Nyala Hotel...

I am sitting at Nyala hotel and using my laptope there. The internet connection is quite alright and I am making my participant observations as usual. A lot of sudanese men and women live in this particular hotel for some reasons. The men have painted their hands and feet with hinna:-). It looks abnormal but they seem not to care that much about it. They are probably having their honeymoon here in beautiful Asmara. The rainy season is pretty interesting. It usually rains cats and dogs in the afternoons and the sunshines in the mornings.

People say that Money is not everything and it can not buy you  all you want in life. That is actually what money does. No funny without money is in fact the melody in every corner of the world. Eritrea is not an exception, unfortunately. Money has become the alpha and omega of a modern man. Human values rotate around it and you are judged by what you have in your pockets.

Wealth or knowledge was the thema of our arguement in 8th grade english lesson back in the days.  I argued that knowledge was more important than wealth as wealth without the knowledge and wisdom of how to handle it would be to no avail.Futile. We are not always the masters of our destiny but we decide often how to relate to different issues and which standinpoints to have about them.

I am still in the very start of my long journey in Eritrea and prefer to take just a day at a time.

Martyrs day in Asmara, Eritrea,,,

We got up at 06.00 A.M. on the 20th of june and headed to the martyrs cemetry in Tsetserat where thousands of people had already gathered. The last time I attended this kind of event was in 2005. This is the most emotional moment for all Eritreans as it is a day when all Eritrean martyrs are commemorated and honoured.


Mothers, sisters, wives, husbands, daughters, sons and other relatives burst in tears and remember their fallen heroes and heroines. Eritrea owes a lot of gratitude to these martyrs forever. Our mere existence as a nation and a country has cost so many lives and we shall never forget that.

I have been in Eritrea several times and I am intending to stay a longer period this time around. Two and a half weeks have gone since my lates arrival. Have had a lot of ups and downs and my impressions are of mixed natures. Questioning and doubting my courageous decsion to settle down in my native land, continues.

Having lived almost 23 years in Sweden and used to a different sort of life there, I did not anticipate an easy integration. It is going to be a long process that will demand patience and subservience. My determination to remain focused and see the positive aspects of my life in Eritrea, is being questioned at times.

I have not started working as yet but hoping to be able to work as a teacher in Mai Nefih College from September. I am open for all options and shall try my utmost to give this journey an effort that it derserves.

I have left the life in security in Sweden for a more adventurious and rewarding challenge in Eritrea. The wisdom and rightfullness of this bold move, remains to be seen.

Give 50 years of imrisonment to Tony Blair and George Bush too!!!

I am sick and tired of seeing  white folks acting as judges, generals, "peace-makers" e.t.c.. in every corner of the planet, even in mars for that matter!You sometimes wonder and get the impression as if they are the majority ethnical group in the world, if you see the amount of time they get in media thanks to cultural imperialism. I do not see any logic in this tribe being the most dominant in global  politics and economy as it only composes  10% of the world population.

It has rather to do with their access to weapons of mass destruction. Russia, England, France, China and the USA (Under Satan´s Authority)  have had nuclear weapons and other heavy armaments for sometime. India, Pakistan, Israel e.t.c. have also that. Iran and North Korea should be able to obtain it too. My policy is a simple one: if one has the "technology", everybody has got to have it too or no body should have it, as simple as easy as that!Cooperation rather than competition on all fronts. No discrimination in holocusting and exterminating  ourselves either ,as a matter of principle.

The security council in the united nation is just another undemocratic  forum to legitimize the arrogance of the west.

Some countries in the African continent should aspire to obtain Weapons of Mass Destruction too and I hope Eritrea will be the first nation to have it in the sub-saharan Africa. Muhammar Khadaffi of Libya was on the brink of  obtaining  it when he was compelled to abondon it. It was his biggest mistake! He trusted the west who eventually stabbed him to death. Never trust Babylone, brothers and sisters!

They sentenced Liberia´s former president Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison today.He might deserve it but I wish I could also give 50 years to the war criminals Tony Blair and George Bush for their crime against humanity in Irak and Afghanistan! They are murderers on full time bases , all of them but they always get away with it! Impunity for the west seems to be the order of the day. I hate it.

