Africas rebels take to tranquil Eritrea capital Monday 17 September
2007 03:49.
September 16, 2007 (ASMARA) Theyre all around me. In cafes sipping
sweetened tea, walking down the Eritrean capitals tree-lined boulevards, or in
a local fair.
Rebels are in Asmara, and theyre everywhere you go.
From Sudan to Somalia, insurgents have descended on tranquil Asmara, some
looking to overthrow governments, some looking for change, but all seeing
Eritrea as a home-from-home.
As I sit in a café drinking a cappuccino before meeting two Sudanese
ex-rebels for lunch, some former Somali dissident lawmakers pass by in a taxi
driven by an aging Eritrean.
Many taxi drivers in Eritrea are ex-rebel fighters themselves, and I wonder
if the Somalis think that in a decade they will lead peaceful lives like him.
You never know who youre going to meet in Eritrea.
Riding through Asmaras thoroughfares on my Italian-made motorbike, I wave as
I pass by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, head of the Somali Islamists recently driven out
of Mogadishu.
Hes taking a stroll in his dark blue suit.
Its strangely fitting that Eritrea, which spent thirty, brutal years rising
up against Ethiopia before gaining independence in 1991, should now host so
many opposition groups.
The Red Sea state seems to be saying its rebel-friendly, willing to take on
world powers like the United States for having policies which Eritrea says are
anathema to the region.
Eritreas own rebels-turned-rulers have long, historic ties with many groups
around Africa. Most Eritrean fighters travelled on Somali passports during
their independence struggle, and many refugees took shelter in neighbouring
Sudan.
But some in the West, including Washington which is threatening to put Asmara
on its terrorism list, accuse Eritrea of not just hosting but also arming
groups and thus destabilising one of the worlds most fragile regions.
In more than a decade following independence, analysts say that Eritrea has
tried to assert itself as a major regional power, getting involved in conflicts
in such faraway places as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
REBEL ARCHITECTURE
Back at lunch with the two Sudanese ex-rebels, were sipping
liquorice-tasting alcohol and eating chicken with rice.
In the post-eating haze, we lounge around watching a movie called "The Truman
Show" starring Jim Carey.
It wasnt a particularly memorable day. But two months later I hear that one
of my fellow diners has been appointed a senior rebel commander fighting with
one of Sudans Darfur factions.
On another occasion, in a small office in Asmara, some rebels are talking
about the kidnapping of a commander in Darfur. As we sip tea, conversation
slowly turns to airplanes.
First, how, if youre lucky, a rocket-propelled grenade shot from underneath
will only pierce the planes skin and not kill you. Then how aesthetics affect
our view of a planes worth.
"The Hercules plane is much better than an Antonov," says one, referring to
planes found throughout world hot spots.
"In an Antonov, you can see all the insides, the straps hanging down, all
that stuff. It just freaks me out, but the Hercules is a beautiful plane," he
says.
Its easy to forget that rebels have a past.
These men and women were once teachers, lawyers, scientists, presidents,
ambassadors, army officers and the like.
But at some point, all chose to take up arms or just words for reasons as
varied as their backgrounds.
Speeding by the pastel-coloured Art Deco buildings that have made this
highland capital famous, Im reminded that its not just insurgents whove fled
to this city.
Many architects came during the early part of last century to escape what
they said was a stifling style in Europe, giving Africa one of its most
architecturally unique cities.
So Eritrea is now a city of rebels, built by rebel architects. I like the
sound of that.
(Reuters)
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