Mereja.Forum

[Zmeselo]

Eritrean community festival in the US

http://www.shabait.com/news/local-news/ ... val-in-us-



Asmara, 23 August 2020- The Eritrean community festival in the US that was held from 15 to 22 August under the theme “resilience and Progress” concluded with patriotic zeal.

The festival that was officially opened in Seattle and went for seven days in various cities in the US, was virtually conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival was featured by more than 32 programs; including seminars regarding ‘Geo-Political Situation in the Horn of Africa’, ‘Eritrea’s Role in the Horn of Africa’ ‘National Development Strategy of Eritrea’ ‘All Rounded Effort to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic’, ‘Nurturing the Youth with Eritrean Noble Values”, “Importance and Progress of Public Diplomacy’, ‘Objective Situation in the Homeland’, ‘Recollection of Festivals in the Past 40 Years’ and others.

The seminars were attended by Academicians and Political Analysts from Eritrea, the US, the UK. Sweden, Somalia, Sudan

The festival was highlighted by artistic and cultural performances, by Eritrean artists in the US.

The event was observed by nationals in the US and other countries, through EriXpress social media.



In his message through zoom video, Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, commending the organizers of the festival and the contribution extended by nationals to the effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the unity and commitment the nationals demonstrated towards their country, said that Eritrea is exerting its level best to combat the spread of the pandemic and so far no death has been registered.

Minister Osman in his message explained Eritrea’s strategy to combat COVID-19 pandemic based on the national strategy program outlined by President Isaias Afwerki in his key- note address, in connection with the 29th Independence Day Anniversary.

Minister Osman also expressed condolence to the families in the US who lost their loved ones due to COVID-19 and called on the nationals to take utmost care at this crucial time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Berhane Gebrehiwet, Charge d’Affairs at The Eritrean Embassy in the US, on his part expressed appreciation for the participation and contribution of nationals for the success of the festival and called for reinforced participation for future similar national programs.

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EmbassyMedia - EriEuroFestival2020 - Opening Ceremony 27th August 2020

[Zmeselo]

Some Facts on The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC).

1) The EEBC was established in 2001 & mandated to make 'Final & Binding' Delimitation & Demarcation Decision.
2) No third party, neutral body, mediator or alternative mechanism is allowed.
3) The EEBC is mandated only & only to resolve the border dispute, through Arbitration.
4) The EEBC gave its Final & Binding Delimitation Decision on April 13, 2002.
5) The flashpoint of the dispute, was awarded to Eritrea. Remains occupied by Ethiopia.
6) Ethiopia under TPLF grip failed to uphold its commitment to international law, refused to allow the EEBC to perform its mandated job of putting pillars & markers on the ground.
7) The Commission virtually demarcated - border in 2007.
8 ) Copies of 45 maps (1:25,000 scale) with coordinates was sent to both countries on 30/11/2007.
9) Copy deposited with the UN
10) Another copy, deposited with the UN cartographic office.
11) until 2018 (TPLF) refused to accept ruling; bringing endless airy-fairy excuses.
12) In July 2018, the Asmara declaration for peace, friendship & cooperation was signed; After PM Abiy Ahmed Ali declared unconditional acceptance of the EEBC ruling earlier.
13) The 4th point of the Asmara declaration, is on full implementation of Algiers agreement & the EEBC ruling.
14) To-date, the EEBC ruling isn't fully implemented due to TPLF's wayward impediment to peace in the region; using the border as pretext to quell its internal shockes & 'sustain crisis' in Ethiopia.
15) Eritrea is committed to give peace the chance it deserves; knowing well the price it entails!
(MEHRETAB MEDHANIE: @EriPrism)

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Sabean is a South Arabian writing system, whose parent writing is proto Sinaitic scripts. Sabean writing system is a branch of the South-Arabian written language, which was spoken in Yemen between 1000 BC & 6th C AD, by the Sabean people.



Sabean is written in south Arabic alphabet; it is marked only with consonants. The script is a consonant type of writing system, which is used around the southern Arabian Peninsula.

The South-Arabians moved to the coastal areas of Eritrea; Assab, Edi, Beilul and moved toward the highland, due to the hot weather in the coastal areas, where they were engaged in farming. The region became a station of hunters, traders & farmers.

