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“One
man eats, another says grace!” – Eritrean Highland-Lowland Splits
Abdullah A. Ado – Email: abdullahadoa@gmail.com
Introduction:
To
begin with let me ‘get to the nitty-gritty’
and thank EMDG and EPDP Board members and those individuals who genuinely
requested me to make correction on a name I mentioned in my earlier
article by goofing-up EMDG for EPDP. Indeed I have exchanged contacts on
this matter both with EMDG and EPDP Board members. By mistake I did point
out EMDG as the outcome of the merger. Really, the correct information is
that a merger had taken place among 3-Eritrean Tigrinya highlander
opposition groups (i.e., the Eritrean People’s Movement; the Eritrean
Democratic Party; and the Eritrean People’s Party) as per their joint political
resolution communicated on December
31, 2009. So their merger is thus known as the ‘Eritrean Peoples
Democratic Party’ (EPDP). With this, I resort to the essence of this
article.
Charles Swindoll wrote in his known book:
"Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" stating
that: “Courage is not limited to
the battlefield or … bravely catching a thief in your house. The real
tests of courage are...the inner tests, like remaining faithful when
nobody's looking; like enduring pain when the room is empty; like standing
alone when you're misunderstood; like fighting for what is right even when
you know you are going to lose.”
Likewise,
I wrote this article with the hope that the explanations provided herein
below will eventually sink well into our Eritrean ‘highland Tigrinya
stakeholders’ minds ‘who are stepping on our toes’
must clean-up their hitherto existing attitudes and positions pertaining to
Eritrea
’s future. Regardless of name-callings and foul language poured at me
from several Eritrean Tigrinya individuals who in most cases bubble with
angry words like boiling water on high temperature; and with high flying
supremacist and defensive attitudes, I still maintain my stand and insist
on sharing my views with the wider reader community till the truth sinks
and makes difference in terms of bringing the downtrodden pastoral
communities’ perspectives in Eritrea to the fore. To this effect, if my
article sounds provocative and confrontational, indeed, so it is. In
Afewarki’s
Eritrea
the saying: “One
man eats, another says grace!” holds evident. Our ancestors land has
been taken away by Afewarki and his PFDJ-ruling
Junta; and in reality we have
no land in our own possession; except for use right mainly controlled by
Afewarki’s watchmen. My belief in this
is that one day, if and when concerned readers search and research for the
absolute truth, they will definitively land upon and recognize the
reasons why our pastoralist communities’ final decisions remain
consistent and undeniable. From the outset, Eritrean highlanders need to
change their attitudes towards marginalized societies within
Eritrea
instantly. Instead of trying to maintain the status-quo held-up by
Afewarki and his
PFDJ-ruling Junta who
always pretentiously tell us and the rest of the wider world that Eritrea
is an entity designed for commonly sharing its endowments and resources by
all its citizens alike, highlanders need to relinquish such cover-ups and
denial opinions for the better. In fact, the following Chinese
Proverb sums-up the reality we face on the ground in today’s
Eritrea
specifically: “He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount”.
Undeniably, highlanders seem afraid of us lowlanders and don’t want to
dismount from their power throne carried on our shoulders thus far.
Eritrea
’s
Highlanders Contra Lowlanders:
At
the cost of being labelled by few Eritrean highlanders as an inflexible
person, let me reiterate and assert the subsequent
realities on the ground just for the sake of clarity. I
read through EPDP’s recent political resolutions where, in general
terms, universal declarations on presenting evidence before the Eritrean
public concerning missing human and legal rights issues are noticeably
mentioned; and reasons are spelled out why EPDP stands opposed to Afewarki
and his PFDJ-ruling
junta. Other than that, no where have the EPDP political
declaration document mentions characteristically about conditions and
challenges faced by the marginalized pastoralist societies within
Eritrea
proper. Overall, looked at from lowland, pastoralist, Muslim
communities’ perspectives, the subsequent 3-key points are
unconditionally critical to the future of
Eritrea
:
First
of all, the Eritrean highland Tigrinya Christian and the lowland Pastoralist
Muslim splits have not yet clearly been thought-out giving ways and means
for Eritrea to grow and mature as a qualified nation state. Essentially,
the democratic means to unify the Eritrean highland Tigrinya Christians
and the lowland Pastoralist Muslims still linger quite out-of-the-way.
Indeed, Eritrean highlanders and lowlanders have much less mutual
interests that tie each community as a unified federation to match each
other’s values and move together to a point of nation reinforcement. If
at all there are a couple of things that we share in common within
Eritrea, these are nothing but the debacles and troubles pouring on both
highlanders and lowlanders by Afewarki and his PFDJ-ruling junta; and
these specifically when it comes to: (a) drafting our young boys and girls
into Sawa military garrisons; and (b) paying forcibly our cash at hand to
PFDJ-ruling junta’s tax collectors. Amidst this, the vast majority of
Eritrean highlanders still continue to display plain defensive characters
alien to our marginalized pastoralist groups within
Eritrea
proper. Based confidently on their chauvinistic stand point, highlanders
try every means available to them to twist our arms and persuade us by
hook or crook to go their way without making any sensible concessions.
