Category: Legal-Judicial

GENAVA — The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It voted Friday to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted the resolution by a vote of 32 in favor, 13 abstentions and two against. Only Russia and Eritrea voted no to condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In an indication of how isolated Russia has become, even stalwart allies — China, Cuba, and Venezuela — chose to abstain rather than stand shoulder to shoulder with Moscow in rejecting the resolution.

While Belarus is not a member of the council, it took the floor in defense of its Russian ally. Belarus Counselor Andrei Taranda also took the occasion to deflect criticism against his country’s alliance with Moscow.

“A number of Western countries condemned Belarus for, as they put it, supporting the aggression against Ukraine. But let us be honest with ourselves. Who is fueling the flames of conflict in Ukraine? Unlike the co-sponsors of the resolution, Belarus is not sending weapons or mercenaries to the conflict zone. And there are no Belarusian soldiers on Ukrainian soil,” said Taranda, speaking through an interpreter.

The claim that no Belarusian soldiers are in Ukraine cannot be independently confirmed.

Conversely, Taranda said, Poland reportedly already has let 200 mercenaries into Ukraine, without citing evidence of this claim.

The Belarusian statement had little traction in the council. Country after country from all regions of the world — Europe, Africa, Asia, South America — rose to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Ambassador Sheba Crocker, U.S. representative to the U.N. and other international organizations in Geneva, said Russia must be held to account for its senseless, premeditated and unprovoked military attack on Ukraine.

“With millions of civilian lives at stake, Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian alike — as Russian troops open fire on the streets of Kyiv, as they drop bombs on residential buildings in populated areas, as they shell kindergarten students in their schools — Russia must be held to account by this council,” Crocker said.

The Human Rights Council resolution calls on the commission of inquiry to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It charges the commission to collect, analyze, and safeguard all evidence to be used in any future legal proceedings that may result from its probe.

Source: Voice of America

World Wildlife Day has been declared to celebrate the beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise people’s awareness of the benefits of their conservation. It also reminds us of the urgent need to step up efforts to protect wildlife against criminals and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

The Earth is home to countless species, too many to even attempt counting, of fauna and flora. Historically, we have depended on the constant interplay and interlinkages between all elements of the biosphere for all our needs: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the materials we need for all purposes.

International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity. In view of this, assessing the status of wildlife in Eritrea on the occasion of World Wildlife Day is imperative.

Globally, managing wildlife and its habitat involves people and organizations in a range of ways. History reveals that in Africa ever since the existence of humans, conservation of natural resources was considered part of their culture. In those days there was no overexploitation of the natural resources of the environment. They practiced subsistence farming, and people only took what they could consume. Hence, Africans coexisted with their ecosystem in harmony for centuries without destroying their environment.

However, with the era of colonization and industrialization, things started to change. The natural ecosystem that had existed began to take a new shape and much of Africa’s forests and wildlife began to be destroyed for different purposes. Overexploitation of the environment and natural resources jeopardized biodiversity. Consequently, the sense of ownership and conservation was lost. Hence, a lot of wild animals were killed and poaching became a common phenomenon. Nowadays, the illegal appropriation of wildlife is moving at an alarming rate and conservationists believe that unless mitigation measures are taken, nearly a quarter of all the species are likely to become extinct in the coming decades.

Wildlife in Eritrea was not exceptional to the fate of wildlife in other countries of Africa. Similar disasters were seen in Eritrea during the colonial era and the war of independence. In pre-colonial Eritrea, 30% of the land was covered with forest and there were many wild animals. Upon independence, which came after colonization and successive wars, forestation was reduced to below 2%. As a consequence of this, the overall number and species of wild animals in Eritrea has diminished significantly. And some disappeared altogether. Deforestation was intensified and a number of precious wildlife species became extinct. These include Rhinoceros, Giraffe, Hippopotamus and Gravy Zebra while other remaining wildlife species were at the brink of extinction when Eritrea gained its independence.

