Ten Years On, Vindication of “Temberkaknet”

In January 1999, Min. Beraki Ghebreselasie advised PIA in writing that it is much wiser to pursue diplomacy to achieve one’s aims.  PIA accused Min. Beraki of “Temberkaknet”

In August 2000, Min. Haile Drue told every Eritrean that would listen that Eritrea’s best interest lies in pursuing diplomacy to resolve the border and any other burning issues.  Min. Haile told us that it would take years to resolve this issue and to concentrate on strengthening Eritrea through economic development.

On September 18, 2001, PIA arrested the G11, reporters and many other proponents of diplomacy, wide consultation and political prudence accusing them of ‘temberkaknet’ for choosing diplomacy over force or gunboat diplomacy.

TEN YEARS TO THE DAY (or rather to the week), September 23, 2011, PIA stood in front the world and admitted, albeit in twisted words and symbolically, that his ‘gunboat diplomacy’ and politics of self-isolation of the last 10 years have failed and that G11 and many other reformers that he accused of ‘temberkaknet’ were right along – that there is no substitution for diplomacy and politics of engagement.

TEN YEARS later, instead of getting closer to border demarcation, PIA is further removed from his BADME, ostracized from the world, and playing a defensive game in the hope that the world will not impose sanctions on him compliments of PMMZ’s effective game of temberkaknet, or rather diplomacy.  PIA finds himself pursuing a policy of ‘temberkaknet’, or rather diplomacy, shaking hands of every second rate minister of second rate nations.  Except Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, PIA had gotten audience from none of the major players except the foreign minister of China, granting audience to PIA out of politeness and photo opportunity than any fundamental support.  PIA is reduced to shaking the hands of Min. Osman Saleh’s of the world to deceive higdefawiyans into thinking that there is hope.  China WILL abstain from all future resolutions condemning PIA at the UN Security Council, thus in effect allowing the world to pressurize the PIA regime.

Even MESKEREM.NET, a me-too higdefawi wanna-be, admitted that PIA has been pursuing the wrong policy for the last ten years.  In one of its propaganda article it said, “  …………….”.  The question is, did Meskerem.net just realize that PIA has been pursuing the wrong the policy recently, or did it know that PIA was wrong all along and still chose to support it.  In either case, it shows that Meskerem.net doesn’t have any grasp of politics or even the basic principles that govern just and successful societies.

As many have stated on opposition cyber sites, PIA’s presence at the UN isn’t a victory at all but a right of every national leader regardless of their stripes to attend such meeting.  It is PIA who has refused to attend UN meetings.  Similarly, Eritrea has never been blocked from attending at the AU, and it is PIA that had boycotted the AU for the last thirteen years. 

In his speech at the UN, President Obama said that,
“Peace is hard work.  Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations”
 
PIA’s problem is that he has severe learning disabilities pertaining to world diplomacy and its effects, and chooses to repeat other dictator’s mistakes.  An old adage says, “those who fail to learn from their mistakes are liable to repeat it.”  Some of the rogue leaders that PIA has modeled himself are:

• Col. Ghaddafi who thought that his petrodollars can give him all the muscle he needed to dictate the world but who knelt down to be crushed.  After ten years of world sanction, and despite his billions of dollars, he submitted to the US by paying $3 Billion in compensation and cooperating with the US at all levels, including getting rid of his Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and cooperating through intelligence.  But the world is slow to forget for his rogue years, and finally finished him off in the most humiliating way. (Continued next)
• President Ahmaddinejad of Iran is more rhetoric and showmanship than an active player because he has the Ayatollahs that he must answer to, and the population isn’t exactly too passive.
• Kim Il Jung, the North Korean leader hasn’t ventured into neighboring countries, thanks to China, and his only threat is WMD.  Kim Il Jung is in poor health and is a matter of patience before the world gets rid of another dictator.
• The Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has slowed down because South American countries have generally ignored him and now is suffering from poor health.  It takes only three to five years to slow down fiery leaders.

It appears that the most effective weapon against dictators is TO IGNORE THEM as they have the tendency to be egotistical and suffer from self-aggrandizement.  The attention of their own abused and oppressed population isn’t enough but still need the world’s attention!

“Might is Right”

PIA’s sole political philosophy and governing principle is “Might is Right”.   His motto is that the world loves winners and that sins are quickly forgotten if victory is assured.  But wars aren’t waged with weapons only, but that socio-economic might, diplomatic skills and others are all need to achieve that “might”.  Where one’s own population is at odds with its own government, enemies will exploit those schisms and weaken that “might”.

