Praise for Semere Solomon’s New Book - “Eritrea: Qelesti Hasabat NiHwyet Hager” (literally translated as “Eritrea: Guiding Thoughts for National Healing or Salvation”) – by Ahmed Saleh Al-Qaisi

Eritrea: Qelesti Hasabat NiHwyet Hager” (literally translated as “Eritrea: Guiding Thoughts for National Healing or Salvation”)

I did not anticipate that this achievement would come to fruition so soon after my brother Semere Solomon's first book.

What I consider a masterpiece is the greatest advantage: both books, despite their varied and diverse topics, utilize his personal experiences as a tool to diagnose experiences and analyze reality.

In the first book, he offers a typical depiction of the dark side of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front's experience through his personal suffering, a struggle shared by many intellectuals as they confront the regressive social reality and narrow political vision of those in power.

In his current book, he presents an analytical vision that is far removed from conventional theorizing, diagnosing the political, social, and economic realities of a country where everything is in ruins. He attempts to propose solutions and visions based on his personal experience and position of responsibility in the most crucial sector of the government—the education sector. This is complemented by the depth of vision he acquired when he left the country and began working for international organizations such as the United Nations and USAID in various parts of the world. This broadened vision, enriched by personal experience and a wider understanding of the issues, enabled him to grasp the grim reality and misguided approaches of those who seized power.

Semere Solomon raised fundamental questions that should have been addressed from the very first day of

independence through national dialogue and enlightened awareness among all active forces in society. Regrettably, he returns to these questions and strives to contribute to their answers after 30 years of being lost.

This contribution represents a qualitative leap towards a scientific understanding of our situation and a realistic approach to addressing it, after everyone had lost their way in the labyrinth of generalities and empty rhetoric.

And a final word for history: those who suffered during the experience of the EPLF, Semere Solomon and Alemseged Tesfay, have proven themselves, through their intellectual achievements and historical studies, to be the true sons of this experience and its shining face.

Ahmed Saleh Al-Qaisi, Former Central Committee Member, EPLF and Former Commissioner, Land Commission

 8 January 2026