Nonetheless, after Eritrea’s independence and the subsequent peace, security and stability in the country, the government and people of Eritrea have given due attention to the conservation of wildlife.

To reverse the adverse environmental situation and eventually recover the status of wildlife, relentless endeavors continue to be made and promising achievements have been attained. The commitment of the government to promote conservation is demonstrated through its public awareness campaigns and capacity building and institutional arrangements for the conservation of wildlife. The intervention has shown promising results in the variety of species, their distribution and the population of wildlife. A report from Forestry and Wildlife Authority shows that the number of wildlife in Eritrea is increasing significantly. The revival of globally endangered species of wildlife (IUCN Red lists) such as African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), African Wild Ass (Equus Africanus), Nubian Ibex (Capra ibex nubiana) and Eritrean Gazelle (Eudorcas tilonura) in the soil of Eritrea is evident.

The theme for this year’s World Wildlife Day, which is celebrated on 3 March, is ‘Safeguarding Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration.’

The Government and people of Eritrea work to restore degraded ecosystems and promote the recovery of wildlife, in general, and endangered and vulnerable species, in particular. We should remember that we are holding biodiversity in trust, and we, therefore, have the moral obligation to ensure the continued existence of wildlife that we should pass on to future generations.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

GENEVA — The U.N. Human Rights Council has overwhelmingly approved a request to hold an urgent debate later this week on the crisis in Ukraine stemming from the Russian invasion of that country.

The proposal was approved by 29 countries in the 47-member council. Thirteen countries abstained and five – China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela, voted against the proposal.

The vote took place after an impassioned plea by Yevheniia Filipenko, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva. She called on the Council to hold Russia accountable for what she called an unprovoked, unjustified attack on her country.

In just four days, she said the toll of destruction in Ukraine has become devastating. She said 352 people, including 16 children, have been killed, and some 1,700 people have been wounded, including 160 children. She said Russian bombing of civilian infrastructure, roads and bridges has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and water and cut off communities.

“Russian forces attempt to sow panic among the population by specifically targeting kindergartens and orphanages, hospitals, and mobile medical aid brigades, thus committing acts that may amount to war crimes. And Ukraine has filed the case against Russia in the International Court of Justice to bring Russia to account,” said Filipenko.

The Russian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, accused Ukraine of committing multiple atrocities against people living in Ukraine’s southeastern Donetsk and Lukansk regions. He speaks through an interpreter.

Gatilov said, ”Before us we have nothing other than the usual attempt of Kyiv to distract attention, the attention of the international community away from what they have been doing for nearly eight years now, which is the targeted destruction of completely innocent people in Donetsk and Lukansk—women, children and the elderly.”

Since 2014, more than 14,000 people in Donetsk and Luhansk have been killed in fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the two rebel republics a week ago.

Western governments condemned this action. They said Putin’s decision to send so-called peacekeepers to safeguard the sovereignty and independence of this separatist region was a pretext to invade Ukraine.

The Human Rights Council opened a five-week session Monday. It has decided to hold the urgent debate on the “situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression” on Thursday.

This follows a three-day high-level segment with the participation of heads of state and other dignitaries from more than 140 countries.

Source: Voice of America

Decreasing the usage of plastic and increasing its recycling is the aim of a resolution being presented at a United Nations Environment Program conference that opens Monday in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. According to the UNEP, 300,000 tons of plastic are produced yearly, and only 10 percent recycled, contributing to environmental pollution that, according to the UNEP, is reaching critical levels.

On the Dandora dumping site in Nairobi, visitors can see a hilly landscape full of decades of garbage and plastics generated from the city. People are sifting through the smelly waste with their bare hands, looking for something to sell or eat.

On this particular day, the site gets a visit from Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, along with the UNEP assembly president, Espen Barth Eide. They are inspecting piles of blue and transparent plastics that are baking in the sun. According to the UNEP, only 10 percent of global plastic production is recycled, while the rest risks polluting the environment. The UNEP says plastics even enter the human body. Espen Barth Eide took a blood test.

