About book I Didn't Do It For You: How The World Betrayed A Small African Nation (2006)
A few weeks ago I thought, "I don't know nearly enough about Eritrea" so I made it a point to search out the book at the library. I got lucky enough to find it there. Since I get paid to know a lot about Africa, I thought it was about time for me to learn more about the country.I am definitely glad I did. The history of everything is so much different than I ever thought or imagined. The most recent book I read that even mentions the Eritrea issue was "There is No Me Without You," a book about adoption and issues in Ethiopia. So, needless to say, the book was incredibly sympathetic to Ethiopia and how that country has been effected by some of its history. So, I was glad to get more of an honest portrayal of the whole conflict. This book was incredibly sympathetic to the Eritrean cause, but not overly so, and I think it was well warranted - as who else is telling the Eritrean story? I learned so much, and loved reading about the history of Eritrea. The author focuses heavily on the Italian influence and the period between WWII and the start of the armed conflict there in the early 1960s. It's fascinating stuff. Then she seems to gloss over a lot of the 30 year border war there. Not that she doesn't write a lot about it - she does - but 30 years is a long time to only spend a couple chapters on. I felt like I got a good understanding of that period, but thought it could have been examined a little more closely. Perhaps there just wasn't enough source material.I feel like I better understand the history there, and even more (and I think, more importantly) I think I better understand the mindset and cultural history of the people there - at least from a modern 20th century perspective. I think the author did a fantastic job portraying and explaining how the people think and why. I really appreciated that.Definitely a seminal work on Eritrea, and if anyone wants to understand the entangling worldwide influence in that country, and why things ended up the way they did, then they must read this book.
Back in 1993 when I was working part-time in the college cafeteria to pay my way through university I met a fellow student who said she was from Erithrea. I remember being surprised when she told me that Erithrea had fought for and won independence from Ethiopia. Being brought up with LiveAid and images of the famine in Ethiopia in the late 80's my thoughts were "Hmmm. A country that was occupied by Ethiopia must be someone worse off than poor, starving Ethiopia."The next I heard of Erithrea was in 2002 as I was training to go as a VSO volunteer in Kenya. Many of my fellow trainees were going to build the educational and computer infrastructure of the country in the Horn of Africa. "Why do they need so many computer instructors," I wondered back then.Michela Wrong, whose 'In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz' is an excellent book on the DRC, does a thorough job of flipping through Erithrean history. In the process she exposes the betrayal of Erithrea by, successively, Italy, UK, US, USSR, Ethiopia, the OAU and the UN. After winning a seemingly unwinnable 30-year struggle the book ends with the ultimate betrayal of the promise by the Eritreans themselves.
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...Societies......an egalitarian movement....progress was unstoppable.Perhaps that is only to be expected.In the early hours of March 25, 1941......as an example......a one-year deadline... “The Ethiopian government] were my clients” ~ John Spencer....Amharic tongue....memory....picked up their Boralino hats and walked to wood-pannelled offices where there was nothing for them to do. THE ASSASSINATION OF PATRICE LUMUMBA...correspondence... AMHARIC LANGUAGE...would not understand......and the “Bats” complained about poor co-ordination, supply shortages...t...they were shot by the EPLF.
—Orgadena
The title of this book is the reply that an Eritraen got from a British squaddie when he thanked him for liberating Eritirae from the Italians. "I didn't do it for you Nigger!" We've always been a gracious bunch!! The Eritraens have a long and interesting history. This is the most detailed that I've read but not the most readable. If you want facts though it'll suit you. I, for instance, had no idea that Sylvia Pankhurst was a champion of the Eritraen's at international level, using the expertise of embarrassment learned from the Suffragette movement!
—Sally McRogerson
Before I read this book I knew absolutely nothing about Eritrea. I still don't know enough, but I am glad this was my introduction. Despite the cover and title it does not toe the typical "Oh, poor Africans; let's throw subsidized food and expensive pharmaceuticals at them and then all will be well" line. It does not paint such a simple story, rather it tells the tale of a nation that has been required to fight everyone: the Italians, the Ethiopians, the U.S., the British, the UN--the list goes on. The main thesis is that everyone has screwed Eritrea, so the Eritreans have done it their own way and nobody should expect an apology any time soon. The author is a brilliant, somewhat-Hobbesian journalist--plus, she's a woman, which is bonus points in my book.
—Liza