Sabean writings, have been discovered around Adi-Qeyih. Archaeologists found numerous kinds of cursive South- Arabian writings. The southern region of Eritrea, especially the Adi Qeyih area, is endowed with a variety of archaic South-Arabian writing systems.



A variety of scripts have been found in Adi- Gramaten La’lay, Adi-Zban, Mororo, Gobo Fenseh & Fqiya Keskese. The inscription's direction of the line is from right to left, or the reverse. 2 kinds of Sabean writing systems, the cursive & quasi monument have been discovered.

The Sabean inscriptions found in Adi Qeyih region were cursive writing, that migrated from the Arabian Peninsula. This evidence indicate a strong link of the South-Arabian people to Eritrea & the Sabean writing system, which later evolved into Geez script.



The oldest inscription of Ge’ez, dates back 3rd to 4th Centuries. The Bible was translated into Ge’ez, between the 5th & 7th Centuries. Ge’ez ceased as a spoken language, between 900 & 1200. However, it is still used by Orthodox and Catholic churches in Eritrea & Ethiopia.



The 1st written example of Tigrinya is a text of local laws found in the district of Logo Sarda, southern Eritrea, which dates from the 1200s. Tigrinya, Tigre & Amharic originated from Ge'ez and are written in the Ge'ez script.

The first work published in Tigrinya was a translation of the 4 Gospels by Dabtera Matewos, written in the 1830s & published in 1866 in Basle, Switzerland. This work was the first appearance of the Tigrinya language in book form, as well as in a full Ge’ez script.

Keren had the first printing press in Eritrea in 1878, which was transferred to Asmara in 1899. In 1896, the “printed version” of the Tigrinya alphabet by Dr. K. Winqwist’s was published. The first Tigrinya newspaper, MelEkhti Selam (the Message of Peace) was published in 1909.
(History of Eritrea ታሪኽ ኤርትራ.تاريخ إريتريا: @Erihistory)

[Temt]

Interesting indeed!

[Zmeselo]

From 24 June-3 July 1970, Popular Liberation Forces (PLF-I) was formed. Mohammed A Omero, Mesfin Hagos, Measho Embaye, Mohammed O Abdelah (Abu Tyara), Alamin M. Said, Mehari Debessai, Omar Damir, Mohammed O Ahmed, & Ali M Osman were elected as leaders.

In Mar 1970, another faction split off (from the Ala area) & established the Eritrean Freedom Party (Selfi Natsinet Ertra) (later PLF-II) at a conference in Tekhli, 13-15 Aug 1971. A 5-man leadership; Mesfin Hagos, Solomon W., Asmerom G. & Tewelde Eyob, led by Isaias Afwerki was elected.

In Nov 1970, another faction from the Barka region split off from the ELF & held its 1st meeting that gave rise to a 3rd splinter group, the Obel. In Sept 1973, PLF-I & PLF-II merged & formed the Eritrean People’s Liberation Forces (EPLF). The Obel Group joined the EPLF, in June 1974.

It was in 1977, at the 1st Congress, that EPLF was named Eritrean People Liberation Front ህዝባዊ ግንባር ሓርነት ኤርትራ (ህ.ግ.ሓ.ኤ) ኣብ ቀዳማይ ውድባዊ ጉባኤ. In Sept 1973 ህ.ሓ.ሓ.ኤ was formed.
(History of Eritrea ታሪኽ ኤርትራ.تاريخ إريتريا: @Erihistory)

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ሓተታ-መስፍን ሓጎስ: ካብ ኣምበላይ ናብ ኣምቡላ::
እዋናዊ ዜና ካብ ከተማ ኣስመራ: ብጋዜጠኛ ገረመስቀል ገረዝጊሄር

[Zmeselo]

Als Interessenvertreter von Menschen mit Migrationsgeschichte & wichtiges Gremium der Stadt Köln wollen wir für die kommende Legislaturperiode unseren Beitrag leisten durch kulturelle Öffnung Potentiale zu ermöglichen um eine starke Integrationspolitik in unserer Stadt zu fördern.
Software Translation:
As a representative of the interests of people with a migration history & an important body of the city of Cologne, we want to make our contribution for the coming legislative period through cultural opening to enable potential to promote a strong integration policy in our city.
(Vivian Berhane: @VivianBerhane)



