Opposition conference in Ethiopia vowes bring
democracy to Eritrea
2 August, 2010 | By Tesfa-Alem Tekle (Sudan Tribune)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The week-long conference organized by Eritrean Democratic Alliance
(EDA) has brought together over 400 delegates from all nine Eritrean
nationalities, as well as foreign Diaspora, experts, civic societies and
international observers.
On June 6, Sudan Tribune reported that eight Eritrean opposition forces
had formed a military coalition to launch a coordinated attack to depose
President Isaias Afwerki and his government. Afwerki assumed power in
1991 after Eritrea’s 30 year war with Ethiopia came to an end.
Since officially becoming head of state in 1993 after a referendum
supervised by the United Nations, Afwerki has kept a tight grip on power,
citing the potential of another conflict with Ethiopia.
Afwerki’s party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ),
is the only legal party in Eritrea. According to Reporters without Borders,
Eritrea is the worst ranked country in the world in terms of press freedom.
One of the opposition groups at the Addis Ababa conference, the Red Sea
Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), told Sudan Tribune that the
conference is expect to agree to a federal system that embraces
democracy, equality and self-governance for all nationalities.
According to the RSADO’s head of communication, Yasin Mohamed
Abdela, all but one of the opposition parties at the conference were
signatories to the military front.
“The conference is expected to pass common stance on when, how to
collectively launch military attacks to depose the current dictatorial rule
and ways of placing a democratic rule into a new Eritrea,” said Abdela.
Last week 800 members of the Afar ethnic group met last week in
Samara, Afar Regional State in Ethiopia, to discuss their place in a new
constitutional framework.
The Samara conference reached a consensus to press for the rule of law,
equality, human rights, and democracy in Eritrea. Delegates signed a
declaration condemning Eritrea’s human rights record and pledged that
the Afar people would join with the other eight Eritrean nationalities to
achieve a rule of law in a federal Eritrea.
“The Samara Declaration” was presented on Sunday to the Addis Ababa
conference by the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO):
Some 1,800 Eritreans cross into Sudan every month, prompted by Eritrea’
s policy of indefinite military conscription, drought and poor economic
opportunities, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
In December last year IRIN, the UN news agency, reported that more
than 66,000 Eritrean refugees are registered in eastern Sudan.
Courtesy
democracy to Eritrea
2 August, 2010 | By Tesfa-Alem Tekle (Sudan Tribune)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Aug 1, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA)
- Ten Eritrean opposition
political organizations are
holding a week- long
conference in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa, to discuss
a framework of government
should they manage to
overthrow the current Asmara
The week-long conference organized by Eritrean Democratic Alliance
(EDA) has brought together over 400 delegates from all nine Eritrean
nationalities, as well as foreign Diaspora, experts, civic societies and
international observers.
On June 6, Sudan Tribune reported that eight Eritrean opposition forces
had formed a military coalition to launch a coordinated attack to depose
President Isaias Afwerki and his government. Afwerki assumed power in
1991 after Eritrea’s 30 year war with Ethiopia came to an end.
Since officially becoming head of state in 1993 after a referendum
supervised by the United Nations, Afwerki has kept a tight grip on power,
citing the potential of another conflict with Ethiopia.
Afwerki’s party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ),
is the only legal party in Eritrea. According to Reporters without Borders,
Eritrea is the worst ranked country in the world in terms of press freedom.
One of the opposition groups at the Addis Ababa conference, the Red Sea
Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), told Sudan Tribune that the
conference is expect to agree to a federal system that embraces
democracy, equality and self-governance for all nationalities.
According to the RSADO’s head of communication, Yasin Mohamed
Abdela, all but one of the opposition parties at the conference were
signatories to the military front.
“The conference is expected to pass common stance on when, how to
collectively launch military attacks to depose the current dictatorial rule
and ways of placing a democratic rule into a new Eritrea,” said Abdela.
Last week 800 members of the Afar ethnic group met last week in
Samara, Afar Regional State in Ethiopia, to discuss their place in a new
constitutional framework.
The Samara conference reached a consensus to press for the rule of law,
equality, human rights, and democracy in Eritrea. Delegates signed a
declaration condemning Eritrea’s human rights record and pledged that
the Afar people would join with the other eight Eritrean nationalities to
achieve a rule of law in a federal Eritrea.
“The Samara Declaration” was presented on Sunday to the Addis Ababa
conference by the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO):
- “We, the Nationalities of Eritrea, including all refugees from our
homelands in Eritrea, together that condemns for the murder,
torture, rape, disappearances, expulsions, forcible confinements
and aggression perpetrated against us, and our Peoples, now living
in our ancestral homelands in Eritrea.
“Our resolve to join hands with our fraternal nationalities in Eritrea
and living as refugees elsewhere to establish with them in the state
of Eritrea, a liberal democratic federation based on the principles of
freedom, autonomy, and equality for all nationalities.”
Some 1,800 Eritreans cross into Sudan every month, prompted by Eritrea’
s policy of indefinite military conscription, drought and poor economic
opportunities, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
In December last year IRIN, the UN news agency, reported that more
than 66,000 Eritrean refugees are registered in eastern Sudan.
Courtesy
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