“We found nano plastic traces and also phthalates, a chemical product that we use to soften plastic, in my blood, and I don’t think my blood is unique and I think this is true for all of us on the planet,” said Eide.

The UNEP is looking for a solution to the issue of increased plastic waste collection, preventing it from ending up in nature or on dumping sites.

Twenty-year-old Isaac is a garbage picker on the Dandora dumping site. He collects a lot of plastic here for selling, like bottles, known here as chupas.

“Even bottles, chupas of soda. These plastic papers and plastic chupas like water, Omo, yogurt, all of it,” he said.

The UNEP’s Andersen says a lot more plastic will have to be collected for recycling purposes to keep the environment clean.

“We understand we need plastic. We take it from the belly of the Earth with hydrocarbon, said Andersen. “We make it into plastic. But once it is in the economy, let us not put it back into the environment; let us keep it in the economy.”

At a recycling plant in Nairobi, plastic waste is turned into polythene bags and bricks which are offered on the market. It can be seen as a sign that the process has started, but for the UNEP, it must be accelerated for a cleaner world.

Source: Voice OF America

A lengthy destabilization of Ethiopia’s regime reverse the gains made by security partners and countries in the fight against Al-Shabaab, and create a crisis that Kenya is ill-prepared to face.

The in Ethiopia and its Implication for Marsabit County Download PDFPrint Article From southern Ethiopia to northern Kenya, scenes of euphoria broke out after the swearing in of Abiy Ahmed as Ethiopia’s new prime minister on 2 April 2018, when the incumbent Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned unexpectedly. Abiy came to power as the country faced civil unrest, particularly in the Oromia region. In his maiden speech, Abiy promised sweeping changes, from judicial reforms, to the establishment of high-level structured bilateral cooperation with Kenya to the signing of a peace accord with Eritrea to end 20 years of a frozen conflict. Eighteen years after its closure, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia was reopened and siblings were reunited with parents and grandparents for the first time in almost a decade. Phone links were re-established.

• A New Dawn

A new era seemed to have emerged in the Horn of Africa’s most populous country and largest economy following decades of civil wars, drought and famine. Ethiopian youths had high expectations of an improved economy and better working conditions under Abiy’s leadership. In particular, for the larger Oromo population, which had never had one of its own as head of government, the coronation of Abiy was laden with tremendous hope for this historically marginalized majority group. Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize after the peace settlement with Eritrea, electrifying the country and the region. Yet amid all the positive reforms, tensions were brewing within and outside Abiy’s administration as the northern Tigrinya region went to the polls against the federal government’s directives. Dissenting Oromo voices and opposition leaders were detained. Vocal local musician Hachalu Handessa was assassinated in broad daylight.

All these events happened in the blink of an eye, jeopardizing the developments initiated by Abiy in fewer than two years. Slightly over one year into the conflict with Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) insurgents, the intensifying hostility between the federal government forces and the Tigrinya political leadership has produced a dire humanitarian crisis, from malnutrition and food insecurity, the displacement of populations, disease outbreaks to restrictions in the delivery of food aid. The current volatile situation in Ethiopia will have a devastating ripple effect on the neighbouring countries, particularly Kenya, which borders Ethiopia to the south.

• The spillover

From the Italo-Ethiopia war, through the persecution of the TPLF to Ethiopia’s security operation in early 2018 targeting civilians, the ensuing refugee crises have been felt in the Moyale region of Marsabit County. The movement of people from Ethiopia to the Kenyan side of the border takes different forms, from human trafficking, displacement of people due to ethnic conflict or targeted government operations, to “flushing out” of local militia affiliated to Oromo in Ethiopia. The Moyale-Nairobi road has been the route for human trafficking and a smuggling hotspot for those seeking “greener pastures” abroad and those running away from political persecution.