THE WORLD IS JUDGING US BY OUR OWN STANDARDS!  A nation that imprisons its own people without evidence and due process of law is condemned without evidence and due process of law.  PIA told us that he has evidence against G11 and others but never showed us, so why should the US or others show their evidence to PIA.  What goes around comes around!   Those higdefawiyans who demand the world show evidence had never had the gall to demand PIA show them evidence by what laws Aster Yohannes or the thousands of others are imprisoned!

PIA shows deference or respects three countries that believe in “Might is Right” – the US, China and Israel.  Until recently, he has looked down on Western European’s respect for law and order, and their deference for pursuing soft approach to dealing with dictators. 

How time has changed?  Suddenly, the British and French are returning to their colonial beliefs.  The British have been increasingly hawkish since Margaret Thatcher’s era when it was forced to fight Argentina over the Falkland Islands.  Successive British leaders, both of right and left, have been trigger happy after regaining their military confidence.  Although being considered third strongest power for decades, the French under President Sarkozy have started to regain their more aggressive foreign policy.  Except Germany and a couple of other countries, flexing muscles against dictators is the order of the day.

Call it by any name, NATO’s activity in Libya can only be a REGIME CHANGE, which had been taboo for decades.  The combination of International Criminal Court (ICC) aimed at mainly African leaders followed by the West’s willingness and Russia’s and China’s acquiescence to regime change has made paranoid dictators think twice about their hollow arrogance.

After all, the fall of Col. Ghaddafi should have been a bitter lesson for PIA.  Col Ghaddafi paid $3 billion dollars to rejoin the world community, agreed to dismantle his WMD programs, gave oil contracts to Western companies, distanced himself from rogue leaders, protected Libya from extremist political elements and cooperated with CIA.  What else can the West ask from Col. Ghaddafi, and yet they destroyed him?

The world hardly forgets and PIA can draw a lot of lessons from Col. Ghaddafi.

1. Col. Ghaddafi broke off membership and relations with the Arab League because they refused to share his ambitions.   Many Arab countries held grudge and the West asked these very same Arab countries to pass resolutions condemning Col. Ghaddafi before going to the UNSC, which they did.  PIA insulted the OAU/AU, who came back with resolutions that are used as basis for UNSC resolutions.  Bitter lesson:  don’t talk down, insult or underestimate any nation or organization because they will come back to bite.  PIA is trying to mend, no so much because he is reforming but reality is dictating it, his way except it is too late.
2. Col. Ghaddafi was busy funding every liberation movements, rogue organizations and any other that were anti-West.  Although he eventually reformed, the West never forgot.  PIA’s support for every rogue and liberation movements in the region and beyond (including the Tamil Tigers) is a record that can never be erased.  Bitter lesson: nobody believes that one can be reform a certified trouble maker.  Everyone is bidding for his time, like a patient predator that lies in wait for hours until the right opportunity comes.

Col. Ghaddafi, like Hugo Chavez, got drunk with his petro-dollars thought that his wealth made him invincible, and an international player.  They thought they can buy into anything.  At the end, rogue dictators meet an ugly end.  PIA won’t get saved by the extra dollars, which is infinitely less than what Ghaddafi & Chavez had to play with, that will trick in from mining ventures in Eritrea.

Where are the Higdefawiyans?

At a time when PIA is running around for his diplomatic, thus political, life and possible further isolation, the likes of Sophia Tesfamariam and Ghideon Abay??  have disappeared from the political scene.  There are a number of possibilities among which are,

• The likes of Sophia have been included in UN Monitoring report and may have come under FBI scrutiny
• PIA has told its foot soldiers to hold back on their antagonist campaigns as he is trying to mend his ways.  They no longer serve his immediate interest.

In fact this has been the trend for the past five years.  The Yemanes and other government spokespersons are banned from speaking on behalf of the government, leaving PIA to make all the speeches and interviews with the world.   Ministers are only allowed to read prepared speeches at international meetings.

It is understandable that higdefawiyans are facing the same extinction as the dodo bird.  EPLF/PFDJ is dead!  The last EPLF/PFDJ Congress was held in 1994, i.e. 17 years ago.  The last PFDJ Central Committee meeting was held in August 2000.  In effect, PFDJ is defunct and that it has been replaced by PIA Incorporated, an organization committed to immortalizing their demi-god.  TRUE EPLF/PFDJ belongs to the grassroots members, NOT PIA!

