Letter from Asmara: Eritrean Exodus Since Peace Treaty With Ethiopia

An Eritrean sends a letter (read by Paris-based Erena Radio broadcasters) on “the intentional, dangerous and evil” plan to empty out Eritrea out of its citizens. This has become specially acute, she writes, since the peace treaty which endangers Eritrean autonomy was signed with Ethiopia.

Excerpt of her message…. and the entire video follows.  

A country for which thousands of lives were paid to liberate is emptying out…

We are at a point of no return, a dangerous time where no future regrets can reverse the outcome…

Oh, please, all my Eritrean brothers: do something!

As our [founding] father Woldeab Woldemariam said, “a country is the people who live in it; not the soil nor rocks; not the mountains nor rivers; not the valleys nor hills…a country means a people.”

Because Isaias [Afwerki] spread the news that the recent opening of borders with Ethiopia is temporary, our people, who have been living the lives of prisoners, even those who had never considered exile, are leaving en masse.

In just over a week, since the opening of he border was announced on September 11, 2018, over one hundred thousand (100,000) Eritreans have migrated to Tigray and the heartland of Ethiopia.

This includes families who have sold their property and locked up their homes; soldiers who have thrown their guns; students from elementary, secondary schools and colleges…it includes the underaged who are taking taxis and buses and moving to Tigray.

The Tigrayan towns of Zelambesa, Adigrat, Mekele are now flooded with Eritreans…Similarly, with all Ethiopian towns on the Asmara-Addis Abeba road.

Underage Eritreans are sleeping in the streets of Mekele…

And our girls are leading lives that are too shameful to describe.

Brothers! These are the worst of times. Within a brief period, Eritrea is transforming into a country without Eritreans.

My Eritrean brothers! We are losing Eritrea forever.

Our Eritrea is going on exile. Our Eritrea moving. Our Eritrea is being settled by outsiders.

Let’s do something, please!

The exile is worse now, since Isaias Afwerki betrayed the martyrs and became a dictator, than it was during the occupation period. Our exile appears permanent.

In contrast, Eritrean towns of Asmara, Massawa, others are now the playground of Ethiopians.

Even during the Derg era, we Eritreans had never been this humiliated and disgraced….. continues: