March for Freedom and Human Rights

March for Freedom and Human Rights

Dear Sir/Madam,

On 24 May 2012, Eritrea celebrated its independence for the 21st time. Instead of joining the celebration, people rallied and protested worldwide. At embassies and consulates all over the world, people pleaded for human rights, freedom and democracy because: in Eritrea, there is no elected government but a dictatorship which militarises the country by forcing young people – women and men – to serve the army indefinitely. People are bound to hold weapons and serve their military duties up to the age of 58. Arbitrary jailing happens every day, there is no such thing as an independent judiciary. Meanwhile, there are thousands of political prisoners of whom no one knows whether they are still alive and where they are kept. Enforced disappearance is another perfidious strategy of the regime to spread fear and terror among the Eritrean people. Basic rights like freedom of movement, expression and religion as well as democratic elections are non-existent. However, hunger and food shortages are not.

This dramatic situation has led to a mass exodus of young Eritreans. Young people are willing to risk an often-deadly journey instead of living under the regime where hope is scarce. The regime punishes dependents of people who fled with prison sentences. At the beginning of their escape, refugees face firing orders at the border. Then follows the deadly heat of the Saharan desert and often refugees end up in the hands of human traffickers engaged in organ trafficking. The escape ends in an overcrowded fisher boat to cross the Mediterranean Sea where already thousands have lost their lives.

We say: Enough!

In 2004, we marched from Frankfurt (Main) to the Headquarters of the EU-Commission in Brussels in the name of ‘Freedom and Human Rights in Eritrea’. In 2005, we marched from Geneva to Rome and a year later from the City of New York to Washington D.C. We are going to hit the road again in the name of freedom and human rights. Our 4th march starts on 31 August 2012 in Stuttgart and ends on 8 September 2012 in Frankfurt (Main).

It is our goal to inform everyone:

• on the brutality of the Peoples’ Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) regime against the people of Eritrea
• on the activities of proxy organisations like the so-called Mahbere-Koms who act as henchmen of the regime in Germany disguised as cultural organisations, e.g.:

• Young-PFDJ: the international youth organisation of PFDJ; founded by Yemane Gebreab, main political advisor of dictator Issaias Afeworki; whose so-called chapters in all countries and cities with significant numbers of Eritrean communities spread nationalist propaganda and collect financial means for the military regime in Eritrea and combat Eritrean opposition in the diaspora;  Eritrean women’s associations, e.g. NUEW (National Union of Eritrean Women)
• WARSAY e.V. (youth organisation)

All these organisations help themselves with the possibilities of German rule of law and democracy.

We want:

• to encourage all exiled Eritreans to break the silence and join the struggle for freedom and justice
• to give a voice to the people in Eritrea who have no possibility to voice their opinions.

Therefore, we pledge the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union:

• not to support the dictatorship in Eritrea
• to freeze all diplomatic relations
• to restrict freedom of movement for representatives of the Eritrean regime

Please support our 4th march by showing your solidarity and by helping to spread the news within the local media on our march for awareness raising on human rights, democracy and peace. We appreciate your solidarity and support and thank you in advance just like all the people who will have achieved their freedom one day.

We invite everyone to join us to walk parts or even the whole route.

Please find below the exact route of the march (in German):

Kind regards,

ASPER & United4Eritrea

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