The latest disturbing trend is the WORSHIP OF PIA.  It is “unEritrean” culture to worship individuals!  Throughout our history, we always admired and respected above all else the fallen heroes.  

BOYCOTTING PIA’s Money Grab

The most contentious issue is whether the world has the right to block PIA’s activities to collect 2% tax from its Diaspora citizens.  As many have already pointed out, many nations have similar tax structures and thus would be unfair to boycott PIA on this tax.

As some have already pointed out, it is not asking, requiring or collecting the 2% tax itself that is the issue.  It is the manner in which it is being collected that is the issue.

It is my understanding that Embassies and their affiliates can’t collect monies except for fees on services provided at embassies or other diplomatic offices.   Of course, PIA’s foot soldiers, or rather cannon fodders, have begun presenting the tax as voluntary, but regardless the issue remains how the money is being transferred to Eritrean authorities. 

By law, all monies must pass through proper channels to reach the recipient.  For instance, if an Eritrean wishes to pay 2% tax to Eritrean Tax Authorities, the payment must be processed as follows

1. an Eritrean can send the monies to his own bank account in Eritrea or to his agent’s bank account in Eritrea  through bank-to-bank transfers and then paid to authorities there,
2. an Eritrean can use legal transfer agents in his host/settled country to wire transfer to the local (Eritrean) bank account of the Eritrean Tax Authorities.
3. the Eritrean Tax Authority can open a legal bank account in foreign countries and receive those funds through them.

Etc…

No country will ever block funds transferred to Eritrea legally, for whatever the purpose is.  It is the regime that chooses to use illegal channels in order to divert US and other hard currencies from reaching the ERITREAN CENTRAL BANK (CBE), which would have maintained proper accounts.  As it stands today, PIA’s illegal foreign exchange outlets abroad send their funds to EriCommerce in London, UK, which then transfers the funds under Mr. Hagos Kisha’s authorization to PIA and Abraham (his son) bank accounts in China.  PIA will never condemn China even if it voted against Eritrea because he trusts them enough to keep his billions of dollars out of reach of Eritreans.   Most other banking safe havens have recently begun exposing dictators who have siphoned off their nations, except a couple of countries such as China. 

In general and in principle, all funds leaving a country must be properly accounted for.  Just because it is one’s own money doesn’t mean that one can smuggle it out.  That is why there are restrictions on carrying raw cash when leaving a country. 

Slavery on Eritrean Mining Projects

Recently, there have been more exposures on slavery at Eritrean mining sites.  This writer has been raising the issue of the lack of legal action against the regime and mining companies for using slaves for profit-oriented activities.  According to the INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO), there are eight forms of forced labor, of which two are compulsory work and military labor. 

Part of the campaign for peaceful struggle should be launching petitions, public complaints and legal actions against the regime and the mining companies through Western courts.  Victims of these mining projects are now living amongst us in the West and can be assisted to sue as plaintiffs/victims.

ACCUSING AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

The regime has made a habit of accusing everybody and everything in the world for its woes.  “They hate us!” has become our political slogan.

Even if it was to be proven that Amnesty International was sneaking (under false pretences)  into Eritrea to gather information, it was doing its job.  Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, CPJ, RWB, many other human rights and advocacy organization live to expose inhumanity and other illegal acts.  Their jobs do not always  involve sweet talking dictators to tell the truth.   They risk their lives to expose lies and tell the truth!

Some may criticize them for being soft with some countries and regimes than others in their coverage.  But overall, they do infinitely more good!

ILL-THOUGHT OUT OPPOSITION STRATEGY

It is customary to begin with a courtesy where debates and criticisms might be conceived as an affront or even as hostility.  There are competing strategies within the opposition camp and thus criticizing one strategy and supporting alternative strategy is part of the democratic process.  Our job is to debate them to the fullest.

Every opposition strategy is evaluated against the following two measuring yardsticks,

1. Does the strategy advance the CURRENT struggle to remove the regime, and then
2. What are the likelihood of the same strategy succeeding soon after the fall of the regime, if ever

The strategy is formulated to address the following:

1. how should the opposition be organized for effective campaign against the regime, e.g. government-in-exile with separate opposition political groups, some form of a broad coalition of opposition movement without explicitly crowning itself, etc…
2. what should the political agenda be, i.e. the more complicated the greater the infighting on one end of the opposition political spectrum, and apathy on the other end, or simple political agenda that shows prudence
3. the choice of the method of struggle, which shows more than anything prudence and political savvy by selecting a method that is most realistic considering current factors
4. what kind of relations should we form with external supporters, trying to balance among what the public perception will be towards the external support, the need to sustain the struggle, and other factors

To cut to the chase, all efforts to remove the regime have stalled and may even have weakened over the past year.  In my view, the opposition camp doesn’t have a prudent strategy, leadership and common vision that will use its current resources to formulate realistic strategy.

