The Eritrean struggle for independence and dignity.

[Tanker]

In 1961 the Eritrean People decided to regain their independence and dignity from the Ethiopian occupation of their land who among many crimes aganist the Eritrean people forced them to learn Amhara language.


By 1961 the Eritrean Nationalist Movement was in war with the Ethiopian Army, the armed and political struggle took 30 years against the Ethiopian regime. By the Liberation in 1991, 170000 Eritrean civilians had been killed by the Ethiopian army and the Eritrean Liberation front had more than 200000 armed figthers. The Eritrean Liberation war was financed by the Eritrean Diaspora. The Ethiopian regime and President Mingistu who was responsible for the war crimes fleed Ethiopia and since then he has been living as a refugee in Zimbabwe.


Eritrean Nationalist leader and President here in the Bush fighting for his peoples indepedence





Now the same man leading his people and country, the Eritrean sovereignty won and the Eritrean flag is today equal with the UN flag.

[original dervish]

Can you post some pics of Norwegian girls in national costume.

[Tanker]

loool


Orginal Dervish do you think Somalia will ever have the same unity , nationalism and dignity as Eritreans?

[Khalid Ali]

No tanker, Somalia cannot have the same form of nationalism as the Eritreans, Somalias form of nationalism was based on ethno nationalism and it was not confined with in the Somalia borders. But the Somali independence fighters SYL SNL , wanted to incorporated all regions inhabited by Somalis.

When the Europeans came All 3 imposed their own political culture on the societies , so at the time of independence what we he had was Somali Ethno Nationalism and not in the form of a shared historic colonialist past like much of Africa and that was the biggest dilemma our grandfathers in the 40s had to overcome. And the only weapon they had was Somalism, something that never existed before the white Europeans stepped into the Somali peninsula. There was a never a common past all Somalis shared but the Somali politicians the SYL and SNL were convinced they could create a new form of Ethnic Somali identity mixed with Somali statehood and the wider mega Somali republic objective. So in order to unite the Somalis the goal was set to unite the 5 Somali territories under one country. And it went well up to the year 1977 Somalis were tight and shit and would assist each other helped with the decolonization of Djibouti even though the unity wasn't materialized after we lost the war in 1977 Somali galbeed. i think that was the turning point for most Somalis.And the Somaliland independence struggle war began. so our foundation was very weak. Had Somalia just kept Somalia nationalism between raskambooni to raascaseer, than it would have worked. Somaliland union with Somalia messed up the Somalia nationalism as people

Compare that to the eritrean independence war, the Eritreans were colonized by the Italians all of their 9 ethnic groups shared the same colonial past , all though the tigrigna speakers are on both side of the mereb river,the border of ancient medri bahri a lose vassal state of Abyssinia in mid evil times. When the italians came thats when the Eritrean identity began as people before that they were just tribes the tigrigna speakers of Eritrea were close to the tigray the bejas and tigre were close to sudanese beja., the afars were close to the one Djibouti and ethiopia. There was no Eritrean identity. But Colonial Italy created that idea when they united several regions. after 50 years of colonization the Eritreans had some sense of unity an identity but they themselves didn't really knew what the eritrean identity was. They believed they were better than the Ethiopians because they were colonized by the italians. Few years later after the second world war The Legendary Emperor haile selassie, started supporting the unionist party mostly supported by christian Eritrean highlanders and they wanted some sort of unity with Ethiopia. Emperor haile selassie did that to counter attack the Muslim league founded by Eritrea Tigre Muslims who wanted independence from Ethiopia an independent state. This all happened during the British mandate, Haile selassie succeeded and successfully federated Eritrea with Ethiopia after much lobbying in western capitals and he got the support of the christian eritreans . The Muslims were neglected in Eritrea autonomous state in the 60s the Christians were running all affairs the Christians were happy as long as they were federated with ethiopia they were happy and were given the power in eritrea federal state of Ethiopia. Haile selassie than annexed Eritrea and abolished the federal treaty and called Eritrea the 14th province of Ethiopia. Humiliating the Christian Eritrean puppets. Than the Eritrean Muslims founded the ELF in Egypt and fought against Ethiopia and wanted independence many Christians joined but many also just stayed neutral. Later after the ELF turned into a Muslim rebel group. The Christians were dissatisfied with ELF and founded the EPLF a united jabha but both Muslims and Christians were equally represented in that jabha. The EPLF re created and redefined the Eritrean identity they promoted unity with in Eritrean communities through songs and were creative way they made sure that every eritrean fighter would sing the same independence song in every language afar saho bilen tigrigna and they created a new dance for all eritrean a folklore dance for all eritreans and they traveled to every village and organized the people. They re created the eritrean national identity so when they gained independence they're people were tight and shit.

Somalis do not share that kind of history and struggle thats why eritrea won at the end against ethiopia.

[Tanker]

Khalid Ali

Thanks for your interesting History information

But I think if we look at it we somalis should actally have a better basic ground for nationalism and unity, we speak the same, have common religion, are the same people, and yes its true we were colonized by different powers but what we share is that all of us was treated bad and humiliated by our colonizers.

and yes as you said it really went down after 1977, damn it went fast on the wrong road... in the 1977 war people were standing on line in hargeisa in order to give blod to our wounded troops thats how strong the nationalism was..... Somalis were really Wadani 1960-1977

[Khalid Ali]

Problem with ethno nationalism its based on similarities of people but not on shared values or ethics historical back grounds and same struggles and country identity. if we had an empire in the 15 century up to colonialism a Somali Empire we could relate to that but that didn't exist. The Somali generations in the 40s wanted to create a new Somali vision of statehood. Tanker you identity ur self with Somali as an ethnic group, but not on the land ur from. The Eritreans identify themselves with the land. We never had the state mechanism before 1960s we were nomadic folks who had their tribal sultanates before colonialism. Even the Colonialists we didnt fight them the same way and we never really struggled the same way. The fight for independence was similar , but we didn't do it together, if you do it together and hold hands u create nationalism. The Djboutians fought on their own against the french, the Somalilanders fought on their own against the British the Koonfurians fought on their own against the Italians.

