The people of the beautiful Eritrean town, Mendefera, met the dictator and listened to his implicit announcement of an anticipated catastrophe. The message was addressed to a few farmers from the area, and through them, to the entire population. It was a two-sided meeting, with different scare messages. The dictator’s aim was t calm the people who are scared of the looming hunger; at the same time to threaten those who hide crops they harvest.  

For about one hour, the dictator's speech concentrated on the drought that has struck the country. He acknowledged that the country is heading towards hard times that require combined efforts; and instructed the farmers to handle the crops properly.

On the other hand, he attempted to comfort people. In his speech he indicated that the dams built so far are playing a major role in securing water both for drinking and irrigating the cultivation projects, but he also indicated that the government is far from achieving the intended targets of securing water- he didn't say how far.

The purpose of the meeting, as inferred from the dictator's intimidating speech, was to secure food for the army that protects his regime. He chose the poor weakened farmers to vent his anger and show his wild arrogance. By directing his fury at the hunger stricken farmers, the dictator acted like the proverbial drunkard who lost a key, but though he didn’t lose anywhere close to the lamppost, he was looking for his keys under the it just because there was good lighting. The dictator finds it easy to bully poor farmers around, plunder their hard earned bread and snatch it from the mouth of farmers' children, all the while, treating the farmers as disposable items and pushing them to starvation.

The dictator turned to the general populace and repeatedly mentioned the word qofo (the farmers’ grain-store); the people didn’t ask on whose qofo the grain would be gathered, but started to shower the dictator with - contrary to the Eritrean tradition that considers overly praising a person in his face,  a type of insult. 

In normal conditions, when people meet their leaders, they would express their fears and hopes, but here a thoughtful question is akin to a crime. Therefore, the people chose to speak symbolically in order to evade night goblins: In such a critical situation, the best thing to do would be to act forget about traditions and indulge in praising the dictator and make him happy. That way, one can walk back home safe and sound.

The dictator's reaction to all the praises poured upon him was to say, "agganinomo," they exaggerated. The expression 'they exaggerated,' may remind many Eritreans of the story of an Eritrean farmer who went to the market to sell his donkey. The tory goes like this:

Once upon a time a farmer went to the market to sell his donkey and asked his friend to advertise the sale of the donkey at a good price. His friend agreed to assist, and began to advertise: “This donkey races against cars; carries loads equal to trucks; endures hunger; survives drought; fights hyenas; swims like a fish. Its rolls cause sandstorm; it kicks are a scenario of doomsday. Riding the donkey feels similar to a smooth ride on a Japanese bullet-train; its braying is like music. Buy this donkey!”

A bystander asked: “What is it fed?”

The owner was ashamed to say.

“Hurry, buy this donkey,” the advertiser went.

People gathered to observers the strange donkey.

At the end of the day, no one was interested in buying the donkey; they all left home with at sunset.

The exhausted farmer was frustrated and furiously said to his friend: “when I asked you to advertise, I meant, ‘hamde adig h’meddo belkoka!’ He wanted his friend to use only praises that a donkey deserves.

The advertiser was not apologetic and said, “Why are you fuming? Be thankful I didn't say it explores the stars!” 

Mendefera represents the Eritrean people who still adhere to their country tradition mentioned above. They delivered a message the dictator deserves. The dictator who has - through his hodgepodge policies - confined entire nation to the issues of a loaves of bread, led to a point of "to be or not to be," obstinately refuses changing his policies though he implicitly admits Eritrea is in a precarious situation.