Machaho Tellem Chaho

I have been redirected towards another article (in AlNahda) written in Arabic which reports, as Adoulis did mid-October, that Eritrean troops have been deployed in Eastern Sudan, armed and remain posted there. I am copying part of the article here translated in English. The online paper Al Nahda is not always reliable because it tends to quote without naming its sources, relying on word of mouth only. It also spoils its analysis by leaning towards the dramatic. That said, it is Eritreans themselves, those who are settled in East Sudan, who are alerting their relatives and so it is only via word of mouth at the moment that this information is traveling. According to this article in AlNahda, Sudan is looking to resolve the situation via diplomatic means and is hushing up media agencies. Southern Sudan is set to hold a referendum on 9 January 2011 to choose whether it wants to remain part of Sudan or separate. Alnahda article is HERE . The report says: "I have received informati...

Adoulis has reported that Eritrean troops have moved into Eastern Sudan over taking land: here is the report in Arabic from www.adoulis.com . See English translation below. No international news agencies have reported this nor have the Sudanese. Eastern Sudan is where the majority of Eritrean refugees in Sudan are located. ARABIC إعتداء إرتري على الأراضي السودانية المصدر : موقع الإصلاح في تطور خطير للأوضاع أفادت مصادر مطلعة بأن قوات إرترية إعتدت على آراضي سودانية بمنطقة (الكرتيب) الواقعة الى الشمال الشرقي لمدينة ود الحليو وإستولت على مشروعات زراعية تابعة لمزارعين سودانيين كما قامت بفتح معسكرين عسكريين تنتشر فيهما قوات عسكرية كان ذلك في يوم16/10/2010م ،الجدير بالذكر أن هذه المواقع كانت محل نزاع سابق إلا أن السلطات الإرترية قد أعلنت التخلي عنها وسلمتها الى أصحابها ،وفي ذات السياق قامت السلطات الأرترية في شهر يونيو الماضي بإعتقال أحد أفراد ألأمن السوداني العاملين في المنطقة واصطحبته الى مدينة أم حجر الأرترية وأطلقت سراحه بعد ملاحقة سودانية الجدير بالذكر أن الحكومة الأرترية قد أعطت عهودا...

"Two men riding donkeys met one day on a narrow mountain trail. They greeted each other in the customary way, asking about each other's family, and health, and cattle. They began to speak of the crops and the rainfall, and as they talked they noticed that their donkeys put their heads together and sniffed at one another. One of the men became very annoyed at this, and he said irritably: - Isn't it enough that you and I have already greeted each other? Why is it necessary for our animals to carry on a conversation too? The other man smiled and said: - You don't know the reason? Well, I will tell you. You see, donkeys have been beasts of burden for a long while. Many years ago they had a great meeting and selected one of their members to go to God to plead with him that all donkey should be freed from the cruelty and tyranny of men. The years have gone by, but their messenger hasn't come back yet. And now whenever donkeys meet on the road or in the market plac...

"Look at the lion in the iron cage, look deep into his eyes: like two naked steel daggers they sparkle with anger. But he never loses his dignity although his anger comes and goes goes and comes. You couldn't find a place for a collar round his thick, furry mane. Although the scars of a whip still burn on his yellow back his long legs stretch and end in the shape of two copper claws. The hairs on his mane rise one by one around his proud head. His hatred comes and goes goes and comes ... The shadow of my brother on the wall of the dungeon moves up and down up and down." Nazim Hikmet, Turkish poet, 1902-1963

Ooooooh, just found out about Yegizaw Michael , or Yeggy's work, paintings and prints. Check out Yegizaw Michael's Studio here

"It was expounded in a coherent form for the first time in the eighteenth-century manuscript by St Gebre the Poor. The manuscript which read like a ‘how-to-live-satisfied-with-an-empty-stomach’ manual could have sold well in the present weight-and-diet-conscious Western world. It dealt not only with the filling capacities of one fruit a day meal and warned how one can get fat and lazy by not exercising the mind, but it also advised believers on how to let ambition steam in its own pot and how to realise happiness through deprivation. A Chinese philosopher said to have plenty is to be confused." by Hama Tuma

This song was composed by Tado Dilli and sung on October 31, 1972 by Ganne-Rasha Terefe in central Sheka. It is a lamentation of a Sheka family. This song is part of 63 others, recorded from the bards performing in the Kafa highlands, and published in 'Domination and Resistance: Narrative Songs of the Kafa Highlands' by Werner Lange, 1979. But much more than that, this song is part of the rich and formidable heritage of the oral traditions of the people of Kafa and Sheka. ELEPHANTS: (Male) O, mother elephant, let us go to Vingite! Let us run to Yeha! (Female) The sons of hunters with their spears, Will not let us pass. (Male) Let us go through Uchchi; Let us run through Ulla; Let us go through Gashi Then let us run to Galla! (Female) The Galla of Dido with their spears, Will not let us pass. The prople of Ebachchi with their spears, Will not let us pass. (Male) We are trapped We are in great trouble! Let us save ourselves by giving up one of our children. You are the female; ...