[Tanker]

I think you are rigth what we need is a common struggle, common deaths, If Ethiopia today invaded Somalia and destroyed Hargeisa, Xamar/ Bossosso / Kismayio it will help us to unite..... I wish Ethiopia does that lool


Horta Some people say that Meles Zenawi and the eritrean president was in family how the fuck can that happen are they not from two different people?

[Khalid Ali]

I dont think even that will help when xabashis invaded Somalia , the Majeerteens were the most happiest of them all, they were celebrating the deaths of the Hawiyas. There is nothing that really unites Somalis Somali identity its self means little to many, for some its just a language a sort of communication, we do hate each other, a darood from jubbaland will think General Kwanzu from the Kikuyu is closer to him than a hawiye from xamar


Meles zenawis mother is Eritrean but they are not cousins.Meles zenawi went to primary school in Asmara
Meles liked Eritrea, Meles zenawi hated Amharas , but liked eritreans, his problems was with the the dictator of Asmara Isaias afewerki.
Meles zenawi since he was a TPLF member always believed in an independent Eritrea, but wanted to avenge the killings Amharas derg did to his People.

[Tanker]

Khalid Ali

The problem with the 2006 invasion was that the Ethiopians was only killing Habar Gedir and some Abgaal, they should also have destroyed Garowe and Bossasso in order for us to unite... and the islamists fighting aganist the Ethiopians was not Somali Nationalists but fanatical terrorists.

The Relationship between Ethiopia ruled by TPLF and Eritrea was good until 2000 what the fuck happend? the war of 2000 was crazy more than 200000 lost their lifes.

[hydrogen]

Wow, he dedicated his life and now they're waving their flag at the Olympics.

[mukke]

This is a real and honest documentary that shows the different challenges Eritrea is facing today.

[Khalid Ali]

The war in 2006 was messed up but it could not create a common enemy because Somalis hate each other, one side will join the enemy and the enemy would welcome, by the way ethiopians will never attack Somalis in Somalia For no reason.

Tanker when Eritrea was part of ethiopia there were no issues badme is considered by the Tigray people , Zenawis people as part of their Kilil, Eritrea considered that fertile land part of eritrea and believed it was part of italian eritrea in the past there were no problems because the country was united. But with eritreas independence.In the 90s it was just a piece of land the tigrayans claimed and they lived there to with the A small bantu community called kunama, these small community live in both side ethiopia eritrea. Any way in 2000 Eritrean forces invaded Ethiopian territory and took the entire badme region and pushed further. Meles zenawi was pressured by the TPLF top chiefs to do something. He didn't want to attack Eritrea , the man liked eritrea. But he was pressured by the inner circles especially his wife ezeb mesfin, said that he has to attack The Entire Ethiopia is watching us and the world. So eventually Meles mobilized Ethiopian forces and went to war and declared a war on Eritrea and drove out the Eritreans and bombed Asmara and took 20% of Eritreas sovereign land,Later he had to withdraw from many places because of International pressure. But he did the eritreans a favor he went to court and and badme disputed region was given to eritrea, so he helped eritrea eventually

[mukke]

Khalid Ali

The problem with the 2006 invasion was that the Ethiopians was only killing Habar Gedir and some Abgaal, they should also have destroyed Garowe and Bossasso in order for us to unite... and the islamists fighting aganist the Ethiopians was not Somali Nationalists but fanatical terrorists.

The Relationship between Ethiopia ruled by TPLF and Eritrea was good until 2000 what the fuck happend? the war of 2000 was crazy more than 200000 lost their lifes.

The war was from 1998-2000 and it was a war about the border of the 2 countries, Ethiopia Attacked and took a town called Badme, it's still occupied by Ethiopia even though the UN said the town belongs to Eritrea and that's why they are still enemies.

[Tanker]

Wow, he dedicated his life and now they're waving their flag at the Olympics.

Not only wawing their flag at the olympics but freedom to 5 million eritreans. It shows if you work hard enough you can get anything in this world.

[Tanker]

The war in 2006 was messed up but it could not create a common enemy because Somalis hate each other, one side will join the enemy and the enemy would welcome, by the way ethiopians will never attack Somalis in Somalia For no reason.

Tanker when Eritrea was part of ethiopia there were no issues badme is considered by the Tigray people , Zenawis people as part of their Kilil, Eritrea considered that fertile land part of eritrea and believed it was part of italian eritrea in the past there were no problems because the country was united. But with eritreas independence.In the 90s it was just a piece of land the tigrayans claimed and they lived there to with the A small bantu community called kunama, these small community live in both side ethiopia eritrea. Any way in 2000 Eritrean forces invaded Ethiopian territory and took the entire badme region and pushed further. Meles zenawi was pressured by the TPLF top chiefs to do something. He didn't want to attack Eritrea , the man liked eritrea. But he was pressured by the inner circles especially his wife ezeb mesfin, said that he has to attack The Entire Ethiopia is watching us and the world. So eventually Meles mobilized Ethiopian forces and went to war and declared a war on Eritrea and drove out the Eritreans and bombed Asmara and took 20% of Eritreas sovereign land,Later he had to withdraw from many places because of International pressure. But he did the eritreans a favor he went to court and and badme disputed region was given to eritrea, so he helped eritrea eventually

But why will Eritrea want Badme if the people living in the city is Tigray from Ethiopia? and what about the people living in the city are they pro-Ethiopia?