FOR EMPHASIS, it hasn’t been proven in recent history that exiled opposition has returned as cohesive group to lead a nation.  EDA/ENCDC is no exception!  EDA/ENCDC’S CURRENT EFFORTS ARE JUDGED SOLELY BASED ON WHETHER ITS EFFORT TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT-IN-EXILE WILL SPEED UP THE FALL OF THE REGIME, and not on whether it will form the next government. 

We should examine whether EDA/ENCDC’s current efforts will succeed within these realities,

1. Will the Eritrean silent majority in Diaspora support the opposition camp’s efforts to establish a government-in-exile?
2. Will the Eritrean Defence Forces support a government-in-exile?
3. Will the Eritrean civil service, composed of mostly former freedom fighters support a government-in-exile?
4. Will the Eritrean public support a government-in exile?

The answer to all of the above questions can only be NO!  “NO” because to support anyone or any organization, one must,

1. know the individuals or organizations to some extent, i.e. proven positive track record, and
2. believe that one has common interest and common experience, and
3. have confidence that the person and/or organization has integrity and credibility

If ALL of the above conditions are not met then political organizations or camp WILL fail.  How do we meet all three conditions?

The facts are as follows,

1. Over 80% of the population lives in rural areas and has little or no access to opposition propaganda, thus government-in-exile or any opposition is non-existent as far as they are concerned
2. Similarly, the vast majority of the Eritrean Defence Forces, as angry as they may be towards the regime, have little opportunity to follow opposition politics.  Where there is some opposition, they would rather support from among their own ranks to remove and replace the regime
3. The civil service and security apparatus are made up of mostly former freedom fighters who are unsure about their future if unknown elements take over post-PIA Eritrea.  It is human nature to seek personal safety and security before national interest, which is true also of opposition leaders (of course exceptions such as G11 and many others), thus most freedom fighters will prop the regime not so much because they support PIA’s policies but because of their survival instinct.  EDA/ENCDC has a totally antagonist political platform against this group and thus HELPING the regime to entrench its powerbase.  Part of the strategy should have been to shatter this powerbase through positive gestures and prudent political platforms.
4. The general public, inside and outside the country, has generally refused to support the opposition camp because it doesn’t believe that it is joining a credible and effective opposition able to organize the opposition movement.  Instead, they believe that the opposition leaders and camp in general are the flip side of the same coin, i.e. the same as PIA.  They feel that they will only become instruments of infighting and imprudent political platforms rather than as true participants of change.  Current efforts to form government-in-exile sends the wrong message by telling people that opposition leaders are only interested in power and can’t wait to be crowned as the new royal families. 

For simple illustration, If the opposition camp had any credibility, they would have been able to recruit opposition members from the tens of thousands Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia and Sudan.  The reality is that EDA/ENCDC has failed to attract members.  Some of the opposition recruitments have come through Ethiopian pressure on the refugees to join the opposition movement rather than out of conviction or desire to join the existing opposition movements.

1. In formulating our strategy, we should repeatedly ask ourselves how change is effected,
through public uprising – although everyone may dismiss as impossible, no one ever thought that Egyptians, Libyans and Syrians would rise against repressive regimes and/or police.  Nobody can ever predict a trigger point and there will always be something, such as what happened in Eritrea in April 1993.
NEW GOVERNMENT:  formed by a group of either lower level military officers from the various military cores/divisions, and/or people’s committees

2. Internal coup

• through high ranking government or military officials
• through low ranking military officials

NEW GOVERNMENT:  formed by either the high or lower ranking officials depending on the initiators.

3. through negotiations with the regime

• NEW GOVERNMENT:  formed by a coalition of groups both internal and external.  Even PM Meles Zenawi didn’t rule out this possibility during this latest interview with Eritrean reporters.

