In one of my all time fav movies, “Papillon” [pronounced as Papion and based on a true story], Steve McQueen, a convict who is sentenced to life in one of the most notorious now defunct prisons on the island of French Guiana, breaks out of prison and as it happens, he is on the run when the vicious guards come after him, he jumps over a fence inhibited by a colony of lepers. He approaches the head of the colony asking him for a hiding place and a boat to cross a merciless river as well. The head of the colony is severely disfigured man due to leprosy including his fingers and his face. He manages to hold a cigar between the fingers nonetheless. As he smokes the cigar, he offers the cigar in his mouth to Steve McQueen for a couple of puffs. 

The intention is of course to see if he refuses on account of catching the otherwise highly contagious infliction. Steve McQueen however, desperate that he needs to have the boat, he accepts the offer and smokes the cigar, a cigar laced with the saliva of a man with a full blown leprosy. A man would do anything or take any means for a greater ends. Teleology if you will.

The specter of famine, disease, displacement and unrelenting enemies are coming after us—we Tegaru. We need that boat. We need to cross that violent river. We have to smoke that infliction laced cigar if we have to. We have to smoke the cigar. And that is precisely the reason Debretsion extended gratitude to Abiy. That is precisely the reason. A responsible leader would do anything not only to save his own people but to get his people stand right back up as well. 

Peace as a strategic tool is a novelty not only it is a boon in scoring diplomatic mileage but it helps to kill two birds with a single stone as well. If Tigray was dealing with two adversaries, either she can fight them both with all the resources at her own disposal or she can find a way two break the chain that is holding them together. The former appeared to be not entirely impossible but costly not only in exhausting meager resources but in the end, our people borne the brunt as the displacement became unbearable. If you don’t have people to save, fighting including winning wars defeats its purpose. Saving lives becomes imperative. Tigray won the war through strategic peace nonetheless. It is the beginning I must say. 

The inherent weakness with in the link that tied the Federal Government and the Eritrean regime is that it is not strategic rather tactical for they found a common foe on their path to their separate ambitions apparently and seemingly unrealistic ambitions. When Isaias Afwerki dreams of owning a larger turf in the Horn, Abiy dreams of reigning in J.R.R Tolkien’s Hobbit world. In the meantime, Tigray—living in a world bereft of fantasies finds the wand that breaks the link—by using peace as a strategic tool that ultimately not only isolates the Eritrean regime but a policy largely in synch with US’ as it was lately attested by the former US special envoy to the Horn Jeffery Feltman when he penned a piece titled, “Ethiopia’s Hard Road To Peace.” 

That said, we are embarking on a new chapter—መሬት ልሒስና ተሲእና [2.0] or a sequel if you will. Let’s be smart and most of all patient including winning friends and minimizing enemies where recent wounds are differed for the moment but never ever forgotten.

15 thoughts on “Dr. Debretsion Smokes A Cigar Laced With A Leper Saliva. And It Takes Extraordinary Courage.”
  1. Mr. Paulos really a confused creature using different Pseudo names, and sometimes a TPLF hard core, sometimes an Eritrean hardcore, living in in a world of limbo and delusion and at times worshiping America, USA, USA. USA has genocided Tigray and nothing good to come out of it except to be chained in its plot of Genocide. USA will now use the Tigray Genocide as weapon to colonize Ethiopia 100% including Tigray and Eritrea. There is no exit from the colonization of America. For you everything TPLF or Debretsion does is heavenly Manna? Delusion and lack of vision. Only jotting down Stories of Mr. X, y, z in the book of all kinds which has no value for the dying Tigreans. It is people like you who clap on everything that landed us where we are today. You even romantize Menelick and Mussolon relics and you told about Eritrean sovereignty? Do you have anything to offer to Tigray apart from telling us stories Mussoloni and Menelicks and others. Can you write something your own , from your imagination ? Can you read a little bit about Axum, king Zoschale? Queen Sheba, the Axum legacy instead of bombarding stories that does not have relevance to our society?

    1. Mr Nebula, partisan of TPLF , ethiopian version of Camorra, notorious for practicing violence , blackmail, extortion. Are you the mafioso fled into the embassy compound and find himself in diaspora ?
      You deserve the epithet ‘ egghead’, but you are demonstrating the traits of a schmuck and zonked under the influence of weeds, like H. …. etc
      Nebula whya are you hiding your name ? reveal your name and your residence if you think you are a heros
      TPLF’s supporters in diaspora are doing anything that serve their own interest pretending as if they care for Tigreans .

      Adwa mafia and those who were benefiting from TPLF regime don’t sympathise with any Tigreans unless he or she is from Adwa or except someone who has blood ties with this thugs.
      TPLF and their supporters are establishing friendship with pp to consolidate their power and getting back their money kept in banks . They don’t care for the people of Tigray rather commercialize the wat for their own interest. We have seen many TPLF supporters in diaspora singging and dancing while Tigreans are getting massacred. Down down TPLF those who kill their own friends during 17th years struggle.

