In 1981, twenty years after its formation, the ELF disintegrated. When the dust had settled, Jebha Abbai had multiplied itself into multiple organizations and many of the household names it had produced had been murdered in cold blood. Some joined the EPLF. Many others expressed their disgust by dropping out from politics and nursing their wounds bitterly. The two organizations that delivered the final blowthe EPLF and the TPLFsmugly blamed it all on the victims internal contradictions.
What is euphemistically referred to as internal contradictions, was the ELFs loose structure, which accommodated everyoneincluding those who didnt like structure (the keydi betek or Falul), those who didnt like secularism, those who put a higher premium on atavistic loyalties than nationalist ones (the tribalists and ethnicist) and those who were politically corrupt but in leadership positions. One of the organizations to emerge from the ELF was the ELF-RC. The ELF-RC set itself apart from the other factions, including the faction (led by Abdella Idris) that retained the ELF name for its organization, with its insistence on adhering to its organizational rules even on matters affecting the very existence of the organization. Having separated itself from the tribalists and the sectarians and the falul, the ELF-RC positioned itself (credibly) that it was a broad-based national organization, the rightful heir of the ELF.
The ELF-RC Is Dying; Long Live The ELF-RC
Twenty years later, the ELF-RC has gotten the itch to disintegrate and it is scratching furiously. Not only is it scratching, but it is insisting on being naked as it does so and in the process, it is telling us that it had, after all, not totally dealt with its internal contradictions. The accusations are all depressingly familiar. One side is telling us that, after all, the leadership is still corrupt and willing to endanger the viability of the organization to retain power. The other side is telling us that, after all these years, the organization hadnt shed the tribalists and the jihadists and the falul, after all. They were all there, like sleepers, and then they activated themselves.
The ELF-RC is dying; long live the ELF-RC. The one opposition organization which could truly claim to be a broad-based national organization, has ceased to exist. What is worse, if history is a guide, things will only get worse. The disintegration will continue further. We expect the ELF-RC to split further (with more acrimonious accusations and counter accusations.) We expect migrations to other groups: maybe to other member organizations of the Alliance, maybe to the PFDJ.
Obvious, But Must Be Stated
ELF-RC leaders made a monumental mistake. As the factions waged their warfare on each other, they failed to associate their actions with the sentiments, concerns and needs of the Eritrean public. They failed to think in terms of the consequences of such careless 'bravado', which can easily be exploited by the regime and its supporters. This is one of the main features that characterized the ELF camp for a long time - falling prey to its own internal conflict and working hard to get others involved. What we have just seen is lack of insight, wisdom - disregard for the overall democratic struggle. It seems every split-enthusiast and those who conspired for the split were driven to limits by various motives. Some have personal vendettas, some fell victims to manipulation, others simply run away with their imaginations - all disregarding the demoralizing implications that will ensue soon. And they want sympathy!
Although some of the outcome of the split-process was apparent what is surprising is the surprise moves that were taken by those who jumped ship at the last minute. They may claim they tried to rectify the situation from within but this is doubtful. Split-enthusiasts may rejoice for now that they 'have won their freedom' - but have they really won it? Are we sure they are not going to shoot empty shells after the dust settles? What is their immediate demand? What will they do after that? What has ENA done so far since the ELF-RC controversy? Will they be absorbed by the ENA camp? Who will influence whom? On the other hand, the leadership made crucial mistakes by not listening to the voice of the masses. That arrogance is very much in the heart of this split. Instead of conducting an assessment as to how it ended up in the mess it is in, the ELF-RC leadership seems forever enamored with tragedy, always adopting the stoic persona of mythical Greek heroes who must always go through trial and tribulations. ezi fetenawn khalef Eyu: this, too, shall come to pass. They can be diminished and nearly destroyed but this is no worry to the ELF-RC leadership, which considers mere survival an accomplishment worthy of celebration.
ELF-RC & The External Factor
From the outset, the crisis and its causes were unambiguously considered a power struggle between the RC and the ENA leadership over the top position, which Herui occupied. In a matter of days, said an observer, he [Herui] had magically appeared from Aladdins lamp over the ENA skies and occupied the top position. This was one of a series of mistakes committed by the ELF-RC leadership. Setting aside the issue of his election, it is highly questionable if Herui T Bairou and his political party had even met the minimum criteria for membership as stipulated in the Charter of the Alliance. The ELF-RC should have communicated their reservations about Herui T. Bairou and his partys membership in the Alliance clearly and unambiguously. Had they done that, their protest of his election would not have come across as sour grapes from people who lost. They accused the rest of the alliance of succumbing to pressure from external forces (understood to be Ethiopian) and electing a person favored by outside forces.