Of the other countries that share a border with Ethiopia, the influx of refugees into Sudan has been the largest, with arrivals into countries like Somalia being modest. Conversely, with the escalation of ethnic fighting and the federal government fighting different factions in new fronts, the situation is fluid, and there is the possibility of people fleeing to Kenya to escape the growing conflicts. Northern Kenya already hosts two of the world’s largest refugee settlements, Kakuma to the northwest and Dadaab to the northeast. A protracted and bloody ethnic conflict causing a steady flow of displaced populations would likely have severe impacts on Marsabit County. The porous borders with Kenya would enable displaced populations to cross into Moyale Sub-County, putting pressure on a region that is already facing drought and resource problems. An influx of refugees from Ethiopia could increase pressure on the county’s scarce resources and provoke a humanitarian crisis that local authorities are not equipped to handle. This would put colossal pressure on public utilities like hospitals, increase food insecurity, cause disease outbreaks and a surge in COVID-19 infections.

“The current volatile situation in Ethiopia will have a devastating ripple effect on the neighbouring countries, particularly Kenya, which borders Ethiopia to the south.”

Kenya being the passage for Ethiopians seeking a better life abroad—in South Africa and elsewhere—the influx of people running away from the crisis will increase human trafficking, which will have a devastating impact on the rights of refugees. The people being trafficked usually pay colossal amounts of money to traffickers to get into Nairobi, transported either by lorry or by van like sacks of potatoes. Immigrants risk their lives in search of better lives and livelihoods and the influx of refugees might affect the rights of refugees as the human traffickers may take advantage of the vulnerable displaced populations. Additionally, the crisis has potentially serious effects on Kenya’s stability and security as it could weaken counterinsurgency efforts against the potent Al-Shabaab jihadist group. Kenya has taken a number of initiatives against terrorism and terror-related activities including security and political measures, and creating awareness and sensitization among the locals. These initiatives could be derailed if the militant group makes a comeback into the border counties.

The intensification of conflict and spill-over into Ethiopia’s other regions like Oromia and Ogaden may oblige Abiy’s government to withdraw Ethiopian forces from Somalia, severely weakening the AMISOM forces. This would splinter the containment model put in place by the Ethiopian government against Al-Shabaab. The security vacuum created will allow the infiltration of Al-Shabaab and other militant groups, and create conditions favouring local recruitment. AMISON was officially scheduled to wind up its operations by the end of the 2021 but the international community has requested an extension of the term from the European Union. The deployment of Ethiopian military personnel remains a lynchpin of the AMISON mission in Somalia; retracting Ethiopia’s contingent could erase the gains made over the years in the fight against the terrorist group. The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops would also bolster the Al-Shabaab, enabling militants to spread their tentacles into the vast and volatile parts of Marsabit County.

“An influx of refugees from Ethiopia could increase pressure on the county’s scarce resources and provoke a humanitarian crisis that local authorities are not equipped to handle.”

The political crisis will exacerbate the ethnic and political situation in border counties like Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, among others. Marsabit County has in the past experienced severe ethnic conflict, from the Forolle massacre, the Turbi bloodbath, the Moyale clashes to the current ethnic clashes in Saku Sub-County. The primary triggers of the ethnic conflict revolve around land and boundary issues exacerbated by the influx of small arms and light weapons through the porous Kenya-Ethiopian border. The ease of access to light weapons will be further accelerated by the Ethiopian crisis, enabling a steady flow of guns and other armaments. This could inflame the already fragile situation in Marsabit County. Considering that electioneering in this region instigates ethnic conflict, the infiltration of light weapons might aggravate these ethnic clashes.

Given that Kenya and Ethiopia have several bilateral trade agreements and other trade arrangements at various levels, the crisis in Ethiopia is likely to affect trade between the two countries. Private firms and local traders on the Kenyan side of the border are likely to re-evaluate their business operations, which will affect income tax and cause layoffs. This will have direct bearing on the revenues generated by the state from the export and import of goods. On the flipside, there will be an inflow of illegal goods and products into Kenya, finding their way into the local markets and thus affecting the business environment in Kenya. Such a shadow market system distorts the local market and trade flows, and results in low sales as people shift to cheaper goods. An intensification of ethnic conflict implies disruption of transportation of goods along the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia corridor. Similarly, hard drugs like cannabis sativa could find their way into the lucrative drug market in Kenya.

In brief, a rapid de-escalation in the complex ethnic conflict is vital not just for reinstating equilibrium in Ethiopia, but also to ensure that Kenya is not destabilised. A lengthy destabilization of Ethiopia’s regime will reverse the gains made by security partners and countries in the fight against Al Shabaab, the most lethal terrorist group in the Horn of Africa as well as the economic achievements and bilateral cooperation between these two countries. Should the de-escalation emerge as a result of political diplomacy leading to equitable power sharing, Kenya will not have to deal with a crisis it has not prepared for.

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

Meet 27-year-old Miriam Fisshaye, founder of Zewdi, the first decolonial Black travel agency in Berlin, where she is based. Born in Ethiopia to Eritrean parents, Miriam was raised in Frankfurt, Germany, but always maintained a bond to her African heritage.

Growing up, Miriam lived in a neighborhood full of immigrants, which she describes as “the UN” due to its diversity. However, despite being inhabited by Sudanese, Togolese, Afghanis, and people of various other origins, most of the teachers in the schools were white Germans who reproduced structural racism.

“In school, the Black history of Germany never appeared in our history books, unless it was referring to colonialism or the trans-Atlantic slave trade,” said Miriam. “The colonial past of Germany, besides its role in the Berlin conference of 1884, was not mentioned at all, and our teachers were not equipped by the school curriculum to bring forth diverse stories.”

Miriam recalls asking her teacher, during her studies of the National Socialism era, if Black people died in concentration camps, as well. The answer was succinct, bordering on derogatory: “I don’t think so. Black people didn’t exist in the past.”

Her story echoes those of Black children throughout the diaspora living in primarily white societies, whose schools and teachers have failed miserably at providing the truth and depth of their people and histories. So, it’s unsurprising that Miriam was able to relate to Black youth in countries like the United States and United Kingdom.

“For issues of diversity, racial equality, and injustice, it was common to look to the USA or the UK. We often didn’t have a word for our injustice, and adopted the American words to use as our own. Studying African American history and books gave me at least the universal understanding of intersectional injustice and racial based inequalities.”

With travel having always been a part of Miriam’s family’s life, it provided a gateway to knowledge. They had relatives in several European countries, such as the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom, who they visited during summer holidays.

“To see the world is to learn, and I became aware that although Black people were present, our history was somehow invisible. It may have been the occasional museum painting with a Black person in it, but without a name or backstory given. What I also observed through these childhood travels was the predominance of the European perspective in the global travel narrative, despite travel itself being broader. I didn’t see, in my youth, Black explorers on TV or in travel and leisure advertisements. Black or brown people were refugees; displaced, migrating, but not traveling.”

Thanks to her grandfather, who was an Askari–a soldier in Italy’s Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali (Royal Colonial Corps)–and a passionate storyteller, Miriam knew Germany had a colony in East Africa, and that some of the soldiers migrated to Germany in the 20th century. Finding the evidence that they existed, however, was a mammoth task.

“Organizations such as Initiative Schwarze Deutch, Each One Teach One eV, and Afrika Median Zentrum partly helped me understand and reveal the hidden history of Black people in Germany.”

Inspired by her findings, Miriam desired to share the history of Black Germany with others. She moved to Berlin to study, and in June 2021, she completed her master’s degree in sustainable tourism.

Miriam founded Zewdi, which means “queen” in the Tigrinya language spoken in Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia, in June 2020. She named the company after her paternal grandmother, a proud, beautiful, Black woman who embraced her culture and stayed true to her heritage in the face of racism and discrimination during the colonial era in Eritrea.

