We were young and naïve…

The idea of starting a newspaper or a magazine came in a veryinformal way in a rather casual setting. We were having coffee indowntown Asmara at Bar Bereket with my friend school mate MedhanieHaile. I used to be an assistant editor to a magazine and a newspapercalled” rim” and we both used to contribute to the then new independent paper”setit”.Gazeta zeynjimir (why don’t we start a newspaper?) I heard that theministry of information was issuing licenses and press cards toindependent newspapers but Medhanie was reluctant at first. His worrywas: Where can we get the money? How about the printing cost? Who isgoing to buy our paper? Who will write for us?

I suggested somenames and we agreed to contact them. A very good and humble lawyer andformer teacher Habteab and a young University assistant Lecturer YosiefAlazar were contacted and agreed to be members of the editorial board.There was a very young law student whom I admired so much for his allrounded knowledge and love of books and awareness. In fact he was theonly one I was comfortable discussing any thing from Stalin’s crime tothe incompetent university law school teachers to the war with Ethiopiaand the paranoia of our leaders. His name is Ghezae Hagos Berhe and letglory be to the almighty God, he is one of the few who escaped theinhuman regime in Asmara. It was agreed that Ghezae or Koba,as I used to call him, to write political articles and commentaries.Yosief Alazar and Habteab Yemane were mainly writing in the culturaland legal sections of the paper. Medhanie and myself were responsiblefor the news, editorial and other segments of the paper.

Then,what will be the name of our paper was another issue to be tackled. Allkinds of names and headings were raised. Some names were funny and longlike “Kinat Adey Mariam”” it looks like a title of a religious book.Others were too confusing and look like government newspaper name like“Hagerawi”. How can you have an independent news paper by the name”Hagerawi”? I liked the name Kestedebena orthe rainbow for some reasons. It was the name of the new nation and anew beginning in South Africa after Mandela was released and a new erawas ushered. I also liked and followed the Reverend Jesse Jackson’srainbow coalition of all races and colors for justice and equality inthe United States. As Eritrea is a nation of different nationalities,ethnic and linguistic groups, I thought and believed the name rainbowwill be a fitting reminder of this diversity and blessing. So we agreedon the name and we went to the Ministry of Information commonly knownas “Endaziena” for license and all the necessary formalities.

TheMinistry of Information (MOI) was built by Chinese contractors sometimein the mid 90s. It was built around a cemetery in the environs of Fortonot far from a ghetto township called Bietmeka’i. A veryunassuming and depressing building, it looked more a party headquarterthan a ministry building. All the propaganda and terror andintimidating campaign of the PFDJ gangs is done, coordinated anddirected inside the edifice. All the regime’s propagandists and Gobbleslook alike work and lie to the unassuming populace from their bunkersand offices inside the gloomy piece of structure. From the handsomebutcher Ali Abdu (Eritrea’s chemical Ali, without the chemicals of course) totiny spider looking secretaries, the MOI was full of activity, bustlingwith all kinds of people. We went for the issuance of license andregistration card and we were directed to office n umber 7 in thesecond floor. We met a heavy smoking middle aged man and, typical ofEritrean office etiquette under HIGDEF, he said” Intay deliku’m? (Whatdo you want?) We told him about our desire to start and publish anewspaper and after we filled all the forms and paid the required feehe gave us the license, an advice and a warning. He said that before wepublish any newspaper we have to bring to the ministry for censorshipand review. The censorship committee was composed of three peopleYisak, Asmerom Habtemariam and Mekuria or a chap by the name of Negash.Every copy before it goes for printing should be reviewed by thesepeople and each must sign on every page for approval. He also warned usthat SHABEIA has ears and eyes every where: “Wela ab medeke’siku’m inaeniriekum” (we can see you even in your bedroom).

