There is no ”proud Eritrean“ who is not a“proud member of his/her own ethnicity“:
It has become a customary jargon and favourite language and argument of the “Foreign Affairs Chief of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party”, (EPDP), Ato Woldeyesus Ammar, to describe and define the Eritrean People, nation, society and opposition as “ethnic-fragmentation, ethnically fragmented,, state of fragmentation” and the like.
These statements are in reference to the “Q + A” interview, reported to have been recently given by Ato Woldeyesus Ammar, to the “Reporter Michael Abraha”,of “Asenna.com”, (December 30, 2011).
Let me first of all state that, to my perception, there is no and there cannot be a “proud Eritrean” who, primarily, is not a “proud member of hi/her own ethnic-group or ethnicity”. This is just to state a clear phenomenon, taking place in a multi-ethnic and multi-culturo-linguistic nation and society, like that of Eritrea. Normally, an Eritrean is first born to his/her own respective ethnic-group/ethnicity, language and culture, and is then exposed to other fellow-Eritreans and to their own respective ethnic-groups/ethnicities, cultures and languages.
In practical terms: I, as a Kunama, was born to my own Kunama ethnic-group/ethnicity, language and culture, before I was exposed to my fellow-Eritreans of my immediate geographical environments, such as the Baria and Beni-Amer, and, with times, introduced to my other fellow-Eritrean people and populations, residing in distant Eritrean regions.
Any other Eritrean who may claim not to have gone through similar stages of his/her own ethnic, culturo-linguistic and societal processes, developments and socialisation, must be either of extra-Eritrean ethnic-origin or, perhaps even of an outer world, above or beyond our “Galaxy of the – Eritrean – solar system”. Do please, excuse my limitations in “Astrology”.
From time immemorial, we Eritreans have been and are being still identified as and called: Afar, Baria, Beja, Bilin, Kunama, Saho, Tigre, Tigrians and with many other names of bigger and smaller ethnic/folk-groups.
These “ethnic-fragmentations”, are not “man”, but “God-made”.
The geographical and political nomenclatures such as “Eritrea” and “Eritreans”, have been attached to our nation and society, so that the international community can identify where we live and who we are.
The discourse of “ethnic-fragmentation”, to define our diverse nation and society is therefore, not only disrespectful, but, at times, it is also insulting, as it denigrates the very essence and beauty of our own “unity in diversity”.
If our “ethnic-fragmentation” is always being looked into and analysed only “politically”, it surely carries only a negative significance, but this, to my belief, is innate only to a certain group of fellow-Eritreans who may be suffering from some kind of ethnic “identificatity complexes”, but, in its composition of a nation of “ethnic-diversity”, Eritrea has no place for such individuals who may pretend to be and feel more “Eritreans” than being identified as members of a distinct “Eritrean ethnic-group”.
In the above mentioned “Q + A” interview, Ato Woldeyesus Ammar, not only as a senior “politician”, but also as a senior “Eritrean citizen”, unlike the Eritrean younger generation, who may have instead, gone through the PFDJ regime’s school of “indoctrination” and of “brain-washing”, should feel very “proud” of his own ethnic-origin and be a “role-model” of the Eritrean “unity in diversity”, has rather become one of its biggest opponents and “stumbling-blocks”. What are his motives for waging a continuous war against the Eritrean natural “ethnic-fragmentations” and their century-old history of living peacefully and harmoniously together, as such?
Answering the question “why EPDP remains outside of the new Eritrean National Democratic Assembly – largest political block embracing dozens of Eritrean political parties, factions, civic organisations, intellectuals and religious personalities Woldeyesus Ammar”, complained and stated:
“depressing is the failure of the opposition camp whose lack of purpose and state of fragmentation could not let it deliver change”.
If by “state of fragmentation”, Ato W. Ammar means a “political fragmentation”, the “Bock One”, the “walking-out groups” and “remaining outside of the new Eritrean National Democratic Assembly”, are and have always been the parties and by the parties led by Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar himself.
He went on to add:
“on our part, we see the need of doing all it takes to promote a winning strategy with clear message to rally the vast majority of Eritreans to remove the regime and then build a new state of institutions”.
It is beyond my ability to understand Ato W. Ammar, how he could ever envisage of “promoting a winning strategy by rallying the vast majority of Eritreans ”, in the opposition, when he is acting “outside of the largest political block”, in the opposition. If he, instead means, that, in “his promoting a winning strategy”, he is to “rally” and include also the PFDJ regime’s supporters abroad, he may be right in being able to “remove the regime and then build a new state of institutions”, but I can hardly believe that, by flirting and associating with PFDJ regime’s supporters abroad, Ato W. Ammar and his EPDP party-members, could ever succeed in their lone-going and slow-moving strategies, in trying to “change the regime and build a new state of institution”.
Commenting on the activities of the Ethiopian government, on behalf of the Eritrrean refugees and of the Eritrean opposition in Ethiopia, Ato W. Ammar stated:
“EPDP has made it clear to all concerned that an opposition divided in two camps will not serve the interests of Eritreans and other peoples.
Similarly, we are of the firm conviction that promoting of ethnic and sectarian politics does not suit the political landscape of Eritrea”.
If EPDP believes that the “opposition is divided in two camps”, and its party, being the smaller one, why does it not join the “largest party?”
If Ato W. Ammar, raising his favourite argument and language, believes that, listening to and considering the claims, certain Eritrean ethnic-groups,
(e.g. Afar, Kunama and others), are advancing that their ethnic, culturo-linguistic and territorial rights are being denied and oppressed, why should such legitimate claims be regarded and discarded as “ethnic and sectarian politics?” If the ethnic, social, political and economic injustices that the PFDJ regime’s is committing upon the Eritrean people in general, but upon some Eritrean ethnic-groups, in particular and in their own native and ancestral homelands, were not the very injustices the opposition is trying to tackle and find reasonable solutions for, what are the reasons and why are Ato W. Ammar and his EPDP proposing and claiming to “change the PFDJ’s regime?” Why not, instead, join the regime and try to change it from within?
To my own analysis and understanding, the very name of “Eritrean People’s Democratic Party”, (EPDP), itself, is not reflective of the reality of the Eritrean national and societal diversity.
I therefore, dare challenge, Ato W. Ammar and his EPDP-members, to provide a clear evidence, that within their leadership and supporters, there are so many members of so many Eritrean different ethnic-groups.
P. A. Umet: (January 01, 2012). |
