EPDP Radio Demtsi Harnnet Jan 1, 2015
Written by EPDP Radio Demtsi Harnnet
Demtsi Harenet from Sweden: 27-12-2014
Written by Demtsi Harenet - Sweden
بيان تضامن مع الصحفيين الإرتريين في معتقلات نظام أسمرا / Free all the prisons of conscience in Eritrea, Now!!
Written by Interested Eritreansفي الوقت الذي يحتفل فيه العالم بأعياد الكريسماس ورأس السنة الميلادية يقبع العشرات من الصحفيين والصحفيات والكتاب والفنانين والتشكيليين الإرتريين في زنازين النظام التي لا تُعرف أماكنها منذ أكثر من ( 13) عاما.
ففي سبتمبر 2001 شنت السلطات الأمنية بأسمرا حملة إعتقالات واسعة في صفوف الصحفيين طالت جميع رؤساء تحرير ومحرري ( 8 ) صحف مستقلة أُغلقت جميعها ومنعت من الصدور، فوئدت الحريات الصحفية على قلتها.
وقد تم إنهاء هامش الحرية الذي كان متاحاً، لتوضع بذلك نهاية لسلسلة من الإجراءات التي ظلت تتخذها الأجهزة الأمنية التابعة للنظام الديكتاتوري الذي يحكم البلاد منذ الاستقلال دون تفويض او إنتخابات. لتدخل البلاد بعد هذا القرار التعسفي في مرحلة جديدة، لا صوت يعلو فيها فوق صوت النظام وأجهزته الإعلامية. ولتحتل البلاد مكانها ضمن الثلاثي الجهنمي في العام ، وليس "مكانها بين الأمم " التي تسعى لإسعاد إنسانها.
إن المئات من أبناء الشعب الإرتري يناضلون بعناد وشجاعة من أجل أن تسود الحياة الحرة الكريمة، ويتمتع المواطن الإرتري بالحقوق التي تضعه في مصاف الشعوب الأخرى في حين لا تزال في ذات الوقت وسائل وممارسات النظام مستمرة في البطش والتعسف على مرأى ومسمع من المجتمع الدولي دون أي حراك من العالم الحر.
إننا إذ نعبر عن عميق تضامننا مع زملاء أعزّة تغيبهم السلطات الإرترية في المعتقلات، فقط بتهمة ممارسة حقهم المهني والوطني، فإننا نناشد قوى المجتمعات الخيّرة والمحبة للسلم والحريات لأن تكف عن سياسة الصمت والتجاهل إزاء الإنتهاكات الجسيمة التي يدفع ثمنها المواطنون الارتريون باهظا.
التوقيعات :
| 1/ محمد طه القدال - شاعر - السودان | 2/ عبدالله محمود هيابو صحفي في عدوليس ــ هولندا |
| 3/ أمال علي صحفية بريطانيا | 4/ ابوبكر كهال راوائي ــ النيرويج |
| 5/ يوسف بوليسي صحفي ــ سويسرا | 6/ ابوبكر فريتاي صحفي إريتري ــ إثيوبيا |
| 7/ فيصل الباقر صحفي وناشط حقوقي | 8/ ياسين محمد عبدالله رئيس مركز سويرا لحقوق الانسان ــ لندن |
| 9/ درة محمد مختار قمبو . صحفية ــ الخرطوم | 10ـ محمد محمود الشيخ " مدني " شاعر تركيا |
| 11/ شوقي عبد العظيم صحفيــ الخرطوم | 12/ فتحي عثمان كاتب ــ باريس |
| 13/ احمد يونس صحفي مراسل صحيفة الشرق الأوسط ــ الخرطوم. | 14/ علاء الدين محمود صحفي سوداني الخرطوم |
| 15/ صلاح الزين صحفي ــ بريطانيا | 16/خالد عبده صحفي ــ السويد |
| 17/ عبد المنعم أبو إدريس صحفي سوداني مراسل وكالة الصحافة الفرنسية ــ الخرطوم | 18/ فيصل محمد صالح صحفي واستاذ جامعي ــ الخرطوم |
| 19/ عبد العزيز بركه ساكن روائي ــ النمسا | 20/ مصعب محمد علي سوداني رئيس القسم الثقافي بصحيفة المستقلة ــ الخرطوم |
| 21/ إبراهيم ميرغني رئيس القسم السياسي بصحيفة الميدان ـ الخرطوم | 22/ كمال كرار مدير تحرير صحيفة الميدان ــ الخرطوم |
| 23/ أسامة حسن عبدالحي صحفي بالميدن ــ الخرطوم | 24/ عادل إبراهيم " كلر " صحفي بالميدان ــ الخرطوم |
| 25/ عبدالرحمن فاروق قاص و محرر في صحيفة "نسق" الإلكترونية | 26/ أمانئيل براخي ناشط مدني كوبنهاجن – الدنمارك |
| 27/ علي هندي صحفي ومحلل سياسي ــ لندن | 28/ الفاتح عبد الله الحاج مصمم غرافيك ــ تركيا |
| 29/. هناء الزين ياسين صحفية في إس بي إس ــ ملبورن | 30/ تهاني عباس ناشطة مدنية ونسوية ــ الخرطوم |
| 31/ امانئيل قرماي صحفي ــ باريس | 32/ احمد محمد رئيس بمجلة مجلة سرديات ــ الخرطوم |
| 33 / عبد الرازق كرار كاتب ـ كمبيرا | 34/ احمد ابراهيم احمد عثمان "زروق" صحفي في إس بي إس ــ ملبورن |
| 35/ مصطفى لسداي صحفي ــ السويد | 36/ معاوية البلال صحفي ــ ملبورن |
| 37/ خالد عثمان رئيس تحرير صحفية المهاجر ـ ملبورن | 38/ صلاح أبوراي كاتب لندن |
| 39/ صداح سليمان الكناني صحفي ــ الدوحة |
/40صالح جوهر (قاضي) موقع عواتي – أمريكا ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ 41/ جمال همــد صحفي في عدوليس ـ ملبورن 42برهاني تولدي صحفي آيرلاند |
Free all the prisons of conscience in Eritrea, Now!!
While the world is busy celebrating Christmas and new year's eve tens of Eritrean journalists and artists are languishing in prisons for more than 13 years without any clue on their presence and whereabouts.
In a notorious security raid in September 2001, Eight chief editors of free press dailies and other 20 journalists were rounded up and taken to unknown places. This last move which was preceded by harassment and terror killed the nascent press freedom and the right of free speech in newly born Eritrea.
Strangulation of free press by unelected government in Asmara for more than a decade has placed Eritrea at the bottom of the international list of countries which ban free press.
As we express our bold solidarity with our colleagues who committed no other crime than practicing their undeniable professional and national rights and simply ended up in dungeon, we appeal to all peace-loving peoples and organization to stand up for their moral responsibilities towards the atrocities committed by Asmara regime against the Eritrean people every day.
We call all peace loving nations to remember and act in favor our colleagues who are deprived for more than 13 years of enjoying these festivities with their beloved.
Free all the prisons of conscience in Eritrea, Now!!
| 1. Mohamed Taha Algaddel – Poet | 2. Tahani Abbas – HR Activist – Sudan |
| 3. Abdulrahman Farouk- Journalist | 4. Mussab .M.Ali- journalist |
| 5. Mohamed Madani – poet- Sudan | 6. Fathi Osman Writer – France |
| 7. Abubakar Fretay – Journalist | 8. Fathi Elhaj- Graphic designer- Turkey |
| 9. Abdulahi Mahmoud - Journalist | 10. Yaseen .M.abdalah journalist and HR Activist |
| 11. Ahmed Younis - Journalist | 12. Faisal Elbagir- Journalist |
| 13. Ahmed Ibrahim Osman-Journalist- Australia | 14. Hana Yassin – Journalist - Australia |
| 15. Sadah Suleman Alkenaney – Journalist –Doha | 16. Abdu Alrazig Karar – Journalist – Canberra |
| 17. Abubaker Hamed Kahal – Novelist – Norway |
Salah Abo Ray Civicactivis 18. – UK |
| 19. Shawgi Abd alazim – Journalist – Sudan | 20. Addel Colour – Journalist – Sudan |
| 21. Ibrahim Mergane – Journalist – Sudan | 22. Khaled Osman – Journalist – Australia |
| 23. Faisal Mohamed Salih – Journalist – Sudan | 24. Maawea Al balal - Journalist – Australia |
| 25. Mustafa Lasday – Journalist - Australia | 26. Ahmed Mohamed – Journalist – Sudan |
| 27. Abda Alaziz Baraka Saken – Novelist – Austria | 28. Abd Almonem Abo Idrees – Sudan – AFP |
| 29. Emaneel Barakhee – HR Activist - Denmark | 30. Khaled Abdo – Journalist – Sweden |
| 31. Kamal Karar – Journalist – Sudan | 32. Ali Hindi – Journalist – UK |
| 33. Doura Mohamed Mokhtar Gamboo – Journalist – Sudan | 34. Saleh Gadee – Journalist – USA |
| 35. Osama Abd al haey – Journalist – Sudan | 36. Amanuel Ghirmay – Journalist – France |
| 37. Salah Alzien – Journalist – UK | 38. Aladin Mahmoud – Journalist – Sudan |
| 39. Yousif Polisee – Journalist – Switzerland |
40. Amal Ali – Journalist – UK 41. Jamal Humed Journalist Australia Berhane Tewelde, Journalist - 42. |
EPDP Information Office
The 20 November issue of Le Matin, a daily French newspaper in Switzerland, carried a small item on Abba/Father Mussie Zerai entitled “Miraculous: This Priest Saves Lives from a distance by his mobile phone”, in which the writer believed the Eritrean priest is a yet little known hero who is viewed by some people as a potential future candidate for Nobel Prize for Peace.
