The repercussion   of the failure to condemn the demolishing of residential houses in Adi Keyh.

By Petros Tesfagiorgis

At the beginning of March there was this breaking news that stunned people in Eritrea and in the Diaspora.  PFDJ sent soldiers and bulldozers to the town of Adi Keyh and started demolishing residential houses.  This time unlike other times when demolition took place in Arbate Asmara, Xelot, Godaif etc. they were met with stiff resistance from the people particularly local school children and managed to stop it.  the demolition.

The news was carried out by most of the Eritrean websites, Asmarino.com, Assenna.co, Awate.com etc. Dr Russom Mesfun of Asmarino.com posted, “Eritrean police and army troops shot and killed a civilian in the town of Adi Keyh today during a tense confrontation stemming from the demolition of homes.  At least thirteen sustained serious injuries and were transported to Asmara hospitals.  One has since died. A woman was also killed when she was run over by an army vehicle.

demo.archive.assenna.com wrote: “On 13/03/2015 Freedom Friday (Arbi Harnet) has this afternoon confirmed that the planned demolition of residential housing threatened by the Regime in Adi Keyh was successfully thwarted by young people, mostly from the local high school.

Freedom Friday commends the young people and their gallant resistance and urges every Eritrean to stand in solidarity against the needless act of demolishing residential houses at a time when many Eritreans are suffering as a result of severe shortage of housing”.   “Freedom Friday” appealed for   support.

The appeal of Freedom Friday has literally fallen into deaf ears. The voice of the Eritreans in Diaspora was silent. They failed to render at least a moral support. There was an exception, the Eritreans in Boston, Massachusetts- USA- who are reputed to carry on sustainable and planned activities did condemn the government.

There was also an article in Awate.com that rewards courage and commitment and selflessness by the residents of Adi Keyh and students who managed to avert demolition. Its title is “Power to the spirit of Adi Keih.” It concludes by saying “long live to the spirit of Adi Keih”. It is uplifting and inspirational.  In the sixties during the anti-Vietnam war in America – such uplifting words was to be found in lyrics of the songs such as “power to the people I love “. So many young Americans were inspired as they relate to the care and love of the people who were dying unnecessarily in the Vietnamese war. They did engulfed American towns with all-out demonstrations and confrontation with the police.  President Nixon was forced to withdraw from Vietnam.

Credit must also be given to those who called a vigil in support of the Adi Keih resistance by a new group called “Working Together from Shagarab to Asmara.” Here “Eritreans for Unity and Justice –UK” (the Tewolde Vaccaro legacy) and the chairman of UK events coordinator- Assefaw W/Kidan have played a constructive role in preparing slogans and providing facilities. The vigil which took place on March 21, 2015 at Hide Park Speakers Corner was poorly attended.

What was going on in UK parallel to the time demolition was taking place?

In the United Kingdom, the month of March 2015 saw a lot of activities by many organisations opposed to the Gross human violations in Eritrea. One thing in common they had was the failure to condemn the demolition and protest outside the Eritrean embassy and outside the office of the British Prime Minister David Cameroon and failed to live up to their core objective to be the voice of the voiceless.  The British Eritreans have voting rights and are bound to be seriously listened by the Government, as some succeeded to do so during the Early Day Motion (EDM) in the British Parliament.  Unfortunately Eritreans in UK do not realise that the united \Kingdom is a very influential country in the world political scene. Eritreans waste lots of precious time talking among themselves.   By maintaining silence the organisations failed to take advantage of the precious momentum presented to them by the demolition to expose PFDJ at a time when the EU countries are trying to face lift PFDJ by saying the indefinite national service is 18 months after all. The Diaspora by side-lining the concrete evidence of the brutality of the regime failed to put pressure to the EU countries that the oppression is alive and kicking.    The world is made up of strings of momentums it needs some activists to turn it around to energetically lobby against injustice of destroying the main livelihood of Eritrean citizens, their houses.