We had noclue about printing cost, the logistics of distribution, the nature ofadvertisement, cost and revenue and all the ensuing issues related to anewspaper. We didn’t have an accountant, a secretary or even an office!Yes the first issues were typed and layout was done and finished atMinassie Computer Center in downtown Asmara! After the first 3000issues were sold, we rent a windowless office, a one room storeadjacent to Rino restaurant in front of Cinema Impero. But still wedidn’t have telephone or secretary and we used a telephone number of aboutique, near Rino Restaurant for telephone addresses. The girlworking at the boutique was a fiancé of our colleague Habteab (abuye)and she agreed to be a defacto secretary of Kestedemenanewspaper! But there arise a problem. She was working with her uncle atthe boutique most of the time, and while she was at the shop there wasno problem. But some times her uncle and the shop owner would take overthe shop and when readers start calling ”Izi Gazetta Ke’stedemena diyu?”(Is thiskestedebena’soffice?), the bewildered uncle will shout back “Nay Mintay Gazetta, izidukan wedi Haile iyu”(What newspaper? This is wedi Haile’s shop). Oh,we had many funny moments too.

One of the most importantfactors in the flourishing of my paper and the other independentnewspapers is the Eritrean people’s desire and aspiration for free,democratic Eritrea and freedom of speech and thought. After a long yearand era of colonization after colonization, Eritreans all over wereeager to talk, write and think without fear of being arrested or killedfor the first time in their life or in living memory. Independentnewspapers were in high demand and readership was large all overEritrea. From The small town of ElaBerid To the village of Marrebain the highlands, you can see people reading voraciously the weekly orbiweekly papers. There were times when we have to print two or threetimes a single copy just to satisfy the high demand in Asmara and thesurrounding areas only. We were totally unprepared for this kind ofattention and responsibility in tiny Eritrea where almost every oneknows every one else. In one of the world’s strangest and forbiddingpolitical system, where there is no resemblance of even a 17^thcentury kingdom, people start looking at us as the only outlet of theirdesire, aspiration and frustration at the system. In the chillingnightmare called Eritrea where a Muslim shop owner was taken away fromhis family for just praying and growing his beard and parents were toldto dance and be happy for the death of their beloved ones, we naivelybegan a newspaper. In the land of Halewasewra (gulag) andcountless butchery and debauchery, we started newspapers, one of thegreatest anti-tyranny and anti-totalitarian tools ever to exist. Wewere young, idealist, naïve and like many Eritreans, unsuspecting!

Therewere at least 25 Independent newspapers at their peak. Like anywhereelse in the world, the papers had their own style and content targetaudience. Mestiat (Mirror) of Mehari Abrahawas one of the earliest. It was published in English and in Tigrigna.During the issuance of Eritrean currency and tension in the border withEthiopia, Mirror and journalist Philemon did a great job by going tothe border area and presented a detailed report. Setit wasanother of the early papers and one of my favorite. Well staffed andwith experienced and dedicated staff like Aaron Berhane, Semret Seyoum,Fesshaye Yohannes (Joshua) and Dawit Issack and others. With largecirculation and audience, it was the giant of Eritrean independentpapers. Meqalih was staffed by youngEritrean Journalists like the cheerful Editor Mattewos Habteab (Machu),and Dawit Habtemichael, probably the youngest of all of us. It was agood paper with quite big readership. Tsigenaynewspaper was also one of my pick, staffed with bold and matureeditorial staff like the great Yusuf Mohammed Ali, Akheder and thetalented poets and essayists Meles Negussie and Zemenfes Haile. Zemenwas an iconic newspaper for those interested in culture, rich traditionand history of Eritrea. Led by two high caliber journalists AmanuelAsrat and Gezhae Hagos, Zemen was full of spicy cultural and politicalarticles and deep Haiku like poems and unique Tigrigna prose andcommentaries.

Admas newspaperwas founded and published initially by the energetic and theindefatigable Eritrean journalist Khaled Abdu. A brilliant individual,journalist, a close friend and confidant, Khaled laid the basis forAdmas’s popularity and fame later on. With staff members and editorialboard like Said Mohammed (the only one of the independent journaliststo own a printing press), Said was a humble and hard working journalistwho made Admas one of the biggest selling newspapers in later years.There were different independent newspapers with smaller circulationbut with highly devoted and cordial journalists and staff. From thefull of romantic story tabloid Wintana to the English/Tigrigna paperMillennium,the yearr 1995-2001 were the years of newspapers and unprecedentedfreedom of speech and expression in the otherwise turbulent and bloodyhistory of Eritrea.

