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By EPDP Delegate in Lampedusa

The first anniversary of the Lampedusa tragedy was marked in Lampedusa in the presence of high European Union and Italian dignitaries and representatives of regional and international organizations closely concerned with human rights ande migration issues. Also attending were survivors of the tragedy that claimed 368 lives a year ago, family members of the victims as well as Eritrean political and civil society organizations, among them the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP). The absence of the Eritrean regime was very noticeable.

Attending the 3 October  ceremonies at Lampedusa Airport and at the spot where the tragedy occurred a year ago included the newly designated EU High Representative and Italian Foreign Minister Ms Federica Mogherini; the President of the EU Parliament, Mr. Martin Schultz of Germany; the President of the Italian Chamber of Representatives, Ms. Laura Boldrini; Ms. Maria da A. Esteves, the President of both the Portuguese Parliament and  union of Mediterranean zone parliaments; representative of Pope Francis, Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, and many Italian officials, and representatives of UNHCR and other human rights organizations.

EU and Italian dignitaries in a minute of silence in commemoration of Lampedusa victims

Among a good number of Eritreans were Father Mussie Zerai; Dr. Alganesh Fisseha (Ghandi); Ambassador Andebrahan Weldegiorgis of National Dialogue Forum (Medrek); Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar of EPDP; and representatives of Eritrean Democratic Party; Eritrean National Salvation Front, and Eritrean civil society organizations in Italy and other parts of Europe. The Eritrean regime was not invited nor did it volunteer to join the memorial day of so many Eritrean victims of its own doing, and whom it infamously wished to call the “African migrants”.

At the Lampedusa Memorial Conference held in the morning hours of 3 October at the airport, nearly a dozen dignitaries spoke on the historic importance of the tragedy that befell so many Eritreans in the immediate shorts of Lampedusa a year ago to the day. Ms Mogherini expressed Italy’s ande EU’s renewed commitment to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea, and Mr. Schultz spoke of the wounds that the Lampedsua tragedy inflicted both upon Eritrean families and the “dignity and conscience of Europe”. They and other speakers pledged to do all what they can to create policies that can solve the problems related to the influx of refugees and migrants from Africa and the Middle East. Young Eritrean who spoke representing the Otobre civil society and other organizers of the event, called the tragedy an incident that “should and could have been avoided”.

Soon after the conference at the airport, the dignitaries with survivors of the tragedy and family members of the victims boarded the fleet of boats that took them to the spoke where the tragedy took place only about 1.5k away from the shores of Lampedusa. The EU and Italian dignitaries threw a wreath of flowers to the sea on the very spoke where the fateful boat sank with all its victims.

Later on the day, religious leaders organized an inter-faith memorial in the Island of Lampedusa at which candles were light at ever mention of the 368 victims of 3 October 2013. 

Following the church memorial ceremony, survivors of the tragedy led a large demonstration that headed to the spoke on which the 155 survivors of the incident were pulled to safety. It was a heavily rainy evening but the demonstrators were not stopped from their march and final prayers and sermons by Eritrean Catholic and Orthodox priests who were part of the memorial ceremonies of the day.

Earlier on 1 October, families of the Lampedusa victims and the survivors were received in audience with Pope Francis in the St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican in which the Pope pledged to help in giving a proper burial for the remains of the victims of Lampedusa in Eritrea or to at least give them a common cemetery in Italy. (Harnnet.org will have a special reportage on these intensive events of the first Lampedusa Memorial Day in Italy).