4. through external invasion
NEW GOVERNMENT:  formed by either military officers and/or people’s committees.  However, there are two factors to consider here,

• PMMZ will not risk his own power by invading PIA.  The winds of war are unpredictable and thus PMMZ has significantly more to lose from another round of conflict than PIA who is in dire straights.
• Second, which is an extremely low probability is that even if PMMZ was to invade and win, he would cooperate with local powers made up of military and civilians to govern post-PIA Eritrea.

5.  through natural causes (which will happen sooner or later)

• NEW GOVERNMENT:  formed by a group of PIA’s trusted lieutenants.

The QUESTION EACH one of us should ask is, which one of the above scenarios has the most likelihood of succeeding and how does government-in-exile play a contributing role? 

Some may argue that even if EDA/ENCDC doesn’t form the next government, its establishment of government-in-exile is a prudent political move because it will

1. create and exacerbate the regime’s paranoia forcing him to make fatal mistakes leading to his downfall. 
2. give confidence to the general Eritrean public that the opposition camp is united leading to public uprising.

In reality, EDA/ENCDC can not win public confidence through overburdened political agenda, lack of credibility, lack of connection with the general public, inability to formulate coherent and prudent strategy and weak leadership.  No amount of superficial changes will overcome distrusts and doubts.  People aren’t fools and only concrete changes will satisfy the public.  Without fundamental shift in thinking, EDA/ENDCD WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FORCES OF CHANGE, neither inside nor outside the country.

It is also worth noting that EDA/ENCDC has no influence over PMMZ policies and actions towards PIA.  PMMZ pursues policies and actions that are 100% consistent with his short- and long-term personal, organizational and national interests, and has nothing to do with EDA/ENCDC’s presence in Ethiopia.  If EDA/ENCDC ever thought that somehow that they are steering PMMZ policies towards PIA, they must be too busy eating ‘qat’ and disillusioning themselves.  All EDA/ENCDC can do is to try and score some political points through PMMZ actions which are NONE of their own making.

In fact, as illustrated by the recent meeting of ‘intellectuals’ in Addis, the one glaring message is that the Eritrean opposition is largely in disarray due to lack of common vision and cohesive leadership, thus PMMZ has become the substitute leader to unite the opposition.  It is under this cloud of disarray that EDA/ENCDC is trying to form its government-in-exile – at a time when its leadership has been abdicated to foreign power and its political agenda is simply hodgepodge of issues that can only be resolved in post-PIA Eritrea, when we should be focusing our efforts here-and-now.

A WORD ON METHOD OF STRUGGLE

The most imprudent EDA/ENCDC political position is their continued advocacy for all forms of struggle, including armed, to remove the regime.

In principle, everybody has the right to defend himself by any means against any physical threats.  Self-preservation is a fundamental law of nature.  In rejecting armed struggle as an option to remove the regime, it is not based on rejecting this principle nor as self-righteousness on the part of peaceful activists as some pro-armed struggle proponents have attempted to portray it.

The rejection of armed struggle is solely based on prudent political strategy that looks into current realities and future vision that attempts to resolve issues through non-violent means.  One must believe that “where there is a will, there is a way”, and that when we reject violence, our thought process begins to find ways to achieve our aims through non-violent means.  This is what Eritrea needs, to think without violence!  This is the negation of PIA and PFDJ!  This is unwinding our armed history, which despite giving us independence is now our impediment. 

Our peaceful method of struggle has NOT taken full traction because we cling to the notion that we have an alternative method to remove PIA – armed struggle.  Yet, in reality EDA’s advocacy for armed struggle has not yielded a single result.  In fact, efforts to bring together the armed wings of a couple EDA members, probably not numbering more than a couple of dozen foot soldiers, has failed to date.  If these groups can’t join forces at such easy level, how could they do it at higher level?

Yet another illustration is the Senafe Landmine Accident which could have been used by the regime to tarnish the opposition.   Fortunately, reclusive regimes have the tendency to lock down all information out of fear that any natural or man-made disasters or any other incidents will expose the regime’s incompetence or lack of control.  In contrast, PMMZ is quick to use every incident for political gain, after all, one can make a spin on everything.

Nobody knows yet what exactly happened at the Senafe landmine accident. 