Almost all of us journalists were young,inexperienced and full of quixotic dreams and ideals like the youtheverywhere in the world. We came from different background, education,family, neighborhood and life- experience .Most of us were Universityof Asmara students or graduates. Seyoum Tsehaye, Yusuf Mohammed Ali and Joshuawere the matured and experienced ones. They were members of thegeneration that fought for the independence of Eritrea and were alittle bit cautious and not too romantic about the state of things. Medhanie Haile Aflei was a gregarious and smart wediasmra,a lawyer by education and profession. Meda, as he was known, was alsoan accomplished table tennis player and champion. He was the everoptimist, even during the darkest of days; he was also a skilled writerand analyzer of events at home and around the world. Temesgen Gebreyesus (KIRBIT)of Kestedemena was another talented journalist and highly touted artistand sportswriter. But Temesgen was known by many as a writer, directorand actor in many movies, theaters and comedy shows. He had anencyclopedic knowledge of world soccer, players and teams. Amanuel Asratwas not a journalist by education, just like many of us. He studiedsoil and agriculture in the University of Asmara, but he was a bornartist, cultural essayist and writer of high quality. His knowledge andcommand of Tigrigna language, tradition and culture was phenomenal. Ahumble wediAsmra with big smile and hearty laughter, Amanuel was one of the giants of Eritrean independent journalists.

The bespectacled and teacher-like, Yusuf Mohammed Ali ofTsigenay was one of the great journalists in the short and catastrophichistory and saga of Eritrean independent journalism. A very kind andaffectionate person with lots of experience inside and outside Eritrea,Yusuf was one of the few independent journalists with family andchildren. I used to go to his house during Ramadan and I have acherished memory of those short but beautiful times. Yusuf was educatedin the Middle East and the Sudan and was a highly influential member ofEritrean student union in the field. Though he had had an opportunityto emigrate to Australia or some other countries, he prefered to stayin Eritrea and work for the betterment of his nation and paid the pricewith his life. Dawit Habtemichael was a Physics graduate anda teacher by profession. But he was a marvelous journalist and a pillarof the newspaper Meqalih. Born and raised in Asmara, Dawit (wedimemhir)as he is known, was one of the nicest and wonderful people I ever met. Mattewos Habtebab (machu)was a Mathematics graduate from the University of Asmara. But his fieldof specialization was journalism. He was so interested in journalismand so fanatical in his newspaper that few knew he was a math sciencegraduate. Mattewos was a passionate journalist with high goals andaspirations. A friendly man with sharp memories, Machu was known forhis humor and wit too.

I didn’t know much about Said Aabdelkadirof Admas newspaper. But in the little time we have been together, Icould see his commitment to his paper and freedom of press in Eritrea.Born and raised In Akhria, Asmara, he talked little and was eager tolisten other’s viewpoint. Khaled Abdu’s, Said Abdelkadir and the late Journalist Paulos Kidane’srelentlesseffort and perseverance made Admas a beloved and much sought paperamong the readership. Another gallant journalist and freelancephotographer and writer was Seyoum Tsehaye. A veteran of thearmed struggle, a former teacher and French educated intellectual,Seyoum was a professional photographer was stints in internationalmedia groups. A chain smoking workaholic with camera and books in hishands all the time, Seyoum’s crime was to be born in that bloodthirstyland called Eritrea. Under normal condition and in any other countries,he would have been a teacher or would have opened his studio as healways dreamed. Fessehaye Yohannes ,a.k.a Joshua was aprominent journalist for Setit Newspaper, play writer and one of thebest directors of theater and artistic shows Eritrea ever produced. Aveteran of the armed struggle and influential member of EPLF culturaltroupe, Joshua was one of the best interviewers and writers of theindependent media. One can write a book easily about the deeds andaccomplishment of the great Joshua, but let’s say he was one of thefinest. Another well known and highly respected Journalist and artistwas Dawit Issac of Setit Newspaper. An established author andnovelist from a well-known family in Asmara, Dawit was an artist allhis life. A seasoned writer and critic, the Swedish/Eritrean JournalistDawit was mild mannered principled writer with deep love for his nationand people. He came to Eritrea leaving his family and established lifein Sweden, just for the love of art and his land. Much has been saidabout Dawit by the local and international media and Dawit is one ofthe many victims of the devilish regime in Asmara.

Esteemedreaders and fellow compatriots I could have gone and on about Eritreanindependent journalists and their huge sacrifice and price amidst oneof the worst regimes in the world. A book can be written about each andevery one of them. All of them are innocent and with out an iota ofcrime or transgression. Despite the PFDJ clique and its dumbsupporter’s false accusations of all kinds of sin and crime, there wasnothing wrong that was done. If these people and others were guilty ofany crime, they should be brought to justice and be punished orexonerated by now. But the sadist government of Issias Afewerki choosesto inflict the maximum pain and final death on these and other innocentEritreans. Just like people with sadomasochistic tendencies, thefascist Eritrean government and leadership is happy to see Eritreanssuffer and die one by one in the unnamed cells and dungeons all overthe land. The only crime of these journalists and many other Eritreansis to be born in that unfortunate land of unending suffering andplight. Under ordinary conditions, these journalists shouldn’t evenspend one week in jail. Even by the low standard of African freedomindex, they were not supposed to be fined even a penny let alonelanguish all these years in jail. But the current evil God-less regimein Eritrea is not interested in crime, legality, and rule of law oreven in catching the culprits if any. No, its main goal is thedestruction, emaciation and eventual death of Eritreans and Eritrea.Its sole purpose and agenda is to create an Eritrea of drunkenness andstupidity, a land of adultery and cheap sex, a kingdom of millions ofslaves with no right whatsoever, living and dying like animals with nokind of dignity and human self respect of any kind!

In front ofour eyes and the world, a very hopeful nation, with an industrious andlaw abiding people, was being turned into one of the worst places evento visit for one day. In a matter of few years, the barbaric regime ofAsmara turned the once buoyant nation with high placed goals and manywell wishers into a desolate land with starving people and bonychildren. The catastrophe befalling Eritreans at this time is too muchand too painful to enumerate, but it might be called plainly pure eviland wickedness of great proportion. Other talented writers and men ofpen might put it more than I did, but I don’t think there is anyEritrean who doesn’t know or comprehend what is going on.

BetweenSeptember 18 and 27 2001 almost the entire independent journalists werearrested and their whereabouts is unknown till this day. They have nocontact with any one all these years. Confirmed and well placed sourcesindicate at least four have died under terrible conditions in jail. Fewlike this writer managed to escape the beasts, glory and honor be toalmighty God. Many other less known journalists especially governmentmedia journalists are being hunted and arrested until this very day.The whereabouts and destination of many is unknown and mystery to many.The sad predicament of Eritrea and Eritrean journalists is going onunabated. The horror and sheer terror story called Eritrea is going onat full speed. No one has a clue as to where this mind bogglingphenomenon might end.

There is an English phrase or line saidby many, “I wish I knew”. Almost all of has said it in one or anotherinstance of our life. Eritrean independent journalists were young, fullof passion, ideals and commitment to the betterment of the masses. Likeany young people all over the planet, we dreamed of a nation ofthoughts and philosophies, a land of flourishing artistic activity andrespect for human dignity. We didn’t know we were dealing with one ofthe most murderous regime and heartless leadership in Africa and theworld for that matter. We had no idea we were launching a newspaper inthe land of an insane and an unstable leader even by African standards.We had no suspicion or hint that we were starting newspapers andadvocate for freedom of speech in one of the worst political movementsand culture where thousands were massacred for being educated andasking questions in the field. We didn’t know that the worst systemEritreans ever seen and experience has supporters in the westerndemocracies who campaign for fascism and tyranny back home. We didn’thave an inkling that the bestial and child murderer regime in Asmarahad such large number of political prostitutes in the West who werewilling to be raped again and again. How could we? Dear reader, imaginean Iranian or a Congolese living in America or anywhere else in theWest calling for closure of the newspapers and arrest of journalistsand democratic activists without trial back home! Yes we were young andnaïve and didn’t even imagine such kind of monster called the PFDJexisted.

As any thing in this physical world, the currentEritrean regime will go one day when its day comes. Nothing is forever.One day the glorious story and history of Eritrean independent mediajournalists and other patriots will be told and written. The nextgeneration will know the sacrifice and the price paid by Eritreanjournalists and other democratic forces and activists. September 18will be remembered as a day of infamy in Eritrea’s short history andstruggle to achieve democracy and justice. When the brutal, bloody andevil regime of Issias Afewerki is gone, Eritrea will be a land of manyuntold stories of courage and magnanimity. Lets pray to see that dayand our beloved ones alive.