The temporary camp in eastern Tunisia hardly closed. It was set to host people who flee from the Libyan conflict, and everybody was expecting to see all immigrants to leave in maximum of three months. The repatriation process was very hard. Thus, people were stacked there for months in very extreme situation. It was in this difficult time, that a serious conflict was erupted causing fatal casualties. Those who can return to their home soon left the camp and flew to meet their beloved once. Yet, as any anyone would expect, this was not true hundreds of Eritreans who flee Libya fearing violence. They will have a warm welcome in Asmara international airport and directly to underground detentions. Knowing this, who will be willing to go back and endanger his/her life? I guess no one, And no one did that!!
With this fact on ground, the UN refugee agency is doing its job. Eritreans and Somali asylum or refugees are at the priority list. Some Ethiopian Oromo and some West African applicants are also in the second list. Eritreans who had pending files in Tripoli continued on their step and those who didn’t have any application are given opportunity to apply for asylum.
As part of resettlement processes, Eritreans have been transferred to Romanian transit camp under international protection, so that USA and The Netherlands can continue the resettlement procedures for them. Thus, IOM and UNHCR have been sending them to Romania in different groups since April 20. Now, a group of 47 of Eritreans arrived from Tunisia after spending more about four months of desert life in Choucha camp, Tunisia. They are welcomed here by IOM, UNHCR, GTR and Eritrean colleagues who arrive ahead of them. A sense of hope shines from their desert sun-burned face, and their smile shows they haven’t given up!!
The situation back in Tunisia remains as it is. Asylum seekers are yet waiting their RSD interviews; all the refugees are waiting their resettlement. But when will this happen? For how long will the developed world close its eye and deafen its ear? As Eritreans and after being delivered from that situation, we are once again urging first world countries to look down the Tunisian Sahara and pick up the desperate. It is humanitarian catastrophe!!! It is hard to stay in desert camp without any hope and it is a moral mandate to all countries who signed the Geneva Convention 1951 to help refugees in critical situation. But, first it is moral mandate to every human being to help anyone in such situation. Let’s just follow instincts of doing good thing!!
Selamawi: Alive somewhere in Europe
This article was orginally posted by Gabriele Del Grande in Fortress Europe after Selamawi confirms he is alive and he is safe in eastern Europe.
We met at church in Tripoli three years ago, during my first trip to Libya with Roman Herzog in November 2008. And once we realized it was not a guy like the others. He agreed to invite us to lunch at his house, taking the risk of being intercepted by the Libyan secret service men that followed. And before you say goodbye, we had delivered the appeal he had written four months earlier with five other students of Asmara, with whom he had spent a long period of imprisonment in Misrata , Libya, after they were arrested en route to Lampedusa. Since then Selamawi had never ceased to cooperate with Fortress Europe. It was one of the most active community informants Eritrea in Libya. And because of its militancy we were able to spread important news , especially at the time of the rejections and the riots in Libyan prisons. This is despite the threats that Eritrea's embassy officials had sent not so subtly, letting them know that they knew that behind the pseudonym Selamawi was his name and he had to stop yelling so much interest in politics. But he has continued undeterred. Translating the articles of Fortress Europe in Tigrinya , the Eritrean diaspora to. And updating his blog from the Internet point of Tripoli. Until one day it disappeared into nothing.
The last time we felt the phone was on February 24 . Benghazi had fallen into the hands of the insurgents after a week of blood, and in Tripoli the demonstrations were suppressed with the firing on the crowd and the militia house to house to flush out opponents . In that climate of terror, while hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to leave Libya, Selamawi me that Tunisia was too dangerous to reach, because the blacks out of Tripoli was to be mistaken for mercenaries and killed Gadhafi. So, he concluded, would wait to see if it had reopened the route to Lampedusa groped for the lot. Then silence. For three and a half months I have not heard from him again. raqm the Ar-matlub muqfil . I had memorized the Libyan automatic sms. The number of the person you call may be switched off or unreachable. Meanwhile, at sea there were hundreds of dead, week after week. And I must admit that I was starting to make me a reason. That there were other explanations. And Selamawi was dead. Drowned along with hundreds of other boys from the ports of Tripoli in search of safe beaches on the north shore. I was now sure, because I was so sure that if he were still alive somewhere would contact me in one way or another. Until this morning I had confirmation. Inbox. Message of 08:27. Subject: " From Timosoara ". I knew that I would contact if he were still alive. Do not ask me how, but Selamawi arrived in Romania and is doing well. And I hope that soon we can all go back to calling him by his real name. Maybe in the corridors of an English university, where Selamawi dreams of continuing her studies in marine biology.
