allAfrica.com: Eritrea: Politics - Woes of Eritrean Refugees (Page 1 of 1)

Goitom Mehari is a 33-year-old Eritrean soldier with the rank of corporal. Goitom was born in Shashemene town and grew up in Adama (Nazareth).

When the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) rooted out the Dergue regime from Eritrea, Goitom's Eritrean parents moved from Adama to Asmara, as most Eritrean families did in the early 90s.

In 1997 Goitom, like any Eritrean youth, was forced to join the Eritrean army. After he completed a six-month intensive military training at the Sawa Military Camp, a remote area in western Eritrea, he had to serve the army for two years. "We were told that we would serve the army for only two years. But they kept us there for ten years," Goitom told The Reporter. Goitom participated in the two-year bloody war with Ethiopia. He was wounded in the Shilalo battle field in 2000. He sustained injuries on his head and right leg hit by mortar sharpnels. After he recovered from the injuries, he asked for release. But his commanders told him that he was fit enough to serve the army and he was sent back to the border. His regiment was assigned to patrol the Eritrean border on the Banda front.

After serving the army for ten years, Goitom was fed up with his life in the military. He tried to leave the army several times. But it was all in vain. In June 2007, he defected to Ethiopia. In the night of June 17, Goitom escaped from his regiment - risking his life. He had to hide himself from the sharpshooters who fire machineguns at those who try to defect to Ethiopia. "It is almost impossible to escape in the day time. And during night time, the sharpshooters shoot at any moving soul," Goitom said.

After travelling several kilometers on foot in the desert, Goitom crossed the border and surrendered to Ethiopian troops guarding the border in the Ethiopian territory. After he handed over his AK47 rifle he was interrogated by Ethiopian securities. He was then sent to a refugee camp built by the UNHCR for Eriterean refugees in a locality called Shimella, some 800 km from Addis Ababa.

According to UNHCR officers, there are 1500 Eritreans in the Shimelba Refugee camp. From time to time the number of Eritreans defecting to Ethiopia is increasing. Each month, more than 200 Eritreans, most of them are young men and women, cross the border to Ethiopia. Soldiers, high-school and university students, civil servant and others join the Simelba camp which is close to the border. Because of the increasing number of refugees, the UNHCR is planning to build a second camp in Shimelba.

The Eritrean refugees in the Shimelba camp are frustrated by the situation unfolding in Eritrea. Mengisteab, who was a biology teacher in one of the high schools in Asmara, is one of the political asylum seekers who fled Eritrea in protest against the repression in that country. "There is a serious violation of basic human rights. People are being thrown in jail without court order for alleged attempt to incite violence. The whereabouts of many citizens who were taken from their homes by security forces is not known," says Mengisteab.

Mengisteab, who defected to Ethiopia four years ago, is now about to leave for the US through the UNHCR third country resettlement program. Young people are forced to join the army and the national service year is not limited. Since young people are forced to serve the army, they are not allowed to go out of the country. The government does not allow adults, at least up to 40 years old, to possess passport. "The immigration authority does not give passports even to those who win the US Diversity Visa lottery," Mengisteab said.

In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, 15 Eritreans who won the DV lottery came to the Shimelba camp. After they got a travel document from the UNHCR and the Ethiopian government the US Embassy in Addis Ababa granted them visa and they left for the US. "You don't see many young people on the streets in Asmara. They are either in the army or in prison. The rest of us are living in exile. The Eritrean authorities used to say that Eritrea would be another Singapore in the African continent. But it turned out to be single and poor, not Singapore," Mengisteab said.

Ahmed, who used to work for the Eritrean telecom company, said that he was detained in one of the secret prisons for two years. Security forces took me from my home by a van which had no window so I did not know where they took me. Nobody told me why I was detained. After two years, I was released in March 2006," Ahmed said.

Ahmed claims that many people were tortured and killed in the prison. "If you criticize the government while you are having a chat with your friends or neighbours, you will end up in jail. You don't know the security personnel in plain clothes. People are shaken with trepidation," Ahmed said. "A few days before I was detained, I criticized the dictatorial rule while I was taking coffee with my friends. That could be the reason why I was detained," he added.

Aklilu Solomon, an Eritrean journalist who used to work for the Voice of America (VOA), came to the Shimelba camp six month ago. Aklilu was a corrospondent for the VOA Tigrigna service. Aklilu said that he was detained in May 2003 because of a news report he aired about parents' grief who lost their children in Ethio-Eritrea war. "I was released in June 2006. Since then, I was under house arrest. However, I managed to defect to Ethiopia six month ago," Aklilu said.

The Eritreans have to pay up to 7000 Nakfa to the individuals who help them to make their way to Ethiopia or Sudan. These individuals who traffic people to the border areas are commonly called pilots. According to the refugees, some members of the United Nations peacekeeping mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) were involved in human trafficking. Young women who are apprehended by Eritrean border guards have to bribe the soldiers or sleep with them to be released. Parents whose children defect to neibouring countries are forced to pay a fine of 20,000 Nakfa to the government. Countries such as the US and Canada offer immigrant visas for the Eritrean refugees. But one has to wait for at least four years to get this chance. Those who are fed up of camp life go to Sudan, then to Libya. From Libya, human traffickers take them European countries by boat.

Most of the Eritrean refugees in Shimelba get remittance from their sisters and brothers residing in Western countries. Some of the refugees, run small businesses such as restaurants, shops and barberry in the camp.

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