Visit the new AsenaTv Website

https://asenatv.com

ERITREA – THIS LAND IS OUR LAND ” መሬትና”

ERITREA THIS LAND IS OUR LAND!  “In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people. Nobody living can ever stop me, as I go walking that freedom highway. Nobody living can ever make me turn back.

ERITREA

THIS LAND IS OUR LAND!

 “In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people. Nobody living can ever stop me, as I go walking that freedom highway. Nobody living can ever make me turn back. This land was made for you and me.” From This Land Is Your Land – by Woody Guthrie

Almost five (5) decades ago, one occupier following the other denied the existence of a country called Eritrea. The last one was Ethiopia, the only African country occupying another African country.

They told us we did not exists. They decided that Eritrea, as a country, should not exist and the Eritrean language never spoken. Anyone telling the contrary was evil. Anyone fighting our carved destiny by others was told to expect a call from the grim reaper. Against all these odds, came our Freedom Fighters. Some were farmers, some highly educated and all from the very best fabric of Eritrea. They told their people that Eritrea existed then and will be an independent country. It took thirty (30) years of fierce fighting and the pain can only be compared to the depth of our pride. Our country is a country our elderly fought for and following generations died for its’ independence. It is absurd to watch now it’s’ legitimacy being brought into account by the very enemy that killed, handicapped and created the “one of the largest group of refugees in the world”. For Ethiopia to become the auditing force of the price paid, the force in charge of “giving back” a portion of our borders and yet taking much more  is beyond any healthy mind’s comprehension. Not only the land is being tattered, but also the deep pride Eritrean are molded of is being challenged.

 The “peace dances, smiles and love  hugs” cannot be intended to be an excuse to take back – by a subtle game and trickery –  a land lawfully belonging to its’ people, that now we see be given “away” and be owned by “others”. It does no good to both parties dancing to a deaf tune now to brush these facts and hide them in a mass grave prepared in advance. The very agreement signed in Algiers is failing with the cardinal error that said agreement is being hatched and history re-written. This agreement is the starting point to withdraw troops and each nation turn their attention to their own country’s problems. The problem/trouble now seems that there are so many extensions and acceptances given as a bonus to Ethiopia.

As it displays now, Eritrean Veterans should unite. Our intellectuals should unite; our different political parties/beliefs should unite. So the leaders in this deed of total amnesia can be reminded that they are leaving the most powerful forces behind and that is the combined 106 million human beings that both legitimate countries – Eritrea and Ethiopia- shelter as their own population. Total amnesia seems the bug paralyzing politicians’ minds in this tornado that we, Eritreans, are trying to stop.

International recognition and legitimacy is dubious if people are ignored. In order for peace to have a chance, Ethiopia has to back-off from the wishes of Eritreans for Eritrea; and that means the six (6) million we are. And stop insulting our intelligence.

No bordering country with Eritrea can survive by pulling a curtain and assuming it will prevent the pungent smell of Eritrean corpses filtering from the Mediterranean Sea, or by lifting and clicking the crystal champagne flutes hoping it will cover up the screams of tormented Eritrean mothers watching on TV screens capsized boats and bodies of young Eritrean generations that will never come back.

 Some Eritrean and Ethiopians might say, “That was then”. However, the “then” canned into history and the iniquities surrounding, is the cause of the pain each Eritrean has made its’ own.  Ethiopia needs to own the inner scars and abdominal adhesion of open wounds and spluttering pus in each Eritrean’s mind and heart in order for peace to have a chance after years of war.  Peace comes from asking for forgiveness and not flattering the few in power. Eritreans will never forget, but Eritreans have this extraordinary power and capacity of forgiving if a cathartic truth precedes true reconciliation.

