The “Needy and Less Capable” African

Recently, Eritrea Profile began publishing a new series of articles under the banner, “#UnderstandingEritrea”. Broadly, the series aims to clarify and help shed further light on some of the most critical elements of Eritrea’s national development plans, such as the improvement, preservation, and sustainable use of its land and water resources. Thus far, the articles featured within the series have been enlightening and several readers have commented that they have learned a great deal about some amazing and exciting development projects. In the last issue of Eritrea Profile (published on Saturday 12 September), the article that was featured as part of the #UnderstandingEritrea series described the process of how some of the large dams in the country were actually developed, charting their path from initial ideas and early blueprints to the construction phase and then full service. While the article was informative and full of detail, mirroring those published previously, one point mentioned by the author especially piqued my interest and is worth further discussion. Specifically, the author explained how some of the dams (and other development projects in the country) have been the target of misinformation, condescending narratives, baseless criticisms, and unsubstantiated claims from abroad. What gives? Read more

Reflections on ‘Hamid Idris Awate 1915-1962’

By  Simon Weldemichael | On 1st September 2020, Eritreans celebrated the 59th anniversary of the beginning of the armed struggle for independence, which was initiated by Hamid Idris Awate. Not long ago, HDRI publishers published Awate’s biography, ‘Hamid Idris Awate 1915-1962’, and the 59th anniversary of the armed struggle presents a wonderful occasion to reflect on the book.

‘Hamid Idris Awate 1915-1962’ is a pioneering work written by Haileslasie Weldu, a former journalist of Dimtsi Hafash and a freedom fighter during the struggle for independence. The origins of the present volume lie in an article about Hamid Idris Awate written in November 1983. The author spent 35 years to write about the life of Hamid Idris Awate. He pored over all the available literature on the topic and interviewed 65 persons who knew Awate. The diligence and high standard of the author are reflected in the 410 footnotes scattered throughout the book, which is well-written and easy to follow. Read more

The National Unity and Identity of Eritrea

by Simon Weldemichael
The people of Eritrea were robbed of a culture and identity of their own under successive periods of colonization. The colonizers worked hard to create division, erode the culture and erase the sense of collective pride. For decades Eritreans lived, struggled and sacrificed lives and limbs together. Nation, as defined by Ernest Renan, is a soul or spiritual principle comprised of a rich legacy of memories, present-day consent, and the desire to live together to perform great deeds in the future. The common heritage, including the protracted resistance and sacrifice of generations, gave a new sense of common fate to Eritreans. More importantly, the thirty years of armed struggle helped Eritreans to enhance unity, pride, culture, and identity. Read more

Our Greatest Resource and Most Precious Asset

Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion | Over the past several weeks, a number of articles published within different international outlets have helped to bring increased focus and attention upon Eritrea’s Colluli potash project. The Colluli project, you may recall, is owned by the Colluli Mining Share Company, which is a 50-50 joint venture between the Eritrean National Mining Company and Danakali, a respected Australian company.While the individual articles were each interesting and expressed several different points, they generally shared a similar, broader message. As a brief summary, the Colluli potash project was described as a “game-changer” for Eritrea’s developing economy, as it is expected to become one of the world’s most significant and lowest-cost sources of sulphate of potash (SOP), which is considered a “premium grade” fertilizer. In the years ahead, as the world’s population continues to grow significantly, the demand for food will progressively increase. At the same time, however, the availability of arable land is expected to shrink. Fertilizer is a key component to ensure world food security in the future, and SOP is an important fertilizer that greatly improves yield and crop quality. Within Eritrea, SOP is found in abundance, particularly in the Danakil Depression region of Eritrea. Read more