http://ascenteq.com/project/epdp

By Ahmed Alhaj‎‏

وافت المنية في العاصمة الاثيوبية أديس أبابا يوم السبت 17 ديسمبر 2005 المناضل / سيوم عقباميكئيل رئيس جبهة التحرير الأٍترية ـ المجلس الثوري سابقا وواحدا من المناضلين الأرتريين المعروفين من خلال دوره النضالي وعطاءه الثوري اللامحدود ومعاناته الطويلة من أجل تحرير اريتريا من الاستعمار الاثيوبي أولاً ومن قبضة الدكتاتورية ثانياً.

فقد أنخرط في جبهة التحرير الاريترية في 

بداية الستينات وأعتقل لسنوات طويلة في السجون الاثيوبية بعد إلقاء القبض عليه مع "ولدداويت تمسقن" في أغسطس 1965 وهما في مهمة لتأسيس خلايا لجبهة التحرير بتكليف من القيادة الثورية بكسلا، وبعد أن أفرج عنه من سجن (عدي خالا) بفبراير عام 1975 ناضل في صفوف جبهة التحرير الاريترية متقلداً عدة مناصب ولصق به لقب "حرستوت" لترأسه اتحاد الفلاحين التابع للجبهة لعدة سنوات ـ وبعد أحداث عام 1981 ناضل سيوم عقباميكئيل ضمن صفوف جبهة التحرير الاريترية ـ المجلس الثوري ويعد من أكثر الشخصيات شهرةً داخل هذا التنظيم، وبجانب نضاله اللامحدود عرف بعمق ثقافته وتحليله للأوضاع السياسية. وكان يجيد عدة لغات من بينها اللغتين العربية والانكليزية بطلاقة مثيرة، كما أتاحت له سفرياته العديدة من أجل ارساء الديمقراطية في أرتريا لبناء علاقات مع شخصيات أروبية وأمريكية، وفي يونيو عام 2005 قام بزيارة الي أستراليا شهدت عدة أنشطة وألتقي بالعديد من أفراد المجتمع مخلفا 

انطباعا مثيرا للاعجاب من خلال الاراء الوطنية التي عبر عنها في اللقاءات العامة والخاصة.

لقد رحل الفقيد وهو في أوج عطائه الوطني ونضاله المستمر منذ أن كان يافعاً وطالبا بثانوية "لؤول مكنن" بأسمرا أعطي كثيراً لاريتريا ـ مثل غيره من المناضلين الشجعان ـ ورحل دون أن يأخذ منها شيئاً، أتيحت له فرص عديدة للإستقرار والتفرغ لحياته وعائلته في دول أروبية وأمريكا لكنه رفض أن يآثر راحته ومصالحه الذاتية علي راحة وقضايا شعبه ووطنه، قد تختلف معه في رؤي أو في موقف ما وذلك أمر مفهوم لكنك تقر ببذله وعطائه وإيثاره وانحيازه المطلق الي طموحات شعبه المتمثلة في الانعتاق والحرية. لقد ترك وطنه مكرهاً ولم يستطع العودة اليه معززاً مكرماً..

فيما يلي لمحة سريعة عن حياة الفقيد الكبير :ـ
قائد ومحرض وطني طلابي في الستينات (1961ـ 1965)
غادر أسمرا في مارس 1965 ملتحقاً بجبهة التحرير الارترية.
مفوض أو مندوب سياسي بالمنطقة الخامسة لفترة وجيزة.
عاد الي أسمرا في أغسطس 1965 في مهمة نضالية.
أعتقل بعد فترة وجيزة من عودته وأفرج عنه في عام 1975 من سجن "عدي خالا" في عملية بطولية قامت بها جبهة التحرير.
مسئول أعلي من الدوائر الادارية في منطقة "أكلي قزاي" من عام 1975 ـ 1977.
مدير مدرسة الكادر السياسي بالميدان عام 1977م.
أحد مؤسسي اتحاد الفلاحين والمزارعين الاريتريين وأصبح رئيساً له في عام 1977 وحتي عام 1982م.
عضو بالمجلس الثوري منذ العام 1984م.
رئيس العلاقات الدولية بتنظيم جبهة التحرير الاريترية ـ المجلس الثوري منذ العام 1993 الي عام 2002م.
رئيس جبهة التحرير الاريترية ـ المجلس الثوري منذ أغسطس عام 2002 وجدد إنتخابه في يونيو عام 2003.
ووري الثري في موكب مهيب شارك فيه المئات من الأرتريين القادمين من دول أروبية وأمريكا وكندا ووفد من الحكومتين الهولندية والإثيوبية وشخصيات من المعارضة الأرترية وذلك في مقبرة بالقرب من مدينة روتردام الهولندية يوم 30 ديسمبر 2005.
الصور : من زيارته لأستراليا عام 2005.

