Extracted PDF page text

Microsoft Word - Eritrean Democratic Alliance a partner or foe.doc

Machine-extracted derivative; not a transcript or translation. Reading order, spacing and characters have not been editorially verified. PDF page numbers are file positions, not printed page labels. No OCR has been added.

Open unchanged original PDF · Download unchanged PDF

Extraction status: extracted-unverified.

Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA): A Partner or a Foe? 
 
By Desbele Kahsai 
7 April 2010 
 
     “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” 
 
                                               Albert Einstein 
 
A friend of mine pause me with a question recently that says; is EDA a partner of EPDP 
or foe?  I responded to him with a question of my own saying; what do you think?  He 
went on to list his laundry list of all the negative campaigns waged by EDA member 
organizations and their cadres against EPDP in general and its leadership in particular.  
After I was done talking to my friend on the phone, I started analyzing the hype and 
reality of the “umbrella”.  How do we define “umbrella”?  Is EDA in a constraint status? 
 
EDA is an umbrella organization of thirteen organizations.  It came to life in 1999 to 
bring the sporadic forces into one powerful opposition to lead the Eritrean people in 
fighting the hideous dictatorship regime.  The member organizations could be classified 
into three major groups according to their political programs; secular, religious, and 
ethnic.  While the journey was full of turbulence, they came long way in agreeing to have 
an EDA charter.  One also can say they stick together in appearance while the essence 
tells otherwise.  What is the hype of EDA? 
 
As the Eritrean people are addicted with absolute unity, the convergence of thirteen plus 
organizations under one umbrella gave hope to fulfill that dream.  The word umbrella 
was perceived as united and expected to perform at a higher velocity.  The raw truth is 
beside the umbrella name and scoring a charter, the bond of member organizations has 
been fragile.  It is obvious these days to some of them the primary target is not PFDJ but 
EPDP.  One might wonder why would a sister organization taken as a target of negative 
campaigns.  Before I delve into the intent of the negative campaigns waged by some 
EDA leaders and their cadres, it is of a paramount to know who the member 
organizations of EDA are and how they perform.   
 
EDA to me didn’t live to its hype and the people’s expectation.  It is simply a comfort 
zone for the do nothing and expectant organizations.  In fact it ended up being a new 
welfare system for some.  It is simply embarrassing to witness leaders of organizations 
who only are seen to collect their ration from coffers each month and never seen in 
diplomatic activities or mass mobilization for that matter.  There are many 
“organizations” in the umbrella that don’t have grass root members beyond the leaders’ 
name.  The formula that created EDA was totally irrational and very shaky. It is that 
shaky foundation today that is damaging the umbrella from progressing anywhere.   
 
While the Eritrean people were looking for leadership in fighting against the barbaric 
regime, many EDA organizations were engaged in multiplying and waging negative 
campaigns against each other.  The negative campaigns intensified after the 

announcement of the unity of the three organizations that formed EPDP.  At the center of 
the attack and negative campaign against EPDP were tedamun, the four Islamic 
organizations, and awate.com.  Saleh Gadi who so far has refused to answer as what he 
did with the $36,000 plus money he collected from citizens for lawyer fees but ended up 
not using them and his shadow character Ali Salim charged the attack in the early stage 
of the unity process of EPDP.  They tried to insight the region, religion, and ethnic 
poisonous pills to no avail.  The twins even threatened with a religious war if they don’t 
get what they want as if they deserve the power.  It is very interesting to learn that some 
are fighting the dictatorship for justice for all but others are doing it because they think 
the Eritrean people owe them the power.   
 
It is not surprising to see the children of “The Exponential Newsletter”, awate.com, and 
their link at tedamun Beshir Ishaac to beat the same drum against EPDP.  Immediately 
after the unity journey was announced to the globe they painted it as the unity of 
highlanders and linked it with PFDJ.  Just check for yourself what the pen name Ali 
Salim wrote in his first article “Nation in Labor, awate.com May 16, 2009”, “It might 
actually be twins and one of the embryos might well be the one described 
by Desbele beginning with the EDP-EPP merger and subsequently a bigger 
basket that orbits around the PFDJ”.  On the same line of attack recently we have 
witnessed even from an organization I consider closer to EPDP’s programs than anyone 
in the opposition.  Members of ENSF borrowed the line from awate.com and tedamun 
and are circulating rumors that EPDP had capitulated to PFDJ.  Can anyone in their right 
mind tell me who would oppose unity of sister organizations and how would elements 
who claim to be in opposition dare to link sister organization to PFDJ?   
 
The Islamist organizations and top EDA leader, haw Beshir Ishaac, are accusing 
Woldesus Ammar, EPDP’s chairman, for calling Eritrean Moslems as Taliban which he 
never said it.  They also accused EPDP for not allowing them to implement Shariya in 
some parts of Eritrea.  This is very true. EPDP’s political program is secular and doesn’t 
allow religion to mingle with politics.  EPDP believes politics is our common ground 
where religion is a personal matter. 
 
