In 2003, when the government of Eritrea sent out orders to ban Amharic music in public, there was no official announcement made but simply oral orders passed around in public places such as bars and music shops. The owners of such businesses were told to stop playing music. Of course, that didn’t mean that the government was able to systematically monitor every household and stop people from listening to music.
In fact, people listened to Amharic music in public places including public transportation. I remember driving in a bus to travel outside of Asmara and listening to Amharic songs loud enough for all to hear. Today, the government has its own programs in Amharic and Oromigna (both languages spoken only in Ethiopia by the Amhara and the Oromo ethnic groups) on its state-owned television station Eri-TV where it broadcasts programs specifically containing political and entertainment programs mostly targeting the Ethiopian people.
Last week, there was similar news grabbing everyone’s attention on social media. I first learned about it on February 2nd when the Peninsula, a Qatar-based media outlet announced that Eritrea has blocked Al Jazeera news. The report said that orders came after the TV channel covered widespread protests in major cities abroad. Protests were also well-documented by different outlets and social media with videos from Europe and the U.S. in support of a day-long military mutiny on January 21st in Eritrea at the ministry of information. Diaspora groups not only demonstrated out in the streets but also stormed Eritrean embassies grabbing the attention of international media and incidents at embassies were covered by Al Jazeera’s The Stream.
The news, however, came back again with a fresh twist on Tuesday February 5, when Reporters Without Borders claimed that the government not only blocked access by citing Qatar-based newspaper Al-Sharq, but also issued a statement ordering public places to stop broadcasting the TV channel.
Reporters Without Borders which has labeled Eritrea’s state of freedom of press as one of the worst in the world by ranking it 179 out 179 said:
“The information ministry issued a decree on 1 February forbidding anyone in Eritrea to provide access to Al Jazeera. Public places such as restaurants, cafés and hotels were specifically targeted. To ensure compliance, Al Jazeera’s English-language channels were jammed.”
Reading this report was a stark reminder of the way orders to ban Amharic music passed around by word of mouth in 2003. Contrary to what government apologists repeat—philosophical reasons why there is no need for independent media—people in Eritrea are hungry for information. Rumors run rampant in Asmara and get around quickly. However for people who have lived in the country for years, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It bears repeating that the government doesn’t have the capacity to control every household and television dish which stream international programs into private homes. And most importantly, it doesn’t have the capacity to block all international satellite in the country.
The claim that Al Jazeera was banned resurfaced again on Iran’s television network Press TV when journalist Afshin Rattansi mentioned it during an interview with the Eritrean Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tesfamicael Gerahtu. Issues broached during the interview include: the January 21st mutiny that the government has refused to give details about despite reports of arrests of high-ranking government officials and military officers and questions of human rights abuses made official by the United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay. Rattansi asked if reports say that there are 5,000 to 10,000 political prisoners in Eritrea, why not give access to human rights groups to visit prisoners? The Ambassador didn’t have answers but instead blamed the usual suspect, the media. He, however, can only recite talking points with information available to everyone. This woefully inadequate response should remind all those watching: issues in Eritrea are not all that complicated. Explanation cannot be given until permission is granted from the top.
The root of the problem is a pattern that people fail to recognize. Even when one of the most loyal ministers, the Minister of Information, Ali Abdu, defected, some observers gave the minister too much credit. Even though he held the position for over a decade, what people fail to see is that he was not the puppet master as he may have appeared from the outside. The propaganda machine is not sophisticated. Any other person or minister who is posted to the same position of Information Minister could perform the task as long as orders come from top. After the minister’s defection was made public on the Expressen, a Swedish newspaper, Ali’s brother, who also runs a prominent opposition website based in the U.S. explained the truth loud and clear. It is this simple truth that explains the lack of accountability and transparency in the country and holds the answer to most questions about Eritrea. Here’s a translated verbatim excerpt from the interview .
“It is taboo to ask about things that are not related to one’s job to do. There is an old guerrilla culture in the country. It carries out orders without asking why.”
“It is routine to suspected dissidents arrested without court papers, without any documentation. Those who do the work, oral orders. Sometimes, there is over the phone and in coded language. They are afraid of being intercepted by Western intelligence services.”
How about this: http://www.tesfanews.net/archives/11819
I wonder why it didn’t catch the eyes of the so-called journalists, analysts & reporters even though it was made by someone inside the country unlike al-Sharq, Peninsula or Reports without borders.
Hi Salem,
Good article.
We all can agree the “revolution” in eritrea will not be televised.. when it comes..
What about at Africa talk?
Have you reached out the Eritrean government officials or their representatives in the America for an interview on you show?
What about some of these opposition parties or organizations? Or any of the Eritrean intellectuals like Gaim Kibreab, Habteselassie, etc..
http://www.davidbozzini.org/works/lecturestalks/authoritarianism_in_eritrea.pdf
However, watching all these youtube clips, it seems most of government officials or people connected with them don’t have much of media training or can’t hold a decent conversation on their own. Most the protesters in clips look young and probably did national service- it is strange and eerie in that it feels like a case of the “Chicken coming home roost”.