ቤት ጽሕፈት ዜና ሰዲህኤ

17 ታሕሳስ 2014

ኣቦ መንበር ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ (ሰዲህኤ)፡ ሓው መንግስተኣብ ኣስመሮም ዝመርሖ ልኡኽ ብ15 ታሕሳስ 2014 ብዛዕባ'ቲ ካብ ዕለት ናብ ዕለት እናኸፍአ ዝኸይድ ዘሎ ፖለቲካዊ፡ ቍጠባውን ማሕበራውን ሃለዋት ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ምስ ቤት ጽሕፈት ሚኒስትሪ ወጻኢ ጕዳያት ዓባይ ብሪጣንያ ኣብ ለንደን ተራኺቡ።

ሓው ጐይትኦም መብራህቱ፡ ኣቦ መንበር ጨንፈር ሰዲህኤ ኣብ ዓባይ ብሪጣንያ ዝርከቦ ልኡኽ ሰዲህኤ፡ ንሓላፊ ጕዳያት ኤርትራ ኢትዮጵያን ኣብ'ቲ ሚኒስትሪ፡ ኣቶ ብረንደን ፊትስፓትሪክ ብምርካብ ጠንቅታት  ናይ'ቲ ኣብ ኤርትራ ዝርአ ዘሎ ፖለቲካዊ፡ ቍጠባዊ፡ ማሕበራዊ ቅልውላትን ዋሕዚ መንእሰያትን ንስደትን ሕማቕ ምሕደራ ዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ኢሳያስ ምዃኑ ኣብሪሁ። ኣብ ርእስ'ዚ፡ ደረትን ፍትሕን ዘይብሉ መደብ ሃገራዊ ኣገልግሎት ንትጽቢታትን መጻኢ ዕድላትን መንእሰያት ዘጸልመተ ምዃኑ ኣስሚርሉ።

ልኡኽ ሰዲህኤ ናይ ስደተኛታት ጕዳይ ዶባት ብምዕጻውን ናብ ሃገሮም በስገዳድ ብምምላስን ከምዘይፍታሕን ሰዲህኤ፡ እቲ መሰረታዊ ፍታሕ ነቲ ሕማቕ ምሕደራ ምቕያር ምዃኑ እምነቱን ኣስሚርሉ። ኣብ ርእስ'ዚ፡ ንውሳኔታት ኮሚሽን ዶባት ኤርትራን ኢትዮጵያን ኣብ ግብሪ ምውዓል፡ ኣብ ሰሜን ኢትዮጵያን ኣብ ሱዳንን ዝርከቡ ስደተኛታት ሞያውን ኣካዳሚካውን ትምህርቲ ክቐስሙን ናይ ስራሕ ዕድላት ክውሃቦምን፡ ናይ'ቲ ዞና መንግስታት ብሓባር ንነጋዶ ደቂ ሰባት ክዋግኦኦም ከምዝግባእ ኣዘኻኺሩ።

እቲ ልኡኽ፡ ነቲ ኣብ ኤርትራ ዑደት ዘካይድ ዘሎ ልኡኽ ዓባይ ብሪጣንያ፡ ነቲ ብተጣበቕቲ ሰብኣዊ መሰላት፡ ብናይ ሕቡራት ሃገራት ተወካሊት፡ ወይዘሮ ሸይላ ኪትሁርስን ብባይቶ ሰብኣዊ መሰላት ሕቡራት ሃገራት ዝተሰነዱ ግህሰታት መሰላት ደቂ ሰባት ኣትኵሮ ክገብረሉ ተማሕጺኑ።

EPDP Information Office

On 30 November and again on 13 December 2014, chairman of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party, Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom, and other party leadership members conducted public meetings in the UK cities of London and Birmingham in which burning national issues were raised.

Meetings in both cities were attended by a good number of national figures and prominent veterans of the much stretched and yet unfinished struggle of the Eritrean people for national liberation and democratic governance.

Accompanied in both meetings by EPDP executive committee member, Mr. Hamid Drar; Central Council member, Mr. Assefaw Berhe, and chairman of the UK branch, Mr. Goitom Mebrahtu, the party chairman took the opportunity to first highlight the ever deteriorating political, social, economic and human rights situation in Eritrea and the insurmountable problems being faced by Eritrean refugees scattered all over the globe.

In his comprehensive presentation made both in Arabic and Tigrinia, the EPDP chairman gave adequate outline on the party’s role in public mobilization, diplomacy, information and humanitarian spheres, and stressed that these contributions can be considered satisfactory inputs to the collective struggle being waged by forces opposed to the repressive regime in Eritrea.

Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom also expressed deep concern about the state of fragmentation prevailing in the opposition camp and believed that the only way out is to come together by narrowing down the existing points of difference. He also stressed the paramount importance of laying the ground to attract the full participation of the younger generation in the ongoing struggle for positive change in our country.

Both meetings were enriched by question and answer sessions in which lively discussions touched on all topics of high concern in the current struggle and the desirable political atmosphere in post-dictatorship Eritrea.

EPDP Information Office

In a strongly-worded memorandum addressed to the Foreign Ministry of Denmark, the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) criticized the recent report of the Danish Immigration Service (DIS) which, after a visit to Eritrea, said the situation in the country  is not “as bad as reported” and wrongly called Eritrean asylum seekers as “economic refugees”.

In the memorandum urging the branches of the Danish government to ignore the report, the EPDP believed that the Danish team’s report has “reached an utterly erroneous and dangerous conclusion that we see as a travesty of justice and an added insult to injury to the Eritrean pe

ople currently condemned to live under the worst repressive regime in the whole of Africa, if not the world.”

