In a memorandum addressed to the presidium of the German Bundestag and the Foreign Ministry, the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) expressed its “most profound gratitude for Germany’s consistent and correct stance towards the regime in Eritrea”. The memorandum was copied to the international secretariats of CDU/CSU; SPD; Alliance 90/The Greens; FDP and the German Left.

Sent on 25 January 2019 to the German Federal Parliament (the Bundestag) via its president, the Hon. Wolfgang Schäuble, and to the German Government through Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the memorandum stated that all Eritreans opposed to the

one-man dictatorship in Asmara have warmly welcomed the 17 January 2019 decision of the German Bundestag that strongly supported not only the peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia but also Germany’s demand for the urgency of normalization of the alarming situation in Eritrea.

Entitled “Eritrean Message of Gratitude”, the memorandum stated that the vast majority of Eritreans are encouraged to note that the German Federal Parliament and Government are committed to never resume “development cooperation with Eritrea” before that rogue regime addresses the “disquieting political, social and human rights issues” that disrupted normal life in the country for quarter of a century.

It further stated that situation in Eritrea is still as it was described by Foreign Minister Heiko Mass. In his address to the German Bundestag last 12 October, Mr. Mass hailed the bold reforms started in Ethiopia that he termed “an African Miracle.” He hoped that that a “reform euphoria” would influence the rest of the region, but added his disappointment with Eritrea where there is still “no strategy to indicate how an orderly opening up within the country could look”.

The EPDP memo also thankfully recalled the August 2018 visit to Eritrea of Mr. Gerd Muller, the German Development Minister, who then sternly told Asmara regime representatives that Germany shall NOT be expected to support Eritrea until the unacceptable situation in the country is changed.        

Meanwhile, the memo cited recent official German sources informing that German State Minister Michele Müntefering is due to pay a visit to Eritrea soon and pledged she will ask the authorities in Asmara “to seize the opportunity offered them by developments” in the region.

The EPDP memo concluded by hoping that the pressure Germany is putting on the callous Asmara regime will bear fruit in the near future and alleviate the prolonged and untold suffering in Eritrea.