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መብዛሕትና ነዚ ቀጻሊ ዝወሃብ ሓበሬታ ኮቪድ 19 ዝነበረን ዘሎን መምርሒታት ሸለል ብምባል ዝቐሰንና ንመስል ከም ዘለና ናይ ዕዳጋ ምስጢር እዩ። ስለ ዝኾነ ነዚ ሎሚ ሰንበት ዝዋሃብ ኣገዳሲ መልእኽቲ ንሳተፎ።
(Dawit Tekeste: @gemel70)

[Zmeselo]

ኣብ ከባቢ ሓልሓለ፡ ክሳብ 2000 ከብቲ ክሕዝ ዝኽእል ዘመናዊ ህንጻ ኣብ መስርሕ ህንጸት ይርከብ።

ብሩኽ ሰምበት ይግበረልና!
መድሃኔ ኣለም ቤተ ክርስትያን - ኦሮታ ሆስፒታል ኣስመራ




ባይቶ ጸዋሪት - ጸዓዘጋ:: Eritrea- Architecture
Kibreab Tesfay designed this house, with the aim of re-creating his Eritrean identity and respecting the local architecture.
(Ghideon Musa: @GhideonMusa)

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Young Eritrean women entrepreneurs, discussing about their products live on EriXpress Media's Facebook page: https://t.co/n4N5iEloK6

[Zmeselo]

ብሰንኪ ኮቪድ 19 ናይ ዋጋ ዝቕባበ ኣብ ኤርታራ ዋላውን እንተሎ፡ ኩሉ ዓይነት መግብታትን ካልኦት ኣገደስቲ ነገራት ኣብ ዕዳጋ ኮነ ኣብ ድኳናት ተዘርጊሑ ይርከብ፡፡ (c/o MassawaTube)

ስእሊ: ዕዳጋ ደቀመሓረ

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ዲጋ ምስላም (ገርገራ ) ኣስታት 40 ሚልዮን ሜ.ኲ ሒዙ ንህዝብን ኣብ ከባቢኡ ንዘሎ መሬት ዘልምዕ ዘሎ ዲጋ።
Photos: @MussieTedros

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ERi-TV: Climate change adaptation program in water and agriculture in Anseba Region, Eritrea.

[Zmeselo]

Eritrea and the change we need

A great attention is being given to instant change from mode of thinking/doing to another form, wholesale change. This presupposes a split second jump from one extremity (underdevelopment/state of war) to the other (development).

Such presumptions are in fact misleading, and out of context. By emphasising immediate jump, the presumptions tend to neglect the weight of difficulties & structural modes (of governance) adopted to suit war time situations....

Between the 2 extremes there is an intermediate, a diffused space, in which social, economic & political context define the extent/nature/scope of the change we need or don't need. There's been massive disruption of normalcy, to suit the abnormal socio-political & economic reality.

However, such disruptions lend essential lessons for the future of Eritrea. An Eritrean body of knowledge. New models that don't take stock of such an experience would spring up, alienating factors for the people who would be asked to adopt (to) them.

The Eritrean context meant that there is ample reason to reject the calls for 'change' coming from unadapted, out of touch and confused minds. We can't allow the models that won us the peace, to be swallowed up in the whirlpools of 'imaginary changes' & disappear forever.

Then how should change unfold in Eritrea?

The painter is standing a little back from her canvas. She is glancing at her Model; perhaps she is considering whether to add some finishing touch, though it is also possible that the first stroke has not yet been made.

