Eritrean Students in Germany Organize Successful Conference on Eritrea

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Eritrean Students in Germany

Organize Successful Conference on Eritrea.

Nharnet.com has learned that a conference on perspectives for change and democracy in Eritrea was successfully held in Cologne, Germany, on 18-19 September 2004. Organized by the Eritrean Students’ Group of Hamburg University, the conference was addressed by panelists from different German institutions, Eritrean civic advocacy groups for human rights and democracy, and representatives of political organizations. At the conference, the ELF-RC was represented by Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar, member of the Revolutionary Council. Other panelists from Eritrean political organizations were Mr. Idris Dafi, representative of the ELF (Central Council) in Europe, and Dr. Beyene Kidane, chairman of the ELF-NC who represented the newly formed 4+1. Former Ambassador Abdalla Adem, who is the deputy head of the Eritrean Popular Movement (EPM) was invited to take his front seat as panelist but he preferred to sit with the audience. The organizers also reported that the Eritrean Embassy in Germany was invited to take part in the conference but did not show up.

The conference was divided into three sessions. (Nharnet Team is pleased to present highlights of the conference until the organizers or other interested writers come up with comprehensive reportage.)

The Saturday session consisted of two parts. The first part was about Eritrean refugees in Diaspora with focus on the situation of Eritreans in Germany. Speakers were Ms Bettina Conrad of the University of Regensburg who is working for her PhD on Eritrean refugees, and Mr. Gunther Schroeder, a political analyst and a journalist from Frankfurt who covered Eritrean affairs since a long time. Their presentations were educative and informative. It was learned that there are 24,000 Eritreans in Germany, 16,000 in Sweden, 10,000 in Italy, 8,000 in UK and 6,000 in the Netherlands. Other major concentrations of Eritrean communities abroad are found in the Sudan (300,000), Ethiopia (100,000), Saudi Arabia (80,000) and USA (35,000). After Eritrea’s independence, the German government tried to assist in repatriating Eritreans, and sent back 560 persons with some support. However, almost all the 560 returned to Germany because the situation in Eritrea was unwelcome for them to prosper in peace and security.

The second session started with presentations by human rights advocate Mr. Mussie Ephrem from Sweden, and representatives of Eritrean civic societies like Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights of UK, Snit and Selam of Frankfurt, the network representing all Eritrean civic societies in Europe and an anti-war movement for conscientious objectors. After comprehensive exposure of the gross human rights violations going on in Eritrea under the dictatorial regime, the panelists joined the discussion with the audience. Some of the several questions repeatedly raised and hotly discussed included: a) whether the Eritrean civic societies in the Diaspora are losing focus from civic matters by involving themselves too much in purely partisan politics and b) why the young generation is not being involved either in the civic movement or in the political action alongside the existing political organizations. Many speakers, including the German experts, opined that the old guard in the Eritrean political landscape – both in the opposition and the government - is hindering change by sticking too much to power and old ways of doing politics.

The third session of Sunday, 19 September 2004, opened with short statements presented by the three panelists mentioned above who briefly explained what their organizations think is the best way to build a stable, democratic and prosperous Eritrea in the future. After their statements, a long time was availed for discussion in a question and answer session.

Summary of the presentation by ELF-RC:

In his opening remarks, the ELF-RC representative, Mr. Ammar, stated that the question of how to achieve unity in Eritrea and the other big question of working out an acceptable and durable relationship with Ethiopia remained to be the most thorny and always important issues in the past 60+ years of modern Eritrean politics.

Regarding how change could be effected in Eritrea, the ELF-RC presentation asserted that establishing a credible and united Eritrean opposition trusted and acceptable by the vast majority of our people inside Eritrea and the Diaspora would create a new atmosphere of mobilization for change. It would even encourage our people to actively engage in a successful uprising both within the army and the civilian population. The best support outsiders, including our neighbors, could offer is not to interfere in our internal affairs but to provide genuine support that can assist in smooth transition to a stable, united and peaceful state. Eritrea’s current ills emanate basically from the lack of a democratic government that can ensure social and economic justice and equitable political participation in the country. In a word, the solution to all the current problems is the establishment of a state where rule of law and social justice reign supreme.

Many related issues were raised and discussed during this last session of the conference which took approximately four hours. (A local Eritrean TV setup from Frankfurt has recorded the entire conference for broadcasting within the next few days.)