They are intolerant for any bragging about coming their way from our side
concerning about our felt needs and livelihoods. Rather, highlanders want
us to firmly abide by their extremely acute motto of the day that goes: “Hade-Widib,
Hade-Hizbi, Hade-Libi!” By so saying, Eritrean highlanders refuse to
understand our fate as marginalized pastoralist-population. By all
accounts and by any means, they want us to admit the existence of
Eritrea
as a state; and fear for any hurdle that may put the making of
Eritrea
at risk. But, both at the leadership and at the community levels, the
reality is different than what they imagine. The gaps distinctly splitting
the Eritrean highland Christian neighbors and the lowland Muslim
population remain evident and widespread. In our pastoralists view,
Eritrean Tigrinya highlanders, who are alien to the lowlander cultural and
socio-political norms and ethos, must understand the naked reality that
there is nothing clutching us collectively with them; and holding us in
bondage as a unique body within
Eritrea
as such. So our serious advice to Eritrean highlanders is simple and
straight forward: “Don't count your chickens before they hatch”.
Don’t count on us pastoralists before the bridge you try to mend for
sustained relationships with us are clearly spelled-out and reinforced on
mutual terms.
Secondly,
a reminder to Eritrean highlanders is: “Don't put all your eggs in one basket”; and stop demanding to stand for: “Hade-Widib, Hade-Hizbi, Hade-Libi!” After
all, how can you claim a solidified mind and heart in a
diversified entity? How closely are you highlanders actually tied in
affinity with us the lowlanders? How close do we know each other to share
Eritrea
as one roof with you? These are deeply engrained questions begging for
proper responses. At the end of the day, Afewarki’s craftsmanship
towards solidifying
Eritrea
as a sustained state has not yet materialized as initially intended. Nor
does it have substantial basis for
Eritrea
’s future. Indeed, except for those from Rashaida origin, there is
hardly any group within
Eritrea
that can fulfill the state / fatherland / definition. In this case, and
other ground touching and deeply rooted lineage quarries, I suggest, any
one interested to delve into this matter and read: ‘ZANTA ERITRA’
by Fit. Michael Hasama (a Mansa'e himself) composed in Tigrinya. By
examining this matter deeper from linguistic and socio-cultural affinity
points of view, one concludes that Eritrean Tigrinya highlanders descend
from eight sub-groups with their roots deep inside
Ethiopia
; but with no common point of departure into
Eritrea
. Only the
Tigre
speaking group holds strong affinity to all other Eritrean Tigrinya
highlanders and their extensions inside
Ethiopia
. Other than that: (a) The Hamassein and Akele Guzai highlanders are of
the Meroni decent whose ancestor – Meroni was said to have moved down to
Hamassein tracts from Dembya in Begemidr, located in Gondar inside
Ethiopia. (b) The Mine-Fre highlanders are also of the Begemidr, Gondar
origin inside Ethiopia but could not trace their original forefathers
distinctly. Indeed, Mine-Fre, which means: ‘Let God Fulfill’ was
coined as they seem not knowing who their Gondari ancestor by name was.
(c) The Seraye highlanders are of Adkeme-Melega origin claiming to have
moved into
Eritrea
from Lasta and Gojjam tracts deep inside
Ethiopia
. (d) The Asmee / Deki-Ishmaelo of Arba’ete Asmara and the DekiShihai of
LegoChewa (touching upon the Hamassein and Seraye highland tracts) are of
the Asawerta descents. (e) The Anganaa Christians around Dekemhare are of
the Hazo-origin that trace their roots inside Tigray; just like other
Tigrinya highlanders who tress their decent deep into
Adwa
, Tembien, Shire Enda Sellasie and Kilte Awlallo. (f) The Ankala Afar
Christians around Tserona are of Afar origin. Therefore, the Eritrean
Tigrinya highlanders simply disqualify from the Biher / Nationality /
definition. The Tewke and Terke Bilen trace their decent from the Meroni
(Tewke), and Adkeme Melega (Terke). In fact, “It
is time to pay the piper”.
It is time for highlanders to face the consequences of the unchecked
actions done thus far.
Thirdly,
as we (Afar, Kunama, Saho, etc.) pastoralists need to: “Give
the devil his due”
the side road forward for us deprived of our privileges,
and legal rights; especially the right to vote on matters affecting our
future is to lay down our own road map before we jump into any kind
of unity resolution with highlanders. After all, what is the rationale for
us to join hands with you and jump on your political bandwagon? Is it
because it is fashionable to topple Afewarki and his PFDJ-ruling junta only for you to take over power and maintain the status quo? How sure are we pastoralists that you highlanders will show any different
attitudes from that of Afewarki’s? Why should we pastoralists go for
unification where we remain 2nd class citizens? What stops us
from acquiring our freedom to decide on matters that affect our
livelihoods? What hinders us from practicing our traditional cultural and
religious polity and human values freely? These are serious issues that
highlanders must be rationally ready to respond to before they implicitly
generalize the existing highland-lowland splits as non-existent.