The EPDP regretted the wrong picture conveyed by the DIS report which intended to deny all world bodies including the UN Human Rights Rapporteur who has been denied entry to Eritrea while the likes of DIS are welcomed by the Asmara regime which is well aware of the wishes of the visiting team.

Below is the full text of the EPDP memorandum to Denmark.

******

To: H.E. Mr. Martin Lidegaard,  

The Foreign Minister of Denmark,

Copenhagen

Mr Martin Ldegaard

Subject: Eritreans Fleeing All-Round Repression at Home Are Genuine Refugees. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      12 December 2014

 Dear Mr. Martin Lidegaard,  

We, in the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), one of the mainstream opposition organizations in exile struggling for change and democratization through people-power,  received with shock and dismay the recent report by the Danish Immigration Service (DIS) which reached an utterly erroneous and dangerous conclusion that we see as a travesty of justice and an added insult to injury to the Eritrean people currently condemned to live under the worst repressive regime in the whole of Africa, if not the world.

The DIS report wished to show that the political and human rights situation in Eritrea is not “as bad as reported” by many honorable bodies including the UN Human Rights Rapporteur and her two submissions endorsed by the UN Human Rights Commission, which in turn upgraded its concern about Eritrea by establishing a UN Commission of Inquiry on that regime’s excesses. The UN Human Rights Rapporteur was denied entry to Eritrea. The same fate could await the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea because their findings would not pre-drafted conclusions, as the case was with DIS’s report, which is already judged as a gross distortion by many sources including Professor Gaim Kibreab, the only Eritrean source the DIS fact finders approached. The report forces its readers to easily conclude that it is a shallow document apparently drafted by not-so-serious team of “fact finders” who could not even see why their mission was so welcome by the regime in Asmara. We are not surprised that they did not see any checkpoints on their pre-planned travel to two localities south of Asmara.

Dear Foreign Minister,

We are aware that Denmark is not the only country pressurized by domestic politics to find an excuse to call Eritrean asylum seekers as “economic refugees” which they are not. We recall that the Italian Government sent a high level mission to Eritrea last summer and expressed its wish to resume work with the regime in Asmara with which it had no relation for a long time. UK government team is now on visit to Eritrea. We hope that its conclusions are not pre-drafted.

As you may very well know, Sir, we are talking about the most disquieting case in regard to gross violations of political, economic, social and human rights in Africa.  One would even dare say that the open-ended national service that has been turned into an illegal act of forced labour is by itself sufficient to inflict havoc to the life of an entire nation. But our country has many more worrisome causes that turned it into a hell on earth. Eritrea is, Sir, a country where:

• No elections have been held for the past 23 years;
• No constitution exists and no rule of law can be dreamt of; 
• No freedom of  press and assembly is allowed;
• No free worship by the faithful permitted;
• No basic human rights respected;
• No private entrepreneurship allowed to thrive;
• No quality or higher education encouraged; the list of no’s is endless……..

These are among the key causes of refugee outflows in any part of the world. Becoming a refugee is not a choice, and only to reiterate: those Eritreans who are fleeing the country are doing so because they were deprived of all basic political and human rights under the repressive regime that made the country unlivable for the time being.

Mr. Lidegaard,

An increasing number of Eritreans inside the homeland and those in diaspora is currently engaged in an ever growing struggle to bring about a positive change in the country. But until then, people are forced to flee, and those who escape arrest or death while crossing the borders are bona fide refugees who deserve temporary protection until the situation is changed. At this moment in time, all Eritreans fleeing the regime in Asmara are genuine refugees and deserve your support and protection.

We, therefore, request your esteemed Ministry to share this message with the Danish Government, the Danish Parliament and the Danish Judiciary. We are asking Denmark and its people to ignore the shallow DIS report and instead continue to give Eritrean asylum seekers at least temporary but adequate protection until the situation in our country is changed to the better through the growing struggle of our people inside the homeland and those in the diaspora.  

Sincerely yours,

Wolde-Yesus Ammar,

Head, EPDP Foreign Relations Office

CC: Danish Government; the Danish Parliament, and the Danish Ministry of Justice.

ኣቦ መንበር ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ፡ ሓው መንግስተኣብ ኣስመሮም፡ ነቲ ኣብ  ሎንዶን ምስ ህዝቢን ማሕበራትን ኣገደስቲ ባእታታትን ብጉዳይ ሃገር ዝገብሮ ዘሎ ርኽኽባት ብምቕጻል፡ ትማሊ ቀዳም 13 ታሕሳስ 2014 ውን ኣብ በርሚንግሃም ብርክት ዝበሉ ብጉዳይ ሃገሮምን ህዝቦምን ዝግደሱ ኤርትራውያን ዝተረኽብዎ ብዓይነቱ ኣገዳሲ ዝኾነ ህዝባዊ ኣኼባ ኣካይዱ።  ኣብዚ ኣኼባዚ፡ ክልተ ኣባላት መሪሕነት ሰልፊን ካብ ሎንዶን ዝመጹ ኣባላት ጨንፈርን  ተረኺቦም ኔሮም።