Timisoara: Eritreans on their way to build life
It has happened. Nobody has thought about it before, to come to Timisoara-Romania. Eritrean refugees who have been suffering for long, they are now relieved from all the past sufferance and have seen international protection for the first time. It is small transit center, but it hosts very diverse and complicated testimonies of refugees. Nobody can either write or narrate it all. It is very long and complicated; they have cried and suffered a lot. Yet, everything has an end.
The history starts as these refugees plan to escape Eritrea. Fleeing the closed country by itself is a mystery. Very fortunately, and unlike those who remained there, these refugees managed to arrive neighboring Ethiopia or Sudan. The sufferance hardly remained in Eritrea, rather it migrate with them. Yet, the sufferance was different as it was happening abroad. The way to reach Khartoum is unimaginable; to reach there many lives were paid. And the most difficult decision was the plan to cross the terrible Sahara. These refugees buried tens and hundreds of Eritreans in the sandy desert, may God receive their soul. Those who luckily arrive Libyan territory, they were welcomed to inhuman detentions.
The extents of human right violation in Libya are known to everyone, but Eritrean refugees are the witness for it. How many died in Ra’es Jedida? How many suffered in Misurata, Zileten, Garabuli, Zawiyah or Twaisha detention centers? How many innocents were killed in Ganfuda, Benghazi with cold blood? Or how many Eritreans beaten, robbed, or killed with knife in Libyan streets? Nobody has an answer for these questions, except he or she will say a lot of them. At the time of sufferance, all migrant workers and Eritrean refugees cursed Libyans for their cruel habit, and wished to see bad day of Libyans. By the end of the day, the day has really come. Now after all the sufferance of Eritreans in Libya has ended, Eritrean refugees are wishing all the best for Libyans, they forgot everything.
When Libyans start their revolution, another round of sufferance came to Eritreans and all Sub-Saharan immigrants sieged in Libya. The word “MERCENARIES” became headache after a rumor heard that Col. Gaddafi is hiring African fighters to suppress popular uprising. Eritrean refugees could not leave their rooms for food shopping. It was very hard time there. The work of Eritrean and non-Eritrean activists did unbelievable work in trying to evacuating the desperate. John Stauffer of ATDE (USA), Don Mussie Zeray of Agenzia Habeshia (Italy), Elsa Chyrum of HRC-E (UK), Eritrean activists in Switzerland and many others did their best. The work of freelancers, bloggers and journalists was also very helpful. Gabriele Del Grande was among the most hardworking bloggers to open the blind eye in the European frontiers. Many Eritreans, young and enthusiastic activists from Tripoli also did their best in exposing the amount of sufferance from inside Tripoli. Yet, all this trial did very little thing in evacuation of Eritreans from Libya. Thus, Eritrean refugees loss their hope of evacuation and NATO starts aerial bombing. Pushed by this, hundreds of Eritreans died in the sea in desperate trial of reaching Italy. The rest crossed to the west and arrived Shousha camp of Tunisia.
Now, those who had resettlement programs to USA and the Netherlands or other countries got some hope. With the help of the external pressure and the work of UNHCR & IOM in Tunisia, first 30 Eritreans arrived in Timisoara in April 20. Then, many groups followed them and arrived Timisoara Transit Center and they are enjoying some form of freedom under international protection. The work of GTR, IOM and UNHCR in running the camp is evident. With all its drawbacks, the Romanian government is working very hard in meeting the need of the desperate who suffered for more than six years all in North Africa, Libya in particular.