A quick translation of the item goes like this:
“His name may, for sure, mean nothing to you (the reader). Yet, this Eritrean priest who lives in Erlinsbach (Swiss Canton of Solothurn), and viewed by some people as a future Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a hero. Since 2003, through repeatedly sending his mobile telephone number to all directions, he has saved thousands of lives of migrants lost between Africa and Italy by informing coast guards about their situation. These contributions give him the legitimacy to have enjoined recently at law court to Europe to come out of its ‘logic of militarized fortress’”.
Fr/Abba Mussie Zerai is currently assigned to Switzerland by the Eritrean Catholic Church in Asmara to serve the community of believers by a hectic shuttle in visiting 13 urban centres in Switzerland. On top of this, he is always on the phone communicating with Eritrean refugees in distress – both at sea, those in North Africa and others facing acute problems while inside Europe.
A googled piece also reads as follows him:
“Father Mussie Zerai has been working with refugees and emigrants to Europe since 1995. Though not an ordained priest by then, he dedicated his life to helping the refugees entering Europe by boat from North Africa. He uses satellite phone, which makes his contacts with the refugees easier; as he can access them directly in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea as they make dangerous attempts of crossing into Europe.
In desperation, many emigrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean in rickety wooden boats or inflatables. Many of the refugees run away from the Libyan detention centres, known as Kufra, where they undergo a lot of torture. Unfortunately many of the victims who contacted Fr. Mussie lost their lives while in detention centres”.
Eritrea in 125 Years: Listing a Few Good and Bad Legacies and Memorable Events
Written by Woldeyesus Ammar
By Woldeyesus Ammar
Today, 1st of January 2015, Eritrea completes its 125th year of existence under that name. According to the earliest available figures, the population of the colony in 1893 counted only 191,127 followed by the 1900 estimate of 300,000 residents that included this writer’s father. We can assume that no one of those “first Eritreans” is still alive to celebrate this anniversary with the distressed 5 or 6 million of us today, whose gross inadequacies include being unable to know even the real count of the population at home and the figure for our shamefully increasing number in exile after quarter of a century of independence.
Anyway, it is an occasion to say Happy 125th Anniversary to our (إرترياኤርትራ) Eritrea and then proceed to mention a few lasting legacies and notable events in the ups and downs of our past since the issuance of the Royal Decree of King Umberto the First on 1 January 1890 that put us on the world map.
Understandably, the figure of 125 years is reached by adding the:
- 51 years of Italian colonial rule;
- 11 years of the British ‘caretaker’ administration;
- 10 years of Eritrea-Ethiopia ‘federation’;
- 30 years of armed struggle, and
- The past 23 years under a home-grown repression that replaced alien rule.
Anyone of us may have his/her take in listing only two topmost legacies of our modern history, and add a few memorable events within each of these periods. I am taking today’s occasion to list mine. I will start with what I term the two topmost legacies – one positive, and the other negative.
- One People
Before the Italian advent, we belonged to our separate linguistic and small geographic entities and sub-entities. After common suffering under numerous hardships and humiliations, we have become one people – the Eritreans. To cut a long story short, our unity as one people with manageable diversities is the topmost legacy - achievement - of the past 125 years.
- One Military Mindset
The second enduring legacy in us is what one can call a military mindset. This is a legacy, a ‘philosophy’ in our lives, a social behaviour built - or at least further solidified - through the countless armed conflicts we participated at or conducted by ourselves in the past 12.5 decades of our modern history. Although the pieces of territorial units that became Eritrea were not at peace locally even before 1890, it is sufficient to mention here only the wars we fought as one people: wars that unfortunately bequeathed us an unwanted behavioural infection – the military mindset - that highly values wars and the bravado in violence. We are all part of it because of our past history briefly mentioned below.
The Unwanted Wars Fought for Italy
The Battle of Adwa:
Take the skirmishes with Ethiopia before the Battle of Adwa, like the one at Debre-Ayla, in which over 8,000 Eritrean militias (bandas) took part. Then the Battle of Adwa of 1896 in which almost every young man in the new colony was required to partake. In that single battle, over 2,000 Eritreans died; unaccounted number were left disabled, and selected 500 elite askaris (soldiers) of the numerous prisoners of war suffered the amputation of their right arms and left legs.
Campaign to colonize/pacify Somalia:
Between 1907 and 1910, well over 5,000 Eritrean askaris (soldiers) were recruited and sent to fight in Somalia. This was not a small number compared to the population of the territory. Although Italian Somaliland was declared Italian by 1908, Eritreans continued to be frontline fighters in the conflict that continued till 1920 against the Somali rebellion led by Sheikh Said Mohammed (‘Mad Mullah’).
Italy’s wars in Libya (‘Zemen Trubli’):
Between 1911 and 1932, an estimated 60,000 Eritreans were recruited and sent to fight Italy’s wars in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (Libya). After the defeat of Turkey in Libya, fierce conflicts continued to rage against the patriotic rebels led by Omar Mukhtar that claimed untold number of Eritrean casualties. Some of those Eritreans who perished then included the Setimo battalion that sunk and disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea - and remember what is happening to Eritrean youth of today in the same sea!!
The Battle of 1935-36 (Trenta Cinque):
Fascist Italy’s preparations for war against Ethiopia further militarized the entire Eritrean population. Eritrean askaris ranged in 28 battalions were the usual cannon folder at war frontlines in the battles that opened in October 1935 and continued till Mussolini’s declaration of his “East African Empire” in June 1936. An estimated 75,000 Eritrean askaris fought Italy’s conflicts in Ethiopia and in the pacification of the country till the end of Italian rule in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia in 1941.
The so-called period of ‘peaceful’ struggle: 1941-1961
We usually wish to believe that the duration of British care-taker administration (1941-1952) and the federal period (1952-1962) was somewhat peaceful. However, taking into account the absence of security and the killings organized by Ethiopia-supported unionists and the various banditries/Shifta of the time, those two decades can hardly be called a period of peace.
The 30-year war for national liberation:
This was the only period that Eritreans saw logic in conducting the war for their freedom. It was not only very costly but it also further militarized the society and its mindset. This prolonged war that was hoped to be the war that would end all wars did not prove to be so.
Other unwanted wars with Yemen, Ethiopia and Djbouti:
After its independence, Eritrea continued to suffer of the military mindset of its leaders and in the society. There was little logic to fight all these painful armed conflicts with neighbours after 1991, but they occurred. The main cause was not only the leadership but also the general society’s acquired belief in solving conflicts through the barrel of the gun.
The military campaigns and conscriptions introduced after independence; the 28 Sawa military camp training rounds, the regular army and militia formations etc have deepened militarization of the entire society.
The net outcome has been a negative mindset that denies space to moderation, dialogue, to tolerance and to the rule of law. In a word, the belief in the use of force/violence to solve differences is a collective madness. But it can be cured. It can be changed through steadfast struggle of the conscious segments in the society. For this reason, the struggle to fight and conquer this 125-year old negative legacy in us shall continue for quite some time to come – even in post-PFDJ years.
Notable Occurrences (other than wars) During the Italian Period
- Italy’s settlement project in Eritrea: One of the primary interests of Italy in creating colonies was the objective of finding suitable land for the resettlement of Italians who were facing economic/land problems at home. Between 1876 and 1889 alone, some 2.2 million Italians migrated to the Americas. hat is why a few months after declaring Eritrean an Italian colony, the Italian parliament and government passed laws that aimed to seize large tracts of land in Eritrea (terra domeniale). Pilot projects of the resettlement programme were started in a number of places. Extensive land confiscations deprived many peasants and herdsmen of their land. Eventually, all land below 850m altitude was declared state land and land concessions for up to 99 years were granted to Italians. However, the growing protests by the affected people, like the resistance led by Bahta Hagos of Segeneiti, and the unsuitability of many parts of the country for European settlement partly aborted the resettlement programme in Eritrea. Therefore, instead of going to Eritrea, 7.1 million Italian emigrants, mainly from southern Italy, settled in the United States (4.1m), in Argentina (1.8m) and in Brazil (1.2m) till the start of the First World War in 1914.
- Transport and communication Networks
Construction of the railway, the ropeway, and 3,400 km stretch of primary and second roads throughout the colony helped transform the life of the people who became “different” from the same peoples across the new frontier lines.
- Industrialization, urbanization
In its war efforts, Italy established nearly 2,200 industrial enterprises and built modern urban centers in the colony. The labour force in industries, mines, transport and modern agriculture reached nearly 40,000. Modernization was quick to spread in the colony, especially during the second half of Italian rule.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the British Administration
- The spread of education was the most important occurrence during the British care-taker administration from 1941 till 1952.
- The second most memorable event of this period is the emancipation of serfs in western Eritrea under the leadership of Ibrahim Sultan. It was estimated that up to 93% of the social groups in Barka and Sahel regions were, until the mid-1940s, subjected to serfdom that required them to provide heavy feudal payments and services to landlords. Vast majority of the emancipated serfs later rallied behind Ibrahim Sultan who led the largest pro-independence party and a block that helped create the symbolisms for Eritrean national awareness.
- The 2 December 1950 Resolution of the UN General Assembly on Eritrea.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the Federal Period
- This period was marked by succession of violations of the Federal Act decided by the UN General Assembly. Those unwarranted violations by Ethiopia and its local agents in Eritrea increased political consciousness among the urban population in all parts of Eritrea.
- The lowering of the Blue Eritrean Flag in late 1958 angered the general population, especially the young generation.
