Dear Madam/Sir,
As we celebrate the spirit of Christmas, I wish everyone a happy holiday. If I must confess, I am not only a politician but also profoundly religious. It helps me to love, care, be kind, and be forgiven. In the process, I learned to be kind than right.
The year 2022 is coming to a close. Happy New Year to all. What have we accomplished on our journey for justice? How do we rate our success versus reality? Have we applied the right methods, tactics, and strategies? Are we working in unison for the people of Eritrean, or going with the flow, and running after popular topics of the day, week, and month?
It saddens me that well-intended people, wittingly or unwittingly, become part of the problem than a solution. The same actors do the same recycled ideas over and over again, expecting a different result. Politics has become a hobby to some more than a purpose. Isaias does not have a particular and known hobby except eliminating opponents. To use a metaphor, most of the well-intended people are about Monday night quarter-backing. In the name of good, they cause harm. Many prefer to agree with popular events to become a part of the game. Many submerge their hands in a pond hoping to catch a fish but were met by overpopulated tadpoles running from their natural enemies.
In the US government, the House of Representatives and Senators do retire and give way for the next generation. Eritrean politics is more like a competition and a game of elimination, and at times resembles a private club. I wish we can name names of people who bear a resemblance, right now.
ምእንቲ መጎጎ ትሕለፍ ኣንጭዋ ዝብል ዘይሓቃዊ፣ ግጉይ ፣ ምሳለ ክቕላዕ ኣለዎ፣። እታ አንጭዋን መጎጎን ይሰበር። እዚ ድሑር ምሳለ፣ ናይ መጎጎን ኣንጭዋን፣ ን ኢሰያስ
ንኽነብር ካብቲ ኣስተዋጽኦ ዝገበረ፣ መሳርሒ እዩ። ክቃላሕ ኣለዎ። ሰብ ሐልፍነቱ ክሽከም ኣለዎ። እቶም ዘርጊ ናይ ማይ አብ ውሽጢ ቃልሲ ፈሊጦም ድዮም ከይፈለጡ፣ ነገራት ዝዘባርቑ ዘሎዉ ክንስይሞም ኣለና ይብል ብወገነይ።
In the sport of soccer, you set the best foot forward, not just any player. The rest of us must support and cheer for the team. The eleven players’ accomplishment becomes the prize for a nation. Argentina won the world cup- not just Messi.
My plea to the well-intended but spoilers is, after 31 yrs, it is time to give others the chance to organize and lead the movement with a clear strategy. In the world of business, three years is the time allotted for your organization to make you money, if not, you ought to change your career to something else.
In 2022 we lost to make an impact on the unfortunate war between Tigray & Ethiopia, and the meddling of Isaias in Ethiopia’s internal affairs. Tigray and Ethiopia agreed on a truce to work for peace and restoration of services. Isaias still occupies territory in North Tigray, despite most of the world insisting that Eritrean troops need to get out of Tigray. Eventually, that will be the case.
The fragmented movements in the diaspora lose steam, keep growing horizontally, and have got nothing to show for it. Unfortunately, the diaspora movements are left holding an empty bucket of water. Deja-Vous all over again in our strategy of the last thirty-one years. To impact positive change, we must change ourselves first. Our approach to the unconventional enemy of the regime ought to be drastic and unconventional and based on strategy. We are in a run and on defense, and we can not score a knockout punch while running. Some are playing it safe until somehow Isaias is removed from power. Until then, we must focus on strategizing and stop echoing the damage done by PFDJ.
Can we concentrate on the emergency needs of the country and the dire situations of the Eritrean people? Our emergency is to devise plans to save the country and the people now, not in the future. Eritrean people are in a PFDJ’s man-made blockade. There is no food, medicine, clean water, energy, or other necessary services available for the people. PFDJ drained our youth with deliberate exodus and many died in a senseless war. Our focus on spending time writing about the future of the Eritrean Budget, the need for future good governance, and the need for democracy, now, do not resonate well enough with hungry, thirsty, sick Eritrean society resembling to live in a stone age.
Have we perfected our priorities? In simple words – no. I rate us a D- overall. The Eritrean people, including the silent majority of 80-90 %, don’t take us seriously enough to pay us attention. When our people are crying of desperation, we give them luxury responses to their dismay. These movements in the diaspora have become movements of convenience minus any tangible results.
HALL OF FAME- For Good, Bad, and different reasons:
The most positive and sensible act of 2022, is the peace accord between Ethiopia and Tigray in Pretoria, South Africa.
The spokesperson and advocate of 2022, is former Eritrean Ambassador Stevens C Walker. He sacrificed his position of Ambassadorship and he continues to write on behalf of the Eritrean people.
Whether we agree or not; we think it is wrong or right; we believe it is lawful or unlawful; the action was beyond our imaginations, Birged-N-Hamedu has gotten the most attention from PFDJ and the European Union for 2022.
Erisat showed the most disciplined, whole, consistent, and non-flashy news media of 2022. It is run by professionals and has an organizational structure. It is not only the performance rating, but ERISAT become a useful platform for other Social media and radio outlets. Our rating reflects the views of the public.
The most hated figurehead of 2022 inside Eritrea and in the Horn Of Africa (HOA) is the despotic, authoritarian, and ruthless dictator Isaias Afework.
Tefetawi’s talk show became the most talked about talk show host of the year. Like him or not, agree or disagree with Seltene Girmay, it is what it is. He became the most popular talk show of 2022. He is a controversial figure between love and hate, nothing in-between.
The National Representative Council of Eritrea-GIE ( NRCE-GIE ) has become the official representative of the Eritrean people in the year 2022. It received an acknowledgment from the US Department of State and the National Security Department of the USA. It touched the nerves of PFDJ by becoming GIE in 2022 similar to the 1985 GIE by the EPLF, itself. NRCE-GIE became a historical milestone in 2022. Isaias has gotten the message from NRCE-GIE to boycott Hawala and the artificial currency exchange rate, in the interview with ERISAT. Isaias spoke about it in his last interview, please review Isaias’s interview.
The detention of Abune-Fikremariam and the three Catholic priests spawned the most participated campaign for their release.
The escape from the Eritrean prison by Tegadalay Samuel Welday generated the most interest in 2022 and proved possible for the impossible. What sort of courage it must have demanded of him.
The most controversial figure for 2022, is Mr. Beyene Ghebregziabher ( Wfuy ). He was given multiple names for his opinion. His use of the word Bandit to EPLF, Idris Awate, Saleh Sabe, etc. He stood his ground for his opinions. I believe Isaias and the system are Bandits, not those brave EPLF who had fallen for the independence of Eritrea. Am I not entitled to my opinion?
The most abused words of 2022-
1- “ Democracy”. People forget Democracy is a process not a gift nor achieved through announcements. Democracy is a two-way street. Democracy is a system and it doesn’t discriminate. Democracy is never about picking and choosing points we agree or not. Democracy is not about who is right or wrong, instead, we all have the right to think as members of society. Democracy is not about silence, but about how loud we can speak. Democracy is not about trumping on each other’s rights, but rather about listening and respecting the opinion of others. Democracy is not a bible and has never been perfect but it is a better system to govern with. Above all, Democracy is the ability to sit at a round table and speak with your opponent not only with people you agree with.
2- Another misused word in 2022 is the word “ Justice”. Justice ought to be blind for all to have equal representation. Justice is not about violating others’ rights while preserving yours. Justice isn’t my ideas are right and yours wrong, so I must silence you at any rate necessary. Justice is a universal right for all mankind to be treated equally under the law. As the old saying goes, “ injustice for one is an injustice to everyone.” Justice is not about the majority prevailing, but keeping and protecting the minorities’ rights. Justice is not about mab rules.
3- The most misunderstood and misrepresented word of 2022 is “ Politics. Of course, it is not a town near “ Habresheko.” Politics is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status ( Power ). It is the science or art of political government. It is the practice or profession to conduct political affairs. Politics is about developing a system from point A-Z and how a state and society must be governed. It is about developing methods and the ability to maneuver, political principles and opinions, and the use of winning strategy in obtaining power or control of a City or State. Politics uses systems like Democracies, Monarchies, Oligarchies, Authoritarian, and totalitarian. I wonder how many of us fit into that category of a politician? Can we all just do the parts that we can do best? I hate to see you pull my tooth out if you are not a dentist. You do not want me to perform a face-lift, because I am not a plastic-Surgeon.
4- The most confusing word of 2022 is “ Bayto.” What does it mean? It has been used and abused, because it feels and sounds good. I do not want to disappoint you because “Bayto” without proper “Bayta” is unachievable. If we create a sports arena or a highrise building without providing the roads, bridges, tunnels, railroads, and subways to get you there, It can be called a Bayto to nowhere.
5–The worst abused word of 2022 is the word “Stakeholders.” Do not confuse it with “ Title holders.” If the stakeholders are the same actors we are reaching out to day in and day out for counter-productive political bits of advice, in that instance, yes, it sounded like entitlement. My definition of “Stakeholder” is the Eritrean people. Not more, and not less.
Action speaks louder than words. Einstein once said, “life is like riding a bicycle, if you want to keep your balance, you must keep moving.” In our journey for freedom, some don’t move, some do not want you to move, and in the process, we all lose balance. I believe some ought to get out of the bike lanes.
We never wanted to rate the Hall of Shame for those who engaged in the business of spoilers, those who are playing the role of destructiveness, and those who feel entitlement, those who are willing to distort facts, only to avoid becoming a laughing stock of the PFDJ.
What should be our priorities and strategies for 2023?
1–Eritrea is in a state of emergency, and its people are in dire situations. We must devise effective strategies to depose the regime entirely. Plans for Post Isaias regime are necessary. Contingent we put an end to the despotic regime. Otherwise, our future hope for good governance can only sit on the shelves collecting dust. Our Nation and people are in a critical situation, not in campaigning season.
2– We have one enemy only. It is the authoritarian regime of Isaias and the system he developed. All our focus and energy must be directed toward the one enemy. Not to target each other as sub-enemies and divert our attention to other world events. We spend too much time focusing on each other than the enemy.
3–Know the enemy, so we apply well-planned and achievable actions. I doubt we know our enemy in depth and how it operates in the dark. The enemy is unconventional and lawless; therefore, we must develop unconventional tactics; hitting him where it hurts, the pocketbook, and crippling the regime’s central organ.
4–Follow the money and target the illegal sources of income for the regime. Money laundering is the largest source of income. Inform the world community, on the diplomatic front, of how the resources of the regime are earned and spent.
5–We must target companies and governments who trade with the despotic regime of Isaias such as mining companies and other commodities.
6–Encourage and impel the Eritrean people to rise and stand for their rights. The time is now, not tomorrow.
7–We must spawn a partnership with the Eritrean military to effect the desired change. We are victimizing the victim twice. Eritrean military mostly is conscripted and forced into joining the army by force. We ought not to double down on their agony more than what it is. They are maltreated by the system and are hated without knowing the facts on the ground. They are disposable and at the mercy of Isaias and his Generals. I believe there is definite room for us to work with them.
8–Speaking in one voice and narrowing our differences can revive the 80-90 % silent majority. Let’s not dwell on why they are absent but rather work on how to bring them back into the tent. People may not read our minds but they feel where our hearts belong.
9–Proactive and aggressive moves are necessary to affect the desired change. We spend lots of time echoing the topics thrown at us because we do not have one of ours. Accountability, transparency, and integrity can cure our shortfalls. If we do not have a dream and work together as one team, we end up fulfilling and repeating someone else’s dreams.
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In my summation, Government-In -Exile is the untapped territory, the missing link, the bridge, and the ticket to get us home. Anything else is playing catch-up and has never materialized for the last thirty-one years. I was part of it. The national representative council of Eritrea -GIE is the right Government-In-Exile to represent the Eritrean people. We are result-oriented, problem solvers, and action-geared organizations.
NRCE-GIE Committee
Ghebre Bahdurai, front officer
December 25, 2022.