From: Hellen Tesfamariam (segen80@aol.com)
Date: Mon Apr 27 2009 - 22:46:26 EDT
Sheib Eritrea Liberation versus Occupation
On February 21st 2009, about 6 buses and several cars filled with
runners, media, regional administrators, members of the Sports
Commission, and supporters like me, descended upon Sheib, Eritrea,
about a two hour drive from Asmara, down from the highlands and
heading north from Gahtelai off of the road to Massawa. I was there
representing EAAA (Eritrean American Athletics Association), a US
based non-profit organization, that had contributed medals and money
that would be given to the top three athletes in each division
The next morning, as I sat eating a healthy breakfast of hot steaming
goat milk and fresh bread, a four-wheel drive equipped with bullhorns
circled the town of Sheib urging the residents to come and support
the 1st National Cross Country Championship races to be held there.
Twenty years earlier, on May 12, 1988, under Ethiopian occupation,
Sheib was encircled by tanks. Quoted in Alex de Walles book, Evil
days: thirty years of war and famine in Ethiopia, (page 238), one
survivor, Osman Enkersa, recounts;-
It was morning around 8 oclockThe enemy armored vehicles, 15 tanks,
appeared on the Massawa side. They headed towards Sheib on the coast
side. The tanks led [the soldiers] to Sheib and surrounded the
village. The soldiers came into every house and collected the people
saying that you have a meeting today. They gathered children, old
women and men under a big tree.
Just as on February 22nd 2009, the residents of Sheib obeyed the call
and gathered for what they thought was a meeting. As was reported on
May 19, 1988 by Sheila Rush of the New York Times,
Rebels in the northern Ethiopian province of Eritrea have accused
Government troops of killing 400 civilians by shooting them or
crushing them with tanks.
Another article by John Kifner, of the New York Times published on
Tuesday, August 30, 1988 with the header of After Rebels Gains,
Ethiopia Vents Its Wrath on Civilians;-
''The tanks ran over the people and ground them up,'' Amena
Mohammed remembered later. '' Bodies fell over us. I covered the two
children with bloody clothes and pretended to be dead. We hid among
the dead bodies for three days.
It is one thing to read about the massacre in Sheib and quite
another to be in Sheib, standing at the place the atrocities took
place, and listening to survivors and witnesses retell that dreadful
event. One is deeply saddened and angry by the brutality endured
while at the same time, proud of the resilient people who have not
only survived but moved far beyond that dreadful era in their history.
What a difference liberation makes! Post liberation, in 2009, a call
from the local administration in Sheib meant just what it stated
gather to witness and cheer on Eritrean athletes competing to qualify
for the upcoming World Cross Country Championships. The residents of
Sheib dotted the rugged landscape enthusiastically cheering the
competitors who had come from all the six zobas or regions of
Eritrea;- Maekel or Central, Debub or Southern, Gash Barka, Northern
and Southern Red Sea, as well as Anseba. The contestants were male
and female, seniors and juniors. The top six runners in each division
would be representing Eritrea for the World Cross Country
Championship to be held in Amman, Jordan on March 28th, 2009.
Seating at the races
The road to Sheib is paved and a straight route from Gahtelai,
passing through Mai Wui, Metkel Ebeit, Sheba and Gedged. Sheib itself
has many sub zones like Mensheb and Sheih Ketin. Sheib is a town that
survived the extreme brutality of Ethiopian occupation to take its
place as an up-and-coming Eritrean town, engaged in development
efforts to bring it into the 21st century. There is running water in
Sheib, schools from kindergarten to the secondary level and
electricity, run by a generator which comes on at dusk and turns off
at 10:00 pm. The proud Administrator Tewolde Ghirmai, not wanting to
inconvenience the guests, extended electricity until midnight for the
night before the races.
Getting ready for the start
Men take your mark
Even to a non-athlete like me the track looked tough to run on
although the view was spectacular with a hilly backdrop. The track
was two kilometers long but sandy, sinking in with each step taken.
The races were 6 and 8 kilometers for the juniors and seniors
respectively. The choice of Sheib made sense because the qualifiers
would be heading to Amman, Jordan, which would probably have similar
terrain for running on. Starting early before the midday sun, the
races were exciting and cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd including
participation by the administrators of the Northern and Southern Red
Sea regions, Mr. Tesfai Tekle and Tzighereda Weldegergis
respectively, as well as the Commissioner of Sports, Major General
Romodan Awliyey, Vice-Commissioner, Br. General Tekie Russom, the
Administrator of Sheib, Mr Tewolde Ghirmai, Olympic bronze medalist,
Zeresenay Tadesse, the elders of Sheib and crowds of residents
including many, many children.
After the athletes had run, there were races by children, elderly men
and even donkey races. In addition to the medals and money
contributed by EAAA, the winnings also included athletic outfits by
the Sports Commission. I was honored to have been a presenter to the
winners of the Womens Junior races. All in all, a day that will be
engrained as the new image of Sheib in my mind an embodiment of the
defiant Eritrean spirit, rising above the history of brutal Ethiopian
occupation and steadily progressing, in all aspects of life;-
education, economic and structural development as well as sports!
My trip to Sheib was facilitated by the Sports Commissions office for
which I am very grateful. A special thanks to the Commissioner of
Sports, Major General Awliyey, the Vice Commissioner, Br. General
Tekie Russom, Samuel and last but not least, the Administrator of
Sheib, Tewolde Ghirmai for his hospitality and making his personal
residence available for our stay. One proud resident of Sheib told me
that on his last trip to Sheib, kbur President Isaias Afeworki had
promised that Sheib was next in line for 24 hour electricity. He
stated that the President always kept his word and promised me that
the next time I visited Sheib, they would have around the clock
electricity. I have no doubt for if any people deserve it, the people
of Sheib do!
Hellen Tesfamariam (Member - EAAA)
EAAA is a US non-profit organization, facilitating and promoting
Eritrean and Eritrean American athletics. To learn more about EAAA or
donate to this worthy organization, please visit http://
www.eaaarunners.org
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