Disclaimer: The following article is my individual view and in no way involves either The Awate Team or anybody associated with it. In writing this message, I had many people in mind who might be displeased by its content. I hope they will be fair in recognizing my right as a human being to react to continuous provocation; humans should not be expected to act like angels. My colleagues and I are very careful not to engage in such discourse simply because we know we would be distracted from our main goal of advocating for the demise of our national menace. We consider the PFDJ as the only hindrance to peace and stability in our country. Therefore, engaging in useless discourse is a waste of resources and time that we do not command lavishly. However, sometimes, though one avoids the cliff, if pushed too much, one should either push back or risk falling. Apologies to my friends (they know who they are) who are technically associated with Nharnet, and who might be apprehensive of what I have to say. Once the hindrances of amateurish struggle are over, we will all remember this and laugh about it. Thank you in advance. Saleh Gadi.
Please ponder if you will Checking my daughters test papers (By the way, she has grown six times as much in the last two months since she entered college), I came across her critique of a book and this is what she wrote: this tragedy might be today or tomorrow and the imagined tragedy can easily become a big slice of todays reality. Precisely what I had in mind when I started to write this piece. We are living an ally-inflicted tragedy. Many opposition organizations want to become Websites. Many politicians want to become website writers. Many Websites want to become political parties. Many groupies want to replace political organizations. Many of the overly ambitious want to lead Eritrea by campaigning behind pen names. Many are busy creating a novel form of politics: opposition of the opposition. Many do not know that PFDJ media (Haddas Eritrea, EreTV, etc,) are not free press. Many are trying hard to create their own version of the above. Many think of becoming a replica of Iraqs Shelebi. Many need to manage their attitudes properly. Got Fight? Yesterday, one of our volunteers forwarded to me a piece from the Got Fight? website accusing the Awate Team, and myself, of grave accusations. A few words about the Got Fight? website. A few years ago, the dairy industry in the USA kicked off an aggressive promotional campaign. The message of the campaign was concise and strong message: Got Milk? Billboards, newspapers and TV ads communicated the message and the dairy industry enhanced its distribution system and made the campaign a remarkable success. Now, milk is everywhere. A friend claims milk was scarce before the campaign. Do not believe him. At almost the same time Got Milk was being promoted, the Nharnet website was launched to promote another message, GOT FIGHT? They made sure that the website was stuffed with fighting products to its throat. Now if you need to fight, all you have to do is visit Nharnet.com and you will find a menu of fights to choose from: personal, political, chauvinistic, Karate, Kung Fu, Kick-boxing, etc. I know the website, and the people behind it. I dare not say the organization behind it because the leaders that I speak to do not condone such provocative attitudes. I believe the website is run by renegades who have created a cell of their own ala the despicable cell of the old Labor Party. Habits die hard. The website is preoccupied with instigating fights with everybody. I write about those behind the website and not the organization that supposedly owns the website, because there are some friends in the organization that I still respect; and individuals whom I consider my elders, and whom I hold in high esteem. However, time and again, the website has proven that it is a free lance and amateurish undertaking not worthy of the respect accorded to the organization or its leaders; I will neither stoop to its level nor be tricked to its distracting tactics. However, some points need to be made clear so that readers will understand the level of irresponsible acts of Got Fight the website is promoting. I write this to my readers. We were flattered when Nharnet emulated Awate.com and started an editorial of its own. We were flattered more when it duplicated Awate Team and named its editorial group Nharnet Team. Though we were hoping that a website that reportedly belonged to an organization would be creative enough to come up with its own structure, imitation is the best flattery and we were greatly flattered and amused. Sadly, in no time, the website forgot it was the official mouthpiece of an organization and started to reflect an individual flavor, a lightweight, mediocre strategy unlike that of an organization. It was struck with schizophrenia and tore itself apart into pieces: a propaganda tool of an organization it misrepresents; an extreme partisan information outlet; and a promoter of a fighting hobby that it offers in a rich menu. It Was Written On The Wall I personally made this scary observation to some of the leaders of the RC. As usual, they were defensive and tried to downplay my complaint. I made clear my fear of the website developing into a bickering center that will pull the struggle back. They did not believe me. I pleaded that they set a strategy for their runaway website (and runaway writers) so that it does not become a replica of the now-dead PFDJ kiddie website Biddho. I hoped that Nharnet would become a credible and heavyweight outlet. Those behind the website thought it was created great and heavyweight. I brought this arrogance to the attention of those