Michel Foucault

(MEHRETAB MEDHANIE: @EriPrism)

[Zmeselo]

ንለበዳ ቫይረስ ኮሮና: ክንገብሮ ዘሎና ጥንቃቐ ዝላቦ መልእኽቲ ካብ ኤምባሲ ሃገረ ኤርትራ @EmbassyEritrea ኣብ ዋሽንግቶን ዲሲ



ርዱእ'ዩ፡ እዚ ሰራም ሕማም ቫይረስ ኮሮና ዝጠልቦ "ምርሕሓቕ" ምስ'ቲ ክቡር ናይ ምብጽጻሕን፡ ምጽንናዕን ባህልና ዝኸይድ ኣይኰነን፡፡ ግንከ ንሓዘን፡ ንተዝካር፡ ንልደት፡ ንስግደት፡ ንመመረቕታ ንወጃዕታ ኢልካ ጥንቃቐ ዘይብሉ ምቅርራብ ዕሽነትዩ።

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The motives behind demonising Eritrea; as it takes painstaking efforts fighting #COVID19, & its socioeconomic effects. The culprits are avowed enemies & the bellicose "regime change" paupers, who spend more time fighting than building.

1) Having comeout of a 20 years of war footing, adversity & sanctions that severely bled the country; leadership will fail to maintain functional institutions. Typical neocon tactic of kicking away the ladder.

2) People are already fatigued, living in difficulty past 20yrs & its resultant socio-economic hardship. Leadership & its ideas will lose their allure with the people. Hence, take any little opportunity as a 'golden' to effect further pressure.
(MEHRETAB MEDHANIE: @EriPrism)

[Zmeselo]

Painting from 1937, depicting the Teleferica (Cableway) @SunShine hotel Asmara
The Asmara-Massawa Cableway was a cableway (or "ropeway") built in Eritrea, before World War II. The Eritrean Ropeway, completed in 1937, ran 71.8 km from the south end of Asmara to the port- city of Massawa.

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Asmara suburbs looking green, clean & serene. But you have 2b here 2 fill your lungs with the crisp fresh air & feel rejuvenated. Rain PLEASE keep on falling, till end of the natural Season. Beat #ClimateChange ,#SDG13 for a bumper harvest.
(Seble Ephrem: @SebleEphrem)








ኣብ ዞባ ደቡብ ከባቢ 400 ሄክታር ዝለምዕ ዘሎ ሕርሻ መግቢ እንስሳ። እዚ ሕርሻ፡ ነተን ኣብ ውሽጢ ሃገር ዝፈርያ ዘለዋ ናይ ጸባን ውጽኢቱን ዝዀና ጥሪት፡ ብዘመናዊ ኣገባብ ዝለምዕ ዘሎ ናይ መስኖ ሕርሻ ብዘይ ምቁራጽ፡ መግቢ እንስሳ ዘፍሪ ዘሎ ወፍሪ እዩ።



ኣብ ሓልሓለ: ምርባሕን ምስባሕ ከብትን መደብ ተጀሚሩ ጽቡቕ ይኸይድ ኣሎ።
(Ghideon Musa: @GhideonMusa)

[Zmeselo]

Date Palm: The Nutritious Side of Food Security

Written by Sirak Habtemichael

http://shabait.com/articles/q-a-a/30954 ... -security-

Articles - Q & A


Abdellah Al Swahil, is a farmer from the outskirts of the town of Shieb. He has been practicing date palm farming since 1994, when not many Eritrean farmers had the slightest knowledge about the importance of date palms and the fertility of the vast planes of land that have recently been proved very rich in soil content suitable for date palms.

Abdellah Al Swahil first became interested in growing the nutritious, sweet fruit when he left Eritrea as a teenager to find work in Saudi Arabia. When he returned to Eritrea, he became one of the first date palm growers in the country, having to build his knowledge from scratch. Currently, he has close to 500 date palm trees in his farm. During a brief stay in Shieb, we had a very interesting conversation with Abdellah Al Swahil.

Can you please tell us about your experience in date palm farming?

It was during my teenage years, when I was in Saudi Arabia, that I started to know about date palm farming. I always believed, that I would bring back my knowledge and experience to my country and share the harvest of this sweet and nutritious fruit with my own people. I came back here, a couple of years after Eritrea’s independence and started my own farm.

Was it easy to manage the farm, at the beginning?

I take growing date palms, very seriously. For me, planting one date palm is the same as having a child; it needs my utmost care and input. But, of course, I had to get through a handful of challenges to be where I am at the moment. Besides, it was hard to differentiate between male and female plants, good or bad dates. I had to wait for ten years until the trees were fully-grown and started to bear fruit. Then I kept the good ones and cut off the bad ones.



