Archive                                                                                                                                        Links     

Part 6

If it is not the President Isaias Afwerki himself, they are his “Ministers (who) conduct tour in Gash-Barka region“.

As its customary, the “Staff” of the PFDJ regime’s official organ and mouth-piece, the “www.shabait.com,” (Oct 13, 3007,) reported that “the Minister of Land, Water and Environment, Mr. Michael Gebreemariam, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Arefaine Berhe, and the Minister of National Development; Dr. Woldai Futur, conducted a three-day working tour in Gash-Barka region. The Administrator of the region, Mr. Kahsai Gebrehiwet, accompanied the ministers in the course of the tour.”

We questioned numberless of times, whether in the whole of the “Gash- Barka region,” the vastest region in Eritrea and the home-territory of the Baria-Nara, of the Beni-Amer and of the Kunama populations, there are no native individuals (Baria/Nara, Beni-Amer and Kunama,) who could be appointed as “Ministers of Land, Water and Environment” of the region, as “Ministers of Agriculture” of the region, as “Ministers of Regional Development” or as “Administrators” of the region, that only the members of the Eritrean-Tigrian ethnic-components, should be the ones, not only appointed, but also monopolising those positions and making those “tours” in those regions, accompanied by their ignorance about those ethnic-groups, about their languages, their cultures, religions, life-styles, and ignorant also of the climatic conditions of those regions? This is a very serious and a purposefully protracted policy which is aimed at demonstrating that Eritrea today is an Eritrean-Tigrian nation, which has to be and is being totally dominated by the members of that ethnicity. It is therefore neither casual nor inappropriate that the Kunama people themselves, constantly experiencing the acts of scorn, of arrogance and of injustices being committed against them in their own native homeland, by the regime’s local authorities and by many members of the settled Eritrean-Tigrians, are simply and very cynically stating: “akumatia fanaka kishamoabbu.” (because it is the time of the rule of their own government.) This is a clear message from the ordinary and rural citizens.

Underneath such clear statements however, there lie very deeply felt and preserved resentments which could one day, explode into violence and have ominous consequences. The ascension to power of the EPLF/PFDJ’s regime, has brought in Eritrea a shift of political, economic and even of cultural balance, very clearly, in favour of the Eritrean-Tigrian ethnic component, even if apparently, many may argue otherwise.

Though some fellow-Eritreans of this community are only now starting to realise how detrimental and counter-productive such constellation based on the dominance of the culture of a single ethnic-group (Tigrian,) within a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society (Eritrean), is and will be, the PFDJ’s regime at home, many Eritrean-Tigrian dominated opposition organisations abroad and many ordinary Eritrean-Tigrians, at home and abroad, have to come to terms with the reality of the Eritrean cultural diversity and be ready, not only to accept, but also to co-operate to build a nation and a society of national diversity. This is the only key to open the door to a peaceful coexistence, to the unity, security and stability of Eritrea. This, in other words, means that the policy of building Eritrea only upon a single folk-group, monopolising all political, economic, administrative and military posts and powers of the nation, appointing the members of that same folk-group to be the administrators of the regions of the other Eritrean folk-groups, allow the members of that favoured folk-group to settle in, invade and deprive the natives of those regions, of the property rights of their native and ancestral lands, as it is being protracted now by the PFDJ’s regime, are not to create a peaceful coexistence, but resentments, conflicts, violence and anarchy. God forbid this!

Returning back to the four PFDJ regime’s “Ministers touring the Gash-Barka region,” it is reported that “they visited Upper Gash sub-zone to observe the conditions of crops and the provision of health services, education and potable water supply, during which they received briefings. The ministers also observed mining activities in the zone, as well as extensive agricultural projects and construction of residential houses on the part of the inhabitants of Shilalo. They held discussions with the representatives of the people and farmers in the area.”