- The formation of the Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM/Mahber Shewate) in Port Sudan in 1958 and the establishment of the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in Cairo in1960 were the other major events of this period.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during 1961-1991
- The massacre of about 1,000 innocent civilians at Ona and Besik-Dira in December 1970 created renewed anger against the Ethiopian occupation among Eritreans at home and in diaspora (including students in the Middle East, Europe and North America). The student (youth) movements in turn rekindled the forces in the liberation struggle.
- The ELF-EPLF civil war of 1980-81 changed the direction of the liberation struggle at many levels, and planted seeds for power control and polarization in the society.
- The victory at Afabet in March 1988 reassured Eritreans of a final victory in the liberation war.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the Past 23 Years
- The final defeat of the Ethiopian army, 24 May 1991.
- The crackdown of the PFDJ regime on the G15 reform movement in September 2001.
- The Lampedusa tragedy of 3 October 2013 that symbolized all the suffering being inflicted upon the entire nation in recent years.
Eritrea in 125 Years: Listing a Few Good and Bad Legacies and Memorable Events
Written by Woldeyesus Ammar
By Woldeyesus Ammar
Today, 1st of January 2015, Eritrea completes its 125th year of existence under that name. According to the earliest available figures, the population of the colony in 1893 counted only 191,127 followed by the 1900 estimate of 300,000 residents that included this writer’s father. We can assume that no one of those “first Eritreans” is still alive to celebrate this anniversary with the distressed 5 or 6 million of us today, whose gross inadequacies include being unable to know even the real count of the population at home and the figure for our shamefully increasing number in exile after quarter of a century of independence.
Anyway, it is an occasion to say Happy 125th Anniversary to our (إرترياኤርትራ) Eritrea and then proceed to mention a few lasting legacies and notable events in the ups and downs of our past since the issuance of the Royal Decree of King Umberto the First on 1 January 1890 that put us on the world map.
Understandably, the figure of 125 years is reached by adding the:
- 51 years of Italian colonial rule;
- 11 years of the British ‘caretaker’ administration;
- 10 years of Eritrea-Ethiopia ‘federation’;
- 30 years of armed struggle, and
- The past 23 years under a home-grown repression that replaced alien rule.
Anyone of us may have his/her take in listing only two topmost legacies of our modern history, and add a few memorable events within each of these periods. I am taking today’s occasion to list mine. I will start with what I term the two topmost legacies – one positive, and the other negative.
- One People
Before the Italian advent, we belonged to our separate linguistic and small geographic entities and sub-entities. After common suffering under numerous hardships and humiliations, we have become one people – the Eritreans. To cut a long story short, our unity as one people with manageable diversities is the topmost legacy - achievement - of the past 125 years.
- One Military Mindset
The second enduring legacy in us is what one can call a military mindset. This is a legacy, a ‘philosophy’ in our lives, a social behaviour built - or at least further solidified - through the countless armed conflicts we participated at or conducted by ourselves in the past 12.5 decades of our modern history. Although the pieces of territorial units that became Eritrea were not at peace locally even before 1890, it is sufficient to mention here only the wars we fought as one people: wars that unfortunately bequeathed us an unwanted behavioural infection – the military mindset - that highly values wars and the bravado in violence. We are all part of it because of our past history briefly mentioned below.
The Unwanted Wars Fought for Italy
The Battle of Adwa:
Take the skirmishes with Ethiopia before the Battle of Adwa, like the one at Debre-Ayla, in which over 8,000 Eritrean militias (bandas) took part. Then the Battle of Adwa of 1896 in which almost every young man in the new colony was required to partake. In that single battle, over 2,000 Eritreans died; unaccounted number were left disabled, and selected 500 elite askaris (soldiers) of the numerous prisoners of war suffered the amputation of their right arms and left legs.
Campaign to colonize/pacify Somalia:
Between 1907 and 1910, well over 5,000 Eritrean askaris (soldiers) were recruited and sent to fight in Somalia. This was not a small number compared to the population of the territory. Although Italian Somaliland was declared Italian by 1908, Eritreans continued to be frontline fighters in the conflict that continued till 1920 against the Somali rebellion led by Sheikh Said Mohammed (‘Mad Mullah’).
Italy’s wars in Libya (‘Zemen Trubli’):
Between 1911 and 1932, an estimated 60,000 Eritreans were recruited and sent to fight Italy’s wars in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (Libya). After the defeat of Turkey in Libya, fierce conflicts continued to rage against the patriotic rebels led by Omar Mukhtar that claimed untold number of Eritrean casualties. Some of those Eritreans who perished then included the Setimo battalion that sunk and disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea - and remember what is happening to Eritrean youth of today in the same sea!!
The Battle of 1935-36 (Trenta Cinque):
Fascist Italy’s preparations for war against Ethiopia further militarized the entire Eritrean population. Eritrean askaris ranged in 28 battalions were the usual cannon folder at war frontlines in the battles that opened in October 1935 and continued till Mussolini’s declaration of his “East African Empire” in June 1936. An estimated 75,000 Eritrean askaris fought Italy’s conflicts in Ethiopia and in the pacification of the country till the end of Italian rule in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia in 1941.
The so-called period of ‘peaceful’ struggle: 1941-1961
We usually wish to believe that the duration of British care-taker administration (1941-1952) and the federal period (1952-1962) was somewhat peaceful. However, taking into account the absence of security and the killings organized by Ethiopia-supported unionists and the various banditries/Shifta of the time, those two decades can hardly be called a period of peace.
The 30-year war for national liberation:
This was the only period that Eritreans saw logic in conducting the war for their freedom. It was not only very costly but it also further militarized the society and its mindset. This prolonged war that was hoped to be the war that would end all wars did not prove to be so.
Other unwanted wars with Yemen, Ethiopia and Djbouti:
After its independence, Eritrea continued to suffer of the military mindset of its leaders and in the society. There was little logic to fight all these painful armed conflicts with neighbours after 1991, but they occurred. The main cause was not only the leadership but also the general society’s acquired belief in solving conflicts through the barrel of the gun.
The military campaigns and conscriptions introduced after independence; the 28 Sawa military camp training rounds, the regular army and militia formations etc have deepened militarization of the entire society.
The net outcome has been a negative mindset that denies space to moderation, dialogue, to tolerance and to the rule of law. In a word, the belief in the use of force/violence to solve differences is a collective madness. But it can be cured. It can be changed through steadfast struggle of the conscious segments in the society. For this reason, the struggle to fight and conquer this 125-year old negative legacy in us shall continue for quite some time to come – even in post-PFDJ years.
Notable Occurrences (other than wars) During the Italian Period
- Italy’s settlement project in Eritrea: One of the primary interests of Italy in creating colonies was the objective of finding suitable land for the resettlement of Italians who were facing economic/land problems at home. Between 1876 and 1889 alone, some 2.2 million Italians migrated to the Americas. hat is why a few months after declaring Eritrean an Italian colony, the Italian parliament and government passed laws that aimed to seize large tracts of land in Eritrea (terra domeniale). Pilot projects of the resettlement programme were started in a number of places. Extensive land confiscations deprived many peasants and herdsmen of their land. Eventually, all land below 850m altitude was declared state land and land concessions for up to 99 years were granted to Italians. However, the growing protests by the affected people, like the resistance led by Bahta Hagos of Segeneiti, and the unsuitability of many parts of the country for European settlement partly aborted the resettlement programme in Eritrea. Therefore, instead of going to Eritrea, 7.1 million Italian emigrants, mainly from southern Italy, settled in the United States (4.1m), in Argentina (1.8m) and in Brazil (1.2m) till the start of the First World War in 1914.
- Transport and communication Networks
Construction of the railway, the ropeway, and 3,400 km stretch of primary and second roads throughout the colony helped transform the life of the people who became “different” from the same peoples across the new frontier lines.
- Industrialization, urbanization
In its war efforts, Italy established nearly 2,200 industrial enterprises and built modern urban centers in the colony. The labour force in industries, mines, transport and modern agriculture reached nearly 40,000. Modernization was quick to spread in the colony, especially during the second half of Italian rule.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the British Administration
- The spread of education was the most important occurrence during the British care-taker administration from 1941 till 1952.
- The second most memorable event of this period is the emancipation of serfs in western Eritrea under the leadership of Ibrahim Sultan. It was estimated that up to 93% of the social groups in Barka and Sahel regions were, until the mid-1940s, subjected to serfdom that required them to provide heavy feudal payments and services to landlords. Vast majority of the emancipated serfs later rallied behind Ibrahim Sultan who led the largest pro-independence party and a block that helped create the symbolisms for Eritrean national awareness.
- The 2 December 1950 Resolution of the UN General Assembly on Eritrea.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the Federal Period
- This period was marked by succession of violations of the Federal Act decided by the UN General Assembly. Those unwarranted violations by Ethiopia and its local agents in Eritrea increased political consciousness among the urban population in all parts of Eritrea.
- The lowering of the Blue Eritrean Flag in late 1958 angered the general population, especially the young generation.
- The formation of the Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM/Mahber Shewate) in Port Sudan in 1958 and the establishment of the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in Cairo in1960 were the other major events of this period.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during 1961-1991
- The massacre of about 1,000 innocent civilians at Ona and Besik-Dira in December 1970 created renewed anger against the Ethiopian occupation among Eritreans at home and in diaspora (including students in the Middle East, Europe and North America). The student (youth) movements in turn rekindled the forces in the liberation struggle.
- The ELF-EPLF civil war of 1980-81 changed the direction of the liberation struggle at many levels, and planted seeds for power control and polarization in the society.
- The victory at Afabet in March 1988 reassured Eritreans of a final victory in the liberation war.
Notable/Memorable Occurrences during the Past 23 Years
- The final defeat of the Ethiopian army, 24 May 1991.
- The crackdown of the PFDJ regime on the G15 reform movement in September 2001.