concerned; the fact that the website reflects the image of the organization it claims on whose behalf it speaks, and it is not doing a great job; and that is not fair for the organization. The website continued in its clumsy operation; now it has reached a stage where it is embarrassing not only to those I consider my mentors within the RC, but to the whole opposition. Please think with me, what is this Feathery Team that thinks the RC was pulled down to pieces by a common writer like me? The Nharnet Team wrote, In short, Qadi was in a mission to destroy an organization that is the true back bone [sic] of the democratic forces of the opposition. Arrogance and self-congratulatory pronouncement aside, Nharnet seems to blame its arrogant handling of its own crisis on Qadi (it is Gadi by the way). Honestly though, I am certain the level-headed in the RC do not think that a simple individual like me, and other opposition individuals the website mentions with contempt, are its enemies. The leaders of the organization have gone on record blaming nobody but themselves for the split of RC. Nharnets revisionism is an outright insult to an organization aspiring to lead a great nation like Eritrea. I believe that Nharnet is damaging the image of the RC and by extension the whole opposition. Nharnet does not display a tiny bit of integrity: They are good at tainting the image of their own organization and then crying foul. For the good of the opposition, anyone with such childish belief should retire from the struggle, please. I hate dishonesty. See what they wrote: [The Awate Team] were pro PFDJ senseless war of 1998. It is good that they are talking of a six-year old time span. The memories of who did what since 1998 are fresh in many sane minds. Also, everybody knows that Awate was launched in 2000 and did not exist in 1998. Even reasonable heads close to Nharnet would testify against the diabolic claim. I do not know how they made such grave error in dates because they are good with numbers and dates as they never tire of telling us what they did in Hamshai sruE akheba, salsay gubae, kalaay wssane, etc. According to Nharnet, I was pro-the senseless war of 1998! I do not think they understand what they read. I am glad not all our readers are inflicted with dementia that Nharnet seems to be suffering from. Twgahmo not wgah tibel ember For fairness sake however, they made that comment trying to get at my friend Saleh Younis and his most famous treatise in the modern opposition literature, Twgahmo which obviously, they mistakenly called 'wgah tibel ember'. (By the way, it is Saleh and not Salih). What they forget is that Saleh Younis had a conviction and he made his views known astoundingly clear before the war, during the war and after the war. Twgahmo was a series of brilliant articles that Saleh started to write in 2000, after the smoke of war was blown away. All they remember of the articles is a phrase remotely sounding like the original title of the series. Saleh Younis did not insult anyone whose voices regarding the Ethiopian connection were Sotto Voce. Moreover, he is not insulting anyone now for their current views either. He is challenging the flaw of the weak arguments presented by the Terrerti, the linemen. He is debating an issue and if Nharnet wants to take him on, I believe he is up to it. I am just asking them to please do it with civility. They might ask, what is civility? All they need to do read Younis articles and they will learn how to put your views with civility. An opinion writer writes about current events; partisan writers write like political cadres out there to give everybody a crush course on Political Materialism. Teaching and not informing or debating or presenting ideas. Always in the coaching mode. As usual, Saleh Younis is making his views with intelligence and articulation. Nharnet and its small big-guns forget that they have not been able to make a fraction of the dent on the PFDJ that Saleh Younis has made. They have not produced a fraction of innovative and insightful analysis that Saleh bountifully offers. They have not contributed a fraction of what Saleh Younis contributed to the struggle. So far, they have been reading without the learning. (I know Saleh Younis would not approve of me writing this. Most of you know he does not need my defense. In responding to the provocateurs, I am sorry I had to mention his name within a by-the-way context) The problem with Nharnet is that they feel weakened by their actions, their inactions rather, and they need someone to blame. So far, they have blamed everyone but themselves. They have not admitted that they created more enemies for the RC than anyone can imagine. They have not reflected on why the RCs membership that they, as the official medial outlet, were supposed to help increase keeps dwindling. They have not reflected on why their average membership age of RC keeps climbing. They have not reflected on how they can help to improve their organization. Instead, they are hurting the organization and have already become a liability. Look at how many fights they pick! Look at the number of people they trash in one go, and it is not even in any context except the Got Fight? mindset. Worse, this renegade group that unfittingly claims to be the mouthpiece of the RC picks fights with other organizations of the opposition that its leaders are calling for a dialogue! Defaming and attacking opposition figures that apparently are in the same trench with it in the fight against the tyranny in Eritrea! What is the opposition to do when so much stray bullets are raining on it from its rear defense by a website (websites rather) that are supposedly in the same opposition camp. Are we condemned to this nuisance: spared of Biddho.com to have some of our own pick where Biddho left? Appreciating The EPM & EDP A few months ago, we witnessed the split within the EPLF-DP. Since then, the two have accepted their divorce and have handled it relatively maturely and are moving on, leaving their past (which is only a few months) behind. Visit Eritrea1.org, you might not agree with what you read but you will never see a wanton invitation to a never-ending fight. Once, a mischievous article appeared on Eritrea1 which we believed will sow disharmony between the opposition organizations: the Awate Team brought that to their attention in one of The Pencil editions, they publicly apologized and removed the destructive article which was unbecoming to appear on an opposition website. That showed maturity. By contrast, read what appears on Nharnet: two years after a crisis with the ENA and almost the same time, after its split, it refuses to stop whining and condemning the opposition to an icebox. Their message seems to be: Freeze along with us, please! Feel our pain! Two years! They think their website is an artillery regiment. Of course, it can become one provided there is clarity in the message; honesty in its mission; focus in its strategy and tactics; and hard work in its delivery. But its entire focus is on creating enemies. For The Record The message Nharnet.com tries to send is that Awate (or Qadi) was behind the breakup of the RC and once it broke up, he sided with the splinter group. But what is the truth? I write this for the benefit of my readers: I have never written about this and I think I owe it to my readers. It all started with the election of Herui Tedla Bairu as the leader of the Alliance in October 2002. When Gedab News received the news that Heruis name was being floated for the top position, I was traveling in North Carolina. I got a call from a colleague who told me of the news. We agreed that we should not publish the news until we get confirmation or input from as many sources as possible, the RC among them. When I called a leader from the RC (he knows who he is), his reply was a disbelieving laughter. He kept laughing and ridiculing. I told him that it was confirmed news and all we need was his comment about the news. Reluctantly, he agreed to call his organization in Addis and to come back to me when he got an answer. The next day I called from DC and asked him if he had received any confirmation. He told me, with the same mocking tone, that let alone to be elected as Secretary General, Heruis membership application was not yet accepted by the Alliance. I insisted that he confirm again and that we wont publish the news until he gives us his final input. He had nothing further to say and Gedab News went ahead with the news. Nharnet blames Awate for that news. They think we were part of this grand scheme of installing Herui in the helm of the ENA. This is a problem not just for Nharnet, but many other Eritreans who have developed a paranoid tendency that everyone is conspiring against them. Nharnet also blames Awate.com for all other news that it published that they would have rather blocked out from the public. They would rather that we kept secret the RCs meeting in Gondar (they conveniently forget that, even back then, we saw nothing wrong in RC meeting in Gondar; we just hated the secrecy.) They would rather we kept the secret about the makeup of the RC leadership (as if these leaders were working as Fedayeen whose cover would be blown). They would rather we kept a secret about which leader was traveling to which national capital because it was embarrassing. Our Attempt To Mediate The Awate Team has always understood that unless the opposition is strong enough to challenge the tyranny in our country, our nation is doomed to more suffering. We always believed that we would do our level best to help bring about an effective opposition. The ENA is the only viable umbrella that can deliver. When the crisis in Addis exploded and the RC leaders pulled out of the meeting, the Awate Team, like all concerned Eritreans in the opposition, was shocked and recognized the crisis as a serious matter. Immediately, we proposed an initiative, knowing fully well the history of political organizations and their reluctance to involve ordinary citizens in reconciliation efforts, we nonetheless proposed an reconciliation initiative. We moved to help put down the fire before it caused more damage. A four-member Team took charge and started to devise strategy and try to find a solution. The Team sent an official letter offering its mediation to all concerned and started an extensive (and expensive) phone call campaign to Addis Ababa and elsewhere to talk to all concerned members to help resolve the issue. Everyone I talked to, and my colleagues talked to, was willing to find a middle ground and a solution. One leader turned down our initiative, telling us, there is nothing you can do that we cannot do on our own. Awates initiative was dead and what followed is not secret to all. Nharnet is blaming Awate for the lost opportunity that would have helped resolve the issue. The Awate Team is being blamed for an initiative that it presented and was unfortunately torpedoed by others. RC & Its Spinning Bottle Once it was clear that the RC was splitting, we decided to issue our version of who was on which side. There was no malice intended: our obligation is to our readers and the purpose is to educate them that this split is a 50-50 split because each side, for its own reasons, will attempt to show that it has the overwhelming majority and that the other side is negligible few. We wanted to show that this is a right-down-the-middle split. There was also another reason: the Spinning Bottle, like our Isaias & His Musical Chair attempted to clarify what political organizations spend so much time and energy trying to mystify by creating impenetrable names like central committee, executive committee Secretariat without ever bothering to ever tell the people who are the individuals within these intimidating titles. The effort to humanize them may be complimentary or flattering. If Nharnet felt that the characterization we used was inaccurate, the record will show that we invited, repeatedly, the RC that felt slighted to correct any errors we made. None was forthcoming. Even now, the criticism is on trivial issues: that we forgot to include this persons degree and that persons ambition. Another cause of Nharnets bitterness: When RC split, Nharnet expected us to follow its lead and boycott the splinter group. But we are not beholden to anyone and our job is to provide news and information to our readers. We invited both sides of the leadership to tell their side of the story; one side accepted our invitation (perhaps because they had no other outlet), the other did not (perhaps because they had their own outlet.) We do not make a distinction here on advancing a certain opposition group over another: some accept our invitation, some do not. Weve interviewed Seyoum Ogbamichael and we have interviewed Ahmed Nasser and to me, they are fighters for the same cause and I do not feel obligated to disavow either one just because they chose to do so. I have friends in both camps and will continue to have them, regardless of Nharnets ruminations. Do I have regrets? Yes! I wish that just as we had done Isaias & His Musical Chair and RC & Its Spinning Bottle, we had followed up on a report we had told you was coming soon, which was Alliance: Empty Shells & Real Organizations. It would have gone a long way towards shedding light on many of the recent developments. But the reaction to RC & Its Spinning Bottle actually led me to change my mind. The reaction led me to conclude that our political organizations are so fragile that a mere article sends them into a spin and it was not a risk I was willing to take on an organization that, unlike RC, was patched together by a minimum program. PEACE OUT I consider myself to have a relatively thick skin. I do not generally respond to provocations: those of you who read the Biddhos and Dehais of this world know that hardly a day goes by that doesnt feature my name preceded or followed by insults. I do not respond to it because I consider them mentally unbalanced and I am not a doctor. But it is different when the sources are people who are supposed to be on your side in the struggle to rid Eritrea of dictatorship. Nharnet considers it a source of pride that whatever it claims to represent has not changed. When one attempts the same thing over and over, and gets the same results, it is time to ask, in the words of Dr Phil how is that working for you? And how is not changing working for you? What do you have to show for your struggle? It would seem to me if, decades later, the approach that one takes pride in using for decadessplintering, fratricide, polemics--has not yielded anything but stagnation and chronological aging, one should not take false pride in their refusal to change but admit that whatever you are doing is not working and use a new approach. To those who struggle steadfastly, never give up because of some demoralizing actions that you witness. In times when our resolve is tried, we have to consider it a challenge, and an opportunity to renew our dedication to our cause, and face it with optimism. Eritrea will be all right because it is totally un Eritrean not to prevail in the end. We have liberated our land; now we are on the march to free our people. The clouds of sadness will evaporate. Tyranny will be brought to an end. Sufferings will certainly stop. Eritreans will prevail. We will be free. My dear readers, hoping this will be Final & Binding, please help me in calling on our friends at Nharnet to stop provoking organizations and individuals who are within the opposition. Help me tell them that the resource that is being wasted is a loss to all of us. Help me to plead with them to forget what happened two years ago and move on with a bold dedication to the future. Lets plead with them to recognize that struggle is a means to achieve something and is not an end in itself. Lets plead with them not to pull others to the quagmire of unnecessary argument. Lets plead with them to recognize that, on behalf of an organization, they shouldn't challenge individuals to a duel simply because that devaluates their stature. Lets call on them to please spare us the unnecessary bickering. Lets plead with them to promote unity and not be a thorn in the way towards it. Lets plead with them to compete with others based on work and productivity and to remember that they do not need to stand on others just to appear taller. I am not their enemy and Awate.com is certainly not, so please help me ask them not consider us such. As you are all aware, they have managed to somehow saw some seeds of mistrust between the RC membership (and some leaders) and Awate.com; we all know there is not even a tiny grain of truth there. I will remain true to my cause and I will always consider the RC an ally within the opposition. I will reach out and offer my help, and Awate.coms help where I can. I hope those who can, will clear the impediment towards cooperation and fruitful alliance. This is not a time for bickering. A Lion does not need to kill another creature to be recognized as one. PEACE OUT.
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