The “Upper Gash,” a new name given to the eastern parts of the Kunama land, is today mostly inhabited by the Eritrean-Tigrian populations, either directly from the neighbouring regions of Serae, of the newly-made neighbouring region of Hamasien, or by the so-defined “Internally Displaced People” (IDP), who are no others than the Eritrean-Tigrian populations, from the above-mentioned neighbouring regions, which used to reside in the “Badumma Plains,” (Shilalo = Shilalau in Kunama), a Kunama territory, from which the Kunama natives had been expelled in the 1940s and 1950s, by those same Eritrean-Tigrian populations. We have therefore always maintained that the real “Internally Displaced People” (IDP,) were, are and will always remain those Kunama populations and not those Eritrean-Tigrians who, instead of being resettled in other parts of the Kunama land, could have been taken back to their own home-regions of Hamasien and Serae.

Today, those very populations are the ones creating disharmony and conflicts, as well as committing injustices against the Kunama people. The PFDJ regime’s visiting “Ministers,” therefore, had to visit those areas, inhabited by their own kinds, in order “to observe the conditions of crops and provision of health services, education and potable water supply. They also observed mining activities in the zone, as well as extensive agricultural projects and construction of residential houses on the part of the inhabitants of Shilalo. They held discussions with the representatives of the people and farmers in the area.”

Who could have been those “representatives of the people and those farmers in the area,” with whom the regime’s Ministers could hold “discussions,” if not their own Eritrean-Tigrians? The very few Kunama, who might still be living in those areas, could not have been even considered, let alone be included in the holding of those discussions with them, (in which language anyway?) The Kunama are being marginalised in their own native and ancestral land, both by those ministers and by their people. This is a recurring practice the Kunama take it cynically.

Whether be the “President” Isaias Afwerki himself, “conducting (those) tours of inspection in the Gash-Barka region” or be his “Ministers,” making those trips, the purposes of their visits turn around to checking up the state of their developmental projects: (agricultural, constructional, mining and similar projects) as well as “be briefed by the representatives” of their own “people and farmers,” on their welfare and wellbeing, living in the fertile Kunama land.

There are rampant and very transparent examples of one-sided services, rendered, by the PFDJ regime’s loca, regional and national authorities, solely to the Eritrean-Tigrians, living in the “Gash-Barka region,” particularly in the Kunama land. As we do not known how frequently, the “President” Isaias Afwerki and his “Ministers” make similar “tours of inspections,” as well as how many and what kinds of developmental projects have been and are being implemented in other Eritrean regions, particularly, in the three highland (Kebesa) regions of Akele-Guzai, Hamasien and Serae, for they are never reported often and on regular bases, there are very frequent and innumerable of such projects being said to be in continuous implementation in the “Gash-Barka region,” but exclusively, either for the service of the regime itself or for the massively settled and settling Eritrean-Tigrian populations. Let us enumerate just those tours reported to have been carried out in the recent month and weeks.

1:- “Barentu: Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare Branch Office in Gash Barka Region extended 8 million Nakfa in Loan to disabled citizens and demobilised women; by Staff, Oct.11,2007.”

To our knowledge, no Kunama person has been included in that program.

2.- “Shambuko (Shambakko): different development activities through popular campaigns are being carried out in the Mailam administrative area, in the Shambuko (Shambakko) sub- zone of Gash-Barka region: By Staf:, Oct 11, 2007.”

That particular “sub-zone” is said to be inhabited only by the Eritrean-Tigrians and therefore those “development activities” had their defined aims and beneficiaries.

3.- “Barentu. Ministers conduct tour in Gash-Barka region:

Following a meeting with the inhabitants of Adi Maelel who were earlier displaced and are presently being rehabilitated in their place of origin, the ministers held discussions with the Administrator of the area regarding the living conditions of the people: By Staff: Oct 13, 2007.”

Neither the “President” Isaias Afwerki, during his many and frequent tours, nor his ministers or the local administrators have ever enquired about “the living conditions” of the Kunama people.

4.- “Barentu: Martyrs’ families residing in the Gash-Barka region expressed their appreciation for the government’s monetary assistance in benefit scheme within their respective environs. By Staff: 15 October 2007.”