- The Lampedusa tragedy of 3 October 2013 that symbolized all the suffering being inflicted upon the entire nation in recent years.
ብቐዳምነት፡ ንህዝቢ ኤርትራን ኵሎም ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ዝዀኑ ፖለቲካዊ ውድባቱን ሲቪላውያን ማሕበራቱን እንቋዕ ናብ ሓድሽ ዓመት 2015 ኣብጽሓኩም ዝብል ናይ ዮሃና መልእኽተይ ከመሓላልፍ እፈቱ። ኣስዒበ፡ ንዅሎም'ቶም ምእንቲ ናጽነት ኤርትራ ህይወቶም፡ ጕልበቶም፡ ገንዘቦምን ኵሉ ዝውንንዎ ዓቕምን ዘበርከቱ ኤርትራውያን ዘለኒ መጐስን ምስጋናን ክገልጽ ክብሪ ይስምዓኒ። ሳላኹም ኤርትራ ናጻን ልዑላዊትን ሃገር ኰይና፤ ህልውን መጻእን ወለዶ ድማ ንዘረከብክምዎ ሕድሪ ተሰኪሙ ኣብ ሽቶኡ ከብጽሖ ሓላፍነቱ ክስከም ከዘኻኽር እፈቱ።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
2014 ዓ.ም ዛዚምና ናብ 2015 ዓ.ም ንሰጋገር ኣለና። ከም ውልቀሰባት፡ ውድባትን ማሕበራትን ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት ዘመዝገብናዮም ኣወንታታትን ኣሉታታትን ገምጊምና ኣብ 2015 ዓ.ም ንጌታትና ኣሪምና ንኣወንታታና ዝያዳ ዘበርኽ ስርሓት ከነካይድ ኢዩ ዝግብኣና።
ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት ንዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ዝቃወም ድምጺ እናበርከተን እናሓየለን ምምጽኡ ዘተባብዕን ተስፋ ዝህብን ተርእዮ ኢዩ ነይሩ። ኤርትራውያን መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ዝተፈላለየ ኵርንዓት ናይ ዓለምን ብዝተፈላለዩ ኣገባባትን ተቓውሞኦም ኣንጻር ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ክገልጹ ተራእዮም ኢዮም። ኣብ ርእስ'ዚ ናይ ሃይማኖት መራሕቲ፡ ነዚ ህልዊ ኵነታት ንምብዳህ ኤርትራዊ ዜጋ በብፊንኡ ሓወይ ኣበይ ኣሎ? ሓውተይ ኣበይ ኣላ? ሃገረይ ከመይ ኣላ ኢሉ ክሓትትን ሃገርን ህዝብን ንምድሓን ካብ ነፍስወከፍና ዝጥለቡ ግቡኣት ክንፍጽምን ኣተሓሳሲቦም ኢዮም። ካብ'ዚ ሓሊፎም ውን፡ መንግስቲ ኣብ ጕዳይ ናይ ሃይማኖት ዝገብሮ ዘሎ ምትእትታው ብግብሪ በዲሆም ኢዮም። ኣብ'ዚ እንኣትዎ ዘለና ሓድሽ ዓመት፡ ነዝን ከም'ዝን ዝኣመሰሉ ፍጻሜታት ከነተባብዕን ከነስፍሕን ከድልየና ኢዩ።
ስርዓት ኢሳያስ ብዝፈጸሞም ጌጋታት፡ ንነፍሱ ካብ ዓለም ባዕሉ ነጺሉ ኢዩ። እዚ ኵነታት'ዚ ንደለይቲ ፍትሒ ምቹእ ባይታታት ስለዝፈጠረሎም፡ ደለይቲ ፍትሒ ብሓፈሻ፡ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ድማ ብፍላይ፡ ኣብ ኣህጕራዊ መጋባእያታት ቀሪቦም ድምጾምን ድምጺ ውጹዕ ህዝቦምን ከስምዑ ዕድል ረኺቦም ኢዮም። ኣብ ላምፓዱዛ ዘጋጠመ ህልቂት ናይ መንእሰያት ድማ፡ ንሕማቕ ሃለዋት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዕሽሽ ኢላ ትሓልፎ ዝነበረት ዓለምና ካብ ድቃሳ ክትበራበር ገይርዋ ኢዩ። ነዚ ተረኺቡ ዘሎ መኽሰባት ንምኽዕባት ቃልስና ብዝተዓጻጸፈ ደረጃ ከነበርኾ ንጥለብ ኣሎና።
ኣብ ደቡብ ኣፍሪቃ ምስ ስቅያት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዝደናግጽ ናይ 15 ሃገራት ሲቪላውያን ማሕበራት ዝካፈልዎ ግብረ ሓይሊ ምቛሙ፡ ነታ ክሳብ ሕጂ ተርኣን ግዴኣን ክንድህስሳ ዘይከኣልና ኣህጕር፡ መእተዊ ዝኸውን ባብ ተፈጢሩ ስለዘሎ፡ ነዚ ማዕጾ'ዚ ኣርሒብና ብምኽፋት፡ ህዝብና ዝርብሓሎም ስርሓትን ዝምድናታትን ንምፍጣር ክንጽዕር ዕዙዝ ኣድላዪነት ኣለዎ።
መንግስታት ኣውሮጳ፡ በቲ ካብ ኤርትራን ማእከላይ ምብራቕን ዝውሕዝ ዘሎ ስደተኛታት ተሰናቢደን ንሃገራዊ ረብሐአን ብምቕዳም፡ ምስ ዲክታቶርያውያን መንግስታት ቀሪበን ክሰርሓ ዝብገሳሉ ዘለዋ እዋን ስለዝዀነ፡ ደለይቲ ፍትሒ ኣብ ርእስ'ቲ ምስ መንግስታትን ሰልፍታትን ክገብርዎ ዝጸንሑ ርክባት፡ ኣብ 2015 ዓ.ም ኣብ ህዝባዊ ዲፕሎማሲ ዘትኰረ ንጥፈታቶም ከሐይልዎ ኣለዎም። ንኣህዛብ ምዕራባውያን ሃገራት፡ ብዛዕባ ኣብ ሃገርና ሰፊኑ ዘሎ ጭቆናን ዝፍጸም ዘሎ ግፍዕታትን ግህሰታትን ሰብኣዊ መሰላት ኣፍልጥኦም ንምዕባይ ተሪር ቃልሲ ምክያድ ግዜ ዘይህብ እዋናዊ ዕማም ኰይኑ ኣሎ።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ኣብ መዳይ ሓድነት ናይ ተቓውሞ ውድባት፡ ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት፡ ንውድቀት ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ዘቃላጥፍ፡ ንፍናን ህዝቢ ዘበርኽ ጭቡጥ ስርሓት ተኻይዱ ኢልካ ምዝራብ ኣይከኣልን ኢዩ። ብኣንጻሩ ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት፡ ኣንጻር ሕድሕድ ዝግበሩ ምጽልላማትን ምጥቅቓዕን ብዝያዳ ዝጐልሃሉ፣ ኣብ ዓዳውን ኣውራጃውን ምልዕዓላት ዝተሰረቱ ፋይዳ ዘይብሎምን ንህዝቢ ዘይጥርንፉን ከፋፈልቲ ድምጽታት ዝተቃልሕሉን ዓመት ኢዩ ነይሩ። ኣብ'ዚ ዓመት'ዚ፡ ነዝን ከምኡን ዝኣመሰሉ ጸበብቲ ኣንፈታት ወጊድና ንዝዓበየ ሃገራዊ ዕላማታት ንምዕዋት መዓንጣና ሸጥ እነብለሉ ዓመት ክንግብሮ ኣለና። ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ብመላኡ ካብ'ዚ ስርዓት'ዚ ብዘይካ ጕድኣት ፋይዳ ስለዘይረኸበ፡ ነዚ ንጹህ፡ ውፉይን ጻዕራምን ህዝቢ ካብ ኣርዑት ህግዲፍ ምንጋፍ ቀዳማይን መተካእታ ዘይብሉን ዕላማና ጌርና ክንወስዶ ኣሎና። ዕላማና ክንዮ ውልቅና፡ ዓድና፡ ኣውራጃና ዝጥምት ክኸውን ይግብኦ።
ተሳትፎ መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ደምበ ተቓውሞ ንምዕባይ ናይ 2015 ዓ.ም ቀንዲ ዕላማና ክኸውን ኣለዎ። እዚ ድማ፡ ንሃለዋቶምን ሻቕሎታቶምን ብግቡእ ብምግንዛብን ንሕልምታቶም ጋህዲ ዝገብር ስርሓት ብምክያድን ይኸውን። ተሳትፎ ናይ መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ውድባትን ማሕበራትን ኣብ ውሽጠን ለውጢ ንምምጻእ ኣዝዩ ኣድላዪ ምዃኑ ምግንዛብ ይግባእ።
ስደት ብዝምልከት ከኣ 2014 ዓ.ም ካብ ቅድሚኣ ዝነበራ ዓመታት ዝያዳ ናህሪ ወሲኻ ዝቐጸለትሉ ዓመት ኢያ ነይራ። ትሕቲ ዕድመ ዝዀኑ ናባዪ ዘይብሎም ህጻናት ከይተረፉ እውን ክስደዱ ዝተራእዩላ ዓመት ኢያ ነይራ። ኣብ ነፍስወከፍ ወርሒ፡ ካብ 3000-4000 ዝዀኑ ኤርትራውያን መንእሰያት ንሃገሮም ራሕሪሖም ይስደዱ ኣለዉ። እዚ መንእሰይ'ዚ፡ ኣብ ትምህርቲ፡ ስራሕን ህንጻ ሃገርን ክዋፈር ዝነበሮ ተረካባይ ሕድሪ ናይ ዝሓልፍ ዘሎ ወለዶ ኢዩ። ብዘይ'ዚ መንእሰይ'ዚ ሃገር ክትህሉ ይኹን ክትምዕብል ፈጺሙ ዘይሕሰብ ኢዩ። 2015 ዓ.ም ንዋሕዚ ናይ ስደት ደው ምባል ሓደ ካብ'ቶም ቀዳሞት ኣጀንዳታት ናይ ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ክኸውን ይግባእ። ሰዲህኤ፡ ነዚ ጸገም'ዚ ንምፍታሕ የኽእሉና ኢዮም ኢሉ ዝኣምነሎም ዝዋስኣሎም ዘሎ መደባት እዞም ዝስዕቡ ኢዮም።
1. ነቲ መሰረታዊ ጠንቂ ናይ ስደት ኰይኑ ዘሎ ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ኣሊኻ፡ ብዲሞክራስያዊ ናይ ምስግጋር መስርሕ ምትካኡ፤