In the case of Julian Assange, I say: leave the man alone! He is innocent and he only had a one night stand with the three swedish girls who changed their minds because of other reasons.By the way, how did he manage to hook up with three girls in a few days? That is an incredible performance in itself!I feel sorry for the girls if they have been raped but Saying Julian´s condom was out of function and they had sex while one of the girls was asleep is such a silly and shallow arguement.Sex is a serious business and it takes two to tango! Period. Swedish hypocricy at the highest level. This is a morally bankrupt country trying to be a moral superpower. Ridiculous!

From Cape Town to Cairo, From Dar Es Selaam to Dakar is our land..

The spirit of Pan-Africanism right now is probably on the same level as in the 1960´s. There are some reasons for this development. The nation-state project which basically is the creation of europeans has failed. State fragmentations and ethnical strifes have been experienced in many parts of the African continent from south Sudan in the east to Casmance in Senegal and Timbukti in Mali in the west, from Namibia in the south to Western sahara in the North for the last 50 years.

The scramble for Africa has taken a different shape at this moment but the mechanisms for the exploitation of the continent remain the same even if the actors are different this time around.Globalization is not something new for "Africa" which never "joined" the rest of the world on its own conditions and premises. The continent was rather annexed into the rest of the planet under the banner of the Gun. The gun still speaks amidst beautiful speeches of peacefull living and cooperation across all sorts of ethnical, religious and mental borders.

Reality speaks for itself and Africans are yet the most discriminated and wretched folks on earth. Our strength is our unity!Victimization or victimhood has never been our trademark but telling the truth does not mean that we are digging ourselves too much in the past. It is rather part and parcel of our endeavours to pave the way for the future. Marcus Garvey said it all: a man without history is just like a tree without roots. One can forgive but not forget, the south Africans say. Many youngsters are Canoning themselves these days like Frantz Fanon did during his time.

This is indeed a very good news for humanity. Every generation has a responsibility for the world we are living in. Focusing on what we want and not on what we do not want, gives us a list of priorities to put our energies on. The secret for any success is knowing where to focus and to have the dedication/motivation and will to realize your own potentials. "Energy flows where attention goes!The universe is as a cathalogue".
The mind of humanity is always ready to embark on new projects.

"All power is from within and is therefore under our own control!" We are currently the designers and authors and drivers of our own destinies. We can impact the outcome out of the choices we make from the mundane of everyday life to the complex issues of being a human. The socio-economic and political unity and integration of the African continent is the most important issue of all times. We can only get out of the quagmire once we focus on the things that unite us rather than split us.

Zstei tsrui mai! Drinkable, clean water!

Zstei tsrui mai! Drinkable, clean water!

This sentence sums up my stay in Eritrea over the past three months. All of these trucks that drive around all over Eritrea to deliver water to the people. Empty water carriers and small and large plastic containers on the roads. All of these queues to buy kerosene to cook. This people who endure the most difficult challenges in life. I am very impressed by the population and the stability of the country despite the current state of war.

It is neither war nor peace, an endless standoff with hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both Eritrea and Ethiopia at the common border that stretches over 1000kilometers. Ethiopia has about 85 million inhabitants, while Eritrea has nearly 4 million. The country is yet the safest country in the Horn of Africa. Crime is minimal and the risk of getting into trouble is very small.

Merdie, Melkes, Merea: obituaries, mourning, funeral rites and weddings characterize the life of Eritreans very much. There is a normal life in this country too: Ertra, Eritrea or Eritreeea .. as it is called in swedish.I have attended at various art and photo exhibitions, book fair, etc. Theatrical performances and Eritrean films are shown at different theaters that were built during the Italian colonial period.

In the capital, Asmara, there are plenty of Art Deco buildings. The town looks a lot like a sleepy Italian town. I enjoyed being in the country and has therefore decided to move to Eritrea and settle and live there for a long time. The time feels right to return and be part and parcel of rebuilding the country. I've been in Sweden for over 22 years but never felt at home here. I feel much more at home among the chirping of birds, cats mewing, barking dogs, crowing roosters and echoes of horse-drawn carriages that run along the Asmara clean streets.

There are of course a lot of difficulties regarding the economic situation. Crowded buses and a shortage of certain foodstuff is common, but people's determination and strong will to cope with everyday life is overwhelming. The border conflict with Ethiopia and the recent Ethiopian attacks and provocation is a big concern for the population.

Eritrea's response has been very prudent and wise. I understand Eritrea's handling of the latest attack as a badge of maturity and evidence of not seeing a direct confrontation with Ethiopia as a good option.