 Far from making Ethiopia the only force to “liberate” our minds and our hearts after decades of pain, the idea that the new administration in Ethiopia calls for “love” for “faith” for “unity” and the idea that Ethiopia is still the center of its’ own never kept and delivered promises to their own people, makes me wonder how suddenly it (Ethiopia) ought to be the preacher of all our (Eritrean’s) consciences. How can one become the teaching of “co-existence” based on exclusivity to a claim of legitimacy, without conceiving separation of sovereignty of countries? What Ethiopia is suggesting is pulling apart warring parties. This does not heal old wounds, let alone redress historical wrongs.

 Eritreans are resilient. Eritreans proved to the world around – and not only to the occupier- that they dared to believe and dared to achieve. If future generations of Eritrea – in my mind the highest educated generation to be in Africa – will decide for an economical federation with Ethiopia, it is not an idea far-fetched to consider. However, this cannot be achieved if justice for Eritrea has not been attained and restored. Some might decide to live in the “promise land of Ethiopia” and others dream about the life “of all that could have been” in Eritrea.  However, if  the Prime Minister of Ethiopia – Abyi Ahmed – sees a self-approach forthcoming, he cannot expect the PEOPLE of Eritrea to be so magnanimous and forgiving in return…just because of his smile!

The addition to this “make-believe” peace will be unending war and more suffering for the PEOPLE of both countries. It might be tempting for Prime Minster Abyi Ahmed to dismiss and ignore uncomfortable criticism. NOT evading that discomfort might lead to a final political correctness and protect the future of these neighboring countries at war for over a half century. Eritreans never denied Ethiopia the right to exist. At this time, political correctness from Ethiopia is needed for the good of Africa. It is a moral issue on their side to respect Eritrea’s right to exist. We are not asking for permission to exits, we need to unite and prompt our neighbor to the south to respect our unity when it comes to our land and our people.

 In closing, what is needed on our side?  Victory asks for unity. Let us unite so not to see our beloved Eritrea being munched like a cake many wants to slice.

 The strong belief to achieve peace in Eritrea and make our own country FREE AT LAST is first unity among our Veterans (ELF, EPLF, WARSAY).  Our Veterans brought back the right to exist for Eritrea. Now they can/should lead to unity and bring final peace in our land. Followed by unity among different “opposition” groups. Eritrean land and sea’s economic value seems to be chronically undervalued by Eritreans fighting each other. What is to be considered as a prime agenda is the long-term to prevent and to reverse the degradation of our society, of our economy let alone our hard-earned history. The leading political parties abroad should unite and then apply a sustainable management of our own politics. To facilitate change requires adaptation of legal, social and policy-focused contexts that will provide answers to our questions and become a source of productivity.

ALL Eritreans deserve the right to peace and to feel their land beneath their feet.

 Kiki Tzeggai

July 26, 2018 at 3:41 – USA

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
107 COMMENTS
  • Luwam T/lidet July 28, 2018

    Kiki Tsegay,
    You can’t try to rewrite history and past crimes, atrocities against the whole people of Eritrea
    by your butchers ELF groups in order to give a face lift to your unforgivable idols and bogus revolution.
    It seems utter desperation and guilt consciousness has nudged you and your likes {the noisy vesels/gerewegnatat}
    to indulge into laughable and absurd comedy circus shows. Lies and false publicity don’t grow wings and fly
    and if they do, they kill liars, pretenders propagandists and their followers at the end.
    There are two kind of women, one that gave everything and the other like yourself egotistical who took everything.

    • Michael Tesfamariam July 28, 2018

      Right,
      I have never come across such absolutely nonsensical and extremely weak argument ever posted here at Assendon. Come. I tried my best to grasp what the article is all about other than a depiction of too inflated pompous character. My hunch tells me thought that the author seems to suffer from a great deal of historic personality disorder, a mental disorder which is common among current and former members of ELF and EPLF. I hate these people more than anyone else. Dead woods of the society!

      • Luwam T/lidet July 28, 2018

        Brother Michael,
        Thank you, you are spot on. You also set the right tone.
        Twisting facts is NOT going to serve their {ELF butchers group} rewriting/repainting history purposes. Wings on a rabbit . flapping or not, wouldn’t make it soar high up in the sky: to the contrary, it would mercilessly pin it down to the ground that it wouldn’t even be able to move, let alone run! Similarly, ELF butchers adventure has provided some opportunists with such superfluous wings: yet, whenever the occasion arises, they love to show them off by flapping them while rendered immobile by the sheer weight of those epiphenomenal wings. And when a poor nation is taken under their wings, a whole population finds itself pinned down to the ground – as poor Eritrea finds itself now – under PFDJ – other butchers like old ELF.

  • Ghirmay July 28, 2018

    The author of this article is an opportunist self-serving and self- seeking (attention wise) individual.
    Here she is, back to her usual well rehearsed ill planned opportunist self.
    She couldn’t resist showing off the disturbed inside self, could she? I will give her two great quotes though:
    don’t invent suffering you have never experienced, and don’t paint pictures you have never seen.

  • Kidane July 28, 2018

    Dear: Luwam
    My response is only if yoy are an Eritrean; I don’t know who Kiki is but if you do and that’s why you are attacking her on this forum, it is misplaced. I do care about the message not the messenger. Ergo, include all Eritreans in you immature diatribe with my name at the top for I concur with Kiki’s message. Please not that we will change the course of our country with our usual unity including our gallant ELF figjters, for they fought for the noble idea a irreversible Eritrean freedom.

    • Luwam T/lidet July 28, 2018

      Dear Kidane,
      My response is ONLY if you are a genuine Eritrean too – not a pompous outsider impostor!
      I couldn’t care less if you are actually an ELF old butcher/fighter or a current mafia type robber!
      Lets presume you mean our gallant figjters – “fighters”, did they achieve your or their noble idea of irreversible Eritrean freedom then, if not then WHY not????? – No lame excuses here please!!!!! I We {the ELF butchers} screw up will do, no more “Kemish adey hanqwiluni” excuses!
      Chauvinism and superiority complex become the worst brain pollutants and are hard to get rid off. Eritrean politics full of big-heads/arrogants of I know everything, I’ve been everywhere thing of bluffs. Stop being Kiki’s messenger or are you blindly employed/contracted to carry her messages???

      • k.tewolde August 1, 2018

        Luwam,I don’t know how long you have been around in this cruel world we live in and what kind of life experience you have been through,one thing is for sure,you play Monday morning quarterback with no shame from a safe distance.You categorized Eritrean women in two, which one of them are you?

  • Kidane July 28, 2018

    Sorry Luwam for the typo errors, please read the last sentence as “idea of irreversible Eritrean freedom.”

  • rezen July 28, 2018

    CURIOSITY
    I noticed that the number of commentaries dropped (or polished) from fifty-four (54) to forty-six (46)
    I am wondering: is this a CRITICAL review of archive.assenna.com policy [VERY WELCOME] to protect OUR archive.assenna.com from becoming a disreputable ground of website. Assenna.com must be recognized for its admirable policy to provide a space to its Readers, unparalleled by any Eritrean website. This is, needless to say, a glaring credit to Mr. Amanuel Iyasu, Creator and Manager, for his visionary and tenacity to give meaning to the concept of FREEDOM of EXPRESSION – even in glaring abuse of that privilege by some self-appointed, self-respected, self-anointed, know it-all custodian for THEIR OWN INSIDIOUS AGENDA.
    To protect that insidious agenda, they would denigrate others – or play one against the other with artificial flowery expression. But it back-fired. Others came in with their own ferocious attack using daring, naked, shattering languages of their own. The smart-alecks were shocked and without any feeling of embarrassment they appealed to archive.assenna.com to STOP the new aggressors >>> completely unmindful of THEIR OWN behaviour!!! In a sense, without any shame, they were asking archive.assenna.com to DENY their Antagonists the cherished FREEDOM of EXPRESSION, LIBERTY and DEMOCRACY.
    And with a straight face, these are the people who blame Issayas Afewerki Abraha for being what he is. Imagine, these are the people who aspire to lead and administer the NEW ERITREA — of course in their own image and belief.
    Even the Almighty GOD may be disgusted with such behaviour. ERITREA HAS NO ENEMY, BUT ITSELF.