      Down down TPLF supporters who were exploiting TPLF era . TPLF supporters and their families were close friends with those who are killing Tigreans and they fire many Tigreans working in various public services while eploying amhara and oromos. TPLF should be brought to justice for the henious crimes committed against Tigray. Stop airing the propaganda furnished by TPLF demagogue leaders and stop smothering the voice of the oppressed!!

      1. I love all Tigreans plus Eritreans and all humans and including TPLF. Yelling, insulting, blackmailing, slandering, bad mouthing, name calling , etc is a sign of mental illness. I was addressing to Paulos for him to stop confusing himself at time acting as Tigreasn, sometimes acting Eritrean and preaching about Eritrean Sovereignty.
        Rest Mambo Jumbo is insanity. You sound guys called Nathiel Asmelash? Shabia operative? You blubber about people whom you have no idea, I suggest you see your doctor man. All these hate is going eat you like acid. TPLF is Adwa bla bla is a Shabia propaganda

        1. Brother//Sister Nebula,

          If you don’t like my writing style or articles, you can always skip and move on to the next article of someone else. It is that simple. There is no need for bluster. And share your articles with the rest of us if you can so that we can learn something of a substance. Stay well and God bless.

          1. I wanted to see your weakness Mr. Paulos, lest you go on doing the same thing over and over like TPLF leaders do. You know Eritrea is our own historical and ancestral land and the people are own kins. But you keep on preaching us like TPLF about Eritrean Sovereignty at the expense of Tegarus.

        2. Tegadulay nebula

          TPLF cyber criminal . You love eritreans because they don’t kill your family, and you worship TPLF because you were taking advantage of TPLF regime . TPLF is mainly composed of Adwa ppl, the bad apple within Tigray just as Gonder is bad apple within Amhara region. You , ppl of Adwa anfd few TPLF cliques , were controlling both the secular public infrastructure and religious sectors. The Ethiopian church band the mosque were controlled by illitrate ppl of Adwa who plunder the riches of every religious organization. you were barking here like a dog because a dog barks where he was served a meal .
          ንስኹም ንሕዝብ ትግራይ ሰላም ደሊኹም አይኮነን፤፤በሽም ውጹእ ሕዝብ ትግራይ ካብ ድኻ ዝሰረቕኩምዎ ገንዘብን ወርቕን ክምለሰልኩም እምበር፥፥ሌባ ካባኹም ዝበለጸ ሕሙም ፥ሕሙማት ሰያጥን የለን::
          ምስቶም ደለይቲ ፍትሒ ኢና ዝብሉ ሰለልቲ ረክብ ስለዘለካን ብሽም ናይ ሓባር ረብሓ ስለዘለካ እዩ፥፥ ንአምሓራይን ኦሮሞን ወጊንኩም ትግራዋይ ተሳቕዩ ኔርኩም ኲናት ምስተአወጀ ብሽም ሕዝብ ትግራይ ክተታልሉ ጀሚርኩም፥፥ሸቀጥቲ፥ሀረድቲ ለያቡ፤ወያኔ አብ በረኻ ንብፆታ ቀቲላን ሀሪዳ ክተብቕ ናይ ስውኣት መዓልቲ እናበለት ተትክረና፥፥

          Weyane is not a legitimate leader of Tigray, and therefore election should be held and new leaders need to be installed. this will ensure lang lasting peace. Down down TPLF and its supporters who were monetizing tigray genocide . No more eritreans in Tigray ! TPLF and shabiya are enemies of Tigray and Ethiopia in General. Paulos Irgau is a best prolific writer .

    2. Mr Nebula, the hypocrite man ever !

      Have you ever accomplished something relevant to the safety and development of Tigrayan ?
      We have seen people like you monetizing the war , spreading lies and dancing when out and out genocide was declared and committed in Tigray!I suppose you are suffering from some sort of unnamed disorder,himum, teway ! This website must stop posting your trashy words!!

  2. Nebula,

    I appreciate constructive criticism or feedback for that matter but regurgitating what is already out there in the news say, what Debretsion or Abiy said or done is not my style. The same goes with if Eritrea is a sovereign nation or not for myriad of literature have exhausted the issue in book format or otherwise. My style is synthesis—as in putting a focal point with in interdisciplinary subjects [History, Philosophy, Hard or Life Sciences, Medicine including Literature and Cinema.] But of course you and possibly others see it as you put it “mambo jumbo” and that is perfectly fine with me. As I said, you can always skip. Stay well.

  3. Mr. Paulos, It is true I am not you fan because I do not share your world view. I am someone who love imaging , organic and you love saying based on Mr. X, y, z. I do not like that. I wanted to hear your own imagination. I also do not share your frozen love of TPLF and its rotten ideology collected from Russia, China, etc.

    You said this, ” Certainly, there is no illusion about Eritrean independence including its sovereignty but that doesn’t mean that anyone has to bend history in a bid to frame the trajectory that has ultimately gave rise to Eritrean independence. And it is equally true that it is the prerogative of the Eritrean people to chart a way on how to move forward either to remain independent or otherwise. That said, as much as ዉፉይ or his party and Tigreans understood that they need each other from tactical and strategic point of view, they both gain only when they are united when past and recent history is any indication?

