ERINA Update

(Eritrean News Agency,
Tel: ++291-1-117627, Fax: 127385)
Thursday, August 27, 1998

1. The Ethiopian government has started shutting down large and small scale enterprises and appropriating properties belonging to Eritreans, sources revealed. The enterprises and properties had belonged to Eritreans who were inhumanely deported to Eritrea earlier. Furthermore, the Eritreans were left homeless following the regime's order to sell their properties and leave Ethiopia in a month's time only to give away these Eritreans' residences to other Ethiopians. The regime had earlier deported Eritreans through dangerous war zones and has recently abandoned Eritrean deportees, mainly consisting of women and children, on the uninhabited Ethiopian-Kenyan and Ethiopian-Djibouti borders. To date, more than 17,000 Eritreans have been expelled from Ethiopia.

According to a report in an Ethiopian newspaper, over 700 Eritrean owned businesses have been frozen by Ethiopian courts. The Ethiopian government has refused to honor power of attorney from any of the establishments whose Eritrean owners and proprietors have been deported from the country. The Ethiopian government has ordered the businesses not to move any property or funds, or conduct any transactions. Seven hundred forty two affected businesses were listed in the article.

Erratum: Yesterday's ERINA Update reported erroneously that 500 hectares worth of sorghum had been harvested and stored in Gash Barka. In fact, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that the sorghum had been sowed. We apologize for the mistake.

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

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