  • meretse July 28, 2018

    ዝክሪ/ memory of generation
    ለምለም ሰቲ ኮይኑ ምድሪ ዝጠበቀ
    ክትስእ ዘይክእል ሓንሳብ ምስ ወደቀ
    ንፋስ ክሃርሞ ደቂሱ ዝትስእ
    ኣፍሮ ምመረጽኩ ኣይደልን ካልእ
    ጸጉሪ ኮይኑ እንተ ዘይበለ ፈይ ፈይ
    መሬት እንተ ጎተተ እንትይ ክዓብሰለይ
    ናይ ድሕሪት ዘለላ ጸጉራ ቆሪጻ
    ከም ናይ ሳባ ጊደይ ንኣፍሮ መሪጻ
    By the way I appreciate your memory. RE: Garcia? Do not let the dogs out”
    yes Kiki ,our land the land of heroes and heroine

  • meretse July 28, 2018

    ኩሉ ዎሎዶታት – መመልኽዑ ኣሎዎ
    ናይ ሰብዓታት ግን – ሓለፋ ኔርዎ
    ናይ ሎሚ ዎለዶ እስኪ – ኣመስክሩ
    ብድድ ኢልኩም – ኣነ ኢልኩም ፈክሩ
    ሃገር ናትኩም’ያ ብዝይ – ምድማር ምርባሕ
    ዓይንኩም ሪኢኩም – ከይትስእንዋ ጽባሕ

  • Simon G. July 28, 2018

    ይሰግእ ኣለኹ
    ——————————–
    የስግ ኣኒ ኣሎ
    እዚ ውዑይ ሞቕሎ

    እኽሊ ክጠሓን ከይይረኣኹ
    ቲ ሕሩጭ ተኣሊኹ
    ሕሩጭ ከይተለውሰ
    ቅጫ ተኻሰሰ
    መን ዩ ሰንካቲኡ
    ከይረአ ተሓቢኡ
    ————————————–

    መን ኮን ዩ ዝበልዓ ዛቕጫ
    ታሞቕሎ ናተይ
    ትእኽሊ ንብረተይ
    ኣነ ከይፈልጥኩ
    ስለምንታይ ተወገንኩ
    ካብ ዋና ንብረት መንዚዕካስ ንወዲ ብጫ
    እንታይ ስለ ዝገበረዩ ክንድዚ ብልጫ
    —————————————–

    ወይለከ ሓው ስላስ
    እኽለይ: ሓሪጨይ: ሞቕሎይ: ከሎስ

    ናትካ ‘ይኮነን ተባሂለ
    ፍቶ ጽላእ ተባሂለ
    ተደሚርካ ተባሂለ
    ብዘይ ናተይ ፍልጠት ኣይ ሰኑይ ኣይ ሰሉስ
    ርኢናያ ምበኣር ፍረ ምድማርስ
    እዚ ደኣ ምድማር ዘይኮነ
    ወዲ ሃገር ኣብ ምድማር ዘይነበረ ዘይወዓለ
    ——————————————
    እዝ ደኣ ጎዲልና ምበር
    መንነትካ ኣጥፊእካስ ናበይ ምሕባር
    ንሕና ኣብ መሬትና ንሱ ኣብ መንበር
    ጓና ኣንጊስካ ኣጥፍእ ወዲ ሃገር
    ዚኣስ ነይቁምነገር?
    —————————————
    ኤእ! ሕሰቡ: ሓንጎልኩም ኣስርሑ
    ዶር. ኣቢ ፍቕሪ ትብል ቃል ኣምሪሑ
    ንዓና ምስጨጉርና ኣብሪሑ
    ናብ ዓሰቡ ድቕድቕ DIA ኣምሪሑ
    ምድማር ኣይኮነን ‘ዚ መንነትና ጀሊሑ
    ኣይትተሃመሉ ተርድእዎ ጉርሑ