ሓው ሓምድ ድራር፡ ኣባል ፈጻሚት ሽማግለ ሰልፊ ንኣኼበኛታት እንቋዕ ደሓን መጻእኩም ድሕሪ ምባል፡ በቲ ዝነበረ ሕማቕ ኩነታት ኣየር ከይተዓንቀፉ ዕድመ ሰልፊ ኣኽቢሮም ካብ ርሑቕን ቀረባን ብምምጽኦም ድማ፡ ልባዊ ምስጋና ኣቕሪቡ።

ካብዚ ብምቕጻል፡ ኣቦ መንበር ሰልፊ ሓው መንግስተኣብ ኣስመሮም፡ሃገርና ኣብ ትሕቲ ምልካዊ ስርዓት እትሓልፎ ዘላ ኩነታትን፡ ኩነታት ተቓዉሞ ደምበን ኣህጉራዊ ኩነታትን ብሰፊሑ ብክልቲኡ ቋንቋታት፡ ትግርኛን ዓረብኛን መግለጺ ኣቕሪቡ።ብተወሳኺ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ኣብ ህዝባዊን ዜናውን ዲፕሎማስያውን መዳያት ዘካይዶ ዘሎ ንጥፈታትን፡ ንሓድነት ደምበ ተቓውሞ ሰልፊ እናካየዶ ዝጸንሐ ጻዕሪታት ብዝርዝር ንኣኼብኛታት ገሊጹ።

ተቓዉሞ ደምበ ፡ብክንዲቲ ኩነታት ሃገርና ዝጠልቦ ደረጃ ሓላፍነት ክሰርሕ በቒዑ ከምዘየለን  በዚ ሎሚ ዘለዎ፡ ዝተበታተነ ሃለዋት ከድምዕ ከምዘይክእልን ኣረዲኡ። ኩሎም ሓይሊታት ተቓዉሞ፡ ናይ ቀረባ ዕላምኦም ንዲክታቶርያዊ ስርዓት ምልጋስ ምዃኑ ተረዲኦም፡ ኣብ ክሊዚ ዕላማዚ ሓቢሮም ክሰርሑ ሓላፍነት ክስምዖም ከምዝግባእ ኣረዲኡ።

ድሕሪ ብሓው መንግስተኣብ ዝተዋህበ መግለጺ፡ ኣኺበኛታት ጠቓሚ ርእይቶታትን፡ ናብ ደምበ ተቓውሞ ብሓፈሻ፡ ናብ ሰልፊ ደሞክራሲ ድማ ብፍላይ ዘነጻጸረ ሃናጺ ነቐፌታታት ኣቕሪቦም።

ካብ ኣኼበኛታት ንዝቐረበ ሕቶታት፡ ብኣቦ መንበር ሰልፍን ኣብኡ ብዝነበሩ ኣባላት መሪሕነትን ዝግባእ መልሲ ተዋሂብዎ። ነቲ  ሓደ-ሓደ እዋን ዘይትርጉሙ ዝወሃቦ፡ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ መሪጽዎ ዘሎ ሰላማዊ ዲሞክራስያዊ ቃልሲ፡ ስለምንታይ ሰልፊ ከም ቅኑዕ ኣገባብ ቃልሲ ከም ዝኽተሎ ሰፊሕ መግለጺ ተዋሂቡ።

ካብ ተሳተፍቲ ኣኼባ፡ ሰልፊ ዝገብሮ ምንቅስቓሳት ንዝናን ሽምን ኢሉ ከምዝገብሮ፡ ኣብ ህዝቢ ቦታ ከምዘይብሉ፡ ናብ መንእሰያት ክወርድ ከምዘይከኣለ ርእይቶ ቀሪቡ፡ ነዚ መብርሂ ክወሃብ ከሎ፡

ሰልፊ ኣብ ዲፕሎማስያውን ዜናውን ስራሓት ዘካይዶ ንጥፈታትን፡ ከም መኽሰብ መላእ ተቓዉሞ ደምበ ተቖጺሩ ክኽበርን ክሙጎስን ዘለዎ፡ ካልኦት ድማ  ኣብ ርእሲኡ ክውስኽሉ ከሀብትምዎን ዝግባእ  ድኣምበር ፡ ነዚ ሃገራዊ ስራሕዚ ከም ንዝናን ንምሽማው ስልጣንን ተባሂሉ ዝግበር ዘሎ ጌርካ ምቑጻር ግጉይ ምዃኑ ተገሊጹ።

እቲ ህዝቢ ኣብ መላእ ተቓዉሞ ደምበ ኣብ ምዕሳል ዘሎ ጸገም ኣብ ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ውን ህሉው ኢዩ። እንተኾነ ግን ሰድህኤL ቃልሲ ብዘይ ተሳትፎ ህዝቢ ክዕወት ኣይክእልን ኢዩ ካብ ዝብል ጽኑዕ እምነት ብምንቃል፡ ናብ ህዝቢ ከብጽሖ ብዝኽእል ፖሊሲ ተመሪሑ ይኸይድ ኣሎ። ብእንሕዞ ሃገራዊ መርገጻትን እንኽተሎ ፖሊስን ዝሓሸ ህዝባዊ ቦታ ከምዘሎና ንኣምን ኢና። ነዚ ኩሉ ዝገጥመና ተጻብኦታት፡ ብዘሎና ህዝባዊ ቦታ ጥራይ ኢና በዲህናዮ ንኸይድ ዘሎና ተባሂሉ።