How did you find the quality of land and the climate in Eritrea, for date palm?

Starting from my time in Saudi Arabia, I have always been optimistic about the fertility of the land in Eritrea. So I believed all the eastern planes of Eritrea, including the coastal area, are good for date palm. The soil is rich in content and the underground water is plenty. The place that I worked on was a desert, but here the atmosphere is much better for the farm. Another good part about date palms, is that they can desalinate sea water and feed from it. In this case, we should know that the entire 1,200 kilometers long coastal area that we have here in Eritrea is good for date palm.

What was the knowledge of the farmers in Eritrea like, when you first came?

Date Palm is a relatively new plant in Eritrea, with only a few varieties being grown in a handful of orchards. So, with the little experience that I brought to Eritrea, I couldn’t find date palm farmers. I always believed that in any kind of farming in addition to the experts’ advice and assistance that you can get from the Ministry of Agriculture, it is always good to share experience with other farmers. I would dare say that I have come a long way as a lone farmer in this particular area, but the number is increasing these days and the cooperation is growing accordingly.



What are the essential things that need to be known about date palm?

From my experience, it is always good to know the type of tree you plant. As I told you, during the initial stage of my experience, I had to wait years till I knew the type of trees I had. In this case, the farmer always needs to know his trees and pollinate them accordingly from the good, sweet breed. Another important thing to know, is the time and frequency of watering the farm. You also need nets and other protection coveralls, to protect the fruits from birds. Like other plants, date palm also needs continuous care and spray of pesticides, especially against red ants, which are particularly very harmful to the trees.

What future plans do you have?

I have achieved my first plan. I saw the independence of my country and I am growing my own date palm plantation, on my land. What remains now, is to turn the entire coastal area of Eritrea green with date palms. Now that many individual farmers and organizations are engaged in date palm cultivation, I am convinced we can achieve this by collaborating with one another and spreading the knowledge of growing date palms to the rest of the eastern lowlands. Dates are rich in nutritious contents and I always want to be a part of the contribution these trees can make to my people. I also want to advise my fellow countrymen, not only farmers, to plant at least two date palms at home. That way every household could be food secure.

[Zmeselo]

August in the History of Eritrea.

Saturday, 22 August 2020

Written by Simon Weldemichael

http://shabait.com/categoryblog/30953-a ... f-eritrea-



In the historical calendar of Eritrea, the month of August is filled with major events that have great significance in the course of history of the Eritrean people.

For the moment I have selected four historical events that happened in August.

August 2, 1889 -- the occupation of Asmara by Italy: In 1885, the Italians expanded their control from Assab to Massawa. The desire to expand their colonial possession and control of the highlands was met with stiff resistance, and it took them additional four years to reach Asmara. Finally, the Italians entered Asmara on August 2, 1889 and occupied much of the southern and western parts of Eritrea. By a decree issued on January 1, 1890, Italy proclaimed Eritrea her colony.

In their march to Asmara and their attempt to consolidate their rule over Eritrea, the Italian colonial army was confronted by the local people. The traditional political elites of Eritrea, organized their people and showed considerable amount of resistance. But the resistance of Eritreans did not last long, for lack of effective organization and coordination. At that time, the Eritrean people were suffering from famine, known by Eritreans as zebene akahida, that lasted until 1892. Besides the social and economic strife caused by the famine, the Eritrean people became victims of various Tigrean warriors, notably Ras Alula, who inflicted enormous damage. War and famine drained the strength of the population, and it was under such circumstances that Italy occupied Asmara.

When the Italians occupied the highlands and the western lowlands, they eliminated the Eritrean traditional political elites. According to Zemhret Yohannes’s Tigrinya book, ‘The Italian colonization’, between 1890 and 1891, the Italians killed 800 Eritreans, twelve of whom were traditional political elites. Through summary execution or imprisonment, the Italians eliminated the leading traditional political elites and their supporters.

After 52 years of Italian occupation, Asmara was taken by British Forces on April 1, 1941 and was ruled by them for a decade. On May 24, 1991 the Eritrean People’s Liberation army liberated Asmara and Eritrea became independent.