My search for the jailed journalist Dawit Isaak's fate has not resulted in anything new, but nothing indicates that he should have died in prison, according to the sources that I had contact with.Dawit Isaak is not a big issue among the locals there. I've talked to a lot of people about him, even his relatives and nobody believes that the Swedish media campaign has benefited Isaak in any way. It is rather the opposite.

The eritrean leadership experience the whole thing as an anti-Eritrea position and feel singled out. It also refers to Western hypocrisy and says that the U.S. and Europe, historically, had a worse record of human rights. It emphasizes that one does not not have much to learn from this part of the world. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Egypt-Swedes who were expelled to torture in Egypt and Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq are some of the West's hypocrisy, they say.

The Swedish handling of the case has been as clumsy as the Eritrean. I feel that some form of government change in Sweden could help Isaak fairly. There are a lot of conflicts rooted in cultural and ideological differences between Sweden and Eritrea right now.A friend of mine could not believe and understand that people are walking around with "Free Dawit Isaak" T-shirt in Sweden. "You must be kidding, white people go around in a T-shirt Which says free Dawit Isaak," she asked me. The MANDELANIZATION and ICONIZATION of a tragic human destiny in the west , has had an opposite and negative effect in Eritrea.

People ask themselves where Sweden was when Eritreans were bombed and murdered during the thirty Years liberation war against Ethiopia. Eritrea's motto "never kneel down against all odds" and its desire to stand on its own feet, has given good self-confidence to the whole nation and people. Eritrea challenges the world that wants to force the country to its knees.

The country refuses to obey any pressure to release political and conscience prisinors, and open up itself to foreigners. This mistrust of the outside world is understandable given its vulnerable geographical position and its history. Eritreans refuse to subjugate themselves to Western supremacy and arrogance. Dawit Isaak's case is also rightly considered as such by the regime in Asmara.

The president himself has said that he does not have a work permit for the mandate that he has, and performs but sees the mission as a lifetime commitment. He also claims that one does not believe in a general election for the sake of it because the right conditions are not present in the country at this moment. They believe that there needs to be a functioning economy, democratic institutions to defend human rights and educated population who can take responsibility for their rights and obligations without ending up in both ethnic and religious animosities.

The absence of all of this is blamed on the prevailing state of war stemming from the conflict with Ethiopia. The country's leadership sees itself therefore as the only guarantor of peace and stability in the country for a long time to come.
I passed by the building for Eritrea´s election commission in the center of Asmara, and wondered what its function was. It was shuttered and there was no one to talk to.

The recent gold discoveries in the country and the mobilized population in the form of military and national service, has helped the country's quick economic growth lately. Corruption still remains insignificant in the country.Eritrea had a GDP growth of 17% last year,which is, lo and behold, the highest in the world.

Dreams and visions are not missing but in the absence of understanding and support from the outside world, the country is forced to turn inward instead. What is the cause of this failure from the outside world despite the fact that Eritrea has been proven right and vindicated in the border conflict with Ethiopia and struggling to sustain self-sufficiency? Eritrea does not have powerful lobbies such as Israel has in the United States.

Eritrea is not willing to compromise its independence either.I can only assume from my own experience and my frame of references which include and cover my stay in the country over the past three months. I do not think that the Swedish debate on a 2% tax which exiled Eritreans voluntarily pay to the Eritrean government and the prosecutor's and legislators' initiative to ban it helps anyone, least of all Dawit Isaak. I just paid 33 558 crowns which is roughly 4000 dollars as a retroactive tax payment on my own free will.

The people who run Dawit Isaak´s -case here in Sweden, from journalists to MPs, lack a basic knowledge of Eritrean culture and history and its present situation. I am neither for the regime nor the opposition but for the country Eritrea and its population.Those who have been in Ertrea and seen the number of blind and disabled people in this small country, would never bring about this debate on an economic sanction and political punishment against the Eritrean people and government.

I consider that the 2% tax should be mandatory because the country uses the money correctly to the right purpose, among others to help orphans and elderly who have lost their children during the war. 2% tax should be deductible in the tax return for Eritreans in Sweden. It would be a form of self-help and a gesture of encouragement to a good development cooperation between the two countries.

No ethnic or religious conflict exists in the country thanks to the long conflict with Ethiopia that makes you stay together, against the great enemy. Western media and journalists have a negative attitude towards Eritrea and refuses to report on any positive development there at all.

They had once claimed that Eritrea had 2000 soldiers in Somalia, sent weapons on a flight to Al Shabaab and the country suffered a severe famine. All these rumours have proven, over time, to be false and Eritrea has been vindicated once again. A swedish journalist from DN-dagens nyheter , who has been to Eritrea, has once reported about "wanted Eritreans" after just seeing pictures of people who have died on a paper which is postured on bulletin boards around town. This is a normal way to provide information about funeral times and other details in the country.

Western journalists are clearly marked by ethnocentrism and assume that they have a monopoly on truth. There are of course socio-economic and political problems in Eritrea stemming mainly in the conflict with Ethiopia. These problems require an international commitment that respects the Boundary Commission's decision.

Eritrea's future still looks much brighter than I previously imagined. The people know their own good and I understand that the country's leadership, has a popular support which is pretty extraordinary, given the general circumstances there. The president is still seen as a symbol of the free Eritrea. He embodies the country's independence and many peoples´ desire for a life of dignity.

Eritrea is reminiscent of Cuba in many ways, and some compare the eritrean President with Fidel Castro. I find his relative popularity, after nearly 21 years in power, as a proof that there is a great need for a strong leader who cares about the country's liberation and independence. He is also easily accessible and visible in town dressed in khaki and sandals wearing a watch on the right arm.

I myself have run at him several times and his easy accessibility contributes to his unshaken position in today's Eritrea. The release of Dawit Isaak and other political / prisoners of conscience should be done as soon as possible. The issue now is not about whether these people should be prosecuted or not in order to face trial. It is rather a way of bringing an end to this tragic situation. Those who are alive to be given clemency and those who are dead to be granted a proper funeral in dignity. The time has come for a national reconciliation and amnesty. I shall move to Eritrea in early June.

at a crossroad as usual.....

I have always found myself on different cross-sections of life: where to live? what to do? Whether to have children or not? e.t.c. These questions do not of course have any easy and simple answer.

Having been in Sweden since november 1989 and the very fact that I was born and bred in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, means I lack the experience of living and working in my native country Eritrea.

I am on the brink of just doing that and it feels very exciting and enriching in many ways.The road to reach this conclusion, has been very bumpy.

One is used to certain type of life standrad, culture and climate and so on.Uprooting yourself at this age and risking to start everything from scratch in an environment of scarce resources and uncertain future is demanding.

"Home" is still home and I have no doubts about giving this project a trial.

I am ware of the challenges and difficulities that are ahead of me but I am as determined as ever about the rightness of my decision about moving out from Sweden.

The other option is staying in Sweden and continue working as a jobcoach and earn money without feeling satisfied both intellectually and emotionally because of the burden of being in exile.

I am not expecting Eritrea to have all the answers for my "searchings" but there is nothing wrong in following your heart and trying to realize your dreams and aspirations despite all the risks and uncertainities that exist along the way.

One Love!

Eritrea is vindicated once again!

Everyone is of course entitled to his/her opinion and ventilate it at any forum. The programme leader of the stream should have defined the term “dictatorship” in the first place before questioning whether Eritrea is just like North Korea or not.

North Korea is North Korea and Eritrea is Eritrea. No similarities at all despite the militarization of the both countries.

I personally do not believe in “general elections” which are held under a hasty manner to please Babyloneans!Period. Genuine democracy and respect for human rights could only be envisaged once you have an educated population who would defend their rights, a functioning and prospering economy and strong democratical institutions like civic society and independent media.e.t.c.

In the absence of these components, elections are deemed to fail and lead to ethnical and religious tensions. The examples of rigged and violent elections are many from Kenya/Ethiopia in the east to Senegal/Nigeria/Ivory Coast in the west, from Zimbabwe/Angola in the south to Libya/Egypt in the north e.t.c. where fragmentation on regional, reliogious and ethnical basis, have become the order of the day.

I do not want my Eritrea to follow that path. People forget that Eritrea is still engulfed in a bloody war and the youth are in the army for such a long time because of that situation.Eritrea is not like any other “normal” country because of the current stalemate and tension which is taking its toll on the population. The fear of an American backed Ethiopian invasion is real and Eritrea has been vindicated lately.

The Eritrean government has of course its shortcomings like any other government in the world but is doing its best to alleviate poverty and bring about a real change on the economic front. We have to have a solution for the conflict with Ethiopia before things could be normalized.

The real Rahel did a great job under the circumsances that were prevailing during the programme. Eritrea is proud of you as much as I am! Keep up with the good work that you are doing!

Bless!