BEST READ OF MY WEEK : A DIALOGUE The Case of the Valiant Torturer by Hama Tuma An ex-torturer of the Red Terror is presenting his 'achievements' to the Derg's court. The court is going to punish him for complaining he was not getting enough 'anarchists' to torture and meet his quota: "Well, you remember how the country suffered from lack of rain? We suspected foul play. A few priests who were preaching that God has cursed us, in other words saying that God was against the State, were arrested and brought to us. Within two hours, all the priests confessed that they were part of an anarchist plot. Using these confessions we grilled again around thirty anarchists we already had in custody and who had all confessed to being central committee members of their party. All of them now revealed that their party had sabotaged the rain. It was a stupendous success and the newspapers highlighted it, revealing that the anarchists were responsible for the drought and...

"Dedicated to those who were either killed or who suffered years of imprisonment without trial" - Kevin O'Mahoney " - You of the 2nd Division," he said "are the pride of Ethiopia; you are in the forefront of the motherland's defence against the forces of disintegration. (...) - Defending the motherland? Who defended my mother? Last year she died of starvation in Kobo. Who defended her?" Meaza of Ethiopia (meaza means fragrance) is the historical novel of writer Kevin O'Mahoney who published it in 1991; he seems to have written it in Adigrat (at least the publication is from Adigrat and so is his dedication mark). One of the main characters of this novel is Lemlem the bar owner, a tender, wise and generous woman originally from Enticho, who fled to Massawa where she was forced into prostitution and who managed to escape it to settle in Adigrat. One of the priest in the novel who comes to Kobo to try and help fight the famine says "These p...

I am audio browsing through the discography of Gigi, perhaps Ethiopia's most well known contemporary songstress. There are many sensational Ethiopian women singers out there but Gigi will remain my favourite for sure. There's another world that few singers open, an outworldly place where the voice resonates further than what lyrics can ever hope to reach and pass on, when words become scales in order to allow the calligraphy of vocals, messages that transcend language, so that all is clear, intelligible, beauty full ... or maybe I'm just making do with not understanding :-) . Anyways, thanks Gigi for this beautiful song 'Ethiopia' that for me comes at a time when I was seriously considering dropping my project. Ethiopia is still far, but perhaps not that far.

Pluggin' Betty Rock. That's all. http://www.myspace.com/bettyandrock

This is a rather old article, as news time-counting goes (February 2010), but it is written by my favourite Ethiopian author, Hama Tuma, so I cannot resist him nor the urge to share. So here goes: a presentation of two of Africa's plight 'Ze politicians' Zuma and Zenawi. I have chosen to copy here the latter part of his article which deals with Zenawi. For the full version, use your index finger. "Zenawi versus Zuma : 'Ze burlesque' follies of Africa" by Hama Tuma (an article posted on Hama Tuma's website and also published in Afrik.com , for whom he is a regular columnist.) "If Zuma is funny son of Zenawi aka Meles is dull and boring. This is the man who invaded Somalia and claimed it was not an invasion; "we just crossed the border". This is the man who blamed the West for the famine in Ethiopia: "they did not send food aid in time". This is the very man who indefatigably claims the economy is growing by 10% per year whi...

I've just discovered Eyob Mergia , a young Ethiopian-American painter, born in Debre Berhan, and graduate of Addis Abbeba School of Fine Art, now based in South Dakota (the Sioux Falls his blog says, how cool is that!) The reason I picked up on his work initially is that he has done a project on Axum . Below is his poster for his exhibition (apologies, it looks terrible here because I lifted the pictures from his site, erm, Eyob, it's to redirect to you man, if you object to your photos being here, let me know and I'll take them down.) His compositions and technique are ... well, it's excellent, am lost for words, paintings speak for themselves, so I just wanted to say: check out his work !!!