This begs a few questions. If the same process had resulted in the election of, say, Seyoum Ogbamichael to the Executive Secretary or Chairman position, would the ELF-RC have walked out in protest? At what point did they realize that Ethiopia had a stake in the outcome: was it before or after their limo ride from the airport? How much credibility did the ELF-RC have regarding its independence from Ethiopia? Isnt this the same organization which had held its meeting in Gonder, Ethiopia barely a year earlier and dismissed criticism as emotional? Isnt this the same organization whose then-chairman, Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, was issuing statements from Addis Abeba, in early 2000, while Eritrea was in the midst of war? Isnt the ELF-RCs accusation that the Alliance is so unprincipled they would compromise national sovereignty whereas it, and only it, is the pure safeguard a bit sanctimonious and self-righteous?
Although the ELF-RC presented no evidence, lets assume for a minute that it was right and the Alliance was compromising national sovereignty. In this case, why would the ELF-RC not totally withdraw from the alliance, instead of staging a walkout and negotiating conditions for return? Why would the ELF-RC have anything to do with an entity that is willing to compromise Eritrean sovereignty?
There are reasons. Prominent members of RC have expressed their fear of external machinations to make a Moslem Block out of the ENA. This being the underlying concern, they (both wings of the ELF-RC) have preferred to fight it with their demands: lifting articles 3 & 4 from the ENA charter (we will present more on ethnic and sectarian oriented organizations soon). To prevail on this issue, as well as to have influence commensurate with their size, they have to deal with another point of disagreement over the issue of proportional representation. We tend to agree with the RC demand here: empty shells are not like full shells - it is unfair for a three-member party to have an equal representation as a one thousand member party; it is just not fair and the ENA should know this.
Split: Lose-Lose Situation
What both wings of the ELF-RC want is the following: (a) Lifting of articles 3 and articles 4 from the ENA charter; (b) Proportional representation. Even the reason as to why both wings of the ELF-RC want from the above is the same: they want to influence the direction of the Eritrean opposition; they want to infuse a secular and nationalist agenda into an alliance largely defined by its ethnic and religious affiliations. All of these are admirable and causes we identify with. Ironically, the split defeats their purpose. The ELF-RC (Kassel) that is ready to join the alliance now will find that it is so small, it will have no influence over the direction of the Alliance. The ELF-RC (Frankfurt) that is trying to create a substitute for the Alliance will find itself, in the end, completely unable to influence the direction of the existing Alliance.
We dont believe joining the alliance is a litmus test to prove an organizations commitment to the unity of the opposition: joining the ENA is not a difficult task - ask Herui! However, it is the only option at present and there is no point in reinventing the wheel. The ENA, whether we like its charter or not (and we don't like many of them), whether we agree with its leaders or not (we don't even know some of them); and whether we can stand it at all or not, is the only resemblance of an umbrella opposition as was being articulated by many entities, most convincingly by the RC itself (Read our interview with Ahmed Mohammed Nasser and Mr. Seyoum Ogbamichael.) The Alliance has succeeded in bringing all social forces under one charter based on minimum agreement on the political grounds - regardless of the perfection of the charter, which is not divine and can be changed anytime. Destroying it is not welcome news for the opposition spectrum.
Ethiopia surely has its own agenda and would like to have an influence in the views of the organizations. It would be utter naivet to expect Ethiopia to act as a charitable entity for the opposition if it didnt have a concern for its national interest. In fact, it is not even the Ethiopian government running the show; it is a small TPLF wing. By the same token, we recognize the right of political organizations to exist, wherever practically possible, as they see fit, without violating the norms of political relations with a foreign power and, this is important, with their eyes wide open. Within this context, we appreciate the tight rope the opposition has to walk in trying to satisfy general Eritrean opinion: it is a balancing act practiced by all exiled groups. It is a dance that would have been avoided if the Eritrean government had allowed opposition groups to move freely in a land they helped liberate.
Meanwhile, it is basic understanding of politics that the weaker the opposition, the easier it is to be manipulated by others. This is why many well-meaning Eritreans exert pressure for the unity and reformation of the opposition forces. The whole opposition spectrum has long agreed and reached a consensus that we need an umbrella organization that will draw a clear line as regards to Ethio-Eritrean relations (note, there is no concern regarding Eritrean-Sudanese relations, although, to be sure, Sudan will want to influence the opposition as well.)
Ethiopia is flexing its muscles more than ever now, and that is not because it is keen on helping Eritreans but to look after its own interests. We all know, after all is said and done, how much the Weyanes are hated in Eritrea. This is not the propaganda of the PFDJ but an actual reflection of the views of the Eritrean people. Their policy towards Eritrea is quite unclear and very damaging. They do not adhere to creative policies but are keen on demoralizing our people by scoring points. They have totally disregarded the national and psychological make-up and sensitivities of our people. Nonetheless, wounds caused by the irresponsible handling and lack of tolerance and arrogance by the governments in Ethiopia and Eritrea should start to heal and we need to contribute towards that with courage. It is unnatural to meet our neighbors in the battlefield only; we need to meet them in the markets and in cultural theaters. We are carrying too much pain and it is time to stop the bloody relations.