ሰልፊ ዲሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ምስ መንእሰያት ክሰርሕ ንዘለዎ ድሌት ኮንፈረንሳት ፕሪቶርያን ቦለኛን እኹላት መረዳእታ ኢየን።

ኣኼባ በርሚንግሃም፡ ሓላፍነት ዝመልኦ ኣኼባ፡ ካብ ተሳተፍቲ  ድማ ኣብ ስራሕና ሓጋዝን ጠቓምን ሓሳባት ዝረኸብናሉ ኢዩ ኔሩ። በዚ ኣጋጣሚ ድማ ንኹሎም ተሳተፍቲ ኣኼባ ነመስግኖም። ንተቓለስቲ ኑሪ ዓብደላን ስዒድ ዓብደልሃዲን ንኹሉ ዝገበሩልና እንግዶት ብልቢ ነመስግኖም።

ሰልፊ ደሞክራሲ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ

ጨንፈር ዓባይ ብሪጣንያ

14 ታሕሳስ 2014

He said the case of migrants should be regulated through legal openness to accept the required number of workers in the developed world and stop frontier controls which usually open markets for criminal trafficker organizations. He surmised that Europe can legally accept up to one million refugees and migrants in the coming five years and thus shut the door to criminal organizations.

The UN expert added that in the 1950-60s, big numbers of North Africans were legally allowed to migrate to Europe as labourers, and that time there were no casualties at sea. “The logic of frontier control by the Treaty of Dublin has utterly failed” he said stressing that it is “unsupportable to let people die in the gates of Europe.”

Mr. Crepeau also expressed satisfaction with the continued work by Italy to save lives in the sea despite the decision to stop the operations of its Mare Nostrum. The EU operated Triton is also far successful in saving lives in the sea a little beyond the limits previously reported.

During the first 11 months of 2014, over 207,000 refugees and migrants reached Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, while 3,400 have died or are still missing.

In 2013, the number of arrivals to Europe was 60,000 and deaths in the sea over 600. Those who died in the sea in 2012 and 2011 were 1,500 and 500 out of 22,500 and 69,000 arrivals, respectively. No estimates were made as to how many of those arrivals and deaths affected Eritreans.

Executive Director of SADC-CNGOs of 15 countries, Mr. Abie Ditlhake, opening the solidarity workshop; Eritrean delegation was at hand to tell the sad story from inside Eritrea and in diaspora.

By Member of Joint Eritrean Delegation

It was a visit unique of its kind: this joint Eritrean delegation to Nelson Mandela’s South Africa just a year after the passing away of modern Africa’s topmost statesman. The delegation consisted not only of representatives of three political and civic organizations but also an independent activist Eritrean lady from the Arab Gulf states. When the 3 to 9 December 2014 mission of the delegation was wound up, its members were reassured that strenuous efforts will be underway very soon to put Eritrea on the African agenda.

Africa was not that good to Eritrea during its long struggle for national liberation. Now, the continent appears to be moving up from the bottom to see to it that Eritreans enjoy what they rightly deserved as of 1991: peace, democracy, human dignity and prosperity that eluded them for too long. This quick reportage will highlight

1. The main issues raised and decided at the 3-4 December workshop of the Southern African Development Community’s Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (SADC-CNGO);
2. The Eritrean delegation’s press conference and its live interview with the S. African Broadcasting Corporation; and
3. The individual, limited and larger group meetings with important personalities, friends of Eritrea and Eritrean community members in Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.

Workshop of SADC-CNGO Solidarity Task Team

The workshop of the regional Civil Society Solidarity Task Team held in Johannesburg between 3 and 4 December 2014 was attended by the SADC-CNGO Executive Director himself and support staff, as well as senior representatives of umbrella organizations of member movements like the Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC); South African Trade Unions (COSATU); Fellowships of Christian Councils in 12 Southern Africa states (FOCCISA) and the Botswana-based Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).  Invited civil society and political activists from Eritrea and Swaziland were availed to give adequate updates on the political and human rights situations in their respective countries. Technical hiccups prevented the expected Palestinian delegation from taking part. 

The workshop was an outcome of decisions taken by the 10^th Civil Society Forum of SADC-CNGOs held last July in Harare, Zimbabwe. Eritrea was one of the four countries identified for support and solidarity by the SADC Council of NGOs from 15 African countries whose main objectives include support for democratization, conflict resolution and good governance. Regarding Eritrea, the July declaration partly stated as follows:

“We are deeply concerned with the political situation in Eritrea and the oppressive conditions facing the people as a result of absence of respect of human rights and democratic governance.  We are alarmed by the widespread and systematic human rights violations perpetrated by the government of Eritrea against its own people. …. (10^th SADC Civil Society Forum) is concerned especially about the continued implementation of unlimited military service under which the Eritrean youth are kept under slave-like conditions rendering them futureless; indeed, the policy is forcing tens of thousands of young Eritreans to leave their country in search of safety and better future risking inhuman treatment at the hands of unscrupulous human traffickers, death in the high seas and deserts, rape and illicit organ harvesting....”