“Having a love-hate relationship with Berlin, I realized some time ago that I can use my passion for Black history and my knowledge of tourism to showcase Berlin’s little-known Black history. In my experience, even local Berliners are not aware of Black German history, as early as the 17th or 18th century. They would not know names such as, Gustav Sabac el Cher and Martin Dibobe. They would not have taken a tour through Berlin focused on Black heritage.”

The very first tour Zewdi offered was the Black bike tour, in which participants explored the history of the city together via bicycle. Today, in addition to this tour, Zewdi offers post-colonial walking tours, package tours to Zanzibar, startup group tours, and exclusive events, such as a Kemetic yoga workshop in collaboration with Jamaican yoga instructor Akosua Aset.

Quite popular and always fully booked, all bike tours are individually curated, unique experiences where Miriam matches the route and history together for a compelling journey. For those seeking an introduction to Berlin’s Black history, the post-colonial walking tour is ideal. It takes participants through the Afrikanische Viertel or “African Quarter” in Berlin.

“This tour aims to draw attention to Germany’s colonial past and its presence today in Wedding, Berlin. I do this tour in collaboration with Mnayaka Sururu Mboro, a prominent Afro-German activist and one of the founders of Berlin Postkolonial e.V., which has done a wonderful job making colonial places in the city visible.”

Through the work of Zewdi, its collaborators, and other organizations, people of all races are learning about Germany’s Black history and culture. Miriam has built herself a seat at the travel and leisure industry table to help fill a gaping void and provide a valuable and much-needed learning experience.

“The Afro diaspora community increasingly wants to have travel and leisure experiences reflecting their identity and reality. The demand is there, but the supply in Germany is limited. With Zewdi, I am working on that. I think exploring Berlin’s Black history makes this city more welcoming and more accessible to Black people. Berlin is not only Brandenburger Tor, but it is the African Quarter, as well.”

With February also being Black History Month in Germany, Zewdi is hosting two special events on February 20 and 27.

“Both are an invitation to look back into German history to learn the stories of 106 individuals who were abducted from Africa, Oceana, and America to be put on display as colonial subjects.”

In the future, Miriam would like to create travel experiences, both virtual and analog, that cut across intersectionally to reach a diverse audience, not only in Germany, but globally.

“My dream is that from Basra and Cape Town to Brasilia and Stockholm, people will have the possibility to explore and connect to the Afro diaspora community. I am following with interest the huge possibility to create virtual travel experiences on the metaverse. I would like to be a pioneer in this area, especially the possibility of creating a virtual travel experience where you can do things like learn about pre-colonial era Africa or experience an Afrofuturistic city.”

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

• “From us, by us, within us, we have all the power and resources to be recognized internationally” Music composer, Mussie Mekonen (Chinez)

Born in 1993, Mussie Mekonen, better known by his nickname, Chine, got introduced to music just right when he started talking as a child. By the time he got to be a 4th grader, little Chinez started to play musical instruments. He was inspired by his musician parents, both freedom fighters, knew his ways around studios and got a four-year music lessons starting from the 8th grade. After he graduated from the music school he went to Sawa. Since 2009, he has produced music for almost all Eritrean artists, whose songs have become famous and gone viral, earning the singers a good name here and abroad. After all those years of staying in the studio, he finds it hard to know how many works he has produced over the years.

Chinez is the pianist of Walta Cultural troupe and is here with us today.

• A 4th grader in the studios and performing at a Concert

I came from musician parents, both freedom fighters. My dad worked at the Cultural Affairs music and light system. My mom was a singer with the cultural troupes during the armed struggle for independence.

An interest in music came naturally to me as I grew up watching my dad work with various musical instruments. Everything was easy for me since I had all the opportunities and musical instruments around me. When I was in 4th grade, I learned the Sudanese drum that is played by holding between the legs, the Derebuka drum. This is one of the instruments I learned to play first.