Eritreans opposing the unjust regime are free-willed and we can demonstrate our goodwill and respect for good neighborliness; the Ethiopian government is expected to do more. After all, its position and influence is much bigger than that of the Eritrean opposition. As if the lives lost and the resources squandered are not enough, the war cries over the border ruling coming from officials within the Ethiopian government are not helpful to the idea of stability. They are expected to do more beginning with abiding by the international court ruling and making it easy for the demarcations of the border.
More than any other organization within the Alliance, the ELF-RC had the credibility and moral stature to articulate the concerns of the Eritrean people to the Ethiopian government while waging and coordinating the oppositions struggle against the PFDJ. Now, more than ever, we are in need for an opposition with a liberal progressive vision that will practice and promote social unity, transparency, accountability and dynamism. We are in dire needs for a united opposition that will siphon its efforts and energy to the betterment of the Eritrean body politic and rally the people against the dictatorship. The current opposition is doing neither; some have proven that they are not capable of carrying the task at all.
The Way Out
Internal conflict is not always negative. In fact, it can be healthy when effectively managed. The problem of the ELF-RC is that it jumped into conflict without having to learn how to manage its own conflict first. There are no conflict resolution mechanisms in place yet. We should all learn (especially the opposition) that a stage needs to be set before going into battle, rules should be applied as to how fierce to fight. We also need to set up a refereeing group just in case the conflict gets out of hand. Ground rules for communication, negotiation and decision-making are important and those factors seem to be ignored all the time in the opposition camp. Simply stated we should all learn from this debacle - we need conflict managers and safety controls.
We are not volunteering for the role of mediator, thank you. But we must say that the cause of the Eritrean people, the cause of the opposition, the cause of justice has been badly served by the ELF-RC split. All Eritrean history suggests otherwise, but we still see that, with sufficient resolve, sufficient will, sufficient wisdom, sufficient sacrifice, sufficient humility, there is a way for the ELF-RC to be whole once again, and occupy its rightful place as the leading broad based, nationalist organization, capable of influencing the smaller opposition groups. The following suggestions would be good, confidence-building measures:
(1) Ceasefire: Both ELF-RC wings must declare cessation of hostilities directed against one another, which, ultimately, is against themselves. So far, all we have learned is (from the ELF-RC itself) that the ELF-RC is authoritarian and that its membership, including at the leadership level, is full of closet jihadists, sub-nationalists and tribalists! This smacks of PFDJs sleaze tactics. The armed struggle was supposed to be the crucible of nationalism; pass through it, bleed for your colleague and comrade regardless of his or her ethnicity, and you will forever be cured of your sub national tendencies. If this is not the case, what assurances do we have that those who are doing the accusing are not themselves sub-nationalist? And, if that is the case, what is the rationale for the existence of the ELF-RC?
(2) Remove The Lightning Rods: Whether it is for reasons of style, personality or what have you, some leaders, while possessing all the traits of leadership, tend to be polarizing figures. When that is the case, they should, for the good of the organization, be removed. This is standard operating procedure in democracies. The ELF-RC, which explained walk out as a tool of democracy should also recognize that the resignation of individuals (even when they have done nothing wrong) is sometimes in the interest of organizations. For the good of the ELF-RC, leaders who represent the crisis in person, should resign their positions. We would also like to see anyone who was part of the crisis from the ENA side to resign his position. The gentlemen have been selflessly advancing national interest for almost all their lives and we are sure they would understand our suggestion without any sensitivity.
(3) A Clean Slate: the ELF-RC wings should both meet in a national congress to end the current cycle of madness and come out as a viable organization.
No doubt, every single individual in leadership position was elected and can explain that it is up to those who elected them to remove them from power. But there is nothing in the Charter of the Alliance or the organizational procedures of the ELF-RC that precludes them from voluntarily giving up power.
Of all the things the Awate Team gets criticized (and sometimes ridiculed) for, is our interviews with the leaders of the opposition where some readers felt we were unduly deferential to people who did not deserve it. We respectfully disagree: we believe the gentlemen we interviewed and many others have served their nation with distinction and Eritrea should be grateful for their services. But the best thing they can do for the nation now is to lead by example and remove themselves from the crisis they helped create.No doubt, there is a temptation for each side to prove that it is right and everybody is wrong. But this is one itch that should not be scratched: we simply cannot deal with the infection.