It was based on this understanding that the Harare Forum mandated senior SADC-CNGO leaders to further explore the situation in Eritrea and other affected countries in a workshop and see what can be done in the near future.

The four Eritreans attending the workshop were given the opportunity to present in great detail the ever worsening situation in their country. They also listed what the Eritrean opposition forces would like SADC-CNGO do for Eritreans inside the country and those in diaspora.

The invited delegation members were, as noted earlier, Ms Salwa Nour, a woman activist from the UAE, Ambassador Andebrehan Weldegiorgis of the Eritrean Forum for National Dialogue (Medrek), Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar from the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), and Mr. Kulubrehan Abraham of the South Africa-based Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR). Dr. Adane Ghebremeskel, the SADC-CNGO programme advisor also at times joined his compatriots in telling the appalling situation in today’s Eritrea.

Eritrean delegation with senior representatives of SADC-CNGO, SATUCC, COSATU, FOCCISA, MISA and Swaziland NGOs

The Johannesburg workshop thus decided, among others things:

• To establish a solidarity body dedicated to follow up the situation in Eritrea and the other three affected countries singled out for increased solidarity and support of SADC-CNGO and others beyond the region;
• To take action towards putting Eritrea in the African agenda so that it could be reviewed at the upcoming summit conference of SADC member states in February 2015;
• Make approaches to civil society movements in eastern, western and northern Africa and promote solidarity for Eritreans struggling for peace and democratic governance;
• Cognizant of the fact that Eritreans being forced to leave their country are not economic refugees or migrants but genuine refugees, the workshop believed that they deserve to obtain appropriate documentation in South Africa and rest of the SADC region and beyond until Eritrea transits from dictatorship to democratic rule.

Press Conference and SABC Interview

On 5 December, the SADC-CNGO organized a press conference to give further opportunity to the Eritrean delegation further explain the ever worsening political and human rights situation in the country. The Executive Director of SADC Council of NGO formations in all the 15 southern African countries opened the press conference with comprehensive explanation of what was discussed and decided at the workshop regarding Eritrea, Swaziland, Palestine and Western Sahara.

On their part, members of the Eritrean delegation expressed satisfaction with the historic solidarity and further pledges for support by the civil society in southern African countries and explained in more detail the distress facing Eritrea and its people under an extremely dictatorial regime. The outcome of the workshop was also disclosed to the attending members of the press, diplomats and civil society movements who came to the meeting in spite of the 5 December celebrations in Johannesburg marking the first anniversary of the death of Nelson Mandela.  Among the participants were diplomats from the Ethiopian embassy in South Africa.

Delegation members were also given the opportunity for a live radio interview with Channel Africa at the headquarters of South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) which enjoys big audience all over Africa. Questions asked to and responded by two delegation members included the political, economic and human rights situation inside Eritrea, the plight of its refugees, the border issue, decisions of the UN Human Rights Commission and the Eritrean regime’s isolation from the rest of the world.

Meetings in Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria

Ms Salwa Nour had to depart after the 5 December press conference, but the rest of the delegation members took the opportunity of meeting with Eritrean community members, mostly in smaller numbers, in three South African cities. Most of the estimated 5,000 Eritrean community members in South Africa have no valid residence permits and are held as literal hostages of the Eritrean embassy.

Many of them are self-employed (owning small shops) and are nowadays extremely busy to earn year’s income this Christmas/summer season. It was learned that many have distanced themselves from the regime but they cannot manifest this position by attending opposition meetings or, if they do attend, by letting their pictures taken in such occasions.

On 6 December, three members of the delegation held an extensive discussion with members of the Eritrean community in Durban. Problems explained by the delegation members and later raised for comprehensive discussion in the question and answer session included the situation inside the homeland, the changing attitude of external powers towards the regime in Asmara, the disquieting situation of Eritrean refugees in many parts of the world, the fragmentation of the forces opposed to the regime and new initiatives for dialogue and realigning of the struggling forces to create a viable alternative force or forces for change and democratization in the country.

 On 7 December, a similar get-together was held with members of the Eritrean community in the Johannesburg region.

A memorial picture of the ‘willing’ in Johannesburg

Members of the delegation also took the opportunity of meeting old friends and acquaintances individually and/or in smaller groups for exchange of notes on how the mobilization of the silent majority can be tackled and the forces in the opposition coalesced in an effective manner.

اعلام حزب الشعب

الديمقراطي الارتري

5 / 12 / 2014م

من خلال مشاركته في اجتماعات ورشة العمل التي عقدت مدة يومين بجوهانسبيرج/ جنوب افريقيا لمناقشة أوضاع الحقوق السياسية والانسانية في كلٍّ من ارتريا، فلسطين، سوازيلندا والصحراء الغربية، أشاد الوفد الارتري في تصريحه الصحفي الصادر في الخامس من ديسمبر 2014م بقرار الجمعية التنموية لدول الجنوب الافريقي ((SADC المكونة من 15 دولة تكوين فريق عمل لدعم ارتريا في مجالات تلك الحقوق، ووصف الخطوة بالتاريخية والعظيمة.

