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Eritrea’s Mugabe – Assenna.Com Commentary

Eritreans who are familiar with the history of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the 93 years old strong man with one foot in the grave, are watching him intently and wondering whether Isaias Afwerki, who has

Eritreans who are familiar with the history of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the 93 years old strong man with one foot in the grave, are watching him intently and wondering whether Isaias Afwerki, who has just turned 72 recently, is going to follow the same path. Many think he is as senile and pitiful as Mugabe already.

Mugabe has been in power in Zimbabwe for 37 years.  His physical fitness to rule his country, once called the bread basket of Africa, is questionable.  He wrecked Zimbabwe’s economy and Zimbabweans continue to flee to South Africa in huge numbers.  Zimbabweans in South Africa, both black and white, make up the largest group of foreign migrants – now estimated to have reached four million.

Mugabe is so weak he stumbles, his speech is slurred, suffers from absent mindedness and yet he is convinced that he is the best man for the 2018 elections, the only option for his countrymen.  Many were expecting him to tap his wife to run for office.  He didn’t. Presumably he forgot.  Anyway, it is apparent that his condition has severely impaired his reasoning ability.  He is so drained he has no energy left in him to condemn Britain, former colonial master, as he used to.  As the world laughs at him Africans continue to internalise the shame Mugabe has brought to Africa.

What about Isaias Afwerki?  He has become cagier than ever as he continues to hold on to power by all means.  He does not have support from Eritreans inside and outside the country as government outlets continually propagate to prop up his image.  He is so bitter and has become cynical he does not grant interviews to foreign media any more.  He does not make state visits to western countries as he knows he is not welcome anymore.  What’s more, his obsession with Ethiopian affairs is so strong one can easily take notice of his growing paranoia day-by-day.  The country’s economic policies have, by his own admission, failed during the last 25 years.  Eritrea failed to create the private sector as the country pursues and pushes small business owners to their downfall.  Thousands of youngsters flee the isolated country each month making its defence forces devoid of the required level of manpower.

In 2015 the UN report accused the Eritrean government of crimes against humanity. And yet, President Isaias, like Robert Mugabe, continues to plod through the swamp.  Both leaders have plunged their respective countries into ‘a de facto state of warfare’ in order to stay in power.

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24 COMMENTS
  • Berhe Tensea February 22, 2017

    Excellent comparison, These two leaders have only brought economic decline and misery to their people.
    Thank you very uch

    • Seyum February 22, 2017

      Thank you very much for what?The two were great socialist leaders at one time. but time changes people also power blinds even formerly good people.

      • Sol February 23, 2017

        Regarding socialism, Mugabe may be he was a principled leftist for some time but DIA who has and had never a principle on his entire life used everything like ideology, religion, region etc to fulfill his aspirations to control power and people. What he is doing now is the same during all his power control of EPLF and the state, Alliance for DIA is a matter of game he was an ally of Weyane, Iran, Saudi Arabia and so on all the contradictions.

        • Tewolde February 23, 2017

          But you can never accuse Mugabe or DIA for personal corruption or bribery.
          .
          Sol, please enlighten us to what principles, ideology, religion, region or alliance you and your so called oppositions follow, don’t lecture us but tell us what is your principle and what alternative you have for Eritrea?

          • Sol February 23, 2017

            But you can never accuse Mugabe or DIA for personal corruption or bribery.

            I don’t know about Mugabe’s country but our Eritrea is a middle age state with no constitution, no budget, no institutions etc so it is all corruption of corruption.
            Your mafia boss DIA during the struggle time was like NEFAHITO when he goes to country like S>A he is against the expansion of communism, when he goes to Libya he is staging Zionism and imperialism and internally he systematically mobilized the people on religious bases for sometime and regional bases on another time but always the slogan was Awet nehfash like its current name PFDJ while the boss is enemy of the people,democracy and enemy of justice. ,

  • adhanom February 22, 2017

    Mugabe tolerates opposition, and atleast tried to return land to those who were enslaved by the white britons. He did not enslave his youngsters. These two points are stark differences b/n the two. They have many similarities but i do not think mugabe is as sadist as iseyas. Iseyas is simply a crude mafia.

  • k.tewolde February 23, 2017

    Regardless,one thing remains the truth,he is the product of the our society,molded and packaged by it,his longevity and sustenance is nourished from the very heart soul of the disillusioned Eritrean, as long as the two are in sync,the symbiotic existence is here to stay in one form or the other. In other words, either they will consume each other or thrive together. I hate to put it that way,but that is the stark reality.

