The Eritrean National Identity: A Case Study

By Peggy A. Hoyle

Excerpts:

Hoyle on Basil Davidson and Ruth Iyob and Eritrean nationalism:

Admitting that Eritrean nationalism was weak during the colonial period, eminent Africanist Basil Davidson pointed out that a fragile sense of nationalism was the norm in many parts of Africa. Like Afwerki and Sorenson, Davidson contended that, in the Eritrean case, the foundation for the nation was laid during “the struggle.” In a departure from these earlier theories, Ruth Iyob emphasized the recency of the Eritrean nation when she described the different Eritrean communities as basically strangers to one another prior to the Italian period. These strangers did not develop a set of symbols or ideology or shared defining experience necessary for developing a national identity, argued Iyob, until well into the thirty-year struggle, specifically the last ten years of it.

On the main components of Eritrean national identity:

In this case, the national identity in question was the one promoted by the EPLF in motivating young Tigrinyans, Tigre, Saho, and others to exchange their lives for an Eritrean nation. In analyzing the Eritrean national identity, several particular component values will be examined, namely: ethical behavior, a belief in critical public speech, perseverance or steadfastness, an emphasis on the community over the individual, and a commitment to self-reliance. It cannot be overemphasized that these components may not necessarily be attached to individual Eritreans. Obviously, there are members of the Eritrean nation who are not steadfast or who will not speak critically in public. Rather, these are traits upheld by the national community—by Eritreanism.

On Eritreans being exceptionally ethical people:                                         

Eritreans celebrate their nation as being exceptionally ethical and contend that dignity and fairness are what differentiates them from other societies, especially Ethiopia. Whether Eritrean society is unusually ethical and fair has not been empirically proven (if that is possible). However, since national identity addresses how citizens perceive or desire their society to be rather than how it really is, this determination arguably does not matter. In her book, Eritrea: Miracleland, Illen Ghebrai, writing about her experiences during wartime Eritrea, focuses upon the ethical comportment about which Eritreans are so proud: “Our society is imbued with a deep sense of fairness, dignity, equality, integrity, honesty and an equally strong sense of ethical and moral propriety . . . . The humane treatment the Ethiopian Prisoners of War received at the hands and mercy of the Eritrean Liberation Forces is a glaring example.”

It is undisputed that while Eritreans were tortured in Ethiopian prisons, Eritrea maintained a strict policy of treating Ethiopian and other prisoners humanely. During periods when food was scarce, the Eritreans would give their Ethiopian prisoners basically the same rations as their own fighters rather than allow them to suffer from malnutrition.

On the tradition of critical public speech:

The use of a public forum by the President to combat corruption exemplifies another value component of the Eritrean national identity, the tradition of critical public speech. During the struggle, the EPLF employed public meetings to educate Eritreans about everything from the political efficacy of the struggle to proper hygiene and nutrition. The idea of the public forum was promoted by the EPLF, and public meetings today have become a capstone of the constitutional process. Even the Diaspora hold regular meetings to discuss issues such as support for the martyrs or the border conflict with Ethiopia.

The current government has fostered the idea that the views of the ‘common folk’ are appreciated and incorporated into the day-to- day operation of the government. The civics text employed in the Eritrean school system teaches students that criticism is a civic duty. According to Illen Ghebrai, the encouragement of public speech is compatible with a long-standing local tradition of free expression. For example, in explaining how Eritreans viewed union with Ethiopia, Ghebrai wrote: “All discussions [about union with Ethiopia] were conducted in a hushed manner. One really had to trust someone to venture into making any comment ad hoc. This trait is alien to Eritreans, as we are known to be overly frank, and vocal about our views and feelings.”

On “self-reliance”, railroad and identity:

Eritreans concur that another characteristic that sets them apart as a people is their devotion to the concept of self-reliance. After being subjected to decades of colonialization by different states, the lesson drawn by Eritreans was that the only people that they could rely on were themselves …

Enshrined in the constitution as a “national value,” the notion of success through self-reliance serves as an inspiration to Eritreans during the slow process of reconstruction. Though funds and resources remain scarce, the government accepts relatively little financial aid from the West on the grounds that it wants to retain its autonomy. When foreign interests offered $400 million to rebuild the country’s railroad system, the government replied in characteristic fashion that Eritreans could perform the reconstruction task themselves. Men who had worked on the railroad back in the days of Italian colonialization, some in their seventies, came out of retirement and set out to repair the rails with the help of former soldiers. For Eritreans, this railroad became a symbol of their self-reliance. Today, in on-line chat groups among the Diaspora, many inquire about the progress of the railroad.

On the Eritrean map and identity:

In conjunction with the aforementioned celebrated values, the Eritrean people’s attachment to the territory of Eritrea serves as another integral component of the Eritrean national identity ….

The relation, however, between attachment to territory and the Eritrean national identity explored here assumes the form of a symbol, namely the map outlines of Eritrea. Arguably, one of the most ubiquitous symbols in Eritrea is the outline of the Eritrean state. No business in Asmara is complete without an outline of the Eritrean map to accompany the business name on the sign outside. It makes no difference as to the nature of the business— grocery stores, restaurants, bars, apparel stores, and electronics shops—all display the map outline in equal numbers. In some cases, the word “Eritrea” as in “Eritrea Shoe Shop” is fashioned into the shape of the map. Map outlines too are available on products ranging from shirts to postcards and stamps. During the fifth anniversary celebration of its statehood, scores of decorations put up to commemorate the event contained a drawing of the Eritrean map.

To read the whole article, please press the following link: The Eritrean National Identity: A Case Study For those of you who want to skip the theoretical part of the article, please start from page 394, at the subtitle of “IV. The Eritrean National Identity”.