في خطابه أمام الحضور الذي ضم دبلوماسيين وممثلين لمنظمات مجتمع مدني وآخرين أعرب السيد/ آبي ديتلهاك المدير التنفيذي للجمعية عن قلقه إزاء تقاعس القادة الافارقة في مواجهة التحديات والمعاناة التي تعيشها شعوب القارة.

وقال آبي: علي القوى الديمقراطية الافريقية و منظمات المجتمع المدني أن تواجه بجدٍّ وإخلاص تحديات ما يعيشه الارتريون اليوم من اضطهاد وتشرد. وعلينا كشعوب افريقية أن نحافظ علي مكتسبات نضالنا في سبيل التحرر من قوى الاحتلال والاستعمار الأجنبي ونجدد العهد بتلك النضالات.

أضاف مدير منظمة (SADC-CNGO) غير الحكومية أنه سوف يعتبر الشأن الارتري شأناً افريقياً يستحق خدمة شعبه والانتباه لقضاياه، وفي تلخيص لمناقشات الورشة التي عقدت في 3- 4/ 12/ 2014م أكد أن الورشة التضامنية مع الشعوب الأربعة المذكرة أعلاه تأتي ضمن أجندتنا لإنفاذ إعلان المؤتمر العاشر لاتحاد منظمات المجتمع المدني الجنوب افريقية المعقود في يوليو 2014م، عقب ذلك قدم ديتلهاك المندوب الارتري لتقديم خطابه أمام الصحفيين.

 السفير/ عند برهان ولد جرجيس عضو الهيئة التنسيقية للمنبر الارتري للحوار الديمقراطي بعد التعريف بأعضاء وفده تلى علي الحضور بياناً صحفياً يشيد فيه بالموقف المشرف لمنظمة (SADC-CNGO)الافريقيةمن قضايا الشعب الارتري الراهنة. وأضاف أن هذا الموقف المطالب بالدعم الاقليمي والدولي لقضية الشعب الارتري إنما يؤكد ضرورة التضامن الدولي والاقليمي مع الشعب الارتري لتمكينه من إحداث التغيير الإيجابي في بلاده.

ضم الوفد الي جانب رئيسه كلاًّ من: السيد/ ولد يسوس عمار مسئول العلاقات الخارجية بحزب الشعب الديمقراطي الارتري، السيد/ كلو برهان أبراهام رئيس الحركة الارترية للديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان، السيدة/ سلوى نور الناشطة الحقوقية في مجالات التغيير الديمقراطي وحقوق الانسان. بعد أن شرح الوفد بالتفصيل الأحوال المزرية والانهيار المتسارع الخطى في ارتريا أجاب علي أسئلة الحضور.

خلال اليومين القادمين سوف يقوم الوفد بجولات تنويرية بمدينتي ديربن وجوهانسبيرج يعقد فيها ندوات تنويرية مفتوحة (نوافيكم بتقاريرها لاحقاً). أدناه تفضلوا بقراءة البيان الصحفي للوفد الارتري.

بيان صحفي ( هام وعاجل )

النظام الدكتاتوري في بلادنا يعيث في ارتريا فساداً ودماراً وأنزل بشعبها ما لا مثيل له من البؤس والعناء. حيث تعيش ارتريا أسوأ الأوضاع سياسياً واجتماعياً واقتصادياً. فقد تحولت البلاد الي جحيم لا يطاق يسوده الاعتقال والسجن بلا تهمة ولا محاكمة، السجن غير محدد الأجل، الاختفاء، القتل خارج القانون. وهذا ما أدى الي تشرد شعبها عموماً وشبابها خصوصاً والذي فاقت معدلات هجرته وتشرده كل خيال.

التغيير وسقوط النظام لا شك أمرٌ حتمي، أما مسئولية إنقاذ البلاد من الانهيار فتقع علي عاتق قوى المعارضة بالداخل والخارج. إن غياب الحقوق والحريات الأساسية أصبح من أشرس عوامل الهدم والتمزيق لبلادنا، إلا أن (تحقيق وحدة الهدف) بين مكونات المعارضة سوف يحيي فينا مجدداً روح الأمل والتفاؤل التي حققنا بها من قبل أحلامنا وآمالنا في التحرر من ربقة المحتلين الأجانب. لذا يجب أن نتفانى في نقل شعبنا وبلادنا الي التحول الديمقراطي بالطرق القانونية والدستورية الآمنة.

إننا علي قناعة بضرورة الدعم الدولي والاقليمي لقضيتنا النضالية العادلة في تحقيق التغيير الإيجابي، لذا نحيي ونشيد بما أبداه المؤتمر العاشر لمنبر اتحاد منظمات المجتمع المدني الجنوب افريقية من تعاطف قوي مع الشعب الارتري وقراره الشجاع بتكوين فريق عمل خاص بارتريا.