2. ነቶም ድሮ ተሰዲዶም ኣብ መደበራት ስደተኛታት ሱዳን፡ ኢትዮጵያን የመንን ዘለዉ ኤርትራውያን ናይ ሞያን ኣካዳሚካዊ ትምህርትን ናይ ስራሕ ዕድላትን ምሃብ፤
3. መንግስቲ ኤርትራ፡ ጐረባብቲ ሃገራትን ኣህጕራዊ ማሕበረሰብን ተሓባቢሮም ኣንጻር ነጋዶ ደቂ ሰባት ዘካይድዎ ቃልሲ ከሐይሉ።
4. መንግስታት ዞባና ኣብ ንግዲ ደቂሰባት ንዝነጥፉ ዘለዉ ከም ራሻይዳ፡ በደዊን ....ወዘተ ዝኣመሰሉ ዝተጐስዩ ክፍልታት ሕብረተሰባተን፡ ኣብ ፖለቲካዊ፡ ቍጣባውን ማሕበራውን ንጥፈታት ናይ ሃገሮም ከምዝሳተፉ ምግባር።
5. ሃገራት ምዕራብ ማዕጹአን ኣብ ክንዲ ምዕጻው፡ ስደተኛታት ብሕጋዊ ኣገባብ ናብ ሃገረን ዝኣትውሉ ዕድላት ከምዘስፍሓ ምግባር።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ኣትኵሮ ናይ ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ናብ ውሽጢ ሃገር ገጹ ዘቕንዐ ክኸውን ኣለዎ። ኣብ ሕድሕድካ ካብ ምውጣጥን፡ ኣብ ጸቢብ ዓንኬል ካብ ምዅዳድን ወጺእና፡ ናብ'ቲ ዝሰፍሐ ህዝብና ዝርከቦ ሃገርና ቆላሕታ ክንገብር ህዝብና ንዘሕልፎ ዘሎ ሕማቕ ሃለዋት ንምቕያርን ዘኽእል ስትራተጂታትን ስልትታትን ክንሕንጽጽን ኣብ ተግባር ከነውዕልን ይድለ ኣሎ። ስለ'ዚ፡ ነፍስወከፍ ተቓዋሚ'የ ዝብል ኣካል ካብ ዝነብሮ ሳንዱቕ ወጺኡ፡ ኣብ ውሽጢ ኤርትራ ምስ ዘሎ ህዝብና ዝምድናታት ክፈጥር ጻዕርታት ክገብር ኣለዎ። ንተቓዋማይ ምቅዋም ብዙሕ ዘምጽኦ ረብሓ የለን እሞ፡ ኣዒንትና ናብ ስርዓት ህግደፍን ተግባራቱን ጥራሕ ይጠምታ። ህዝብና ብስእነት ማይ፡ መግብን መብራህትን ዝኣመሰሉ መሰረታያን ጕዳያት ይሳቐ ኣሎ። ንሕና፡ ከም ተቓወምቲ ነዚ ሽግር'ዝን ካልእ ሽግራትን ናይ ምፍታሕ መደብን ዓቕምን ከምዘለና ንህዝብና ከነርእዮ ክንክእል ኣለና። እዚ እንተዘይኣርኢናዮ፡ ኣብ ዙርያና ክዓስል ኣይክእልን ኢዩ። ዕለታዊ መነባብሮ ናይ ህዝብ ክንፈልጥን ንምቕያሩ ዘሎና መደባት ክንሕብሮን ኣገዳስነቱ ዕዙዝ ኢዩ።
ኣብ'ዚ ዓመት'ዚ፡ ኣብ ማእሰርቲ ዝርከቡ ናይ ፖለቲካን ናይ ሕልናን እሱራት፡ ሃለዋት ዝፍለጠሉ ኵነታት ክንፈጥር ኣለና። ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኢሳያስ፡ ብዛዕባ'ዞም እሱራት እዚኣቶም ተሓቢኡ ዘሎ ሓቅታት ከውጽእ ከነገድዶ ክንክእል ኣሎና። ናይ ዘለዉን ዝሞትን እሱራት ሃለዋት ግልጺ ሓበሬታ ዝውሃበላ፣ ህልዋት ናይ ፖለቲካን ናይ ሕልናን እሱራት ብዘይ ቅድመ-ኵነት ዝፍትሑላ ዓመት ንምግባ፣ ናይ ውሽጥን ናይ ግዳምን ጸቕጥታት ኣብ ልዕሊ ገዛኢ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ንምሕያል ኣበርቲዕና ክንሰርሕ ይግብኣና።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ (ሰዲህኤ)፡ ብእኩብን ብክልተኣውን ደረጃታት ኣብ 2014 ከካይዶም ዝጸንሐ ርክባት ኣብ 2015 ክቕጽሎም ኢዩ። እዞም ርክባት እዚኣቶም፡ ናብ ጭቡጥ ስምምዓት ንኽበጽሑ ዘኽእል መጽናዕትታት ክገብርን ግብራዊ ስጕምትታት ከውስድን ኢዩ።
ናይ ሰላም፡ ስኒትን ራህዋን ዓመት ይግበረልና
መንግስተኣብ ኣስመሮም
ኣቦ መንበር ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ
31 ታሕሳስ 2014
ብቐዳምነት፡ ንህዝቢ ኤርትራን ኵሎም ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ዝዀኑ ፖለቲካዊ ውድባቱን ሲቪላውያን ማሕበራቱን እንቋዕ ናብ ሓድሽ ዓመት 2015 ኣብጽሓኩም ዝብል ናይ ዮሃና መልእኽተይ ከመሓላልፍ እፈቱ። ኣስዒበ፡ ንዅሎም'ቶም ምእንቲ ናጽነት ኤርትራ ህይወቶም፡ ጕልበቶም፡ ገንዘቦምን ኵሉ ዝውንንዎ ዓቕምን ዘበርከቱ ኤርትራውያን ዘለኒ መጐስን ምስጋናን ክገልጽ ክብሪ ይስምዓኒ። ሳላኹም ኤርትራ ናጻን ልዑላዊትን ሃገር ኰይና፤ ህልውን መጻእን ወለዶ ድማ ንዘረከብክምዎ ሕድሪ ተሰኪሙ ኣብ ሽቶኡ ከብጽሖ ሓላፍነቱ ክስከም ከዘኻኽር እፈቱ።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
2014 ዓ.ም ዛዚምና ናብ 2015 ዓ.ም ንሰጋገር ኣለና። ከም ውልቀሰባት፡ ውድባትን ማሕበራትን ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት ዘመዝገብናዮም ኣወንታታትን ኣሉታታትን ገምጊምና ኣብ 2015 ዓ.ም ንጌታትና ኣሪምና ንኣወንታታና ዝያዳ ዘበርኽ ስርሓት ከነካይድ ኢዩ ዝግብኣና።
ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት ንዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ዝቃወም ድምጺ እናበርከተን እናሓየለን ምምጽኡ ዘተባብዕን ተስፋ ዝህብን ተርእዮ ኢዩ ነይሩ። ኤርትራውያን መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ዝተፈላለየ ኵርንዓት ናይ ዓለምን ብዝተፈላለዩ ኣገባባትን ተቓውሞኦም ኣንጻር ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ክገልጹ ተራእዮም ኢዮም። ኣብ ርእስ'ዚ ናይ ሃይማኖት መራሕቲ፡ ነዚ ህልዊ ኵነታት ንምብዳህ ኤርትራዊ ዜጋ በብፊንኡ ሓወይ ኣበይ ኣሎ? ሓውተይ ኣበይ ኣላ? ሃገረይ ከመይ ኣላ ኢሉ ክሓትትን ሃገርን ህዝብን ንምድሓን ካብ ነፍስወከፍና ዝጥለቡ ግቡኣት ክንፍጽምን ኣተሓሳሲቦም ኢዮም። ካብ'ዚ ሓሊፎም ውን፡ መንግስቲ ኣብ ጕዳይ ናይ ሃይማኖት ዝገብሮ ዘሎ ምትእትታው ብግብሪ በዲሆም ኢዮም። ኣብ'ዚ እንኣትዎ ዘለና ሓድሽ ዓመት፡ ነዝን ከም'ዝን ዝኣመሰሉ ፍጻሜታት ከነተባብዕን ከነስፍሕን ከድልየና ኢዩ።
ስርዓት ኢሳያስ ብዝፈጸሞም ጌጋታት፡ ንነፍሱ ካብ ዓለም ባዕሉ ነጺሉ ኢዩ። እዚ ኵነታት'ዚ ንደለይቲ ፍትሒ ምቹእ ባይታታት ስለዝፈጠረሎም፡ ደለይቲ ፍትሒ ብሓፈሻ፡ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ድማ ብፍላይ፡ ኣብ ኣህጕራዊ መጋባእያታት ቀሪቦም ድምጾምን ድምጺ ውጹዕ ህዝቦምን ከስምዑ ዕድል ረኺቦም ኢዮም። ኣብ ላምፓዱዛ ዘጋጠመ ህልቂት ናይ መንእሰያት ድማ፡ ንሕማቕ ሃለዋት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዕሽሽ ኢላ ትሓልፎ ዝነበረት ዓለምና ካብ ድቃሳ ክትበራበር ገይርዋ ኢዩ። ነዚ ተረኺቡ ዘሎ መኽሰባት ንምኽዕባት ቃልስና ብዝተዓጻጸፈ ደረጃ ከነበርኾ ንጥለብ ኣሎና።
ኣብ ደቡብ ኣፍሪቃ ምስ ስቅያት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ዝደናግጽ ናይ 15 ሃገራት ሲቪላውያን ማሕበራት ዝካፈልዎ ግብረ ሓይሊ ምቛሙ፡ ነታ ክሳብ ሕጂ ተርኣን ግዴኣን ክንድህስሳ ዘይከኣልና ኣህጕር፡ መእተዊ ዝኸውን ባብ ተፈጢሩ ስለዘሎ፡ ነዚ ማዕጾ'ዚ ኣርሒብና ብምኽፋት፡ ህዝብና ዝርብሓሎም ስርሓትን ዝምድናታትን ንምፍጣር ክንጽዕር ዕዙዝ ኣድላዪነት ኣለዎ።
