Dr. Tekie Fessehatsion: Eritrean patriots will always
remember you
Drs. Tsegezab Gebregergis, London, February 7, 2011
It is now nine months since the untimely passing of Prof. Dr. Tekie
Fessehatsion. I belatedly learned with great shock and sadness on 30 April
2010 that this giant Eritrean intellectual had died on
April 19, 2010. As a result of finding out about this
tragic loss too late, I did not attend the memorial/prayer
services to bid farewell to his remains before they
travelled to Eritrea for burial. I thus have always felt
guilty for not attending that important ceremony, so I
have therefore decided to write this article in honour
and remembrance of this great patriotic Eritrean.
I write this article at this critical juncture in Eritrean history in the hope that it
will be a stark reminder to all patriotic Eritrean intellectuals that we have the
moral and national obligation to continue the exemplary unfinished work Dr.
Tekie Fessehatsion started in defence of Eritrean sovereignty, unity and the
honour of its people.
I Met Dr. Tekie in the Netherlands
Dr. Tekie was an accomplished and distinguished economist and was
author of several books and countless researched essays and articles.
He was the chairman of the Department of Economics at Morgan
State University until his death in 2010. I met Dr. Tekie for the first
time in 1998 in Leiden, the Netherlands, at a conference on the Horn of
Africa. Since then we maintained close email and telephone contact
throughout the years. During the peak of the 1998-2000 EritreanEthiopian war, I would telephone him now and then to discuss issues
related to the war and other economic matters. I remember on one
occasion I raised the issue of what the economic relevance of the port
of Assab was to Eritrea, if Ethiopia did not and could not use it, and
whether or not there were contingency plans in the event of war with
Ethiopia as to the alternative use Eritrea could make of Assab. I
remember we discussed these issues at great length.
As recently as March 2010, I telephoned Dr. Tekie at Morgan
University to discuss the issue of the illegal US imperialist-concocted
sanctions against Eritrea. I did so because I was at a loss to understand
why this brave Eritrean patriot was not actively engaged in opposition
to the illegal and politically motivated sanctions imposed against
Eritrea, as he did during the 1998-2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian war in
defence of the motherland. I also wanted to share with him my thoughts
on the international conference I planned to organise on Eritrea.
Unfortunately, this time, I was unlucky; I was told that he was ill and
confined to bed. I understood then why he was not at the forefront of
defending Eritrea against the enemy onslaughts. I never did, however,
suspect that his illness was serious enough to culminate in his death. I
therefore called again and again until I was referred to one of his
friends. Having spoken with one of his closest friends, I understood
then his illness was serious.
Dr. Tekie’s Contributions are Massive
The contributions of Dr. Tekie Fessehatsion, through his brilliant and
well-researched writings in promoting the just cause of the Eritrean
people’s struggle for independence, and in defence of Eritrea and its
people during the period of the armed struggle and again during the
1998-2000 Eritrea-Ethiopia war, was colossal. Indeed, to me
personally, I found his work highly inspiring and learned a great deal
from them. One of the most important things I learned from this man of
integrity is that irrespective of the political differences one might have
with his government, one should always remain committed to the
defence of the sovereignty and honour of his country and its people. I
thus must admit that his untimely death has caused my heart to squeeze
in pain and tears to fall uncontrollably, just as I was affected so much
by the all too soon passing of our patriotic brother, Seyoum
Ogbamichael.
Henceforth, Eritrea and its people should remember Dr. Tekie, just as
they should the late Seyoum Ogbamichael, as great Eritrean patriots
committed to the independence and sovereignty of their country and
the well-being of its people. The best and most effective way of
remembering Dr. Tekie is to read and introduce his collective political
writings entitled “Shattered Illusion, Broken Promise, Essays on the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Conflict (1998-2000)” to the young, who are the
inheritors of Eritrea tomorrow. On page 231, Dr. Tekie correctly
remarks: “In defiance, Eritrea was born; in defiance it will live
forever”. Yes, independent and sovereign Eritrea will shine forever.
In conclusion, I believe, as a Chinese revolutionary leader once aptly
stated, the death of a reactionary is as light as a feather, while the
death of revolutionary patriot is as heavy as Mount Tai. Eritrea has
indeed lost a gigantic intellectual patriot as heavy as Mount Ras
Dashen. His premature death is a great loss to his family, Eritrea and
its people.
Eternal Glory to him!