فيما يلي يتقدم الوفد الارتري المشارك في هذه الورشة بالمطالب والنداءات التالية:

• أن تقوم حكومة جنوب افريقيا الموقرة بمنح اللاجئين الارتريين بجنوب افريقيا الوثائق الرسمية التي تكفل لهم حقوق اللجوء السياسي والإقامة في أراضيها آمنين والعمل والإسهام في بناء وتنمية البلاد.
• أن ترفع منظمات المجتمع المدني الجنوب افريقية من معدلات دعمها لنضال المنظمات الارترية في سبيل الديمقراطية والعدالة والكرامة الانسانية.
• أن يتصدى الاتحاد الافريقي لدوره التمهيدي المساند للتحول الديمقراطي كما ينص دستوره.
• أن تقوم دول الجوار الارتري وسائر دول منطقة القرن الافريقي بما يمليه عليها الالتزام بالاتفاقات الدولية من حفظ ومراعاة حقوق وسلامة اللاجئين الارتريين اللائذين بحماها.

الجمعة/ 5 ديسمبر 2014م

جوهانسبيرج/ جنوب افريقيا

الوفد الارتري المشارك بورشة الجمعية التنموية لدول الجنوب الافريقي غير الحكومية

Southern African Development Community (SADC-CNGO)

EPDP Information Office

After attending a fruitful  two-day workshop in Johannesburg on the political and human rights situations in Eritrea, Palestine, Swaziland and Western Sahara, the Eritrean delegation to the workshop held a press conference on 5 December in which it hailed as “historic” the establishment of Solidarity Task Team for Eritrea by the sub-continental organ representing all civil society formations in the 15 member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In welcoming the media, civil society activists, diplomats and other participants at the press conference, the Executive Director of the SADC - Council of non-governmental organizations, Mr.  Abie Ditlhake, expressed concern about the lack of sufficient commitment by African leaders to address difficulties facing the broad masses in Africa.

He described the current situation of repression and displacement in Eritrea as “a burning African problem” that requires the joint action of African democratic forces, including the civil society.  He added that the selflessness shown by all Africans during the struggle against foreign domination must be revitalized now “in order to save ourselves from facing the worst”.

The SADC-CNGO Executive Director also reassured that his umbrella organization will do all what it can to make Eritrea an African agenda and help its people overcome the huge problems facing them. He summarized the decisions taken at the 3 to 4 December workshop which he said was an important step towards putting in action the July 2014 declarations on Eritrea, Palestine, Swaziland and Western Sahara by the 10^th Southern Africa Civil Society Forum.  Mr. Ditlhake then invited the Eritrean delegation to deliver its message to the press conference.

Ambassador Andebrehan Weldegiorgis, member of the coordinating body of the Eritrean Forum for National Dialogue, introduced his colleagues in the delegation and read the press statement which hailed the SADC-CNGO for its firm solidarity with the Eritrean people. The statement urged for African and wider international support and  believed that “international and regional solidarity can make a significant contribution to positive change in Eritrea”.

The Eritrean delegation members, who included Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar, foreign relations head of the Eritrean People’s Party (EPDP); Mr. Kuluberhan Abraham, chairman of the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR), and Ms Salwa Nour, an Eritrean human rights and democracy activist from the Gulf region, took part in further explaining the worsening situation in Eritrea and answered various questions raised at the press conference.

During the coming weekend, the Eritrean delegation is scheduled to hold public meetings for Eritreans in Durban and Johannesburg. (Reportage on the delegation mission to South Africa will follow soon).

Printed below is the text of the press statement read as introduction to the press conference on Eritrea.

PRESS STATEMENT

(For immediate release)

The dictatorial regime is destroying Eritrea and causing untold suffering on its people. The prevailing political, economic and social situation has created an appalling human condition. Arbitrary arrests, indefinite detention, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, etc., have rendered the country unlivable for its people. The state of sever repression has caused mass exodus, particularly of the youth, at an alarming proportion. 

Change is coming and the demise of the regime is imminent. The responsibility of national salvation has fallen on the shoulders of the growing opposition at home and abroad.  The absence of an institutional mechanism for succession and the lack of freedoms of expression, assembly and association risk the creation of a political vacuum that poses the danger of implosion. The gathering momentum towards “Unity of Purpose” within the opposition augers well for the realization of the aspirations that inspired and sustained our long struggle for freedom, justice, democracy, peace and prosperity. There is thus a need to manage the process of change to ensure an orderly transition to democracy.   

We strongly believe that international and regional solidarity can make a significant contribution to positive change in Eritrea. In this regard, we hail the 10^th Southern African Civil Society Forum’s firm declaration of solidarity with the Eritrean people and the establishment of a Regional Solidarity Task Team for Eritrea. 

The Eritrean delegation participating at the SADC Council of NGOs workshop just concluded here in Johannesburg, South Africa, would like to call upon:

-                      The South African Government to grant political asylum and the necessary legal documents to Eritrean refugees in South Africa to enable them to live in security and contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country;

-                      The Southern African civil society to enhance their solidarity with the struggle of the Eritrean people for democracy, dignity and justice.

-                      The African Union to play a facilitative role in accordance with its Constitutive Act;

-                      Eritrea’s neighbours in the Greater Horn of Africa to protect the rights and ensure the safety of Eritrean refugees in accordance with international conventions.

Friday, 5 December 2014

Johannesburg, South Africa

Eritrean Delegation Participating at the SADC-CNGO Workshop