  • meretse July 28, 2018

    Good read yours too.
    Keep it live

  • Godaif July 29, 2018

    ከመይ ደሃይካ ኣይጥፋእ ። ጽቡቕ ዘረባ እዩ። ቋንቋታትካ ባህልኻ መንነትካ ኣባሓጎታትካ ውርሻካ ንዕቕ ኣቢልካን ብሓዊ ኣብሪስካን ፤ ነቲ ናይ ለቓሕ ዓረባዊ ባዕዳዊ መንነት ሰጊድካን ፤ ንመታትለሊ ሕጂ “መሬትና” እናበልካ ብኮምፒተር ተሓቢእካ ምውርዛይ !
    ጀብሃን ዓረባዊ ሕልማን ቀደም ተቐቢሩ እዩ። ጀብሃ ትኹን ቅያዳ-ኣልዓማ ኣብ ኤርትራ ኣይትመርሕን እያ። ሕልሚ ጀብሃ ከም ጨው ሓቒቑ እዩ። ቅበጽዋ።
    Hazo writes:
    “መሬትና” ዶ በልኪ ኣንቲ ሓብተይ?
    መሬት ብዘይ ናትካ ፥ ክብረት ፣ ክብረት ቋንቋታት ፣ መንነት ፣ ጥንታዊ ናይ መዋእል ታሪኽ ፣ ባህሊ ፣ ውርሻ ከንቱ እዩ።
    መሬት ብዘይ ሰብን እዚ ኩሉን ከንቱ እዩ። መሬት ሒዝካ ቋንቋታትካ ትግረ ትግርኛ ፣ ውርሻ ናይ ተስዓ ካብ ሚእቲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ፈንፊንካ፤
    ምስ ዓረብ ራሻይዳ በደዊን ስዑድያ ተደሚርካ ከንቱ እዩ።
    ተጋደልትናን ገድልናን ምስ በድዊን ስዑድያ ዓረብ ክንድመር ፤ ቋንቋታትና ትግረ ትግርኛ ክፍንፈን ኣይተጋደሉን።
    እንታይ ደኣ ብገዛእ መንነትናን ቋንቋታትናን ክንከብር እምበር።
    ስለዚ ንህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዝኾነ ይኹን ፈሽኳል ሰብ ቋንቋታቱ ዝፈንፈነ ፣
    ንኤርትራን መንነታን ዘይፈልጥ በለጸኛ ከዳሚ ዓቢድ ብዛዕባ ታሪኽ ኤርትራ ያኢ
    ትምህርትን መነቃቕሕን ክህበና ኣይነፍቅድን ። ኤርትራ ዓረባዊት ክትከውን ቋንቋታታ ክፍንፈን ዝሞተ የልቦን።
    ስለዚ ድማ እዩ ፣ መሬት በዘይ መንነት ቋንቋታት ታሪኽ ከንቱ ዝኸውን።

    • d July 29, 2018

      Dear Godaif,
      I believe the land {meriyetina) and sea {baHirina} of Eritrea were “liberated” in 1991.
      But, the poor people of Eritrea were NEVER liberated as they were NEVER colonized by anybody.
      How could you “liberate” people who are already free and happy on their own lands?
      Only weirdo and twisted non-functioning alien-loving people claim to liberate lands and seas!

    • Dawit July 29, 2018

      Dear Godaif,
      I believe the land {meriyetina) and sea {baHirina} of Eritrea were “liberated” in 1991.
      But, the poor people of Eritrea were NEVER liberated as they were NEVER colonized by anybody.
      How could you “liberate” people who are already free and happy on their own lands?
      Only weirdo and twisted non-functioning alien-loving people claim to liberate lands and seas!

POST A COMMENT