1. Was it a leftover from the war with Ethiopia?  Most likely not because the bus may have been traveling on the same path that other vehicles have travelled over the last 10 years.  In addition, the area was supposed to have been thoroughly de-mined by UN experts.
2. Was it planted by the regime to blame opposition groups?  But then it would have publicized the incident immediately and blamed the opposition group, as PMMZ would have done.
3. Was it planed by the opposition group’s armed wing?  This could have been an operation targeting military vehicles that a civilian bus unfortunately stepped on.  Regardless, the regime could have used this incident to blame the opposition, which would have put the opposition camp on the defensive and possibly driving that much wedge between the opposition forces and the public.  At the very least, the opposition armed wing WILL NOT be able to claim that it attacked military vehicles in the near future because it wouldn’t want to be associated with this type of operation, thus removing the propaganda value of some forms of military operations.

In the1990’s PIA had blamed the ‘fifth column’ for planting landmines in the Western Eritrea and thus had successfully implanted a dislike of the ‘fifth column’ among the population.  Similarly, an incident at the independence celebration in Barentu about five years had the general public in repulse of such acts. 

It is for this and similar reasons that prudent opposition political organizations must pursue effective strategies that is able to ‘one-up’ the game against the regime.  When the G-11, Hassan Keckia, Bitweded Abraha, journalists and thousands others chose to sacrifice themselves, they chose peaceful struggle at the expense of their own lives because they had conviction in what they believed, and through their conviction they are creating a NEW Eritrea.  It is peaceful struggle when the effective cyber-opposition exposes the regime, nailing that much nail into the regime’s coffins.  It is peaceful struggle when Eritrean human rights organizations advocate for Eritrean refugees, Eritrean legal organizations pursue legal actions, and other international organizations such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, CPJ, RWB and many others join us.  It is these efforts that have weakened the regime.  It will be one incident, like in Tunisia, that will trigger a chain of events that will make us wonder how it all happened!

The Germans and Japanese tried to dominate the world through armed power, and failed miserably.  It is through economic muscle that they have come to dominate their respective regions.  Man thinks of armed power as quick fix for his infinite ambitions, but in reality it is those slow and methodical activities that win over.  PMMZ has been more successful playing PIA through diplomacy than through armed conflicts.  It is slow and methodical methods that succeed!

The Simple Formula for Opposition Success remains…

1. An Opposition Movement with Simple Agenda

• Simple Agenda for large population to understand and accept
• Simple Agenda that brings all opposition on board
• cSimple Agenda that leaves does NOT bring up suspicion of hidden agenda

2. An Opposition Movement with broad coalition committed to the removal of the regime as its sole objective and handing over post-PIA Eritrea to its rightful owners – the Eritrean people in Eritrea who have the most stake.  This means No government-in-exile, NO transitional constitution, and NO game of musical chair.
3. An Opposition Movement that is able to reach out to every segment and groups IN Eritrea without prejudice and threats of retribution.  An Opposition movement that views every Eritrean as victim of this brutal regime and advocates for all inclusive solutions.  
4. An Opposition Movement with vibrant and cohesive leadership able to articulate the wishes and aspiration of the people through simple message
5. An Opposition Movement able to formulate its relations with external forces by considering how an average Eritrean would understand and perceive such relations.  Politics of self-righteousness is dictatorship, whereas putting one fingers’ on the public’s pulse is about democracy.  Success is about feeling the public!
6. An Opposition Movement able to bring young leaders up its ranks, instead of recycling leaders of yesteryears.  As much as experienced leaders are needed, the infusion of young leaders is critical.  Opposition movement, or any movement, is about NETWORKING.  Older leaders can largely network with their age mates.  Younger generation is needed to network and attract and the youths.

Recently I watched an interview with Charlie Rose on PBS tv.  The person he was interviewing was a young Egyptian activist and reporter, Ethar El-Katatney, who able to weave politics, culture, human psychology with such ease that shows her deep understanding of the complexity of politics.   Moreover, her ability to communicate in articulate manner makes her very effective.  These are the type of young people who take up progressively increasing leadership roles in a country.

Watch: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11906

Finally …

The couple of thousand old folks and youngsters that showed up to hear PIA are totally outnumbered by

• Over 10,000 Eritreans in PFDJ dungeons for their beliefs of freedom,
• Over 1,000 Eritreans who vote with their feet  fleeing the country every month, becoming the largest exporter of refugees per capita and even in absolute terms in many cases
• Over 200,000 Eritreans who have left the country in last 5 years.

“Temberkaknet”

• Eritreans kneel down only when they pray or shoot a rifle
• Eritreans have never knelt down to external colonials nor internal dictators!

IT IS DARKEST BEFORE DAWN!

Lest We Forget
May 24th is Independence Day, Sep. 18th is Freedom Day!


Berhan Hagos
September 27, 2011

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