Part II
THE EUF'S (ERITREAN UNITY FORUM) MEETING:
Kassel, (Germany), September 27, 2003.
The Eritrean Unity Forum (EUF) held its second meeting, this time in Kassel, Germany, on Saturday September 27, 2003. Though due to private reasons, some members could not attend the meeting, they however apologised, gave reasons for their physical absence and sent their good wishes for the success of the meeting. Out of its nine (9) projected ethnic representatives, there are so far seven (7), with the remaining two (2) to be incorporated in the future.
As it is known, the EUF is an ethnic-based organisation where the ethnic-members of each of the Eritrean ethnic-groups (nationalities) are and will be physically, equally and actively represented. This time, to the full satisfaction of the remaining members, two gentlemen from the Bihere Baria/Nara, joined the Forum for the first time, thus almost completing and giving no more a symbolic but an actual representation of the Eritrean ethno-diverse society. The EUF being therefore an ethnically „all inclusive“, it is consequently also an „all-inclusive“ organ embracing the entirety of the Eritrean ethno-social, political, economic, religious, territorial and all the related matters of our country and people.
Though the Forum does neither claim nor intends to be covering, on its own, all aspects of our country and people, or even trying to entangle itself in deeply implicating matters facing a multi-cultural society like ours, it however aims at involving as many individual and collective forces to identify and find solutions to the problems such a diverse society presents and demands. It is the basic desire and intent of the EUF's members to play only a co-ordinating role within the Eritrean social scenario, co-operating and working together with all the other forces engaged in creating harmony within the various Eritrean diverse social components and preserving the security, unity and the stability of the country and of its people. It is a principle based or very highly and ambitiously founded objectives, but reflecting the existing Eritrean ethnic realities. The EUF's predominant objective is to call for, mobilise and awaken the awareness, in the various Eritrean ethnic forces, the need to identify, prioritise and advance their basic socio-traditional and cultural values and demands, both at the ethnic as well as at the national levels, so that each and all ethnic-group members be acquainted with each other's values and aspirations and work together to build a common ground of unity and peaceful coexistence. The Forum realises that, such a diverse and complex task can be undertaken, performed and implemented only by involving all the responsible ethnic forces and laying a lot of faith and importance on the active participation, co-operation, support and on the positive input and co-ordination of all and of each of the EUF's members and of their own respective ethnic-groups and of their members. The positive responses the EUF has so far received and is receiving from the various Eritrean organisations and individuals getting gradually acquainted with its principles and aims, are very encouraging. The EUF therefore is calling all of the Eritrean national political, civic and other forces to join it and act together for the unity of our diverse society on the bases of justice, socio-political plurality and equality.
As planned, the meeting began at 2 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
The agenda of the meeting was laid down as follows:
1.- “Analysis and Evaluation” of the “Kassel's Manifesto” and of the recent
“London's Coference,” called for and held by the various Eritrean civic organisations;
2.- the EUF's “Relations” with the other Eritrean civic and political organisations;
3.- the issue of the “Eritrean National Conference”;
4.- the “Articles 3 & 4 of the ENA's Charter” and
5.- the EUF's “Relations” with the ENA itself.
As it is well-known, this year's “18th Eritrean Festival in Kassel” had been given a particular tone and significance by the quality of its main participants (political and civic organisations) and by the “Manifesto” which followed it.
The recently held Eritrean “Conference in London,” according to the report given by a participant of the EUF's member (substantiated also by other sources) did not quite fulfil the expectations of many participants who were said to have expected and liked to have seen a “follow-up” and corroboration of the Kassel's Manifesto and not the creation of a substantial discrepancy between the two, with the introduction of new “Manifestos” and proposals for their implementation.
Though the EUF is a members of the Eritrean civic organisations, it basically sticks to its main aim and mission. During the meeting, its members did in fact, manifest their wish and determination to preserve their own basic characteristic: that of being “ethno-composed organ,” playing a “co-ordinating role within the Eritrean ethnic-groups, with the Eritrean ethnic-group members and about the Eritrean ethnic matters.” The EUF's members believe that, as the Eritrean society is composed of and characterised by its ethnic diversity, the ethnic diversity itself of the EUF's own members does, not only, encompass all the Eritrean ethnic and national matters but it also envisages all the Eritrean political and civic forces and organisations under its own umbrella.
As for the issue of the “Eritrean National Conference,” some EUF's members questioned its “national character” unless the active participation of all the “Eritrean national forces” (including the physical participation of the PFDJ regime or of its supporters) is also contemplated. The Forum however came to the conclusion that, though this would be an optimistic scenario, the likelihood is very distant, knowing particularly the PFDJ regime's arrogant character, and therefore the definition of the “Eritrean National Conference” is based only on the good-will and intention of the present as well as of the absent participant Eritreans.
The ENA's “Article 3” states: “we shall strive to establish the principles of respect for religious freedom, cultural and national diversities, the universally accepted civil liberties and the rights of nationalities to self-determination, within the framework of equality and mutual respect.”
The EUF surely endorses the “Article 3 of the ENA” and it understands that, in the context of a democratic society, “self-determination” is not to be always interpreted and understood as meaning and leading “up to secession” but as mainly implying the “decentralisation” of the national political, economic and administrative powers. This is surely congenial to an already ethnically and territorially well established community like the Eritrean society. The EUF, with its ethnic agenda, therefore is only seeing, respecting and promoting the social reality of the Eritrean society. Secession would not be a question if equality is established.