If governmental structure and management is run with guerrilla culture, do we have a civil society? So, the 20 years of independence wasn’t about building a good or functioning civil society but dysfunctional one. I am doubtful that this Minister Ali doesn’t know anything about some of the political prisoners like Dawit Issak. If not thru official channels, I am sure he heard unofficial.. I mean most of these guys were in battlefield for 30+ years together and they don’t share and discuss these things…
I had a chance to see them sipping drinks at one of the Top Hotel bars in capital.
Anyway, Maybe we should have seen it, when you name the money after Nakfa- it means you have no attention of leaving the battlefield at least in your head?
Keep the articles coming…
I cant believe that he just simply said it hyperbolic-ally, Badme is “Useless” …it is even wouldn’t be worth being bought for ₤10.
SELAMINA,,, Thank you for standing up to the GLOBAL MERCENARY SLAVE EMPIRES, wolves in sheep skin shedding crocodile tears in the name of UNSC.
SELAMINA,,
I’m proud of you, telling the SLAVE EMPIRES OF THE DAY SHEDDING CROCODILE TEARS FOR “LIBERTY”, CAN NOT KEEP TRADING ON ERITREAN BLOOD.
Thanks to Eritrean will power, devotion, determination & sacrifices,,,, SIXTY THREE YEARS OF THE UN SLAVE EMPIRE’S AGENDA TO BLEED ERITREANS, IS EXPIRED LIKE SPOILED MILK.
FOR THE RECORD,,,,
In Dec. 2,1950, the UN-Res. 390, the UN voted 46 to 10 to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia, against Eritreans demand for independence.
“From the point of view of justice, the opinions of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interests of the US in the Red Sea Basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that Eritrea be linked with our ally, Ethiopia”.
John F. Dulles
US State Secretary
SIXTY ONE YEARS LATER,,,
ERITREAN RESURRECTION: Forcing slave-empires to SUCCUMB to Eritrean independence
“By logic, the Nation of Eritrea should not exist. The secessionist province’s independence fighters ought never to have defeated Ethiopia in their 30-year-long struggle. They were outmanned, outgunned, abandoned or betrayed by every ally; their cause was hopeless. They won by force of character, a unity and determination so steely not all the modern armaments, super power support or economic superiority of Ethiopia withstand it”.
TIME
ERITREAN RESURRECTION: Forcing slave-empires to accept Eritrean independence.
“By 24 May 1991 inside Eritrea, close to 1 million highly armed Ethiopian soldiers had been killed, thousands of tanks, armored vehicles & military tracks had been sublimated, a couple hundred fighter jet & helicopters had been smashed into pieces, infinite heavy and light weaponry and ammunition had been destroyed & captured. These all happened with each Eritrean fighter fighting 20 Ethiopian soldiers”.
History of Eritrea
War for independence
Wikipedia encyclopedia
ERITREAN RESURRECTION: Forcing slave-empires to succumb to the “FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE WORLD”,,,, ERITREA!!!
“The Economist predicts Eritrea, which is set to begin production at its first operational gold mine, will overtake Qatar as the world’s fastest-growing economy, Eritrea’s growth 17%, GROWTH GIANT, world’s fastest-growing countries”.
David Milstead
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist
Dec. 27, 2010
ERITREAN RESURRECTION: Forcing slave-empires to succumb to the “FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE WORLD”,,,, ERITREA!!!
“As Europe faces its biggest crisis since WWII, with some predicting economic catastrophe,,, Eritrea in the horn of Africa celebrates its 20th independence anniversary, some predicting that this year ERITREA is going to have the fastest-growing economy in the world, PROVING US SANCTIONS IRRELEVANT”.
“Fastest growing economy in the world”
Double Standards
07-02-2011
UK
ERITREA: Asmara gold: Sunridge starts on Asmara earlier than planned
Africa Mining Intelligence N°288
02/01/2013
“Sunridge Gold Corp is scheduled to put its poly-metal Asmara project (copper, zinc, gold and silver) in Eritrea into production sooner than scheduled”.
Namibian Copper NL spies new prospects An old hand in African mining, Colin Ikin, who is current chairman of the Australian explorer Namibian Copper NL which has confined itself to Namibia up to now on the continent, is planting the company’s flag in Eritrea.
Rueters
For UNSC, the collection of FALLING SLAVE EMPIRES, the “New World Order” starts bleeding mankind all over the world, for mercenary economic conquest of the world.
HELL NO,,,, NOT IN MY ERITREA!!!
KEEP THE MERCENARY SLAVE EMPIRES,,,, Hands off Eritrea!!!
Long Live the new young TIGER, ERITREA, the African hope !!!