On Thursday evening, 17^th of July 2008, the Eritrean TV broadcasted Isaias’ visit to the pig breeding farm in Sawa. Many Eritreans inside and outside the country might have watched the televised visit.

The first swift impression that flashes to the mind is: Why does Isaias choose to breed pigs in Sawa? Why does he prefer pork meals that separate our children instead of meals that unite them?

The answer to these question doesn't require much intelligence and efforts. Therefore, I leave the task of reflections about the answers to the reader.

The divide and rule strategy that the dictator has so far implemented didn't work for him. Dividing Eritreans along regional lines has failed to raise disputes as intense as what existed in seventies and eighties of the last century among our people. That was the golden era when Isaias crafted his dictatorial empire.

The distribution of land to non-original residents didn't bear fruit; it didn’t halt the increase of hatred and resentment of our people towards the dictator and his generals.

The issue of dividing Eritreans along linguistic lines, to erase the notion of two national languages, Arabic and Tigrinia, didn’t bring about the realization of the dictator’s dream either. The marginalization of the majority of the Eritrean people and the empowering of the generals and fanatic groups, did not secure the regime. It is still being cornered, alienated and mistrusted by the majority of the Eritrean people. However, this time the dictator has popped up with a satanic trade that he has contrived hard to invent and thought it would divide the Eritrean people. He is inviting a sectarian infighting by coming forward with the project of breeding pigs in Sawa. Yes, the dictator and his followers always attempt to provoke the tolerant and the peaceful Eritrean people. Creating the condition for conflicts and instability has been the hallmark of the ruling regime in Eritrea.

The regime continues to try to survive by utilizing the divide and rule strategy. It is certain, this regime can't survive in stable Eritrea. If what it claims, that the majority of the Eritrean people support it, then what makes it so frightened of democracy, multiparty, freedom of press, respect for human rights and justice for all?

Actually, since the beginning of Isaias’ joining the liberation struggle with the Eritrean Liberation Front, he didn't believe in the unity of the Eritrean people and hasn't worked for it in the past and will never do in the future. The dictator and his associates do not believe in a united Eritrea, and will never do in the future. The regime is very selfish and considers the Eritrean people as its servants who should be sacrificed for the sole survival of the dictator and his generals. Its sole purpose is to have an absolute rule and take Eritrea to the unknown.

From the outset of his joining the struggle of the Eritrean people, the dictator has attempted to divide the people of Eritrea by issuing his notorious document known as "Nihnan Alamana" with the aim of recruiting fanatics. He wanted them to assist him in destroying the social fabric of our people and construct an organization that doesn't believe in co-existence; an organization that regards anyone who is not with it as its mortal enemy. During his days in the rearmost areas, the dictator dedicated himself in hatching conspiracies that nurture and widen the gap that divide the Eritrean people. That permitted him to cunningly take hold of power by perpetrating all kinds of evils against his colleagues and nationals. In the course of pursuing absolute power, the dictator has committed crimes against innocent nationals. Now he can only remain in power by openly committing crimes against the entire people of Eritrea, "Amel Mis Megnaz."

He has started a pig farm in the Sawa Area, at Sawa Camp to force our children to become pig herders and gradually compel them to eat pork by directly ordering them when they feel cornered to servings of lentils for meals. The pig breeding farm is under his defense ministry, managed by his generals to humiliate our children who are forcibly serving in his army.

There is no excuse for any noble and tolerant Eritrean to stand on the side of Isaias and watch him attacking our faith, robbing our land and forcing our children to embrace and practice behaviors that contradict the teachings of their religion and culture. I think the intentions of Isaias and his associates have become clear to all. Therefore, now the Eritrean "Mufti" has an opportunity to absolve himself and make history by prohibiting our children from joining Sawa and serving in the Army of the regime. The noble, tolerant, and gallant Eritreans should openly express their disapproval of the inhumane practices and transgressions against our religions and culture by the Eritrean regime. To become silent when our children are becoming pig herders and to be fed pork at Sawa Camp, is an unforgivably serious mistake.

