Taken from my FB page:https://www.facebook.com/mahmud.hamed.148
The total disregard the Eritrean govern has shown to inform Eritreans about the ongoing peace process with Ethiopia has given an impetus to the conspiracy theorists who have been peddling accusations that Eritrea is sold. Why are Eritreans kept in the dark? Why does the government of Eritrean cheat itself by acting in a manner that apparently assumes Eritreans’ diverse views could be reduced to the loyalists’ who need no explanations?
The PM of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and his office have been the source of information for the ongoing peace process and the interpretive explanations of the agreement. Missing from the theater is the Eritrean government.
1. The narrations concerning the use of Eritrean ports are monopolized by Ethiopia.
2. Explanations about the implementation of the broad agreements, including people to people outreach are firmly controlled by Ethiopian media and PM of Ethiopia. Now we hear army officers of both countries met and a joint celebration for the new Ethiopian year is in full swing.
3. We heard from Ethiopian officials about ongoing endeavors to repair and open the Ethio-Eritrean four measure roads.
4. We get occasional comments from the PM of Ethiopia on the most sensitive of all issues, the status of the border.
5. We heard from the Ethiopian authorities that PM Abiy Ahmed found a miracle to have TPLF and PFDJ communicate.
6. We hear of news that Ethiopia is embarking on building a strong navy and rumors have it that it will be stationed in Eritrean sovereign territory. Nothing wrong with having a joint navy force but that is not an Eritrean priority and it is wrong to entertain this issue before the damn border is demarcated, and before taking steps that heal the festering wounds. In addition, this is a vital constitutional issue. These issues are best handled by a representative government, by constitutionally mandated authorities.
Anyway, for now, where is the government of Eritrea? Why don’t we hear satisfactory explanations from our government? Why are we left out to guess for ourselves?
This is the age of information and any government that ignores the importance of engaging its people in a timely manner does so at its own peril. Ethiopia has controlled the narration of the ongoing peace process, Eritrea is nowhere to be seen in the grand scheme. I feel sad.
This brings me to the question I posed in the introduction. Is it safe to say that we (Ethiopia and Eritrea) have one prime minister and two co-presidents? Does the ongoing prominence of the Ethiopian PM in controlling how the peace process is narrated tell anything about where things are heading?
Having said that, I will continue supporting the peace process while nudging the Eritrean authorities to communicate with Eritreans effectively and in a timely manner. It is our right to get information and it is our obligation to press for it.
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