Eritrea Online / Dehai Homepage
1. The President of the University of Asmara, Dr. Woldeab Isaac, has again called on the Ethiopian government to release 37 Eritrean university students still languishing in Ethiopian detention camps. In a nationally televised interview yesterday, Dr. Woldeab said that the Ethiopian government must respect the agreements signed by both nations regarding the treatment of exchange students. Forty eight Ethiopian students studying in Eritrea departed over a month ago after the Eritrean government arranged for their flight to Ethiopia. Dr. Woldeab said that various international student and humanitarian groups have approached the European Community and their respective governments to put pressure on the Ethiopian government. Three Eritrean students arrived in Asmara last night from Addis Ababa. The University of Asmara begins its academic year next week.
2. Thirty two Eritrean women and children dumped between the Ethiopian and Djibouti border remain stranded in Djibouti due to lack of transport. Attempts by the Eritrean Embassy in Djibouti to solicit help in securing transport for the deportees have so far proved unsuccessful. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was unable to assist stating that the deportees did not fall under the UNHCR mandate and that, due to financial constraints, humanitarian aid was not possible. 3. Five hundred hectares of sorghum intended for Eritrean deportees from Tigray have been harvested and stored in Tekombia subzone in the western lowlands. The sorghum, sowed earlier this month according to the Ministry of Agriculture, came from different areas in the Gash-Barka region. The Ministry of Agriculture reports that the yield has been plentiful and that harvesting of sorghum for use by recent deportees continues in Gash-Barka. 4. Heavy rains have resulted in the loss of human life and property in Tserona subzone along the southern border on 22 and 23 August. Twelve continuous hours of rain resulted in the death of five people. The three day floods are responsible for the destruction of 519 homes and 235 hectares of farm land in the Senafe subzone. Heavy rains and property damage have also been reported in Denkalia subzone and Assab.
Veronica Rentmeesters, Information Officer
Embassy of Eritrea to the US
1708 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC 20009, USA TEL: 202 588 7587 FAX: 202 319 1304
E-M: veronicX@embassyeritrea.org