A THOUGHT FOR NOW - ERITREA, WHEN A NAME HAS THE OPPOSITE MEANING

The present Eritrean Government seems to have invested in the  death of the country, instead of promoting a better life for the country's people.

If  a political party chooses to call itself, The People's Front for Democracy and Justice, you, not having any or much knowledge of the ruling elite within that party, might still form the view that, with the mention of 'democracy' and 'justice', this part would be one worthy of being supported. 


Justice and democracy, it appears, are virtues or commodities which are in very scarce supply in today's Eritrea, and is a situation which is unlikely to be changed which the present President and/or regime holds power.

After all, even for the uninitiated, the term 'democracy' speaks of a system or organisation which would ordinarily enables the participation of the masses in the election of their government, and is representative of the will of the people. Similarly with the reference of 'justice', which, again, ordinarily, would speak of an impartial and objective system of law, which seeks to fairly and judiciously settle matters of conflict between the citizens of a country, whether it is between individuals, groups, or between these and the state.

Having some knowledge of the inception of the state of Eritrea, which has come into being after the liberation struggle led by the former Eritrean People's Liberation Front, to which the country's current and only post-liberation leader, Isaias Afewerki, belonged, against Ethiopia. Both Ethiopia and Eritrea had been colonies of the Italians for decades before WW2, but it seems that only Ethiopia has been able, so far, to begin to come out of its colonial and post-colonial history in a progressive way. Eritrea, on the other hand, seems to be receding back into a past which preceded her Italianate history, even though its leader was once believed to have been a Marxist.

So, why has Eritrea, which had been so courageous and resolute in fighting Ethiopia to gain her independence, lost her soul, and her people their freedom and liberty under their own, locally grown leaders?  How is it, you might ask, that Eritreans remove the rule of the Ethiopian, only for them to be placed in the probably more oppressive and suicidal yoke of the PFDJ?  And, the people of Eritrea, might be asking for the past two decades, was it worth it?

What of the Women'd Brigade and the other Eritreans who fought and sacrificed their lives in that struggle; would they, seeing what has become of their country, feel betrayed by their leader/s?

Is it the case that, Isaias Afewerki, like many other liberation leaders, such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, South Sudan's Salva Kiir, et al, finding themselves in positions of power and not having the intellect and/or wisdom to lead their countries into the daunting process of nation building, simply stop the process and institute their own autocratic dictatorship?

All of which begs the question: are there times when a people are better off being governed by another nation, than to fight, die and suffer to achieve their liberation and independence, but then, only to become subjected to, oppressed and exploited by one or a party of their own?

Eritrea's government prefers to trust the dead past, than to take the road which would lead to a better future for her people.

Put another way, how does the bad governance of a native Eritrean, such as President Afewerki and his political party, benefit ordinary Eritreans, more than, say, the better governance of the Ethiopians or the Italians, if the latter had been so? Is a jobless, poor, oppressed and despairing Eritrean to be thankful for the fact that, at least his/her terrible plight has been caused by their own government, instead of as a result of the action of Ethiopia, or, going back further in history, Italy?

It is my contention that leaders like Robert Mugabe, Isaias Afewerki, Kim jung-un and others are holding their countries and people to ransom, and, in so doing, are committing a form of genocidal act against their people. A form of 'crime against humanity', considering how much suffering they are causing by their reckless and even criminal actions and omissions.

Consider this: Which is more important, that you are being ruled, however badly, by your own kind, so to speak, or that you are being governed fairly prudently, with your personal rights and freedoms not being abused, even if such governance is being provided by 'an outsider'?

Eritreans aspiring to build a country capable of providing them with a viable living, are feared and not encouraged by their government.