On March 5, 2010 haw Woldesus Ammar and haw Ahmed Nassar were guest speakers 
on paltalk.  When an audience member asked the question as who should drive 
diplomatic relationship for the oppostion, haw Ahmed said diplomatic activities should 
happen only by EDA not by member organizations.  Haw Woldesus on the other hand 
answered it; EDA’s charter allows member organizations to conduct their independent 
political and diplomatic activities.  Can anyone tell me when was the last time you have 
seen EDA diplomatic activities in your neighborhood? 
 
One of the few diplomatic engagements we witnessed was the letter that was written by 
EDA’s chairman haw Tewelde Gebresselassie to the EU in regards to the Brussels 
conference (BC 2009).  The Brussels Conference 2009 was hosted by The European 
External Policy Advisors, an independent non-governmental organization.  Haw Tewelde 
didn’t only address his letter to the wrong entity but his letter was a diplomatic blunder 
and displayed incompetence in his part.  Haw Beshir Ishaac, the foreign affairs person of 
EDA, visited Australia in 2009 supposedly for EDA business.  Instead of conducting the 

business of EDA he ended up conducting the tedamun business through an individual 
link.  He came back to Addis with a report that members of EDA refused to co-operate 
with him.  Later that false accusation was verified as unfounded by EDA but the 
chairman did nothing and Bashir was never reprimanded.  Is this the kind of diplomatic 
drive that haw Ahmed Nassar was talking about? 
 
In the last few weeks the Eritrean cyber media was jammed by the national conference 
faulty effects and at the center of this were the chairman of EDA haw Tewelde and 
Abdella Mahmud.  Again the two high ranking leaders of EDA failed miserably to show 
leadership characters.  They failed to rally the opposition instead they engaged in a 
grudge and divisive politics.  No matter how one perceives national conference it is not a 
destination but a process.  It is in the process that leaders establish a foundation of 
winning strategy.  Again, what both leaders display that day was the typical norm of 
EDA leaders that has been hunting the umbrella since its inception.  This shows you that 
EDA is suffering from lack of competent and visionary leaders. 
 
So, why are some EDA organizations engaged in smear campaign against EPDP and its 
leadership at this crucial juncture of journey?  Is it because EPDP successfully completed 
a unity journey?  Is it because they are against unity?  Is their priority to weaken EPDP or 
save the Eritrean people from the systemic cleansing by the dictator?  This is what I know 
in the business world, weak and incompetent leaders are afraid of competition.  At the 
moment they can’t compete, they take refuge in disruptions and negative actions.  Most 
of the leaders at EDA don’t realize that competition is the cornerstone of development.   
 
EDA’s fundamental problems are the leaders in each organization.  Many of them have 
been in power for thirty plus years.  Their relationship is founded on long history of hate 
and vengeance.  This reality won’t take the umbrella an inch towards progress.  In 
politics hate and vengeance are the recipe for disaster.  On the other hand, engagement, 
networking, making deals, building trust, and making alliance are the pillars of winning 
and solution finding.  
 
The second fundamental problem of EDA is the politics.  As I mentioned previously, 
EDA’s politics is divided into three groupings: secular, ethnic, and religion.  Any politics 
that involves religion is imposing someone’s doctrine onto others.  Let alone in a country 
like Eritrea with multiple religions, it is very hard to implement religious politics in a 
country with one faith fellowship.  EDA’s main issue is tedamun’s political objective.  
Tedamun is an alliance of four Islamic organizations where two of them openly campaign 
for implementation of shariya in Eritrea.  How can one imagine any progress without any 
common ground? 
 
The question is not about whether EDA is a partner or foe; it is whether the umbrella is 
true or deceptive.  In politics there is a saying, “the enemy of your enemy is your friend”.  
Therefore, EDA cannot be a foe but it is not a true partner either.  It is impossible for 
EDA to be a partner with its current course.  A partnership is not about divisions, and 
negative campaigns but it is about collaboration and solution finding.  For the Eritrean 
people the umbrella was a refuge of hope but EDA didn’t give that hope life of support.  

For the reasons above, the umbrella is not a true umbrella but a deceptive one.  The 
umbrella for some organizations is simply a safety shell.  For that reason organizations 
like EPDP who are the true voice of the Eritrean plight are simply giving life support to 
chameleons.  Umbrella is a concept of bringing common interest together.  Democratic 
forces cannot forge into an umbrella with hate mongers, forces that insight divisions, and 
with forces that openly claim jihad.  The Eritrean people deserve to know what is waiting 
for them.  At this junction a clear strategy is needed.  A non-visionary journey creates 
more confusion and it is a non-winning formula.  EPDP need to find a true partner that is 
willing to travel the same journey. 
 
Since inception EDA has been circling in the same course.  They have been doing the 
same thing again and again and expecting results.  There are no metrics to measure this 
type of course.  There are no key performance indicators to follow.  EDA is simply a ship 
that is travelling without a compass.  It is time to have a clear vision and course.  Don’t 
you think it is time? 
 
The Eritrean People Deserve Leadership Not Power Mongers!