The regime has realized that it cannot depend on its plans and platform to galvanize the public and it has to resort to brute force and to the campaign of vilification and ostracism. To prolong its stay on power, it is exploiting the fears and reservations of the Eritrean people. Like a good salesman, if it cannot "sell them dreams it sells them nightmares".  

The regime has effectively packaged the opposition as "jihadists", "regionalists" and "weyane stooges" and the opposition is not responding appropriately. The message is clear. "Higdef" might not be good, but it certainly is better than the opposition and this message is resonating with the larger public.  

The opposition cannot tell the Eritrean people how bad the regime is: they know it and they live with it daily. Selling nightmares to the Eritrean people is trying to sell ice to the Eskimos. It does not work and is doomed to fail from the get-go. The opposition must try to sell dreams to the Eritrean people. It is time that they start articulating their vision of post-"Higdef" Eritrea in a meaningful and credible manner. For starters, they need to pay close attention to what "higdef" is saying about them and stop making themselves vulnerable to their attacks. 

What is the proper role of "jihadists" in the opposition? 

The regime has used every opportunity to portray the opposition and particularly the Alliance as  "jihadists" and "terrorists" with links to "al qaeda". Most of the members of the Alliance are not "jihadists" but they have not effectively communicated to the public why they have in their middle, organizations that have openly declared themselves as "jihadists".  

How can the Eritrean people not be concerned when they hear reports that training tapes of Jihad in Eritrea were found in Afghanistan or Al-Qaeda funds soliciting letters for Eritrean Jihad were found in Bosnia. How could they not worry when their country is listed by the US government as one of those nations associated with terror? 

How could they forget about the foreign and Eritrean Jihadists that were captured and killed in battle by the Eritrean army in the early 1990s? 

How can they not worry about the destabilizing effect of "jihad" and "political Islam" in a country that is roughly made up of Christians and Muslims? 

The Eritrean people need to know how political Islam is compatible to their secular constitution and how some fundamental differences are reconciled. As it is the opposition is seen by a lot of Eritreans as a recipe for disaster.    

If the oppositions are to be taken seriously, they must espouse national platforms and agenda, and condemn any sub-national agendas that could be a hindrance to their progress. The people need to be assured that there is no place for religion in politics. The wall of separation between church/mosques and state must be firmly erected. The burden of proof is on the opposition. If the Eritrean jihadists are not jihadists, then, why are they jihadists? 

Are the opposition "regionally" or ethnically" based? 

It is very important that the opposition has a national agenda but it is even far more important that it has a national constituency. If the organization's members do not reflect Eritrea's diversity, then, they ought to be ashamed of themselves. This is the best index of Eritreanity. All opposition groups must see themselves in the mirror and see if they have this quality. The opposition must look like Eritrea, walk like Eritrea and talk like Eritrea. 

The opposition groups must go beyond their comfort zones and attract Eritreans of diverse backgrounds. No organization must be made up of one or two ethnic groups or regions. People must see their own faces and hear their own voices when they look at the oppositions. Seeing is believing and representation is the name of the diversity game. 

The credo of the Eritrean revolution was "hanti ertra" and the indivisibility of Eritrea should be the bedrock of the opposition movement. 

Are the opposition "weyane" stooges?