The Swedish criminal justice system, which is widely known for its liberalism, goes to a great length to teach trust to hardened criminals. Although success rate is low and relapse high, as part of their rehabilitation criminals are taught the benefits of trusting as well as that of honesty. Eritrea cannot be trusted, says Ethiopia. This coming from the Woyane is not surprising - hardened criminals are hardly trusting. It is also too bad that the criminal justice system in Eritrea is not that liberal that it would spend valuable resources teaching criminals something they should have learned as kids. Eritrea can only teach by being an example. Besides, it is too busy teaching them other valuable lessons.
In any case, to their credit, the Woyane make a rich and fascinating research material for moral philosophers interested in dishonesty, and could teach these one or two things about lying. After the end of this conflict, I expect a bonanza for sociologists and moral philosophers interested in these fields. Call it a peace dividend if you like. The Harvard sociologist, Sissela Bok, in her short essay, "Lying", describes different types of lies. Some lies come with an inbuilt escape plan. Lies of omission, for example, allow a 'lapse of memory' type of defense. Other lies, in the absence of witnesses or recorded material, afford skilled liars a "he said, she said", or "I didn't do it, he did" line of escape.
In another book, Jean Paul Sartre talks at great length about three types of lies - lying to oneself (bad faith), lying to a second person who is a direct witness (Tlmet), and lying to third parties (as a rule quite difficult to pin down, that is until recently). Then there is the classical Freudian example of the liar who when accused of breaking a kettle that he borrowed from his neighbor defends himself by saying, "First of all, I did not break your stupid kettle, it was already broken when you gave it to me last week. Secondly, it was all in one piece when I returned it yesterday. And besides, I never borrowed it in the first place anyway, so what is the fuss!" A complicated line of defense!
The present conflict has made it clear that the repertoire of Woyane lies is much richer than that catalogued by social scientists. If one is allowed to say it, for me their lies have been the lighter side of this whole tragic episode. I could never have imagined that there were people capable of this. My favorite Woyane lie is Solomie going publicly on the record denying a video clipping of a burning Ethiopian helicopter, claiming that the footage is nothing but a figment of Eritrea's imagination. Of this, a wisecracking Eritrean commented, "The world will say now, oh! this Eritreans must really be something that they can capture their imagination on video". Another favorite woyane lie is Syum Mesfin's fabrication of the Adigrat bombing, and his reply, "How can I know, I was not there" when asked if any bombs fell during the alleged bombing. Another one is the stale bread at Geza Gerehelasie story that drew a heartily laughter from Yemane G/Meskel on BBC, and was exposed by an incredulous Italian journalist.
And now, a fabrication of a battle in Zalambessa. Journalists should ask Solomie and Syum Mesfin if there were any bullets fired during this 9 hour long battle. Luckily for us, though, the woyane come a century or so late in this. In our day and age, it is not that easy to get away with the kind of lies that Alula Aba-Nega used to get away in the last century. Nowadays, it doesn't take months or years but hours before a lie is exposed. Of course, it is another matter what the world does with it once a lie is exposed.
On another related matter too, the Woyane come a century or so late. The time when one could redraw maps and adjust borders to gratify greed is a thing of the past. The age of conquest and expansion is over. Even animals mark their territory by peeing around them, and, if we are to trust BBC documentaries, neighboring animals respect this demarcation. Anyway, among humans, nowadays, if somebody wants to conquer something it better be greed, ignorance or a suspicious nature. Things that the Woyane have in abundance. Can the Woyane foxes be taught to give up their old tricks and learn modern "tricks" like honesty and truthfulness, that in the longer perspective these are better policy than the best of lies. Or is it that the Woyane are our neighbors only in space, and not in time?
Mussie Msghina