Sibrit Cultural Troupe, one of the elite cultural troupes in the country, trained at a cinema in our neighborhood. As kids, we used to watch them rehears during the day and in the evening we gathered around and imitated their beats and everything else using instruments we made out of tins. We played and practiced by ourselves for quite some time, and before long I got into a studio along with some of my friends who were selected out of our school and had proper training. We were the students who had skills to play the drum. I was a bit better than the others and was the one supervising. We had a successful concert at Bahti Meskerem in 2004.

• Learning Music and what it takes to produce good music

I was a member of our school’s music group, and I decided to get proper music lessons from Asmara Music School. I started my music lessons when I was in 8th grade and went to Sawa, the 25th round, after graduating from the music school where I had been for four years. I specialized in playing the piano, and during my spare time, I continued to learn to play the drum; and I did well on both. Later on, after my journey to Sawa, I became a member of Sawa Musical Troupe and continued my membership during my stay there. Although I Started out as a pianist, I started playing the bass guitar as there was no one to play it. So, I came back to Asmara having learned to play the bass guitar pretty well.

I believe that it is best for a musician to master a specific musical instrument and study it thoroughly. However, here we try to experiment with different types of instruments and try to work with it. For instance, I play the piano, Kirar (a traditional music Instrument), bass Kirar, derebuka (Sudanese Drum), Wata (a traditional Instrument), begena (a traditional instrument used in the church), live drum, Emni ketsela (another traditional instrument used in the church), lead guitar, and bass guitar. As I said, even though I know how to play those instruments well, I play professionally only five of the instruments: Kirar, keyboard, derebuka, begena, live drum.

• Team Work for all the great works, he preaches.

As a composer, the first thing one should do is ‘know the lyrics.’ What is it saying? What kind of emotions does one wish to convey? How do you get the public to feel what the writer is feeling? I believe team work is essential for a great music to be produced. Our elderly musicians used to discuss and share ideas, and I believe that is one of the main reasons their music is still popular and recognized by the public, even many years after they were produced. Music is vast; there are a lot of things we can experiment with using our resources. But if one plans to do it alone it is just going to remain a work of a single mind, with a single perspective. I cannot stress this enough — working together makes us brighter and sharper. That is the only way we all can get to the top of whatever goal we set for ourselves.

Over the years I have spent my days at the studios, which is every day of my life since I was very young. I have worked with almost every Eritrean artist here and abroad. But I honestly can’t keep track of the number of music I have produced for them, but it is definitely more than 700. Fortunately, my works have been accepted by the public so greatly and have added fame to the artists.

• Experimenting our Traditional Side

Yatana Cultural Troupe was the Ministry of Education’s Musical group. Later, in 2012, the group became Boba Musical Group, and had many great young artists. What made the band unique was all its musical instruments were traditional. We tried to show the world that our traditional musical instruments can be used to play modern styles of music: Eritrean modernized music, African music, jazz, Arab beats, etc. We can play it all with our instruments. That was our main goal. Our band grew to be famous and had many concerts that earned us a great deal of appreciation from the public. We were even invited to the President’s office to perform.

Representing the Central region, our band participated in competitions at the National Festivals. In many of the competitions we have won first place for years. I regret to say that due to many challenges, Boba band couldn’t go on. However, I have seen at least three bands that want to follow in the kind of path our band followed. Hopefully, attention would be given to such troupes because we have all the resources to go global and introduce our tradition, traditional music and culture and everything that goes with it.

• Chinez’s tips and gratitude to the public.

Like I said, all artists are driven by the same goal. We all want to bring out the best artistic work. I hope we all can agree to come together and work hard for the common cause, taking the music industry to a greater level. For that to happen, we need to be a team. We shouldn’t waste our time competing against one another; we all need to compete for the bigger picture.

Also, before everything else, I would like to thank the almighty God for everything that has happened in my life. Also, thanks to my parents for all the support and motivation I got from my young age. I would like to thank everyone who has been there for me from the beginning. I would like to give my atmost respect. Everything that I am and everything that I am able to do is because of all the support and motivation I got from every single person who has contributed in my life in any kind, a smile, or a good heart, or financial and material support. Thank you.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea