Editorials written at Shabait.com, the mouthpiece of Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, are always unsigned. Which begs the question: who writes them? There is one clue: the EPLF was founded by a man whose first manifesto, “We And Our Objectives,” was unsigned; whose second manifesto, later known as “Prophesies of Isaias” was also unsigned. Many manifestos followed, read at meetings as proclamations, usually prior to arrest or liquidation of dissidents: the “ultra leftist” (“Menkae”), the “ultra-rightists” (Yemeen), the “defeatists” (G-15) and on to this day where unsigned and unchallenged proclamations are being read at Eritrean Orthodox church meetings everywhere to lay the foundation for the arrest or disappearance of His Holiness Abune Antonios, Patriarch of Eritrea’s Orthodox Church.
America has joined the list, deserving of a manifesto. And who is the author of this manifesto? To those unconvinced, we invite them to read the recent Shabait editorial ("A Misguided Policy That Is Undermining American Image", January 27, 2006), with our translation of the interview Isaias Afwerki gave his TV (Eri-TV) in late November 2005. Equally effective, just read excerpts from the editorial and the interview below and you will be convinced that the man behind the words is the same.
Why is this relevant? Does it really matter whether the editorials are written by a PFDJ flunkie or by the boss? It does. Because when a dictator with total power writes something, it is not an editorial; it is the law of the land, a law that cannot be changed by anyone except the whims of the same dictator.
EDITORIAL
“The American Secretary of State, Condeleezza Rice, on one occasion was heard admitting that, in the past 60 years, it was as an outcome of the US misguided policy “stability at the expense of democracy” that it was supporting undesired despotic governments. This was a multiple and grave historical error that Unites States committed for the last many years – Shabait “Staff” Editorial, January 27, 2006.”
INTERVIEW
Condoleezza, the one who is their foreign secretary, has said “we have made many mistakes in the last sixty years.” On one occasion she said, “We were supporting unbeneficial regimes.” But she didn’t elaborate further. But if we go back and see it, I consider it one of the mistakes committed in history. It took time but it was solved in 1991. – Isaias Afwerki, interview with Eri-TV, November 20, 2005
EDITORIAL
The Eritrean people were one of the victims of the misguided policy of the US State Department. After the end of the Second World War, during which almost all African countries were bestowed with their independence, Eritrea was denied all its rights and made to suffer the fate of becoming part and parcel of Ethiopian rule, a country selected by the US to become the giant of the region, at a cost of American interest and the political situation that emerged in the aftermath of the Cold War. Due to this grave historical error, the Eritrean people were subject to into an unparalleled suffering. Ethiopia itself had been engulfed into a protracted war and extreme poverty and backwardness. As a consequence, the fate of the Eritrean and Ethiopian people, for half of a century, remained to be of war and instability.
INTERVIEW
Historically, [maybe going back to the period] after World War II, Somalia, Eritrea, Libya, were Italian colonies and when they gained independence, why wasn’t Eritrea granted independence? Why did the American interference come about? This was due to the existence of the situation of the Cold War after World War II. In order to serve the American strategic interest, Ethiopia was chosen as the regional power; the Eritrean people became the victim.
EDITORIAL
Despite all the unprecedented mistakes, it was every body’s expectation that, after it came out victorious from the Cold War and as the only remaining superpower, the US will play a positive role in promoting peace, stability and social and economic progress in the world. However, to the contrary, the United States was seen immediately after the end of the Second World War resorting to a very dangerous and unrealistic philosophy of becoming the police of the world, with the malicious motive of suppressing other would be superpower. American strategists designed a strategy that “if the cold war is over and the Soviet Union had collapsed there should be no emerging superpower at least the greater part of the 21st century; The United States should relentlessly work to this end”. This misguided, dangerous and unrealistic policy has resulted in hatred and mistrust of the USA throughout the world.
INTERVIEW
The strategy that was issued in 2000, the strategy of American security, if you read the paper, it is possible to observe what the wrong outlook is based on. [This is] what it is: since the cold war has ended, since our competitor, the Soviet Union has collapsed, America should be able to become a power that no one would able to compete against for the coming fifty years, or for the most part of the 21st century. There shouldn’t be a rival power to America. Any power. Primarily, military power. Therefore, America’s domination of the entire world should continue.
EDITORIAL
The United States policy towards Africa is designed to divide the continent into specific regions and designate one country out of each region as regional giants and thereby safeguard American interest. This policy of appointing a single country as a regional giant and controlling the people of other countries indirectly would not help the US other than be a repetition of its erroneous misguided policy of the past. The current upheaval prevailing in Ethiopia, a country which is on the list of the US favorite countries, and the injustice being committed against Eritrea is the outcome of the misguided US policy.
INTERVIEW
Especially if we come to Africa, the paper mentions that American interests are to succeed via clients. Meaning, dividing Africa into three or four sub-zones, and creating regional powers within those sub- zones and to administer the others through the regional powers. Meaning, in West Africa through Nigeria; in Southern Africa through South Africa; and here in East Africa either through Kenya or Ethiopia. It is very dangerous. In contrast, what we have been saying is: there is no shame [for America] to protect American interest. And there is no shame in the [American] government working to advance its own interest. Specially a country that has a global influence; a big country with big history and big resources. After the end of the cold war, it is expected of it to contribute hugely or contribute constructively to global security.
EDITORIAL
The United States involvement in provoking and igniting the Eritrean Ethiopian war resulting in bloodshed affecting a great number innocent people, the evil attempts made to derail the verdict of the international body by creating different intriguing proposals has encouraged the TPLF regime to ignore and discard the decision of the Boundary Commission.
INTERVIEW
No need to say much about what happened following the year of 1998: every body knows what America did to take care of this system [Ethiopia]. And it has been explained [by the Eritrean government] on different occasions. In igniting the war, in steering the problem, and the various complications, what we have seen throughout the past seven years, and what the American role was, didn’t come abruptly: it is a result of this convoluted thinking.
EDITORIAL
The current extremely saddening and dangerous situation is the outcome of the erroneous US foreign policy. It has been an irrefutable and unhidden fact of the American government’s campaign to reverse the fair outcome of the Ethiopian election in which the opposition won in favor of the TPLF regime and afterwards when the latter’s evil motives were exposed in suppressing the popular uprising.
INTERVIEW
It was not Weyane doing this work. It was the State Department authorities with other CIA authorities using many different covers and claiming to be Ethiopians who were working there and running this….Trickery was employed; we have all seen it. Repeatedly and repeatedly. American authorities, especially State Department authorities-- be it in Washington or through other governments and clients who are in Europe, or through their clients inside Addis Ababa—[all] in order to kill and choke the power of the opposition….What tricked the opposition, what threatened the opposition was the interference of the State Department.
EDITORIAL
The root cause of the grave historical error that is undermining American image and interest is the outcome of its misguided foreign policy which is that is designed to favor specific individuals and political groups at the expense of the will and aspirations of the general public.
INTERVIEW
This is one big mistake in the strategic policies of America not only here in our zone but we also see it in other zones. This direction towards hegemony, control and need to manage and administer zones through clients, this thought of America has created big problems in our history.
Now you also know why Shabait.com "editorials" are so poorly written. After all, who is going to tell a tyrant that he can't write well?
awateteam@awate.com