መንግስታት ኣውሮጳ፡ በቲ ካብ ኤርትራን ማእከላይ ምብራቕን ዝውሕዝ ዘሎ ስደተኛታት ተሰናቢደን ንሃገራዊ ረብሐአን ብምቕዳም፡ ምስ ዲክታቶርያውያን መንግስታት ቀሪበን ክሰርሓ ዝብገሳሉ ዘለዋ እዋን ስለዝዀነ፡ ደለይቲ ፍትሒ ኣብ ርእስ'ቲ ምስ መንግስታትን ሰልፍታትን ክገብርዎ ዝጸንሑ ርክባት፡ ኣብ 2015 ዓ.ም ኣብ ህዝባዊ ዲፕሎማሲ ዘትኰረ ንጥፈታቶም ከሐይልዎ ኣለዎም። ንኣህዛብ ምዕራባውያን ሃገራት፡ ብዛዕባ ኣብ ሃገርና ሰፊኑ ዘሎ ጭቆናን ዝፍጸም ዘሎ ግፍዕታትን ግህሰታትን ሰብኣዊ መሰላት ኣፍልጥኦም ንምዕባይ ተሪር ቃልሲ ምክያድ ግዜ ዘይህብ እዋናዊ ዕማም ኰይኑ ኣሎ።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ኣብ መዳይ ሓድነት ናይ ተቓውሞ ውድባት፡ ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት፡ ንውድቀት ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ዘቃላጥፍ፡ ንፍናን ህዝቢ ዘበርኽ ጭቡጥ ስርሓት ተኻይዱ ኢልካ ምዝራብ ኣይከኣልን ኢዩ። ብኣንጻሩ ኣብ ዝሓለፈ ዓመት፡ ኣንጻር ሕድሕድ ዝግበሩ ምጽልላማትን ምጥቅቓዕን ብዝያዳ ዝጐልሃሉ፣ ኣብ ዓዳውን ኣውራጃውን ምልዕዓላት ዝተሰረቱ ፋይዳ ዘይብሎምን ንህዝቢ ዘይጥርንፉን ከፋፈልቲ ድምጽታት ዝተቃልሕሉን ዓመት ኢዩ ነይሩ። ኣብ'ዚ ዓመት'ዚ፡ ነዝን ከምኡን ዝኣመሰሉ ጸበብቲ ኣንፈታት ወጊድና ንዝዓበየ ሃገራዊ ዕላማታት ንምዕዋት መዓንጣና ሸጥ እነብለሉ ዓመት ክንግብሮ ኣለና። ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ብመላኡ ካብ'ዚ ስርዓት'ዚ ብዘይካ ጕድኣት ፋይዳ ስለዘይረኸበ፡ ነዚ ንጹህ፡ ውፉይን ጻዕራምን ህዝቢ ካብ ኣርዑት ህግዲፍ ምንጋፍ ቀዳማይን መተካእታ ዘይብሉን ዕላማና ጌርና ክንወስዶ ኣሎና። ዕላማና ክንዮ ውልቅና፡ ዓድና፡ ኣውራጃና ዝጥምት ክኸውን ይግብኦ።
ተሳትፎ መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ደምበ ተቓውሞ ንምዕባይ ናይ 2015 ዓ.ም ቀንዲ ዕላማና ክኸውን ኣለዎ። እዚ ድማ፡ ንሃለዋቶምን ሻቕሎታቶምን ብግቡእ ብምግንዛብን ንሕልምታቶም ጋህዲ ዝገብር ስርሓት ብምክያድን ይኸውን። ተሳትፎ ናይ መንእሰያትን ደቂ ኣንስትዮን ኣብ ውድባትን ማሕበራትን ኣብ ውሽጠን ለውጢ ንምምጻእ ኣዝዩ ኣድላዪ ምዃኑ ምግንዛብ ይግባእ።
ስደት ብዝምልከት ከኣ 2014 ዓ.ም ካብ ቅድሚኣ ዝነበራ ዓመታት ዝያዳ ናህሪ ወሲኻ ዝቐጸለትሉ ዓመት ኢያ ነይራ። ትሕቲ ዕድመ ዝዀኑ ናባዪ ዘይብሎም ህጻናት ከይተረፉ እውን ክስደዱ ዝተራእዩላ ዓመት ኢያ ነይራ። ኣብ ነፍስወከፍ ወርሒ፡ ካብ 3000-4000 ዝዀኑ ኤርትራውያን መንእሰያት ንሃገሮም ራሕሪሖም ይስደዱ ኣለዉ። እዚ መንእሰይ'ዚ፡ ኣብ ትምህርቲ፡ ስራሕን ህንጻ ሃገርን ክዋፈር ዝነበሮ ተረካባይ ሕድሪ ናይ ዝሓልፍ ዘሎ ወለዶ ኢዩ። ብዘይ'ዚ መንእሰይ'ዚ ሃገር ክትህሉ ይኹን ክትምዕብል ፈጺሙ ዘይሕሰብ ኢዩ። 2015 ዓ.ም ንዋሕዚ ናይ ስደት ደው ምባል ሓደ ካብ'ቶም ቀዳሞት ኣጀንዳታት ናይ ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ክኸውን ይግባእ። ሰዲህኤ፡ ነዚ ጸገም'ዚ ንምፍታሕ የኽእሉና ኢዮም ኢሉ ዝኣምነሎም ዝዋስኣሎም ዘሎ መደባት እዞም ዝስዕቡ ኢዮም።
1. ነቲ መሰረታዊ ጠንቂ ናይ ስደት ኰይኑ ዘሎ ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ኣሊኻ፡ ብዲሞክራስያዊ ናይ ምስግጋር መስርሕ ምትካኡ፤
2. ነቶም ድሮ ተሰዲዶም ኣብ መደበራት ስደተኛታት ሱዳን፡ ኢትዮጵያን የመንን ዘለዉ ኤርትራውያን ናይ ሞያን ኣካዳሚካዊ ትምህርትን ናይ ስራሕ ዕድላትን ምሃብ፤
3. መንግስቲ ኤርትራ፡ ጐረባብቲ ሃገራትን ኣህጕራዊ ማሕበረሰብን ተሓባቢሮም ኣንጻር ነጋዶ ደቂ ሰባት ዘካይድዎ ቃልሲ ከሐይሉ።
4. መንግስታት ዞባና ኣብ ንግዲ ደቂሰባት ንዝነጥፉ ዘለዉ ከም ራሻይዳ፡ በደዊን ....ወዘተ ዝኣመሰሉ ዝተጐስዩ ክፍልታት ሕብረተሰባተን፡ ኣብ ፖለቲካዊ፡ ቍጣባውን ማሕበራውን ንጥፈታት ናይ ሃገሮም ከምዝሳተፉ ምግባር።
5. ሃገራት ምዕራብ ማዕጹአን ኣብ ክንዲ ምዕጻው፡ ስደተኛታት ብሕጋዊ ኣገባብ ናብ ሃገረን ዝኣትውሉ ዕድላት ከምዘስፍሓ ምግባር።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ኣትኵሮ ናይ ደለይቲ ፍትሕን ለውጥን ናብ ውሽጢ ሃገር ገጹ ዘቕንዐ ክኸውን ኣለዎ። ኣብ ሕድሕድካ ካብ ምውጣጥን፡ ኣብ ጸቢብ ዓንኬል ካብ ምዅዳድን ወጺእና፡ ናብ'ቲ ዝሰፍሐ ህዝብና ዝርከቦ ሃገርና ቆላሕታ ክንገብር ህዝብና ንዘሕልፎ ዘሎ ሕማቕ ሃለዋት ንምቕያርን ዘኽእል ስትራተጂታትን ስልትታትን ክንሕንጽጽን ኣብ ተግባር ከነውዕልን ይድለ ኣሎ። ስለ'ዚ፡ ነፍስወከፍ ተቓዋሚ'የ ዝብል ኣካል ካብ ዝነብሮ ሳንዱቕ ወጺኡ፡ ኣብ ውሽጢ ኤርትራ ምስ ዘሎ ህዝብና ዝምድናታት ክፈጥር ጻዕርታት ክገብር ኣለዎ። ንተቓዋማይ ምቅዋም ብዙሕ ዘምጽኦ ረብሓ የለን እሞ፡ ኣዒንትና ናብ ስርዓት ህግደፍን ተግባራቱን ጥራሕ ይጠምታ። ህዝብና ብስእነት ማይ፡ መግብን መብራህትን ዝኣመሰሉ መሰረታያን ጕዳያት ይሳቐ ኣሎ። ንሕና፡ ከም ተቓወምቲ ነዚ ሽግር'ዝን ካልእ ሽግራትን ናይ ምፍታሕ መደብን ዓቕምን ከምዘለና ንህዝብና ከነርእዮ ክንክእል ኣለና። እዚ እንተዘይኣርኢናዮ፡ ኣብ ዙርያና ክዓስል ኣይክእልን ኢዩ። ዕለታዊ መነባብሮ ናይ ህዝብ ክንፈልጥን ንምቕያሩ ዘሎና መደባት ክንሕብሮን ኣገዳስነቱ ዕዙዝ ኢዩ።
ኣብ'ዚ ዓመት'ዚ፡ ኣብ ማእሰርቲ ዝርከቡ ናይ ፖለቲካን ናይ ሕልናን እሱራት፡ ሃለዋት ዝፍለጠሉ ኵነታት ክንፈጥር ኣለና። ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኢሳያስ፡ ብዛዕባ'ዞም እሱራት እዚኣቶም ተሓቢኡ ዘሎ ሓቅታት ከውጽእ ከነገድዶ ክንክእል ኣሎና። ናይ ዘለዉን ዝሞትን እሱራት ሃለዋት ግልጺ ሓበሬታ ዝውሃበላ፣ ህልዋት ናይ ፖለቲካን ናይ ሕልናን እሱራት ብዘይ ቅድመ-ኵነት ዝፍትሑላ ዓመት ንምግባ፣ ናይ ውሽጥን ናይ ግዳምን ጸቕጥታት ኣብ ልዕሊ ገዛኢ ስርዓት ኤርትራ ንምሕያል ኣበርቲዕና ክንሰርሕ ይግብኣና።
ክቡራትን ክቡራንን
ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ (ሰዲህኤ)፡ ብእኩብን ብክልተኣውን ደረጃታት ኣብ 2014 ከካይዶም ዝጸንሐ ርክባት ኣብ 2015 ክቕጽሎም ኢዩ። እዞም ርክባት እዚኣቶም፡ ናብ ጭቡጥ ስምምዓት ንኽበጽሑ ዘኽእል መጽናዕትታት ክገብርን ግብራዊ ስጕምትታት ከውስድን ኢዩ።
ናይ ሰላም፡ ስኒትን ራህዋን ዓመት ይግበረልና
መንግስተኣብ ኣስመሮም
ኣቦ መንበር ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ
31 ታሕሳስ 2014
እቶም ቅድሚ ናጽነት ዝነበሩ
ከምኡውን ድሕሪ ናጽነት ዝተባረሩ
ንዝተፈጸመ ጌጋታት ሎሚ ክቘጽሩ
ኣብኣ ከለዉ ብሒም ዘይበሉ ከይሓፈሩ
ሓሙሻይ መስርዕ እናበሉ ከምዘይዓንደሩ
ኣብ ሎሚ በጺሖም ሰባት ከደናግሩ
ቤላቤለዉ በዚሑ ሓሶት ሳዕሪሩ
ንደቂ ሰባት ክዝልፉ እንተገዓሩ
ሽሕ እንተለፍለፉ ቁምነገር ነይገብሩ
ውድባት ኣይረብሓን ዝብል ሓሳብ ከዕምሩ
ሕቘኦም እምበር ሕቘመን ተሰይሩ
ኢሳያስ እባ ብድኽመትና ተሓንጊሩ
ድላዩ ይፍጽም ዓጋቲ ዘይብሉ ተገቲሩ
ንኣእምሮና ተቘጻጺሩ ኣብ ልብና ሰፊሩ
ብድንቍርናና ኣስተርሕዩ ከምድላዩ ኣመሓዲሩ
ንውሽጢ ገዲፉስ ንደገ እውን ሰጊሩ
ብሰንኪ ምፍልላይና ኣብ ሕቘና ሓዅሩ።
እቶም ንታሪኽ ብግልባጡ ዝስንዱ
ስም ደቂ ሰባት ዝቕርድዱ
ንጅግና ክዝልፉ ከጸልሙ ከዋርዱ
ዕንጨይቲ ዘናኽስ ሓዊ ኣጕዱ
ጥዑይ ተሳኢኑ ኩሉ ዓቢዱ
ነንሓድሕዱ ክወናጀል ንሰነ-ምግባር ወጊዱ
ለባም ይኹን ዓሻ ኩሉ ሓንጊዱ
ዓሌት ኣውራጃ ክፈላሊ ርሑቕ ዘየማዕዱ
መዓልቲ ኣኺሉ እዩ ክፍለጥ ጉዱ
ስርናይ ክምመ ካብ ክርዳዱ
ደጋፊ ይኹን ተቓዋሚ ቀሪባ ኣላ ፍርዱ
ቅዋም ምስ ተተኽለ ኣይኮነን በብኢዱ
ሓቂ ንሓዝ ለማጽ ኣይኮነን መገዱ
ኣይንሕተትን ኢልኩም ክውንን ዘይክውንን ኣይተንጐድጕዱ ።
ብድራር መንታይ
Head of UN Commission of Inquiry on PFDJ Abuses Interviewed by Eritreans in Melbourne
Written by EPDP Information Office
