I have supported my Front Shaebia for a very long time and if two months ago you asked me to name my enemies, I would have told you Awate and Asmarino.  Why do they exaggerate and lie? Who is paying them? Is there enough money to make you betray your country?  I just came back from Eritrea�.My front, Shaebia, is finished, replaced by something I don�t recognize!

Where do I begin? Socially, politically, economically, spiritually, my country has become a barren desert!

What struck me the most is the destitute living of our people.  There is scarcity of everything! In the rural areas, specifically in the border areas of the Southern region and remote areas from Asmara, people are buying a kilo of sugar for 24 nakfa.  I was told this is because the government terminated the coupon.  According to a government spokesman, this is because the people are selling the sugar to traders. The question arises then, if the people are buying sugar for 24,00 nakfa per kilo why should they sell their sugar for cheap? The cause as some residents of the area say is the shortage of supply, It is an open secret that the government through the Red Sea Trading corporation sells sugar to the Sudan. In one month alone In (December) 22 thousand tons were sold to the Sudan by transit trade.

Then there are Eritreans that are fleeing by the thousands! Nobody seems to care that the country is emptying out!  When somebody is caught, they learn from what he did wrong, which route he should have used, and they don�t ask why he or she tried to leave because that is considered obvious! I will give you just one example of the many I heard when I was there, about the journalists who were arrested:

Ahmed Bahja from the ministry of information tried to flee through Debub.  The area is a rough terrain except if you choose the Mai Aini-Tsorona road, which is under military surveillance.  Ahmed chose the Hadadim Chealo Zoba and when he arrived at Tokonda�e, he was intercepted. He had nothing to say except, �I quarreled with my wife and as a result I am here.� He was released with others because the government did not want further difficulty with world public opinion. In fact they are reversing the information beneath the table that he really did not attempt to flee. I heard all the journalists, except for Temesghen Abbay, were released.  What I couldn�t take was that people were saying that Ahmed Bahja made a mistake, that given his background, he really should have tried the Tesseney path!

People take everything in stride, because they are so used to the abuse! One thing that registered some shock was the news that Halaw Wesen band had decided to stay in Australia.  This is because musicians are considered to enjoy a better lifestyle than the ordinary Eritrean, and many cannot understand why they wouldn�t come back.  Mostly, I think it is because Mukhtar was considered a gifted artist.

There is talk of corruption, alcohol abuse and womanizing everywhere! Policies are announced and dropped.  The Asmara municipality was complaining that the decree to suspend construction and sales of houses cost them a lot of tax revenue. Nobody knows who issued the decree, but it is assumed to be PIA, so now instead of trying to explain why the decree was issued and why it is going to be lifted, people are saying that the mayor, Semere Russom will be in big trouble for questioning the wisdom of PIA�s decision! This is not my Front! When did we get here, that it is a crime to criticize PIA�s decision?!

There is so much denial at the highest level of our government.  Alahram interviewed PIA about the constitution and the democratic process in Eritrea and he responded: �the democratic situation in Eritrea is far more better than in Europe and even America.�  What does this mean?

The Chinese foreign minister visited Eritrea while I was there, but even that one had a case of incompetence, which is so new to me because one thing I associated my Front with is competence! The Chinese foreign minister was expected to come to Eritrea and land at Massawa airport, and meet with PIA in his presidential office in Massawa. As a result seven Mercedes from the foreign ministry protocol section were ordered to go to Massawa for the arrival of the minister.  But the new Chinese Ambassadaor to a Eritrea had told the minister not to land at Massawa but an Asmara Airport. On Eri-TV, the minister was not seen arriving at Asmara but in the presidents office in Asmara.

Speaking of Eri-TV, this is run by a ministry of Ali Abdu, which is at exclusive service of PIA. To give the man his credit, the decision to carry Eri-TV in worldwide satellite is introducing young Eritreans all over the world their culture and heritage, and giving older Eritreans a chance to connect with their country.  But the decisions are based on personal relations and spite!  There is too much tifoso and political consideration to everything!

When I was there, there was a grand party for the launch of Alemseged Tesfay�s  Kab Matienzo ksab Tedla Bairou.  This is a serious history book, written by a serious historian and the party was attended by 500 writers, composers, government dignitaries, university lecturers and elders.   Everybody was there, except Eri-TV! No Hadas Ertra reporters, either!  This was a major research history book, and it is ignored.  But the work of Teckie Beyene, who translated Sofiya�s Garden, was reported on TV, radio and many times in Hadas Ertra, simply because Tekie Beyene is Ali Abdu�s friend, and Alemseged Tesfay is not well liked by PIA! What is happening to my Front?

The whole time I was there, Eri-TV had non-stop news about Somalia, Darfur and Ethiopia.  It was always Somalia, Somalia, Somalia, Darfur, Darfur, Darfur, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia!  I heard a rumor that the Eritrean government pocketed a lot of cash from the Somali conflict because it was acting as the arms trader, with funds coming from Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Gulf states. I usually do not like to repeat bela-below, but you would have to see how much time was given to Somalia to believe this story!

When I visited Keren, the news was that all the staff of the Good Samaritan Purse were arrested! They released all the foreigners, but the Eritreans were still in detention when I left.

There is no spiritual relief!  All deacons and priests under 45 years of age were told to report to the ministry of defence training section. This order was also given to the Catholic Church but the three bishops refused to abide by the directive. People believe there will be an ugly confrontation. This is only because the government wants to show its force, otherwise it doesn't lack any manpower. How many soldiers can it add from the clergy or does it want them to function as chaplains in the garissons?

People get in and out of jail, and then co-operate with their jailers! I was told that the owner of Bologna Hotel, Berhane Capri, had donated 19 oxen to the graduating class of Kiloma.  When I asked if any of his children were graduating, they told me, no, there are probably two reasons.  Either he is a friend of General Haile Samuel (China) or he is trying to be on the good graces of �shaebia� so he doesn�t get arrested and have his hotel closed again.

I am sad to say it but what is reported in Awate and Asmarino is only a fraction of what is happening in Eritrea! I don�t think that any of what I have written here was reported by them! So I apologize to them for the years I was in the dark and condemned them out of ignorance, and encourage them to work harder to report more!

This is not my Front!  Oromai Shaebia!!  Even if you are an atheist, I beg you to pray for Eritrea! I see no other answer, but to beg forgiveness of God and to pray for our leaders to come back to the righteous path, amen!