RIP : The touched-by-genius, talented and no doubt slightly tyrannical Stefanos Lazaridis has passed away. This bold opera stage designer was born in Dire Dawa in Ethiopia, and educated in Addis Abbeba. Lazaridis is yet another talent that sprung from Ethiopia, it's in reading his obituary that I learnt his place of birth and study. Ethiopia is springing up in the most unlikely places, at least I would not have expected to find a link there. I do not mean to be facitious - well not overly - with the following but as elections in Ethiopia are tomorrow, of sorts, I'd like to respectfully dedicate the above song ('As some day it may happen' also called the list song), from the Mikado opera for which Lazaridis famously designed, to a current African version of KoKo (the Lord High Executioner). I would like to ask : is it really what you wanted to turn into? Here are the original lyrics (some words may be offensive but bare in mind it was written in 1844/1845). KO-KO As ...

I am reading 'Leaf of Allah : Khat and agricultural transformation in Harerge Ethiopia 1875-1991' a book by Ezekiel Gebissa, 2004. I really wanted to spread open here, by way of a summary, the wisdom contained in this book - as I see it given - as well as pointing out historical info. No study of the Horn of Africa, be it historical, cultural, social and especially religious, can be complete without looking into Khat, so part one here you go: * * * * * The mirqaana : the desired state of heightened energy, reached in all and each of the following three phases. 1. The Igabana : The Eye Opener. ‘A typical farmer in the rural areas of Harerge starts the day by going into his oyiru, the family garden’ . He inspects the farm and by 9am he goes to his khat orchard and settles down with other men for the morning chew. Igabana means the eye opener). A small quantity only of khat is chewed to quickly achieve a mirqaana so that ensues a burst of energy for labour intensive daily acti...

"Our wombs cry for our sons, [...] Where are the flowers of our lives, Kaleb? Why have you pinned down our love To rust in a scavenging day? Where are our men, Kaleb? Why have you hung our womb to dry Beyond the darkness of time? Our breasts hurt, demanding What visitation ravaged our essence. The sleepless spirits Accuse our thoughts, Kaleb. The season of mothers Question our dreamless nights. Our wombs cry for our sons, Our feet fret for their sight. Where are the flowers of our lives, Kaleb?" This is the 'Mothers' Chorus' in the play 'Collision of Altars' written by Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin and published in 1977. Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin wrote this historical play set in the Axumite empire at the time of Kaleb, the famous emperor of Axum - he is known as Ella-Asbeha (transposed by inebriated Greeks as ' Hellestheaeus '.... talk about slurping...) Kaleb is reported to have gone into Yemen several times to try to recover his lost territory there. Every at...

Some time ago I found on youtube, or picked up from a retweet on Twitter I can't remember, a video called 'Typical Habesha' parents. Watching it made me travel back to at least 20 years ago when my dad used to call as if he were stuck in a crashed car about to burst in flames: 'where is my coffee spoon' .... a dancing and ritual interlude to ' bring me my coffee spoon '. That darn spoon was always staring at him from a safe 5 centimeters' distance, waiting for me. If my eyes would so much as begin to roll he'd start a dramatic speech addressed to phantom witnesses about the disgrace of old age and the disgrace of fiendishly uncaring 10 year-old children. It was a tug-of-love between us and I remember this fondly. He's not habesha, nor am I, it's just that this video echoed well creased memories of many a spoon thrown at time and space! I've been hearing (very funny for me but perhaps not so much for those under peer pressure) storie...

I found this superb photo essay Wonder Women of Eritrea from photographer Cheryl Hatch who is otherwise known for her war photography generally and her many visits to Eritrea in 1999 during the war. See the full text to photographs here . I like these photos particularly because they show women's smiles and laughter, it maybe a bit (or very much) naive of me but it shows hope in a subtle way... perhaps. There is a lot going on amongst the Eritrean diaspora recently with the Peace Conference on its way (with who is attending a question still hanging). Eri blogs and forums are bursting with letters, blogs, articles, rants, sighs, hope, irritation, trembling bunn talk, well a sure sign of fuming keyboards :-) anyways, interesting development in store I'd say, historical possibly. It made me search for the never yet implemented (and somewhat or very much-what illegal) Eritrean Constitution finally drafted in July 1996. I like the preamble come what may and especially: Noting ...

Does anyone know lore on the origins of the Oromo? The only bit of information I've found in folklore (history books on this are the pits) is that Oromo origins go back to a mother, Roobee, and her two sons, Booran and Bartuuma, who are the founder of the Oromo nation. They did not know their father, and the stories say that indeed, their father was unknown (see the link thus here). So could it be that a long long time ago, before time remembers and before men conjugated time, the Oromo nation was born out of a matriarchy ? I suppose all civilisations did. By the way, big thanks to Gumii.org , I really enjoyed reading this, thanks to those who put it together: Qaaluu Institution . Anyways, Duraa Duberti (Oromifa for 'ladies first' I am told) The Siqqe: When women married in Oromo society, they were given a Siqqe, a long staff style curved cane, to keep for protection. This is one of its uses apparently, I really want one of those: when and if her husband abused her, ...

