Believe it or not, the Eritrean websites in America are still the source for information and knowledge to our people here. The alternative is the Voice of America or the Ministry of Information, which nobody believes. You can’t read the websites at the internet cafes, usually, because the computers face the door and there are mosquitos [spies] everywhere.  Also, at 10 nakfa an hour, the price is not affordable to most people. But people improvise, and find ways to read.

It was ye Ethiopia Arbenoch, arbenoch, arbenoch, Darfur, Darfur, Darfur, now it is Somalia, Somalia, Somalia! Is there not way for the Opposition to respond to the lies of the propaganda media here day by day?   What could come out of the American threat of designating Eritrea to the list of sponsor of terrorism?  Some people here say, Anything that can bring a change of regime. Are the American serious enough or are they bluffing? I know Issayas to be an obstinate person. He is so Hilikegna [stubborn] that he will never retreat from his stand. He is a lunatic and he will oppose the USA to the end.

People talk of how we will be hurt here, but we always need subsidy. There is no one in Eritrea that can make it alone. Even the wealthy are suffering the crunch, with their wealth trapped in Nakfa and no way to do anything with it.  They may afford to buy Taff at 4,000 nakfa for quinal, or Fino [flour] at 1000 nakfa in the black market, but that is all they can do with their money, to eat better and more. They have families in prison and children in bunkers like everybody else. Except for the generals and the high cadres, they can travel anywhere, and they can spend any money. Thanks to cronyism and nepotism, they are buying and constructing their villas. Their enda quteba [finance departments of the armed forces] are selling basic commodities in the black market.  When their life becomes identical to that of common man, they will be lined to raise against their system!

There is no oil for cooking, no oil for fuel. Tomatoes are 25 nakfa. One Beles [Eritrean visiting home for summer] told me that we drink more than the Irish. He was visiting from Holland, he is the one who heard Alamin Mohammed Said [Secretary of the ruling party, the PFDJ] telling the foolish Diaspora, “Lom zeben bmegbi nnebsna k’ilna, ngorebabti knhgz ina.” [This year, we will be so self-sufficient in food, we will help our neighbors.] 

More teklit [re-assignment] in the military commands.  Wuchu [General Gerezgheir Andemariam] is now chief of Zoba Barka, Filipos [General Philipos Woldeyohannes] is supposed to go to Sirhit Denkalia. Tewil [General Omar Tewil] is in Sirhit Selste [3^rd Operation Zone] around Mendefera. China  [General Haile Samuel] is coming to Maekel [Center] to control Asha Golgol, also in time to enjoy his new 600 meter villa at Orota that he “bought” for 1/10^th its actual price.  How do generals who earn 3,000 nakfa a month and colonels who earn 2,000 nakfas afford these villas?

Wedi Habteselasse [General Teklai Habteselase] and Tekle Manjus [General Tekle Kiflai] are the right and left hands of The Man [President Isaias Afwerki.]  Wedi Habteselasse is in charge of the Eritrean Air Force and Sawa.  Tekle Manjus is in charge of the entire border area.  There is even a rumor, like I said, that Saleh Hiruy who was imprisoned for thousands of reasons for ten years and released in 2001 will be reinstated as a general in charge of sirhit [special operations.]  More and more batallions are going to Juba [Sudan] to export wefri warsay yeke’alo to them, and more and more Red Sea companies also going there for business opportunities in virgin territory.

There is still no news from Denkalia, and why there was a quarantine a few weeks ago.

You can see the fear and tiredness of our people on their faces.  We talk only with those we very much trust, but once in a while, you will hear somebody on the bus talk bitterly and the passengers shift their eyes to see if those in front or back look like mosquitoes or ezni [spies.] All ask in private one question, “until when? Until when?” and nobody has answers and all say, “our sins are too many! Let us leave it to God!”