There is no excuse for those who have betrayed their conscience and supported the regime for the past seventeen years to continue in doing do when the regime is openly working to humiliate and marginalize them. In fact, if there is a sense of nobleness in them, they have to refrain from supporting the regime that is working hard to degrade the Eritrean people. The dictator doesn't want the Eritrean people to live in unity. He doesn't believe in a peaceful co-existence of the Eritrean people. Actually, it seems it is the wish of the regime to see Eritreans fight among each other. The dictator and his cohorts think they are the only brave people in Eritrea and that the others are cowards who do not have the courage to act. Their arrogance is represented in their common utterances: "SibAi Intekhonka BiGbri ArEyana" - if you are a man show us practically. This is an invitation for clashes and killing each other. Let us picture the regime that is inviting violence and ask: what will be its attitude in case it is weakened? 

This regime considers the torture of its own people as courage. It considers committing injustices as a sign of maleness; the robbing of innocent Eritreans as cleverness; cheating and lying as brilliance; spreading of immorality and dishonesty as development. This can only have one explanation, it is the crimes they have committed against innocent Eritrean nationals that make them contradict anything rational. They are not normal people who think logically. They are always chased by the ghosts of their innocent victims. They think that all roads lead to jail and criminal courts; everything that opposes them is their mortal enemy. I think, this is the logical conclusion: why don't they stop shooting and jailing indiscriminately without any reason except suspicion?

Eritrean communities in the Arab Gulf States are examples of the terrorizing schemes that the regime implements to put Eritrean under its control.

There are large Eritrean communities in the Arab Gulf States and the regime is exploiting and getting considerable advantage from them. These decent Eritreans are the prisoners of the regime; they are continually being blackmailed because they need consular services such as an Eritrean passport. And the money the regime extorts from those communities is being used in importing pigs to breed in the very lands of these communities. Moreover, the regime’s generals will certainly impose herding of pigs and eating of pork upon the youth. These communities should defy the regime that is intentionally marginalizing and humiliating them. They require help from all Eritreans around the world to free themselves from the grips of the regime. They have become the prisoners of the Eritrean passport. They need assistance to be free from the intimidations and exploitations of the regime by submitting petitions and getting a resolution for their consular problems. Maybe the EDA could appeal to governments of the Arab Gulf States to request them to renew Eritreans residence permit without the renewal of the Eritrean Passport.

We have to work hard to stop the source of hard cash for the regime; it is robbing our communities in the Arab Gulf States. Eritreans have paid their money with the intention of helping their country, nonetheless, the regime has used it in anti-nation project. The people have the right to demand back all what they have paid to the regime. Moreover, they have a good reason to submit petitions to the governments of the Arab Gulf States to consider their plight. 

We can not blame the international community without us presenting our cause properly. We are required to advance our cause diligently and we should not confine our petitions to Europe, America and Australia. Russia, China, Japan, and other places should also be approached.   

The death of our children in the border areas, deserts and high seas should awaken in us the courage to say No! The suffering of our children in refugee camps instead of university campuses should stir in us our sense of defiance. We have lost a generation in the trenches of Isaias, and almost all of those who joined the servitude in their twenties and thirties are now in their forties. They have not started a family, which means a generation has missed the train of marriage, a generation without children.

It is surprising to listen to the ministers and cadres of the regime say that they have received a certificate from the World Health Organization that declare Eritrea is free from children's diseases. Maybe that is true: If you don’t have children, you cannot have children’s disease. Or maybe the WHO has given them a certificate attesting to the nonexistence of children in Eritrea.

Isaias wants to empty Eritrea of its people. He is not guarding Eritrea but completely destroying it. A defiant ‘No” should be said to the regime in unison Our voices counts a lot to the victims of Isaias atrocities, and our move to make a change will reward our people with peace and stability.