Eritrean human rights and democracy activists in Australia have, on 22 December, interviewed over a public service radio in Melbourne the head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea, reported Mr. Arei Mohammed Saleh, member of the EPDP branch in Melbourne.
The newly designated head of the Commission, Mr. Mike Smith, who is a university professor in Australia, was interviewed by Mr. Arei Mohamed Saleh and Ahmed Mahmoud Alhaj to explain a long range of topics including the mandate of the Commission and what Eritreans can expect from its reports.
Summarized below are points from the radio interview with the chairpersonof the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea of which Ms. Sheila Keetharuth, the UN Human Rights Rapporteur on Eritrea is also a member.
Question: Does the setting up of a UN Commission of Inquiry mean the possible existence of crimes against humanity committed in Eritrea? What is the time frame the Commission’s mandate?
Answer: The Commission of Inquiry has been mandated to investigate alleged human rights violations in Eritrea. We are required to report back by June 2015. There is no mention of crimes against humanity in the resolution but … the Commission will document what violations of human rights have been committed (since independence of Eritrea).
Q: How can people contact you?
A: We already called for submissions from all concerned …..You can also ask anyone who has information relevant to this inquiry to send us his/her input by email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before the closing date of 31st of January 2015. Some of those who submit information may be contacted in the future for further details.
Q: You launched your inquiry task on the 20th of November 2014 and have already met with Eritreans in Switzerland and Italy. Do you plan to meet Eritreans residing in other countries, in particular the Sudan ad Ethiopia where there are a large number of Eritrean refugees?
A: Yes and very definitely and we would like to meet Eritreans who are living in a number of different countries. We have in fact sent letters to a number of the neighboring countries to Eritrea. …. But we will be visiting a number of countries. We would like to visit all countries where Eritreans are living including Australia….
Q: Are you optimistic that the Eritrean government will allow you to visit Eritrea? If not, how will this affect your work?
A: We have written to the Eritrean government and also spoken to the diplomatic representative in Geneva and have asked for their agreement to our visiting and meeting people, and visiting various sites in Eritrea. They have not replied yet and I do not want to pre-judge… The Office of High Commission for Human Rights has a lot of experience in this area….where the commissions were not allowed to visit certain countries, information was collected from outside those countries from people who have first-hand experience, expertise … and were able to provide very credible and compelling reports. …we will do our report whether we visit Eritrea or not.
Q: How do you verify the creditability of information you receive?
A: Commissions of inquiry follow established standard procedures…. We check the credibility of the information and the reliability of the source of the information…..
Q: How will you protect the identity of those who provide you with information as many may need assurances that their information and identity will not be leaked to the Eritrean regime?
A: We have all the measures to ensure the full confidentiality of all information and the identity of people who have had contact with us. Their concerns are well addressed if they do not want to be mentioned by name…
Q: How do you report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva?
A: In March 2015, we will give an oral report to the Council. We will tell what we were doing and will answer questions from Council members…..Then in June 2015, we shall make a presentation to the Council in Geneva and to the UN General Assembly in its next session, probably in October 2015. ….I would expect that the reports will include recommendations….