Conclusive Remarks:
As
freedom is free and an inalienable gratis right given to any human being
at birth, we pastoralists too are readily determined to regain our birth
rights. Indeed, as ‘Eritrea
is still a nation in the making’, the Eritrean highlanders need to come to stipulations with us
pastoralists either to make it; or to push us aside in contempt and
force us to break it. To this end, there are 3-senarios open for Eritrean
Tigrinya highlanders to consider: (a) done better now belated than never, you need to give away your inherent motto: “Hade-Widib,
Hade-Hizbi, Hade-Libi!” and opt for emancipation that may bring
you closer to us and become partners in the Eritrean nation making
exercise. (b) If this scenario is
practically out of question, then you are better off and select
side either to link up with your Christian neighbors to whom you are
deeply caffeinated by origin and linked by language, culture and religion,
within the Tigray and Amharic regions of
Ethiopia
. (c) If you still find both (a) and (b) scenarios out of touch and taste,
then you can still consider continuing to remain detached and left alone
till you come to your senses and figure out your own legitimate solutions.
On
our part, we are unwavering to join hands with our brethren on the other side of our
affinities; and continue to enrich our livelihoods freely and fraternally
as we deem them suitable for our communities; just in the same manner as
we have been carrying out since time and
generations immemorial.
An Olive Branch to now muscular Tigrigna highlanders:
Two Important Births that happened in our midst as Afar
People (The Afar Midwifery)
A)
Eritrea (Assab, Dankaliya, Nov 15, 1869)
B)
EPLF (Sidica Ella,
Dankaliya, early, 1970)
An Afar account of birth of Eritrea (by Yassin Mohammed
Yassin)
Birth of Eritrea:
From the renowned Kingdom of Adal established in
Rahayeta, the kingdoms of Dankali and Ankala, the Sultanate of Bidu and
other major clan chieftains and sheikdoms successively dominated the
traditional administration on the Red Sea coasts, in the interiors and on
the islands as well. Since the 16th century, the Ottoman Turks had
controlled the Red Sea Afar coastal areas
with a minimal influence over the territories. The
Ottoman rule transferred its nominal authority over the coasts and islands
of the Red Sea to the Egyptian Khedive in 1866 but didn't last long. It
was after only three years, on 15
November 1869, that the Ankala Afar chiefs, Sultan
Ibrahim Ahmed and Sultan Hassan
Ahmed signed an agreement with Giuseppe Sapetto, representative
of Societa Rubattino Company on the Nasser Majid ship,
in which the future Colonia Eritrea was first conceived as the piece of
land in Assab possessed by the Italian company. Soon afterwards, on 10
March 1882, the Rubattino company transferred all its landholdings to the
Italian government and later, on 5th June 1882, the Italian King Umberto
declared the land the Colonia di
Assab which later grew up to
Colonia Eritrea after Italian colonists had entered Asmara in 1889
without any notable opposition.
Birth
of EPLF (PFDJ):
Soon after the fallout between Afar fighters and ELF in 1967, new
movement called the People’s Liberation Front (PLF) that later, in the
early 1970s became the EPLF. The infant EPLF, mainly dominated by the
Christian highlander Tigreans, took advantage of the dispute among the
Afar
and ELF forces in order to freely mobilize its forces in the Afarland of
Eritrea
(Dankalia), of course with Afar consent
Sidica Ella in the Dankalia desert is
the birthplace of the EPLF. The embryonic and weak
EPLF forces were initially camped at Sidiha Ela from where their military
power built-up.
As we (Afar and others) have witnessed these unfortunate births, we call
it unfortunate not because there was a new birth but what these babies
have become; the grievance, the blood shade, tears behind bars, starvation
and the exodus, who knew it? Who in the right mind is proud of this? The
Highland Tigrigna and other supports of PFDJ would seriously think this is
the way to bring up a child? If so …then we don’t ever want to be in
this household of injustice and second class citizenship inside or out as
opposition.
Amanuel
Hidrat In his last article (Nature Abhors Vacuum: Understanding Nature of
Competing Values Part-III) in Awate, stated after coming across my article
in Aiga, he urged to foster
cross-cultural success in modern Eritrea, both political and civic
organizational institutions must promote empathy and understanding.
To
those of us and many other who share our arguments as lowlands and
disenfranchised, that our grievance is worthwhile to listen to, should map
our ways forward in a house that is Just, peaceful and equal
representation for all, like any civilized 21st century democracy should
function, then we would be foolish not graciously accept the olive branch
to be involved in an a nation building, National unity,
Hade-Widib, Hade-Hizbi, Hade-Libi or Transitional government.
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