    Is not Eritrea itself an illusion? unless you imbued with the legacy project of Menelick and Mussoloni? You said there is no illusion about Eritrean independence including its sovereignty? Eritrean independence and its sovereignty is illusion because it is build on enemy project and on the dead body of Tigrean historical, ancestral, right and on the dead of Tigrean national historical and ancestral economic and security interest. You and your TPLF keep on preaching or telling us about Eritrean independence and Sovereignty? We are sick of this and stop it.

    1. It will not be Eritrean who will decide about Eritrea after now, It will be Tigreans. You accept it or not. They were given all undue and they came back to do genocide , and twice and may be they will come thrice. It is not anymore an Eritrea an Eritrean issue, it is a Tigrean existential issue. Do you get it? Anyone who impose himself on Tigray after now will be deleted by all Tigreans with no mercy or nicety from all the Axum land. We do not care about relics of Mussoloni or Menelick.

  4. Mr. Paulos, what good is Eritrean independence for us ? what is good its fake, TPLF blessed Sovereignty for us? I have met Tigreans who care more about Eritrean that Tigray? I am not saying we have to hate Eritreans. No, I am saying, Eritrea it self is an illusion and its sovereignty is an illusion. This is illusion did cost genocide. It seems you are blinded by the rotten TPLF recycled Menelick and Mussoloni project that you telling us there is no illusion about Eritrean independence and its sovereignty? it is divine? the objective reality is itis an illusion that did cost Tigray 1300 years of siege? TPLF and you, we sick of you, either stand for both people, decide where to be, you can have both ways. Either be in Tigray or in the illusion Eritrea. Tigray can lose nothing more than this. It is this illusion that bled Tigray to death. Yet, you have come to teach us about Sovereignty that genocided Tigray. You and your TPLF must be sensitive to the people of Tigray. It is not an opinion even, it is a grand blander that did cost Tigray about 1.5 million of Tigreans . I do not wana hear any Tigrean preaching about Eritrean independence or sovereignty after now. Enough , please.

  5. TPLF lovers, give us a break after now, you had about 50 years now playing the blood of Tegarus. This playing with blood must end after now. It is now our turn to show what we got. You have shown us what you got for Tigray. We got nothing except bleeding us to death. 17 years bloody war in the name of fake liberation that torn apart Tigray social fabric at family level. Then 20 years no peace no war Tigray condemned as war zone for 20 years in the name of punishing issayas but punishing the Tigreans and Eritrean population and forcing Tigreans to migrate to Oromia, Amhara, Gambela, etc which frightened many other Ethiopians as Tigreans occupying them that triggered hate against Tigreans. Tigreans has to migrate Tigray because TPLF condemned Tigray to no peace no war for 20 years and ended us now in genocide and siege that did cost us the whole Tigray. Now you come to preaching me about the no illusion of Eritrean independence and sovereignty? Hell no, enough, this independent country is illusion that was realized at the expense of Tigreans blood and security interest based on whims of few TPLF leaders. Honestly, speaking, after now, no Tigreans must ever preach about Eritrean independence or sovereignty. No, we will decide where Eritrea must be after now based on our history and ancestry.

  6. It must clear now the Tigray genocide is the out come wrong TPLF believes, policies and ideas. The Genocide did not come from vacuum. It is the work of TPLF bearing fruit because what you sow is what you harvest. It must be clear, TPLF has big role in preparing Tigray for this genocide ,and siege. TPLF did the ground for the siege of Tigray. TPLF put Tigray under siege in 1991. Tigray has hade 4 stage of siege in the past 1300 years
    1. Tigray siege in the 7th century when Arabs blocked Axum from the red sea cutting Tigray trade to Africa, Asia, Europe which led to the down fall of Axum
    2. Siege started was tightened on Tigray by Mussolonic and Menelick and Menelick divided Tigray into 4 pieces:
    A. Part of Tigray was put in Wollo
    B. Another piece of Tigray was put in Gojam
    C. Another pieces was put in Gonder
    D. Another piece the current map of Tigray, Menelck map of Tigray and this is not Tigray. This is layered sieged Tigray
    E.. Half Tigray was sold to Italy for 289 000 guns and 1 million Lira:
    This is Menelick siege of Tigray
    3. TPLF siege of Tigray in 1991. At least Haileslassie did better job bringing Tigray together and allowing Titgray to own its historical and ancestral red sea. But TPLF came and recycled Menelcik and Mussoloni project put Tigray under tight siege and TPLF bragging the red sea is for camels?

    4. 4th siege of Tigray put on by Abiy, America, Issayas, because TPLF did much of the work of TIgray siege, in the most stupid way. This did cost Tigray the entire Tigray including Diaspora. The genocide has genocided all Tigeans and diaspora has become poor, sick and dejected because they have given everything they have saved there entire and including their retirement plan. This is the cost of there is no illusion about Eritrea independence and including its soveregnty? Why do Tigreans has to pay all these for sick belief of TPLF? Why? and you come after Eritrea Genocided Tigray to talk to me about Eritrean independence no illusion? really? really? No more Eritrea after no, no more colonial relic.

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