Opposition
prolonging oppression
No alternative to reconciliation
By Habtom Yohannes
November 12, 2003
"Yet we must not allow
the usual silliness of the intellectually frivolous of the "cut
and paste" type who confuse glibness for profundity to deter us
from talking to each other. Fortunately all is not lost.
Among us there's the more serious group or individuals, inclined to
more sober refection, even when they are in disagreement.
They deserve our respect and attention. We should listen to them with
an open mind knowing full well that no one has a monopoly on wisdom
of what's good fro Eritrea." Dr. Tekie Fessehatzion in his article
"DEMARCATION
WATCH Dialogue-Skeptic by Conviction",Tuesday, November 11,
2003
Emphasis mine.
"Not only would
it be better [to focus on ourselves], its time has come and gone.
Since we and the world community know the true identity of the Eritrean
government, I think from now on we do not need to hold meetings to
discuss the sins the government commits for it has little value.
First, since we have identified what the problems are we need to develop
strategic thinking and ask ourselves what needs to be done in order
to bring relief to our people. In a struggle, the easiest thing is to
sit back and count the mistakes of others. Having said that, I don't
mean that it is easy to change from counting sins to the next level."
Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam in his interview with Ato Dawit Mesfin, November
6, 2003
Emphasis mine
When I started writing on the Eritrean cyberspace some
years ago I baptized my column "Let's Talk; "Kinzareb"
in Tigrigna. My purpose was to help rupture the culture of silence which
was and still is suffocating the Eritrean society.
A society that lacks that culture of open discussion and sober reflection
is doomed to failure. And that culture of silence, looking the other
side while your brother/sister is suffering, has been in Eritrea before
the birth of President Isaias Afwerki. It is part and parcel of the
Eritrean society and we have to face it if we meant change. And change
doesn't mean - as some self-appointed opposition groups and democrats
believe - destroying President Isaias Afwerki, PFDJ and all those who
disagree with them; but it means developing a vision of uncompromising
resistance to dictatorship and at the same time developing a culture
of reconciliation with those you resist. This mentality stems, as Dr.
Tekie Fessehatzion stated, from the deep conviction that "no
one has a monopoly on wisdom of what's good fro Eritrea". President
Isaias Afwerki and his PFDJ have been behaving as if they have the monopoly
on what is good for Eritrea and Eritreans. And that mentality has brought
us only disaster and misery. But are President Isaias Afwerki and his
PFDJ the only culprit for the predicaments befalling Eritrea? I don't
think so. Of course the regime in Asmara has the monopoly on the undemocratically
attained power and as such it is bears more responsibility for the successes
and failures of Eritrea. But as Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam told Dawit Mesfin
in his rare but candid interview the opposition is also to blame for
the present crisis in Eritrea. Maybe not for the origins of some conflicts
but certainly to blame for not coming up with a vision to solve the
Eritrean mess. It is uplifting to read reconciliatory statements from
Dr. Tekie Fessehatzion (EPLF/PFDJ) and Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam (ELF).
Reconciliation starts with critical self-reflection. And to my opinion
both gentlemen are starting to exercise that wonderful medicine. And
indeed it is time to open our mouth and talk about the failures of the
opposition camp. Democracy is not only attacking the regime in Asmara
but soul-searching has many things to do with democracy.
Soul-Searching
I call on all Eritreans who support the Eritrean regime and to those
who belong to the opposition camp (political or civic) to do some thorough
soul-searching. The Bishop of Soul, Solomon Burke, has a song with the
same title and it is one of our favourite songs. It might help enlighten
one's mind if one listens to the song and asks, among others, the following
questions in all earnest:
1. Why am I opposing the Eritrean regime?
Motive is very important. Some oppose the Eritrean regime because of
old grudges against personalities within the regime or because of old
(and outdated) political quarrels. Others oppose the regime because
it frustrated their business adventures. And few resist the regime because
of principles: principles of fairness, justice, human rights, democracy
and prosperity for all.
2. Would I be happy if
the Eritrean regime releases all political prisoners and implements
the Constitution?
I would be the first one to join the Eritrean regime in accomplishing
a just and democratic Eritrea for all. Justice could only prevail under
constitutional Eritrea, where opposition groups could operate freely
without any fear.
Indeed I would be the first one to uncork the Champaign bottle. But
I am sure many so called "democrats" within the opposition
group (political and civic) will sit in ashes and mourn as if Eritrea
is defeated. Their only delight is in the collapse of the regime even
if it means the demotion of Eritrea to the situation of Somalia. This
kind of opposition is prolonging the oppression of our people. These
groups, blinded by their (personal) hatred have failed to come up with
an alternative; an alternative that could radiate a message of reconciliation
and hope for the Eritrean masses.
3. Am I ready to reconcile with the Eritrean
regime and its adherents or only with the fragmented opposition?
The answer to this question starts with what Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam
said: "First, since we have identified
what the problems are we need to develop strategic thinking and ask
ourselves what needs to be done in order to bring relief to our people."
I am afraid we haven't yet identified the MAIN PROBLEMS of US, ERITREANS.
Otherwise we have long succeeded in developing strategic thinking to
bring relief to ourselves, the Eritrean people. For many opposition
groups the problem is President Isaias Afwerki and the solution is the
destruction of Afwerki and his PFDJ. And this is my brothers a day-dream,
an illusion. I pray God give him a long and healthy life but one day
he will pass away. But our problems will remain. We have to come down
from the ladder of hatred and blind focus on one person/party and face
the reality. The reality is our obsession to get a quick-fix and topple,
destroy the Asmera regime even by collaborating with the "enemy".
Our motive is not to bring relief to our people but to revenge; take
revenge against our brothers and sisters.
During the founding conference of Eritrean Civic Societies in Europe
(NECS-Europe) we had a heated debate on the issue of reconciliation
and none violence. Apart from the silent majority I was the only one
who defended none violence and reconciliation with the Eritrean regime
and its supporters. Some questioned my principles of democracy and blamed
me for supporting PFDJ. Dawit Mesfin, who conducted the interview with
Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam was one of the witnesses to what had happened.
It was not easy but I thank God for my firm standpoint at that historic
conference in Fredesheim, in The Netherlands.
As the days went by I got more strong in my conviction that the only
solution for the present crisis is bold and none-violent resistance
to oppression combined with all-inclusive (including President Isaias
Afwerki and PFDJ) reconciliation.
4. Am I sincere in discerning
the good and the bad things of the Eritrean regime? And am I sincere
in defending the Asmara regime for the sake of justice?
You all know the allegory of the two men who saw in the distance an
animal. The one said it is a bird. The other one rejected the conviction
of the other and said "no it is a goat". The argued bitterly
and in a sudden the bird flew. And the one who said it is a bird contended:
"look what I have told you; it is a bird, it is flying". And
the antagonist almost deaf to any arguments responded: "flying
or not flying it is a goat and it will remain a goat." This parable
is illustrative to how politics is conducted in Eritrea.
When the Eritrean regime refused to withdraw from Badme and environs
in 1998 and 1999 many of us criticized the politics of stubbornness.
And the reasonable among us campaigned for diplomatic and peaceful settlement
of the crisis. But after Ethiopia rejected the ruling of the Ethio-Eritrean
Border Commission (EECB) regarding the town of Badme many of the opposition
camp refrained from condemning Ethiopia for this unlawful act.
On August 1 I wrote an open letter to the opposition conference in Frankfurt
and Kassel. http://news.asmarino.com/
In that letter I called on both parties to condemn the Ethiopian regime
for rejecting the independent ruling of the EECB. But they preferred
to please the Ethiopian regime by staying in Ethiopia and keeping silent.
Political parties who behave like this will end up being peons of the
Ethiopian regime and a shame for Eritrea. They might say: "we have
stated that Badme is Eritrean". But why don't you defend it by
at least raising your voice against what Ethiopia is doing? Why is the
Canadian Parliament making its relationship conditional to the acceptance
of the ECCB-ruling by Ethiopia http://news.asmarino.com/
While Ertreans opposition parties are behaving like slaves of Ethiopia?
This is not about giving credit to Isaias Afwerki. This is about justice
and international law and the sustainable peace that stems from it.
Shocking
But even the Network of Eritrean Civic Societies in Europe (NECS-Europe)
has failed to condemn the unlawful act of the Ethiopian regime. As someone
who was involved in its inception I feel very close to many ideas of
NECS-Europe but I was shocked to hear that a draft statement calling
on the Ethiopian regime to abide by the EECB-decision was put into the
garbage bin by some hard liners within NECS-Europe. This is very symptomatic
to the crisis of the Eritrean opposition camp, which, due to lack of
vision and sincerity, is stack in personal conflicts and incurable grudges.
Some members of NECS-Europe have ended up in supporting the Kassel-group
while others have done the wise thing: watch in wisdom until the dust
settles. People who lend their "pens" in writing derogatory
statements against the Frankfurt group or the Kassel group have no credit
to work for reconciliation or national conference. What we blame the
PFDJ (lack of transparency and open critical debate) is happening write
before our eyes.
Discern the bad from the good and delight in the good things. Blinded
by personal frustrations and old grudges we are only prolonging the
oppression of our people.
5. Do the political groups (including Dr. Yohannes
Zeremarimam) sincerely believe that it is in the interest of Eritrean
people to cooperate with Ethiopia against the regime of President Isaias
Afwerki?
I have never believed for a second that cooperating with Ethiopia, especially
in this trying times, is in the benefit of Eritrea. I have asked this
question many times. The response I got from supporters of the Alliance
was not so sincere as Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam told Dawit Mesfin. Now
the Alliance is convinced that its presence in Ethiopia has been of
little benefit to the Eritrean people what is it doing in Ethiopia.
Why don't they tell the Ethiopian regime the truth, like the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) did, and move to other countries? Or does
the Alliance belief that Eritrean opposition will disappear without
Ethiopian support? And which support by the way?
Let me take this opportunity to thank all the organisations and opposition
political parties which took a clear stand against the intransigence
of the Ethiopian regime regarding Badme.
We should wake up before it is too late,
Reconciliation is the way and the way is reconciliation,
None-violence is the struggle and the struggle is none-violence,
Other alternatives will only bring utter destruction,
I long to see a democratic, peaceful Eritrea
where there is room for all of us.
May the Prayers of our Moslim brothers in these holy days of Ramadan
help bring change in our beloved country?