If it is really true that the “government’s monetary assistance is rendered in benefit scheme within their (of the people’s) respective environs,” why are not those Eritrean-Tigrians, returned to their own respective native homelands of Akele-Guzai, Hamasien and Serae and be “assisted” there, rather than first letting them massively settle in the Kunama land and then carrying out such welfare activities, purposefully marginalising the Kunama people in their own native and ancestral land?

Besides, are the Eritrean martyrs and their families, only the Eritrean-Tigrians? How many non-Eritrean-Tigrians martyrs’ families “in the Gash-Barka region” are being “assisted” financially and “in benefit schemes?” We are yet to hear that a lot of the Kunama martyrs’ families are even known to the regime’s local authorities, let alone assisted.

5.- “Barentu: The branch office of the Ministry of Agriculture in the Barentu sub-zone has offered training in agricultural extension to 35 farmers in the Ashoshi administrative area. The training is aimed at acquainting farmers with modern techniques to boost agricultural production, according to Mr. Gebregziabher  Habte, the agricultural extension expert in the area. The participants of the training will share their newly acquired skill with fellow farmers in the area.By Staff, Oct 18, 2007.”

None of those “35 farmers in the Ashoshi administrative area,” are Kunama, though “Ashoshi,” a village found in the north-eastern part of the Kunama land which, by the way, had never known other than only the Kunama rural inhabitants of the Kunama Itana area. Today it is said to be roamed by many Eritrean-Tigrian farmers and their families. That district, from which some of our VKP/KAM’s team originate, has climatic conditions very different from those of the rest of the Kunama regions. It is mountainous, cold in the dry seasons and with an abundance of torrential rains, in the rainy seasons, which have particular influences upon the local crop-fields and crops. What do therefore, a stranger like “Mr. Gebregziabher Habte,” an Eritrean-Tigrian and the “35 farmers,” all Eritrean-Tigrians, coming from nowhere, know about the territorial and climatic conditions of those areas, in the first place, before even been trained in the “acquaintance of the modern techniques to boost agricultural production?” How are they going to apply those “modern techniques” in unknown localities with unknown factors and pheomena? Where are and why are the local Kunama farmers who already have the expertise, not been included in that training program? Does this not clearly show the basic alienation plan of the rulers, regarding the Kunama people? Is the Kunama land being turned into an Eritrean-Tigrian land?

6.- “Barentu: Additional electric poles have been installed in Barentu, Gash Barka region, at a cost of 1.2 million Nakfa. The Administrator of the town, Mr. Hadish Habte, said that previously more than 120 poles were planted. There also plans to install electric poles along narrow pass ways in the town, according to the Administrator. By Staff: Oct 20, 2007.”

Though there have been repeated reports of increased “supplies of electricity” and other projects to provide more electric power to the town of Barentu, up to now, electricity is being provided only for certain times of the day and for limited hours, just as it used to be in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It is a well-known policy of the present regime to advertise more than it really actualises its own projects and plans.

Need-less to comment, “the Administrator of the town (of Barentu,) Mr. Hadish Habte” cannot not be other, but an Eritrean-Tigrian. Where are all those Kunama individuals who had been members of the EPLF freedom-fighting forces and have been faithfully serving it? Why are they not considered as equals with the Eritrean-Tigrians and appointed as administrators of their own native and ancestral Kunama land?

Finally, it remains for us only to conclude that the PFDJ’s regime is primarily for its own self and secondly for its own Eritrean-Tigrian ethnic-group’s members and supporters, wherever they are. Eritrea is theirs only and therefore the native populations, like the Kunama, are to be marginalised, oppressed and, if possible, even expelled from their own ancestral lands. Let us solely remind that the past is passed, the present too is to pass, but the future is yet to come and therefore events will take other turns, for, neither the PFDJ’s regime nor its policies are everlasting.

The VKP/KAM: (November 18, 2007.)