The case of the Criminal Walk and Other stories by Hama Tuma, Outskirts Press, 2006. It was published in 2006 but I do not know when the stories were written. “As people say, misery is a brother and happiness just a passerby.” Readers, please excuse but I am going to be rambling on for the next three paragraphs which you are more than welcome to skip, don't miss Hama Tuma's quotes though, am sure you'll love his style. I never wanted to study History, I always used to dodge lessons or snore in the front row so that I would get thrown out of class. There isn’t much I find remotely mentally titillating in the records that human beings - or should I say ‘man’ beings ;-) - keep. The earliest examples of writing, as archaeological findings indicate thus far, does not recount romances, love, not even hate nor war, but economy, pure and simple mathematical calculation (actually not that simple!). History's body is literature, through it, with it, it thrives, invites, seduc...

These are two Gurage gods (well one god and one goddess) whose praise poems I am lifting from "Gods and Heroes" (by William A Shack and Habte-Mariam Marcos, 1972). It is a collection of Gurage praise-chants. Bwaža is this permanently irate god who has an itchy thunderous palm. Damwamwit is the goddess of creation and death. She reminded me much of Ishtar (the goddess of procreation and war) in Ancient Mesopotamia, at least a less whimsical version. The Gurage worship three deities and the gods inhabiting these poems are: - Wak, the god of War, also known as the 'Sky god', - Damwamwit (also Maryam who is either one and the same or a separate entity goddess) and exclusively belongs to the realm of women, - The mighty Bwaža, the Thunder-god, who sits in the Gurage's conceptual hierarchy next to Yegzar, "their otiose supreme beings, associated with nature an inanimate objects". The prayer-chants are called waywat. The Heroes chants (secular praise) are...

I came across " Africa Confidential " (" 50 years of reporting in Africa" , " one of the longest-established specialist publications on Africa" ) several weeks ago, that is in name only. My curiosity was intensely teased when I could get no access to it: none from media outlets, be they online or in print, none from archives, none in dissected parts in other magazines, none from universities' online digital resources (Africa Confidential is only available to read when logged on ON campus) and most certainly for me no access from the magazine itself - the price of an annual subscription being in direct competition with my food budget (the prices range from £665/US$1,128 to £737/US$1,290 for an annual subscription.... oh plus VAT). "To preserve our readers’ information advantage, Africa Confidential is only available by subscription. You’ll not find it on high street news stands or other public outlets. Moreover, none of our commentary, news and ...

"By remembering the past, the future is remembered". These notes are taken from Mengesha Rikitu's research on "Oromo Folk Tales for a new generation" by (see also his "Oromo Proverbs" and "Oromo Grammar"). Some proverbs are folk tales are worth the detour: 1) Oromo Proverb – Harreen yeroo alaaktu malee, yeroo dhuudhuuftu hin'beektu   "The Donkey doesn't know that it is farting again and again when it is braying." (ie some people concentrating on their own verbosity are unaware of what is going on behind them) You can tell that dhuudhuuftu is the farting can't you, am betting on the sound that word makes. Oromifa is one of the five most widely spoken (Afroasiatic) languages in Africa. Its importance lies in the numbers of its speakers and in its geographical extent. The 'official' numbers point to 30 million Oromo speakers (but there has not been to this day a complete or reliable census). The majority...

Notes based on "Ethiopic : An African Writing System / Its History and Principle" by Ayele Bekerie, The Red Sea Press, 1997. In his chapter 'The History and Principles of the Ethiopic Writing System', Professor Bekerie introduces parts of the exegesis for Ge'ez. I wish I could get my hands on Asras Yanesaw's Yakam Matasabia, preferably translated in English (I'll settle for French also mind you). Anyways, briefly, this is what I wanted to share: Ge'ez is a writing system that organises itself around 7 orders (what Indo-European terminology would categorise as vowels within a syllabary) and 26 graphs. I keep here the term graph used by Professor Bekerie and I really hope that his new term 'syllograph' for Ge'ez will be widely accepted and adopted from now on by Ethiopianists. Indeed, Ge'ez is NOT an alphabet! On a personal note, I do think that there would be much to be gained from observing Ge'ez's graphs as logograms or a...