Ethiopian Journal

We thank the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for sharing its discussion paper and Aiga Forum for presenting it to us. The paper provides good overviews of the next five-year (2003-2007 E.C.) plan and what was achieved by the previous five-year (1998-2002 E.C.) plan. What we can do is take the information in the paper at face value and make a few comments and suggestions for public knowledge and if the government is open for feedback.  I welcome other comments including reactions to my piece here. 

Recently, I read articles at Asmarino.com that attempt to address the existence of alleged “child soldier” in the Eritrean struggle during liberation war against Ethiopia.  They are by Yosief Gherberhiwet (YG), “What the Book of Martyrs Doesn’t Say: Part I” and Part II,  and Zekre Lebona (ZL), “The Eritrean Revolution and Its Child Soldiers”. ZL talks about:

Alleged “child soldier” in Eritrean Ghedli by dressing it, or better yet, cloning it in a Sierra Leon, Uganda, and the Republic of Congo’s context.

Use Dogs of War mercenaries in the case of Biafra, Nigeria, and soldier for hire in Ayanya, south Sudan struggle to create a simile where there is none in Eritrean Ghedli.

Describing an AK47 (Kalashnikov) in terms of “toy like gun” that would attract eight and nine years old boys who could embrace it as such… a toy! Giving a distinct mental picture of the war in the diamond world.

Worst of all… ZL makes no legal, moral, or cultural arguments in advancing the case except repeating the buzz phrase “child soldier” where it fits, and omitting it where it causes a hole in his missing argument…Ethiopia.