Contempt

Since June 5, 2018, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed  expressed his government’s intent to accept the Algiers peace Agreement with Eritrea without reservation, the leaders of both countries have had dramatically different ways of communicating the blossoming peace to their people.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has held numerous meetings with his people, visiting them where they live and work; he has had two reports to his parliament; one report to his ruling coalition; and has held several press conferences to update his constituents and provide leadership on whatever were the issues of the day.

President Isaias Afwerki has had two: one was on June 20, 2018: on the occasion of Martyr’s Day. The other, on September 7, was a brief interview with CGTN addressing the audience English-language Chinese network.  So, actually, just one.  

There is no parliament in Eritrea, so he has no parliament to report to.  There is also no private press to hold press conferences with.  And that is not a new government, but he has presided on for 27 years. 

But there is a cabinet, however useless it may be; and there is state media, however censored it may be. But even they haven’t been found to be necessary, despite the fact that there has been a major transformation in Eritrea: a state of war with Ethiopia has ended, and there have been changes occurring at break-neck speed including: opening up of the border, opening up of Eritrean ports and airports to Ethiopia; opening up of commerce…. still, none of it is considered eventful enough for the President to report to his people and answer their questions.

Oh, he has had meetings and addresses.   Meetings with Ethiopian opposition parties, and addresses to Ethiopians. 

There is one word for this: contempt.

To add insult to injury, the President is slowly phasing in his son, Abraham Isaias Afwerki, to the public eye. Despite the fact that he has no seniority in the government (nobody even knows what his job title is), he was seen among the Eritrean delegation that was present to mark a milestone: the opening of the Zalambesa and Burie roads.

And today, he is there for another milestone: he was seen among the Eritrean delegation visiting Saudi Arabia for the formal Eritrea-Ethiopia Peace & Friendship Agreement. Curiously, he wasn’t seen boarding the plane in Asmara; he just appeared seated with the Eritrean delegation, miraculously.

The table below summarizes all the communications Prime Minister Abiy had with his people, in contrast with the ones President Isaias Afwerki had with his people.  Twenty two vs one.  

A contrast between respect and contempt.