After all, another group of Eritreans are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, thus the Department of Homeland Security will start to screen the refugees as a final stage in the resettlement process. They are hoping the sufferance to end here, and looking very far beyond the Atlantic… it will soon happen!!!
I think the above article is placed as Political motive to demonize the government of Eritrea. If these people really have problem first they should contact their respective government representative in the region. All refuges from other countries contacted to their Embassy in the region in order to get help or assistance. Why the Eritrean refuges case becomes more dominant in every the so called opposition web out let, why the anti government elements busy in politicizing the Eritrean refuges in Libya or elsewhere in the region? I think any refuges in any place in our planet should be treated humanly by the country hosted them or by UN refuge agency representative in the region or country. But using refuges as a political tool is crime against humanity and not acceptable under any circumstance.
If these people needs help what kind of help do they need and how this help can be granted riches in the hand of these people in need? who is going to represent them? what is the role of UN refuges agency in this matter? Why the UN ignores these refuges? I think there are so many questions needs to answered before asking for help or assistance from Eritrean in Eu, US or elsewhere.
The so called opposition creates a complex situation for these people in order to get some political sympathy from the external forces against Eritrea. Politicizing the current circumstance is not valid and not acceptable. If these people needs help rather going to the so called opposition they have to seek clear information from the UN agency in the region.
Hello Mr. Anonymous,
With all due respect, the Eritrean refugees are where they are as a result of political crises in their home country. By virtue of this undeniable fact, their case is very political in nature and I cannot imagine seeing it being otherwise. There is nothing wrong in politicizing it as long as the politics applied to it is intend to solve it and not complicate it. Besides, you naively ( I am sorry to say this) suggested that the refugees in Libya should seek the assistance of their government's representative. Are you for real? First and foremost they cannot do that for they know too well that their representative will only exacerbate their dire situation by further expediting their deportation back to Eritrea only escort them to Gela'elo or Adi Abieto. Secondly the definition of a refugee according to Geneva convention 1951.. a refugee is someone who has got a profound fear based on race, ethnicity, political affiliation..etc...and is not willing to avail the protection of his country. Therefore, the moment they seek their conciliar services the forgo their rights as refugees. So the difference between the Eritrean refugees in libya and other migrant workers who were caught in the cross-fire is very different in nature. If citizens of other countries sought the help of their countries envoys it's OK 'cause they can even be airlifted to their country only to be reunited with their loved ones, however, in the case of Eritreans what awaits them in Eritrea is far worse than what they are probably experiencing in Libya. Truly speaking their are caught between two rocks...I hope this brings some enlightenment to you. Take care and I encourage you to be the voice for the voiceless. B.A. Markos, Canada
I am really sorry to see some Eritreans still ignoring the fact on ground. I am sure, they are doing it intentionally to protect the fact and make sure the reason of fleeing will not be exposed and the bloodsucker government may not be in the eyes of rights groups. But, it is truth. The situation of Eritreans in Libya was evident. Where was the Eritrean government while all countries were evacuating their citizens? So what does it mean when this irresponsible citizen pretend to ignore the fact on the ground. The fact now is speaking by itself. What advantage does UNHCR got by helping Eritreans? It is just doing its job, because the world has seen the crying of Eritreans who return from Malta, Libya and Egypt. Dahlak, nakura, Adi-abeyto, wi'a and gelaelo are the witness for what has happened in the past, but the world does not want to see this suffer once again.
Else, majority of the Eritrean in Diaspora are not opposition. But, you and your dictator bosses say to anybody who say the truth and speak the fact as opposition. But it is not true!!! But, it is very difficult to hide the whole glob with your small hand. Try to see the fact, and think about how this problem can be solved once forever, thus every Eritrean will come back home and enjoy freedom. Thus, no more deaths in Sahara, in the sea or in Tunisian desert. May God help Eritrea!!!
