic] that Ensued” regarding the tension between community school in Asmara and government. If you were hoping to get an insight into details of the incident (never mind the events which preceded it)
-
To Nobody’s Surprise, Sanctions on Eritrea Renewed
(1) The Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea (SEMG) and to continue the sanctions on Eritrea for another year. (2) The vote was 11 in favor, 4 abstentions and 0 against. The abstentions were Russia, China, Bolivia and Egypt. (3) This means that in addition to
-
Isaias Afwerki Channels Haile DeruE in Interview With Eri-TV
1. Every time President Isaias Afwerki has an interview with his captive media (Eri-TV), a very large segment of the population take the very sensible decision of ignoring it, leaving a few of us obsessive types to watch it and divine meaning from it. Then the few of us who watched it disagree on what
-
Dear YPFDJ: Understanding PFDJ: Doublethink
Chapter 1: Double Think I have seen your pictures and most of you appear to be the age of my daughter. Clearly, it is impossible for me to be angry at you. What I will try to do is share information with you–do what you will with it. The information will focus on the value
-
Sanctions on Eritrea: Will They Or Won’t They?
1. It’s sanctions season, and the question is “will they or won’t they?” Will the UN Security Council (UNSC) extend sanctions on the State of Eritrea or will they lift it? We will have more information in June when the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea (SEMG) publishes its report and we will know for
-
Isaias Afwerki: We Were Not Chosen
The fiercest critic of the Government of Eritrea, a guy by the name of Isaias Afwerki, was at it again, mercilessly taking down its 25-year-record of utter failure. This is an annual ritual, presented as an “interview” with Eri-TV; and, if you are asking why would a state-owned TV that doesn’t brook any criticism from
-
Atlantic Council: Leaving Eritreans In The Cold
On December 8, the Atlantic Council, an American think-tank, organized a panel discussion on Eritrea. Entitled “Rethinking Eritrea”, the event was moderated by Bronwyn Bruton,the deputy director of the think tank’s Africa Center; and the panelists were Seth Kaplan, a professorial lecturer at Johns Hopkins University; Anthony Carroll, senior associate at the Center for Strategic
-
Eritrea: Of Pressure Valves And Self-Inflicted Wounds
Last month, this column offered suggestions to journalists on how to do their job in Eritrea when they are given that “rare” access. There is a reason why the access the Government of Eritrea grants journalists is inversely proportional to their knowledge and/or skepticism of the actions of the Government of Eritrea over the last 25 years:
-
It’s Late, But Not That Late For Bronwyn Bruton
Bronwyn Bruton was one of the three individuals who provided their personal testimonies at the US Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee (Subcommittee on Africa) on September 14, 2016. This fact alone is an incredible feat for Ms. Bruton: a person who would have struggled to find Eritrea on a map 5 years ago is now an expert witness
-
The Eritrean “System” is a Monocracy
And in this case, the monocracy is a manocracy. Welcome to the long-running debate between Awatista columnist Amanuel Hidrat and Al-Nahda on whether the regime lording over Eritrea is “a system” (his position) or a One-Man-Show (my position.) In the past, each side presented arguments to make his case not as an intellectual excercise but
-
A Reporter’s Guide To (Gov of) Eritrea
Dear Western reporter: You are in Eritrea for a “rare visit.” Actually, it is not so rare anymore but your editor will insist that he put that phrase because it gets viewers/readers/listeners. That or “exclusive.” Almost all you knew about Eritrea before your visit was that it was the “North Korea of Africa.” You were
-
In Geneva, Eritreans Give Voice To Voiceless Compatriots
Last year in June, after Eritreans held the largest rally in the history of Eritrea’s opposition forces, there were questions if it was a one-time incident that could not be repeated and what would happen in June 2016. On June 23rd, Eritreans calling for end to impunity in Eritrea gave a resounding answer: it will
-
Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea: Report Summary
On June 8, 2016, the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea issued a 94-page report of its findings to the UN’s Human Rights Council. The Commission was mandated last year by the UN’s Human Rights Council (Resolution A/HRC/29/L.23) to investigate if the crimes perpetrated by senior officials of the Government of Eritrea, and
-
June in Geneva: The Next Political Battle
Mike Smith, Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, previewed his case against members of the Government of Eritrea by reading a statement supporting the Commission’s case that Eritrean officials are guilty of crimes against humanity. This was followed by a rebuttal from Yemane Gebreab, Director of Political Affairs of Eritrea’s
-
Just Don’t Call It A War: People May Get Ideas
This article originally appeared at awate on June 27, 2008. It is being republished in light of recent news that Eritrea has, after 7 years, released Djibouti prisoners of war. I. The Djibouti “Fabrication”? Djibouti. We have seen this movie before. Twice. In 1995 and 1998. The atmospherics is the same: it has an eerie, haunting
-
Eritrea And The Hood – 2015
JANUARY 1. Every year begins with Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki’s “State of the Nation” interviews with his own media. Although we have a draft constitution, he explained, a new constitution had to be drafted because “we are not naive and we refuse to allow them to weaken our capacity.” 2. It Was Lecture Season: Eritrea’s
-
Eritrea’s King Isaias Afwerki Judges The World
Recall that in Part 1 of the interview with Eritrean state media (EriTV), President Isaias Afwerki addressed domestic issues and essentially said there is nothing wrong in Eritrea that a little more controlling and louder commanding couldn’t fix. Alnahda’s commentary on that can be found here. In part 2 of his interview last month, our
-
Interview: Isaias Plans To Command Economy, Society
In an interview conducted by EriTV, Eritrea’s state television, which is owned and operated by Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s Auditor General, Isaias Afwerki, conducted a thorough assessment of Eritrea’s President, Isaias Afwerki, and found him wanting in all aspects. The take-away message from the two-part interview is one: the government intends to have more command and