Eritrea Online / Dehai Homepage
1. One thousand one hundred five Eritreans deported from Ethiopia arrived at the Burie front on 31 August after walking 71 kilometers (44 miles) from where the Ethiopian government had dumped them. Among the deportees are 300 children, elders, disabled and pregnant women. The deportees were rounded up from Addis Ababa, Dese, Asaita, Bahr Dar, Weliso, Awasa, Diredawa and other cities in Ethiopia. Several civil servants and businessmen were among those expelled. The Eritrean deportees stated that Ethiopian officials are restricting any Eritrean with Eritrean identification from withdrawing money from the bank and are selling property owned by Eritreans already deported to Eritrea. The deportees state the Ethiopian government is also prohibiting Eritreans from renewing their trade licenses and conducting business. The deportees were received by the Eritrean Defense Force and members of the public in Assab. The overall number of expellees from Ethiopia has now reached over 19,000.
Another 500 Eritreans deported from Ethiopia came in yesterday through Zalambessa. The deportees, including children as well as elderly and ailing people, were forced to walk fourteen kilometers (nine miles) through the volatile war front. Many of the deportees complained of a harsh eight day journey which has seen them separated from their families and their property. Other deportees report being kidnapped from their homes in Mekele and Dese by Ethiopian officials. Most of the deportees were long term residents of Ethiopia working as civil servants. The deportees were received by the Eritrean Defense Force and residents of Senafe.
2. Seventy of seventy one Ethiopian soldiers, captured since the eruption of the Eritrean-Ethiopian border conflict and released by the Government of Eritrea last Friday, were sent home yesterday. The soldiers left for Ethiopia through Zalambessa under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and were handed over to the ICRC on the Ethiopian side. One of the 71 soldiers, however, decided to remain in Eritrea because he said his return to Ethiopia would jeopardize his life. The release of these Ethiopian soldiers comes as a result of Eritrea's continuous efforts to bring a long lasting solution to the border conflict through legal and peaceful talks.
3. President Isaias Afwerki left yesterday afternoon for South Africa to participate in the 12th Conference of the leaders of the non-aligned countries. Sixty world leaders are expected to attend the conference which convenes in Durban today. The conference will cover a range of issues including the elimination of terrorism and poverty, and the reduction and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. The organization of non-aligned countries was established in the sixties and embraces 113 developing nations. The president was seen off by Mr. Mahmud Sherifo, Minister of Local Government, and General Sebhat Ephrem, Minister of Defense.
Veronica Rentmeesters, Information Officer
Embassy of Eritrea to the US
1708 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC 20009, USA TEL: 202 319 1991 FAX: 202 319 1304
E-M: veronicX@embassyeritrea.org