The “ENA's Article 4” affirms that, “Moslems have the right to apply Sharia Law in matters that guide their lives, as Christians have the right to order their daily lives in accordance to their religious beliefs.
Citizenship shall be based on the principles of rights and duties.”
Again, the EUF, can only endorse this principle too which is anyway, one of the fundamental human rights principles included in the “International Declaration on Human Rights.” The “Sharia Law” should not be interpreted and understood, in the distorted manner of “Islamic Fundamentalism” the western Christian world is today trying to, but seen only as a genuine interpretation of the “Islamic or Koranic Law” which our fellow-Eritrean Moslem brothers and sisters have always been adopting and observing in “matters that guide their lives.” As we Christians expect our “Christian religious rights and values” to be free and respected, so do we expect for our Moslem brothers and sisters too. Our Eritrean society is ethnically as well as religiously diverse and therefore “citizenship shall be based on the principles of rights and duties” and not on whether an Eritrean is either a Christian or a Moslem.
The “Eritrean National Alliance” (ENA), is up to now, the only Eritrean political organ reflecting and representing the diversity of the Eritrean society. It is therefore the organisation the EUF can associate and co-operate with in ethnic matters. Both units recognise not only their communal objectives but also the values of their unified activities. In their last meeting too, the EUF's members re-iterated their willingness, preparedness and commitment to keeping their close working-ties with the ENA's leadership and with its various organs around the world.
The members firmly believe that, our “unity in our ethno-social and culturo-traditional diversities” and peaceful coexistence are our “sine-qua non” pre-requisites to building and maintaining a peaceful foreign politico-diplomatic ties also with our immediate and distant neighbouring countries, their people and their governments. The EUF and its members therefore promote the internal national unity as a preliminary basis for good, peaceful and stable international relations. This is also an earnest appeal to the various Eritrean opposition organisations to lay aside their differences and work for the unity of our people. The various party-political intrigues, endless bickering and power-struggles, within and outside of one's own organisation, do seriously damage and are seriously damaging the interests and the expectations of our people and of our nation.
The VKP (the Voice of the Kunama People).
September 30, 2003.
Part I
WHAT
DOES
SUGGEST
TO
Basing on
the very positive attitudes and interests shown by the organisers of as well as
by the participants at the Eritrean
Unity Forum’s seminar in Bremen (Germany) few weeks ago, the RKPHA
would like to offer, as its little and humble contribution to the laudable
initiative, a few suggestions it believes could encourage those good-willed
fellow-Eritreans to work for the unity of the country and of its people. As a
matter of fact, the group, composed of the members of the Eritrean
multi-ethnicity, has assumed, as its main mission, the very unity of Eritrea and
of its ethnic conglomerate. As one of the participants and active element of the
EUF, the RPPHA suggests that the group, as well as the organisation, developed
a strong “good-will, patience,
honesty, clarity and courage” in their aims and activities. Though these
are neither common qualities nor easy ones to apply them always and at the right
time, we retain them to be of paramount importance for the difficult task the
EUF has undertaken.
The RKPHA
believes and hopes that the “good-will”
shown by those responsible members of the EUF will-be the basis on which, not
only all the co-ordinating and co-ordinated efforts for our unity are to be
founded but that it has to be a quality to be promoted and nourished among our
fellow-countrymen and women. Lacking in “good-will”,
we would be failing in our aims.
We need “patience”
in our approaches to the issues as well as in our dialogues with individuals,
groups, organisations or parties we will be dealing with on those issues. “Patience”,
more than a quality, it is a virtue which implies that, in order to guarantee
positive results, in our meetings, seminars or conferences we will have to
engaged the fellow-Eritreans who are particularly gifted with the virtue of
patience. No doubt that, with some patience, a lot of conflicts could be averted.
Eritrea and its people are in great need of it.
With need
absolute “honesty” in tackling
the problems dividing and keeping us Eritreans apart. Though it may be extremely
difficult to recognise our own faults and be ready to apologise for them,
honesty should be pushing us to do it, particularly when a simple word like “sorry”
could sedate the whole tension. A lot of mistrust could be dismantled if we
were to face each other and our problems honestly and this is what we all would
hope and wish for.
Added to this, we need a lot of “courage” in all our approaches, even to the point of calling a “spade a spade”; that is to say, all the above mentioned qualities have to be accompanied and sustained by our strong determination to reach our final aim, the unity of our country and people, courageously, confronting all the obstacles we may encounter along the way. We think it fair to tackle issues on equal terms either agree or even “agree to disagree” but courageously and respectfully. A fellow-Eritrean, once rightly, observed that, “we Eritreans shy away whenever expressing and trying to exchange our points of view”. This, he went on to explain is a “clear sign that we lack maturity in democratic principles”. We find it difficult to reconcile the differing of our ideas from those of our counterparts and the maintenance of our purely human relationships with them. We very often, associate emotions with reasoning and are easily offended if our ideas and arguments are contradicted or rejected. This phenomenon is to be noticed particularly in many supporters of the present regime in Eritrea. Anybody who disagrees with the politics or with the political ideology of EPLF/PFDJ is considered not only as an enemy but as a “traitor” of the country itself and of the Eritrean people. The regime and its politics are identified with Eritrea and with its people.
This is a
very simplistic and unfounded claim rather than a fact based on the real make-up
of Eritrea
The
RKPHA
( September 2002 )