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ሱዳናውያን ወተሃደራት ነቶም ዝጨወይዎም 1,000 ዝዀኑ ስደተኛታት ኣብ ሰለስተ ከፊሎም፡ ኣብ ከሰላ፡ ሓልፋ ጀዲዳን ግርባን ኣሲሮምዎ ምህላዎም እሙናት ምንጪታት ሓቢሮም።
ላዕለዋይ ኮሚሽን ስደተኛታት ሕቡራት ሃገራት፡ እቶም እሱራት ብጅምላ ከይባረሩን ገበን ዘይፈጸሙ ድማ ብቐጥታ ተፈቲሖም ናብ መደበር ስደተኛታት ክምለሱን ብዘቕረቦ ተቓውሞ መሰረት 400 ናብ ቦትኦም ተመሊሶም ኣለዉ። ዝተረፉ ድማ፡ ምርመራታት ይካየደሎም ኣሎ። ብድሕር'ዚ ናብ ቤት ፍርዲ ከቕርብዎም ምዃኖም ይስማዕ ኣሎ።
ብኻልእ ሸነኽ ድማ፡ ምውታት ንምርካብ ኣብ ዝተገብረ ፍተሻ ሓደ ተረኺቡ ኣሎ። በዚ ጠቕላላ ክሳብ ሕጂ ተረኺቡ ዘሎ ሬሳታት ናብ 9 ክብ ኢሉ ኣሎ። ብርክት ዝበለ ቍጽሪ ዘለዎም ብዝወረዶም ማህረምቲ ኣብ ሆስፒታል ዝእለዩ ከምዘለዉ ዝዝከር ኢዩ።
ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ (ሰዲህኤ) ነቲ ኢሰብኣዊ ተግባራት ዝዅንንን ንላዕለዋይ ኮሚሽን ሕቡራት ሃገራት ሓላፍነቱ ክስከም ዝጽውዕን መዘክር ኣቕሪቡ ምንባሩ ዝፍለጥ ኢዩ።
ሱዳናውያን ወተሃደራት ነቶም ዝጨወይዎም 1,000 ዝዀኑ ስደተኛታት ኣብ ሰለስተ ከፊሎም፡ ኣብ ከሰላ፡ ሓልፋ ጀዲዳን ግርባን ኣሲሮምዎ ምህላዎም እሙናት ምንጪታት ሓቢሮም።
ላዕለዋይ ኮሚሽን ስደተኛታት ሕቡራት ሃገራት፡ እቶም እሱራት ብጅምላ ከይባረሩን ገበን ዘይፈጸሙ ድማ ብቐጥታ ተፈቲሖም ናብ መደበር ስደተኛታት ክምለሱን ብዘቕረቦ ተቓውሞ መሰረት 400 ናብ ቦትኦም ተመሊሶም ኣለዉ። ዝተረፉ ድማ፡ ምርመራታት ይካየደሎም ኣሎ። ብድሕር'ዚ ናብ ቤት ፍርዲ ከቕርብዎም ምዃኖም ይስማዕ ኣሎ።
ብኻልእ ሸነኽ ድማ፡ ምውታት ንምርካብ ኣብ ዝተገብረ ፍተሻ ሓደ ተረኺቡ ኣሎ። በዚ ጠቕላላ ክሳብ ሕጂ ተረኺቡ ዘሎ ሬሳታት ናብ 9 ክብ ኢሉ ኣሎ። ብርክት ዝበለ ቍጽሪ ዘለዎም ብዝወረዶም ማህረምቲ ኣብ ሆስፒታል ዝእለዩ ከምዘለዉ ዝዝከር ኢዩ።
ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ (ሰዲህኤ) ነቲ ኢሰብኣዊ ተግባራት ዝዅንንን ንላዕለዋይ ኮሚሽን ሕቡራት ሃገራት ሓላፍነቱ ክስከም ዝጽውዕን መዘክር ኣቕሪቡ ምንባሩ ዝፍለጥ ኢዩ።
Swiss monastery opens doors to Eritrean asylum seekers
Written by BBC News, Switzerland
By Imogen Foulkes BBC News, Switzerland
Einsiedeln Abbey, Switzerland's oldest and most famous monastery, has opened its doors to asylum seekers.
The abbey was founded in the 10th Century; for over 1,000 years it has been a place of pilgrimage. For the Benedictine monks who live there, the daily routine, bounded by prayer, has changed little during that time.
But Abbot Urban Federer, who has been in the top job at the abbey for less than a year, wants to create new roles for Einsiedeln that reflect the challenges confronting 21st Century Switzerland.
Switzerland has a population which is now almost 25% foreign, with most immigrants coming from the European Union. Like other European countries, it is facing an increase in applications from asylum seekers, particularly Eritreans and Syrians.
Swiss voters have gone to the ballot box twice this year to vote on measures aimed at limiting immigration, but the country retains a relatively generous policy towards asylum seekers.
"As everywhere in Europe, there are more and more people coming from other countries, from other continents," Abbot Federer says. "And I thought we should do something too, as a church, as a monastery."
The 30 Eritreans live in bunks once used by the monks
Coincidentally, the local authorities approached the abbey, asking if it could house asylum seekers while their requests were being processed.
Former army barracks and even underground civil protection bunkers are being used as authorities struggle to respond.
Switzerland - Eritrea's biggest diaspora
- Switzerland is now home to some 20,000 Eritreans
- The UN estimates 4,000 people flee Eritrea every month
- The UN Human Rights Council has condemned Eritrea for repression of political opponents and its policy of requiring all citizens to do unpaid, indefinite military service
- Switzerland expects 25,000 asylum applications in 2014, mostly from Eritrea and Syria
- Some cantons have used underground bunkers to house asylum seekers
The Eritreans staying at the abbey survived perilous journeys across the Mediterranean
"We did not want to put the asylum seekers into bunkers, in civil protection centres which are all underground with artificial light, artificial air conditioning and so on," says Fiona Elze, who is in charge of asylum in canton Schwyz, where Einsiedeln is situated.
The abbey agreed to make space for about 30 asylum seekers from Eritrea. They arrived in October, and live in accommodation once used by pilgrims.
Forced military service
Among them are 25-year-old Samuel, and Simon, 29. Both made the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.
Simon, who was travelling with his brother, remembers being loaded into a boat fit for 60 or 70 people. When it finally set sail, it was carrying almost 300.
The boat carrying his brother, which set off just afterwards, did not make it. Simon never saw his brother again.
Samuel's boat, too, quickly ran into difficulties. "We were a day and a half in the sea," he remembers. "Then Italian ships saved us."
Samuel was a teacher in Eritrea, but was imprisoned when he protested against forced military service. He was held for five months before escaping and trekking across Sudan and Libya to the Mediterranean. Eritrea's regime has been condemned by the United Nations for serious human rights violations.
In Einsiedeln, his life is very different. The abbey is a business as well as a place of worship, and the asylum seekers can earn some money, chopping wood at the timber yard and maintaining the extensive grounds.
Both Samuel and Simon have pinned their hopes on being accepted as refugees, so that they can live and work legally in Switzerland.
Many of the asylum seekers are Christians and are welcome in the church if they want to visit. But by and large the newcomers exist side by side with the monks, rather than together.
The monks have their own daily schedule, and tend not to mingle.
In addition, Einsiedeln is in one of the most conservative and traditional regions of Switzerland.
"I think some people were scared," admits Abbot Federer, who realised that locals were not completely enthusiastic about welcoming asylum seekers to the area.
"But I have the impression now they see it hasn't created a problem."
Fiona Elze says that "politically it is controversial".
"But if you look at it, who is coming? They are from Eritrea, where you have severe human rights violations, or from Syria, where there is actual conflict."
As for the monks themselves, Abbot Federer believes they have reacted to the newcomers in their midst with their usual Benedictine tranquillity.
Their days continue as they always have, punctuated by prayer and contemplation.
And, as their abbot points out, while the current project to accept asylum seekers is new, the abbey does have a 1,000-year-old tradition of offering sanctuary to pilgrims, many of whom trekked long distances in the hope of receiving physical and spiritual comfort.
For centuries, pilgrims have travelled to the abbey to see its Black Madonna
"We have always had people living with us," he insists.
The current group of asylum seekers are expected to move to local housing once their requests are processed, but Einsiedeln Abbey is expecting more newcomers.
And the monks may well find those new arrivals even more unusual: taking the place of the asylum seekers in the old pilgrims' quarters will be nuns from a neighbouring convent.
Nevertheless, Abbot Federer says that, should the authorities request space for asylum seekers again in the future, Einsiedeln will continue to be welcoming.
"If they ask, we are here."
EMDHR Press Statement on the Shegerab Refugee Camp Crisis in Sudan
Written by EMDHR- South Africa
The Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR) expresses its deepest shock to yet another tragic loss of Eritrean refugees in the Atbara River and the harassment of the refugees in the Shegerab Refugee Camp by Sudanese security forces.
According to recent reports, early this week dozens of Eritrean refugees run away from the Shengerab refugee camp and attempted to cross the Atbara River to Khartoum on a wooden boat. Tragically, the unsafe boat capsized and as a result most of its passengers are believed to have died. With an intention to rescue the victims, another group of Eritrean refugees left the Shegerab camp which is extra ordinary and daring step given the spate of kidnappings over the years and the failure of Sudanese authorities in providing adequate protection. Yet, the Sudanese authorities chose to arrest the rescue team and burn the refugee shelters in the camp, instead of investigating the fatal incident and providing support to the traumatized refugees reeling from the dreadful incident and many more before that.
While we have always been grateful for the historical and continuing generosity of the Sudanese government and people in hosting Eritrean refugees, we condemn the unlawful arrest of vulnerable refugees and the use of paramilitary security forces in the refugee camp.
We urge:
- The Sudanese government to set up an independent inquiry commission to investigate the incidents surrounding the crisis involving Eritrean refugees in the Shegerab Refugee Camp;
- Sudanese authorities to immediately release all Eritrean refugees unlawfully arrested and held by Sudanese security forces; authorities must also immediately withdraw paramilitary security forces out of the Shegerab Refugee Camp;
- The Sudanese government to do all under its power to find and identify the bodies of the victims of the Atbara River and return them to their families in Eritrea for proper burial;
- The Sudanese Government to grant Eritrean refugees freedom of movement within Sudan which will no doubt stop the fatal practices of human smuggling and extortion by unscrupulous individuals;
- The Sudanese authorities have the obligation and responsibility to provide adequate protection to the Eritrean refugees under their jurisdiction;
- The UNHCR and the international community must seriously pay attention to the Eritrean refugee crisis and assist in finding durable solutions;
- The international community must reject and condemn the totalitarian regime ruling Eritrea which is the primary cause for the human rights and refugee crises. In the face of the continuous tragedies and precarious conditions in Eritrea, the world should join us in saying enough is enough and press for democratic change.
Refugee Protection Office
Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR)
27 December 2014
Pretoria, South Africa
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