On March 8, during the International women’s day Network of Eritrean women participated in the rallies in London which was commendable. A week later 15-03- 15 they had other functions.  On the same day 15 March 2015 – well attended meeting was held commemorating the victories Battle of Togorba by Eritrean Liberation Front against the Ethiopian army of occupation.   During that week the Association of ex-fighters held their own meeting. The same month the Eritrean Unity for Justice-UK (The legacy of the late Dr. Tewolde Vaccaro-) were rigorously campaigning for an urgent meeting to take place on March 28, 2015.  The meeting focused on unifying all the opposition in UK.  They thought the meeting will be a panacea that solves the problem of fragmentation that render the UK based organisations weak.   It is equivalent to the brain storming meetings initiated by concerned Eritreans held at the hall of the “International Initiative for peace” in Victoria with the intention to find ways to build a “UK collective voice.”  In all these activities it has become crystal clear that the demolition issues is side-lined and the momentum is strangled.

At the same time during March a new group called “Working Together from Shagarab to Asmara” was busy preparing a draft strategic plan.

The failure to protest against demolishing of residential houses and deny moral support to those who stood up against it exemplifies just how at odds is the Eritreans in Diaspora ideological agenda is   with the reality in Eritrea.  

The people inside Eritrea were denied any voice to protest when crime is committed against them.  The Diaspora vows to be the voice of the voiceless.  If that is not the Diaspora’s main agenda, our agenda,   what do we stand for then? Do we in Diaspora have a different ideology that the ordinary people are not aware of – or ulterior motive- may be to replace PFDJ and wait in the wings for PFDJ inevitable demise?

The EUJ-UK call for unity which took place on 28/03/15 is not a panacea that solves all the fragmentation problems either. There is lack of clear objectives which should have been clarified in a development (business) plan or manifesto on one hand and lack of commitment and leadership on the other.  People who relate to the manifesto would have been ardent supporters.  At this point I would like to introduce you to the “Working together for Shagarab” committed to address this issue of helplessness widely recognised by people in the UK.

Working together for Shegarab is an ad hoc committee organised by concerned Eritrean in the UK to address the sad situation of burning houses and properties of Eritrean refugees in Shagarab- Sudan- preceded by imprisonment following the death by drowning of 17 Eritreans.

The coordinating committee of the group (about 40 + composed of organisations and individuals) called a meeting on 16 January 2015 in Brixton. They agreed to contact the Sudanese Embassy in London and to raise money to pay for lawyers to work for the release of the prisoners and assigned individuals to carry the plan out. The Sudanese Embassy was helpful and they advised that they would pass the information to the relevant department in Sudan. Furthermore, the group agreed to organise fund raising evening.  Soon enough it was reported all the prisoners were released and there was no urgent need to raise funds.

During the meeting (as a subsequent agenda) Helen G/Kidan came up with 2 pages compelling and highly educational material that advocates the need of a strategic plan –  to work proactively  instead of being reactive to events like shagarab. I noticed in Helen a dynamic young woman who has no baggage of religion, region, and ethnicity ELF/EPLF rivalry. It became more interesting because the concept paper is initiated by highly motivated and committed female individual.  I liked the idea and volunteered to be part of the preparatory team.  The strategic plan is developed and a meeting is called to discuss and adopt it.  It is free for activists to join the discussion.  The detail of the meeting is:

Date:  Saturday 11 April 2015   at 2.00 – 7.00pm

Venue:  1a Thorpe Close- Ladbroke Grove – London W10 5Xl

Would appreciate if confirm attendances by emailing Working.Together2015@hotmail.com.   Alternatively, we would appreciate if you could notify any of the people listed below.

 

Helen G/Kidan –Assefaw G/Kidan Redi Ayub, Petros

 

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” These deeply noble words by Ghandi must resonate in hearts and minds of the Eritrean Diaspora activists in order to make a difference in the campaign to expose the gross human rights violations in Eritrea – to give voice to the voiceless- and to support the refugees in distress in many countries. It would have made a difference if the campaign of the demolishing in Adi Keyh reached the ears of EU Governments who are trying to rehabilitate PFDJ by undermining the human rights violations in Eritrea. The repercussions is immediate. demo.archive.assenna.com reported the demolition of 400 houses in Dae’ro Qawlos. It is shameful.

Part 2.  We must think in order to do and not think in order to think.