  • Fisehaye February 23, 2017

    Issayas is not totalitarian but fascist as well. there are Tyrant, ruthless and dictators who clings to power but who does not kill people for with excuses. Issayas kills people. If we have to enlist all his victims we could generate a list of small Book. Issayas is a killer a fascist beast whose hands are socked with bloods of thousands of innocent people. He is a Hitler of the 21st Century.
    He contributed nothing to the human world except causing troubles right starting from his childhood!!!
    Megabe was a teacher in Ghana during parts of the liberation struggle but became a leader of the Zanu-PF party at a later time when he joined the struggle. He might be undemocratic but he has the intellectual mindset. It is Mengistu Hailmariam’s Advice that has made him more Dictator and Mengistu’s Advice is self serving, because with out Mogabe Mengistu’s fate is sealed.
    But even though, there is election in Zimbabwe every 5-years or so and there are opposition party even though there is plain field for a competition. Megabe has contributed to Society when he was a high school teacher in Ghana, but Issayas has nothing on record except all the Ugly things!!!.

    • Fisehaye February 23, 2017

      Sorry please read it as ” there is no plain field”

  • DANILO February 23, 2017

    ISEYAS is on top any way. He still ruling Eritrea as Ethiopian mercy less that never seen. He owns the country as proprietary including individual life. This is the difference.

  • int February 23, 2017

    because Mugabe stayed on power for all most 40 years and Isayas for 25 years,therefore staying dacades on power for the 2 men does not make them the same.Mugabe is a man who can move mountains with his speech and make shiver his and the continents enemies.As we know the Zimbabwe problem started with the land distrubition.The 80% arable land was owned by the 2% white people of European settlers.So Mugabe did make an end to this unfairness…and since then Mugabe and Zimbabwe become the target of the West…Mugabe is African hero..i do not know why there are Africans who view Mugabe with the telescope of European.settlers.?for those 2% settlers who grapped the 80% arable land, Mugabe is a villain,evil but to a zimbawean farmer who got back his ancestoral farm land Mugabe is a God sent leader….

    • Z. Hagos February 23, 2017

      int,
      Good catch. Mugabe president so also the Sudanese president and other African leaders were targeted by the west. The west never targeted Isaias. He has been receiving under table economic assistance. Even lately, the US Import Export dept. is accused of provided economic support to Isaias despite the UN’s accusation of forced labor or slavery in Eritrea. Isaias is not a principled leader. Some people call him Joker because he fits into any that serves his interest. .

  • Awet February 23, 2017

    Dear int!!! Mugabe snatched and grabbed lands by torturing, killings and expelling whites!!!!! Guess what happened? ? The rich bread basket turned poor, beggars, flocking into South Africa and Mugabe was left holding the empty bag of pride, bravado and misery!!!!!!!!! Does this make you happy? ??????? Come back to your senses! !!!! It is 2017!!!!!! That empty pride is responsible for our own downfall! !!!! ” Nihna feluiat hizbi ena” sounds familiar! !!!!!

    • int February 23, 2017

      God save Africa from people like you.Some evil folks manipulated your mind.if not.How can you claim then that it is ok the 2% to have total control of the 80-90% of the arable land?What is your next step !!!to appoint them as our leaders because they are good at cheating on human rights and manipulating things and our leaders failed us?I am totally against torturing and killings of innocent people.

  • Teddy February 23, 2017

    I totally disagree with your analog of PIE to President Mugabe. To make it clear there’s non like PIE in this planet. Besides, avoid creating enemies like President Mugabe. Let’s focus on the solution rather than writing fictions.

  • hidat February 24, 2017

    KILITE MERETOM (RISTI) BIHAYLOM ZEMLESU ABNETAWIAN MERAHTI AFRIKA:

  • adhanom February 24, 2017

    A leader who rule by intimidation is not a leader but a menace to the whole country. Africans should understand that no one is above any body else. That means all citizens are equal under the law. If that law is absent like in eritrea or is written by one man like that of gadafi, one person or one group becomes above the law that is drawn to control. The country becomes like thorn to the rest. It slides down the hill towards its destruction. That did happen in yemen, libya, somalia and our eritrea. Salute iseyas the great man super citizen with the best academic credential 12+2.

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