Dear Eden:
On what basis are "Tigrinya speakers" in Seraye, Hamasiem, and Akele Guzai Tegaru?
National Service in Eritrea was on paper and officially and publicly proclaimed, and the term of service was 18 months. It was made indefinite because of the unexpected need that Eritrea's national security had demanded, not as ShaEbiyya's expression of hatred of Tigrayans. The enemy could have been any power other than TPLF-led Etiyopiya, a responsible government would, I believe, react the same way. I think you are purposely misinterpreting it for political reasons, while the case is really otherwise(like I stated above). Who would think, in 1994, that TPLF-Etiyopiya would re-kindle irredintism to claim Eritrean territory 3 to 4 years later? Definitely, National Service was generally a good nation-building policy and a national defense strategy, but it was a project for internal unity and defense of our freedom; and it was not an expression of hatred towards the Tigraiyan people. That is where I believe you are confusing the issues.
You also stated that
Amaniel Sahile brought the underlying issue and openly discussed it, making the strategy useless.
Amanuel Sahle's thesis of why Eritreans allegedly hate Tegaru (i.e. because Tigraiyans who come to Eritrea for employment or trade were poor or not modernized, or dirty, and with strange Tigrinya accent,etc.,and therefore ethnically discriminated, because Italian colonizers brainwashed Kombishtato --Campo di Citta--Asmarini to be racists, or have colonial mentality, etc.) without researched evidence, is a joke. It is total mis-characterization of Eritreans. Some Eritreans definitely do dislike some behaviors of some Tigraiyans, some Eritreans interact with Tegaru in many ways, some Eritreans don't know Tigraiyans. But if Eritreans had racist and discriminatory hatred towards Tigraiyans, we wouldn't have intermingled, married or cooperated with each other to great extent before the border war, at all. Why did his Eritrean grandfather marry his Tigraiyan grandmother, then? Do you think he is thinking right? I believe either Amanuel Sahle doesn't know Eritreans that much, and/or he is an opportunity hunter.
The underlying core issues of conflict between TPLF-Tigraiy and ShaEbiyya-Eritrea is not what he enumerated, but what he left out: the policies, practices and behaviors of the Tigraiy elites towards Eritrea and our proto-Eritrean ancestors. You aimed to take part or all of our territory, to impose an ethnic/national identity on Biher Tigrinya without good reason, to divide Eritrea's Biherat and weaken our united strength to stay free and prosper, Raisi Alula massacred 2/3 of the Kunama and Nara population on November 22, 1886, and TPLF refused for long to respect their own treaties with us, to say the least. Italian colonialism was not the main factor that separated Tegaru and Tigrinya. Some Eritreans, for instance, preferred to live under imperial Italian rule than under cruel Tigraiyan conquerors. Some say that we have been together since the Aksumite era, and therefore we are one people, but our memory says otherwise.
Tigraiyan elites did, and still do, pose a continual threat to our freedom. That is the core issue between you and us. Our differentiation has been a systemic process that went on for a long time. Please take note that for about 1100 years after the demise of the Aksumite Empire in 916-940? AD, the Etiyopiyan Tegaru and the Eritrean Tigrinya (though they maintain some shared cultural traits) have continued drifting apart into two distinct political entities.
I have read your following definition of Tegaru:
Tegaru is tigrigna speaking people in adigrat, seraye, axum, enderta, hamasen, adwa, akeleguzai, shire, etc etc.
Nothing Tigraiyan elites like you say or do surprises me any more these days. I want you to know,though, that everything you say cannot be true just because you just said it, or put it down in writing. You must have some basis for believing in what you stated. What is it? Tell us, please.
Tegaru or Tigreans, or Tigrawian or Tigraiyans is the plural forms of the singular Tigrawi(t), Tigre ትግሬ, or Tigraiyawi(t), or Tigraiyan. And they are native to the land known as Tigrai, or Tigre ትግሬ, Tigray, Tigraiy. On that basis, the people of Adigrat, Axum, Enderta, Aadwa and Shirre are Tegaru. So I ask you: what is the ethnicity of Tegaru, and on what basis (or reasons) are the Tigrinya of Seraye, Hamasiem, and Akele Guzai Tegaru?
eden wrote: ↑05 Sep 2019, 17:12
YAY wrote: ↑05 Sep 2019, 10:15
Dear Eden:
Could you explain what you mean by EthioTegarus? or Eri Tegarus? HGDeF never had, to the best of my knowledge and understanding, any strategy or policy of hate against Tigrawian.
The hgdef mendef never had 'indefinite national service' strategy on paper neither. But in effect, that is what the strategy was and what was implemented. Ethio Tegaru hate as a strategy is same thing. Amaniel Sahile brought the underlying issue and openly discussed it, making the strategy useless.
P.S. Tegaru is tigrigna speaking people in adigrat, seraye, axum, enderta, hamasen, adwa, akeleguzai, shire, etc etc.