Thread by @abraham_zere

#Eritrea: Portrait of a zombified state:

(A Thread)

On #COVID19, #Ethiopia’n civil war, #Tigray, #TPLF, #Refugees. (1)

#Eritrea is state where fiction pales when compared to everyday reality. Complete information blackout, #PFDJ’s utter disregard of domestic affairs, citizens increasingly growing indifference combined, have created a new reality or close to reality TV show. (2)

Since April 1, it has enforced the strictest lockdown. No public transport; schools (except the military school in Sawa) still closed & no hint of opening; public places closed. Gov. boasts for putting #COVID19 under control but no hope of easing the lockdown: it served well. (3)

Probably the only concern of Z leadership is on sustaining #Sawa’s machinery for next year. If this academic year ends without schools, expect next year 11th grade to be taught in Sawa. #IsaiasAfwerki is known for having instantly hatched programs and no one questions him. (4)

The country’s only newspaper has been suspended for 5 months due to pandemic. Check @shabait now the country’s only newspaper has been reduced to 4 pages (or precisely a single A3 sheet from 16 pages). Still much of the content hardly touches the real issue of #Eritrea. (5)

#IsaiasAfwerki (who thinks #Eritrea is too small for his stature) has totally abandoned domestic issues. Since the peace deal with #Ethiopia in July 2018, he only met once with his cabinet of ministers while at least 16 times in person with #Ethiopia’s @AbiyAhmedAli. (6)

#LifePresidentIsaiasAfwerki’s mercurial temperament, his deeply entrenched bitterness, and his halted ambitions have plugged the country into utter poverty. Now it resembles a company on the verge of liquidation. (7)

You can check my previous posts about his leadership and his character:
1. @africasacountry africasacountry.com/2017/05/take-m…
2. @AJEnglish ttps://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/5/24/democracy-according-to-eritreas-afwerki-then-and-now/
3. @africasacountry: africasacountry.com/2017/10/everyo….
(8)

Following the president's footsteps, #Eritrea’n state officials have grown immunity to their pain and their peoples’ sufferings. Under self-imposed siege, in Mahmoud Darwish’s expression, “space becomes time
That has missed its yesterday and its tomorrow.” (Under Siege). (9)

Let’s give examples: the country’s minister of foreign affairs take a year to reply to a written interview 4 international media: shabait.com/2020/11/20/int…
When 8 rockets hit the country, the minister of information tweets about livestock vaccination

https://twitter.com/hawelti/status/1332336467419521038

. (10)

Tired of waiting & imperceptive environment, citizens too have developed a great sense of indifference & have been desensitized. When family members frantically call their relatives at home after the recent #TPLF rockets, most dismiss it, “Oh, it is far” in a composed tone. (11)

“I can’t live there; they succeeded in making us all hate each other. You can’t cross a road safely as you would think an enemy is on the watch. We all grew either numb or paranoid,” told me an acquaintance when I asked him why he left the country for good recently. (12)

The man seeking 4 externalizing domestic affairs finally succeeded in convincing his protégé @AbiyAhmedAli 2 start war & get rid of #TPLF. It was Isaias’ and Meles Zenawi’s (West’s favorite dictator & donors’ darling) personal ego that led the two countries into bloody war. (13)

Little digression on #TPLF

At the risk of sounding very crude and hoping I am in no way implicating the people of #Tigray, who have been doubly punished: #TPLF is harvesting what it sow over the years, mainly on its policy with #Eritrea. (14)

#TPLF’s policy towards #Eritrea over the last 20 years can be summarized: “Breakdown #Eritrea’n pride and let them be #Tigray’s subservient.”

They considered #Eritrea as a single entity and only Isaias’ home or a place inhabited by the Christian (Tigrinya) highlanders. (15)

The #EPRDF’s intelligence and forerunners on the #Eritrea’n affairs were indisputably filled with those who have rage against #Eritrea or others who looked down at the population. (16)

#TPLF’s leaders considered #IsaiasAfwerki as their main ally who would accomplish their tasks. They systematically discouraged all viable opposition to operate from #Tigray. Instead they were sponsoring misguided “opposition” or social media opinion leaders W myopic vision. (17)

The victims of the two sides’ shortsighted policies are the #Eritrea’n and #Tigray’an people. The sole responsible parties for the carnage are #TPLF leadership and #IsaiasAfwerki and his clique + plus his protégé (@AbiyAhmedAli). (18)

Except for the immediate beneficiaries of the system, #Eritrea’n diaspora R enablers of Isaias. Sorry, but not sorry, majority of #Tigray elites were either blindfolded with benefits of #TPLF or were brainwashed and failed to see this coming and alert the leadership. (19)

The main victims of this mayhem R #Tigray people and mainly #Eritrea’n refugees in Tigray. More than 90,000 Eritreans who have fled from repression R now b/n a rock and a hard place. With information blackout, myths, & conspiracy theories (only add panic) are abounding. (20)

On Nov. 19, HRCE (@ElsaChyrum) stated 6,000 #Eritrea’n refugees have been abducted by the Eritrean security: hrc-eritrea.org/ethiopia-thous…

On Nov. 30, Eritrea Hub (@martinplaut) stated Eritreans from refugee camps forcibly returned: eritreahub.org/breaking-eritr…. (21)

It is difficult to ascertain and hard to accept fully both claims. Previously some #Eritrea’n opposition have been trying to recruit from the camps but did not go well. With the recent developments they might have repeated that or…. (22)

…the #Eritrea'n security (having impunity from the #Ethiopian federal gov.) might have raided the camps to take some people who were in their radar. My educated guess is they could be in tens but won’t reach hundreds or thousands. I am saying this for three reasons. (23)

1. I doubt the #Eritrean security had premeditated plans
2. This feeds into the old myth as if the #Eritrea’n regime can carry out such operations.
3. Close to 8,000 Eritreans have fled to the Sudan. Majority who would be waiting in the camps would be children and women. (24)

On other developments: #Eritrea’n refugees in #MaiAini R in dire situation. As few contacts have managed to reach out relatives today (how they access telephone is a long story) told Z camp is now under #Tigray’s militia and taken back from the federal gov.’s forces. (25)

These who can walk long R fleeing to Adi-Arkay, of #Amhara region. Tension between the two forces is brewing and can erupt any moment. There is an acute shortage of supplies and the main victims are women and children. (26)

In the previous days some were able to walk to Adi-Arkay to access bank, do little shopping and help the most needy. Lately, however, they have been barred from leaving the camp by #Tigray militia and are waiting in fear. Children and women are crying for help. (27)

Meanwhile someone (motives unknown) has tossed a hand grenade at Hitsas refugee camp and wounded scores of #Eritrean refugees. Those who had sustained major wounds have been receiving treatments in Tokombia (#Eritrea). (28)