Tunisia- May 24: Eritrean Refugees between two fires
Tunisia- May 24: Eritrean Refugees between two fires
Eritrea was celebrating its 20th birth day, and its citizens in Shousha camp in Tunisia got no time to remember for their independence day. Even all the days before were all tempting for Eritreans, and tensions escalated since May 22. The situation becomes calmer latter late in the evening after the calash took so many lives and injured many others.
We woke up by laud cry. It was about 3:30 am, Sunday may 22nd. At first we thought is clash among some different nationalities, but after hearing gas container explosions, we realized it is fire. We rushed to it. We were too late to extinguish it. The fire extinguishing team was bit far and they have been in their dream. Wind blow high, fortunately, not as high as the day before and distribute the fine to 21 tents in a matter of less than 10 minutes. Now after the fire stopped burning new tents, the fire fighters also arrived and did whatever they believe to help them from responsibility. Now, we realized and watched four bodies lying on the burned tents. It was difficult to distinguish on their identity. People told us their identity only from the way they were lying on. Now, the police were also good after everything was over. They picked up the bodies without even taking photos that can help detectives to look in to the crime.
Before sun rise, all Eritreans heard what has happened to their desperate brothers, and they all burned with anger. But, there was no any available solution that can stabilize us. We marched to the police station in mass as a protest and delegates spoke with security personnel. Thus, hoping the rule of law will do something on our behalf, we returned back to the big tent for mourning. It was all unbelievable. Our unity reflected there and spent all the day and night there remembering those who passed away in a flame of tents. Somali and Ethiopian Oromo came to the camp in mass to show their condolences and prayed for the dead once.
In May 23rd, those believed to be the crime makers, they organized all sub-Saharan Africans to join them in protest and they united to block the Libyan-Tunisian road- THE LIFE LINE. They did this protest intentionally to block Eritreans from leaving to third world country and attract the world by blocking the LIFE LINE. So they did. IOM bus couldn’t enter the camp, and the trip canceled. They were happy in the evening singing… Africa sem sem… meaning Africa is united and we are all the same. But not true… some of them are migrant workers and the rest refugees or asylum seekers. UNHCR was handling their cases differently according the need. Late in the evening clashes seemed obvious as tensions escalate.
The next day, the clash erupted abruptly. It started near the big tent where Eritreans were in Mourning. There are different responses as how it first erupted, but the conflict was between Eritreans on one side and the other entire sub Saharan African on the other side. It was unbalanced conflict. Soon, Eritreans could not resist the mass attack orchestrated by Sudanese and Ivoirians. We flee towards the neighboring Tunisian town Ben Guerdan. In the conflict, many Eritreans and from the other front injured seriously, fortunately, there was no death in this part of the conflict. But, another greater danger was coming from the nearby town.
Angry Tunisians meet us in the way. They thought first as if we are marching to attack their town, latter we explained we are attacked and pushed out of the camp by other groups and we have nothing to do with closing the LIFE LINE. They threaten us and left to attack the campers, so they did. They looted, robbed and burned every tent. They, with the help of the local police attacked all sub Saharan Africans without discrimination. The number of causalities is much higher than the official news broadcast. Thanks God, Tunisians forgot what they came for and tend towards robing all the stores. Before sunset all the properties of the camp were transported to Ben Guerdan. The police were just watching silently the whole day, but latter they have to do some easy drama… they chased the robbers when there was nothing left behind. Another shameful drama was by the fire extinguishing team. They just follow the burners (they are their friends) and pour their chemical for nothing but to show their boss they use all their effort in Firefighting. Shameful.
Late in May 24th, after losing too much lives, the repatriation started and majority of the migrant workers left the camp and flew to their countries. Yet, the rest remained on bare desert with out any tent for days fearing another burn and loss of lives. I remember nights of patrol to safe guard our people from possible night fire. Now,I left the desert camp to a safe place, but I am still spending sleepless nights thinking about the situation of those I leave them in the sandy desert. May God deliver them soon!!