August 3, 1961 – Establishment of the Asmara Theater Association: In the same year that Eritrea’s armed struggle started by Hamid Idris Awate, Asmara Theatre Association was established. This historical coincidence is indicative of the association’s future role in the cultural front. It provided an outlet, for the frustrated Eritrean population. Asmara Theater Association was the most successful cultural association in Eritrea, that left an indelible mark on Eritrean society. Although the works of the association were subjected to censorship by the Ethiopian colonial authorities, the artists were usually able to skillfully mask the political content of their works. Songs of veteran Eritrean singers such as Tewelde Redda’s Shigey habuni (give me my torch), Atewebrhan Segid’s Aslamay Kstanay, Alamin Abdelletif’s Fatuma Zahra, Osman Abdulrahim’s xebhi xom and Tebereh Tesfahuney’s Abi Hidmo are some of the immortal songs of the 1960s, with double meaning, that have serious political messages against Ethiopian hegemony.

Tikabo Weldemariam and Tewelde Redda, veteran Eritrean singers, were regarded as important figures in the establishment of Asmara Theater Association. The cultural association played a great role in the development of national culture and served as an outlet to express Eritrean identity and nationalism. The association included artists from different ethnic groups and gave appropriate attention to women’s participation. Some of the well-known Eritrean women singers in the association include: Tebereh Tesfahuney, Tsehaytu Beraki, Algenesh Kiflu, Amleset Abbai, Genet Teferi, Hiwot Tedla, Letebrehan Dagnew and Tegbaru Teklai.

The association had in its membership well-known singers, writers, musicians, and comedians, including Solomon Gebregzhiabhier, comedian and playwright, Asres Tessema, musician, Asmerom Habtemariam, playwright and announcer, Osman Abdulrahim, singer, Negusse Haile, a playwright, and legendary singers such as Yemane Gebremichael (Baria), Alamin Abdulatif and Tebereh Tesfahuney.

Asmara Theater Association, toured across Eritrean towns and Ethiopia. In describing the performance of the theatre association in Addis Ababa, Mengistu Gedamu, an Ethiopian journalist, said:

There were thousands of people crowded around the entrance to the hall… Women who had paid 25 Birr for their hairstyles, found their hair disordered by the crush. The entrance fee was 5 Birr, but many people were willing to pay 25 Birr to enter the hall… Eventhough I could not understand the language (Tigrinya) or the message, I enjoyed the way they play and how the music was performed. In fact, it was the best I have ever seen. Alemayo Kahsay performed the Italian Toto and Tebereh Tesfahuney sang like the American Doris Day.

Members of Asmara Theater Association, lived under constant surveillance by Ethiopian colonial security authorities. Almost all were sent to prison, for some time. Through their performance, the artists were able to influence the public to join the liberation struggle. During 1970s, the majority of the members of the association joined the ELF and the EPLF. The Eritrean revolution produced many revolutionary artists, that fought against the colonial and decadent culture. In his book, ‘The Wretched of the Earth’, Fanon wrote:

To fight for national culture first of all means fighting for the liberation of the nation, the tangible matrix from which culture can grow.

Eritrean artists as cultural combatants have fired liberator cultural bullets to liberate the nation- culturally, psychologically and politically. Today, many young artists sing the 1960s and revolutionary songs of Eritrea.

August 4, 1984 – Launching of the Eritrean Festival in Bologna: Before Eritrea’s independence the annual Eritrean festival was held in Bologna, Italy. Eritreans from all over the world used to assemble in Bologna, to celebrate the Eritrean culture and to express their support for the struggle for independence. The festival served as a vehicle of mobilization and construction of Eritrean national identity. The festival in Bologna has a symbolic value, in the history of Eritrea. It was not merely a cultural event or celebration; it was rather a continuation of the struggle for independence in a diplomatic frontline. The festival provided a common ground for interaction and strengthened Eritreans’ solidarity. As a cultural event, it gave an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the diversity of the Eritrean culture. After independence, the national festival is celebrated annually in Asmara.

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Areal photo of the vast planes of Harena, Northern Red Sea region.
Credit: MOI- EriTv

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China’s belt and road initiative: Implications in Africa

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