Eritrea: An Open Letter to the Eritrean Ambassador in London

 An Open Letter to the Eritrean Ambassador in London

His Excellency Ambassador Estifanos Habtemariam – Eritrean Envoy to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland

Dear Ambassador

We  concerned Eritreans in Diaspora  unequivocally condemn  the Eritrean Government for showing no care   for the  death by drowning of 850 refugees and immigrants of which 350 are Eritrean men women and children. Your Government has failed to inform the Eritrean people in Eritrea of their terrible losses and let them do collective mourning like they did in Ethiopia. The Government should have lowered the Eritrean flag in half mast like any government would have done in such tragic situations. But your government   has no respect for our people and has shown no sympathy or remorse to their losses.   

On the other hand the tragic loss of innocent lives have  touched the conscience of the international community and the people in Europe blamed their governments for   their failure to put   in place rescue ships to save the migrants from drowning in the Italian costs. They expressed their sadness in rallies protests and in the media. After all, this is the case that concerns all humanity. Your government is unmoved because it has killed its conscience long time ago from the day it embarked on subjecting the Eritrean people to extreme repression.  From 18/9/2001 the day it jailed editors of all private papers that ended freedom of expression, the jailing the G-p15 who advocated for change and elders who wanted to negotiate reconciliation between the president and the G-15.

Further more People in Europe could not stand the agony and suffering of the immigrants and are asking and want to know why people are risking their life to leave their country.   What is wrong with Eritreans? They ask.  Through the  media  Investigative journalists, researchers, report by international human right organisations  and interview with survivors the world has learned the cruelty, tyranny and oppression of Isaias Afewerki and his regime.  They have learned what is driving Eritreans to take such risks. They are staging a number of protests and vigil, rallies to influence their Government to welcome refugees in line of their culture of welcoming those who are oppressed in their own country. 

Your Government is responsible to what is happening to Eritreans during their dangerous journey to safety, all those drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, those who were tortured and their kidney retrieved in Sinai, those who are in concentration camp called hollot in Israel and all those thousands languishing in refugee camps in Sudan and Ethiopia, those who are caught in the middle of the fighting in Yemen and the troubles in South Africa.   It is reported that there are thousands of Eritrean in dire need particular food in Yemen. In this dark times for  Eritreans it is difficult to understand that the  government has stepped up  the act of humiliating the people by demolishing many houses in many cities, Adi Keih, Adi Abeito,  Arbate Asmara, Tzelot as of recent they demolished 400  house in Daro Kawlos only. If this is not crime against humanity what is it then?  The government has stained its hand by the blood of Eritreans.  

At the same time the Eritreans supporters in Diaspora are accountable for their complicity by trying to advert the issue of the loss of Eritrean life staging a demonstration to annul the embargo against Eritrea. They are morally bankrupt and people will be unkind to them when justice is restored in Eritrea.  God forbid for revenge against them. 

Unfortunately strange things are happening in Europe.  The European Governments have decided to give aid to PFDJ Government and the British Home Office has issued a new guidance that ignores the gross human rights violations in Eritrea. Their intension  is to stem the flow of refugees to Europe.

To do so the British Government has reversed the 2015 FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) report which has given details of Eritrean abuses “Arbitrary and inhuman detention, indefinite national service, lack of religious freedom, no job prospects and much more. 

 However there is another ulterior motive in play.    UK is condoning the human rights violations in Eritrea in order to secure the interest of the British mining corporations tapping the vast resources of gold, potash and other minerals unconcerned of the pain, suffering and the destruction of the fabric of the Eritrean  people. This is typical of the behaviours of European Governments towards Africa since the time of de-colonization of Africa.  The Western Governments supported dictatorship, simply because they think democracies provide less long-term, trade security.  

In the case of Eritrea they are wrong. The people in Eritrea are restless. Parents are sending their under age children to exile. In the refugee camp in Shimelba, Ethiopia alone there are more than 2000 underage children. The   opposition in Diaspora is growing.  The Eritreans people are getting more polarized.  Fearful of the unknown many high ranking Government official are sending their children abroad pretending as refugees.  Recently top government officials are exposed for having millions of dollars in HSBC bank in Switzerland.  The European Union are choosing he wrong partner, they will regret it soon.

We stand united against dictatorship. Justice will prevails in Eritrea   

Concerned Eritreans in the United Kingdom:  

The letter is delivered to the embassy in the presence of two members of the Cosmopolitan police assigned in the area to make sure that it is done peacefully. Dated May 1, 2015.