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The Kunama is a minority ethnic-group living in the western part of Eritrea.This page exposes the unjust and discriminatory activities of the Eritrean government. It also participates in the political dialogues in Eritrea. |
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| August 4-5-1999 LAND REFORM THE VOICE OF GASH (VG):
Dear native of Gash/Setit, This message has solely been prepared and sent to you; so, please, open and read it. 1.- WHAT IS THE VOICE OF GASH? 2.- WHY HAS THE VOICE OF GASH COME INTO BEING? 3.- WHAT IS THE VOICE OF GASH GOING TO BE?
1.- WHAT IS THE VOICE OF GASH (VG)? It is the voice of the people of Gas/Setit striving to have it heard. They are asking for justice, equality and for their land and their personal rights.
2.- WHY HAS THE VOICE OF GASH COME INTO BEING? The Voice of Gash has come into being because of the evil activities carried out by the past governments and the ill-treatment this region and its entire population had to endure during the armed struggle for the Eritrean independence. The following are the governments and the groups that persecuted the people of Gas/Setit: - the Italian colonial government; - the British; - the Ethiopean government; - the Jabha-Tahrir armed struggle group and - the present Eritrean government. The Italian colonial government declared Gash/Setit as a "STATE LAND", without any regard to the people of the region as if that were an uninhabited land. The Jabha-Tahrir armed struggle group accused the Kunama of siding with the Ethiopean government, burned, in 1967, the village of Karkasha, killed a considerable number of Kunama people, for instance, among the first ones: Kontalle Cassiano, Celestino Adana, Frut Talla and raided their cattle. The present Eritrean government's activities against the Kunama people have exceeded those of the previous governments. The natives of Gash/Setit are experiencing and witnessing ongoing evil activities by the Shabia against them. It suffices to mention the recent cruel massacre of our people in Sikinibia (Shambakko).The Tigrigna speaking local police there chased some Kunama people, as if they were hunted wild animals and for a very trivial reason, and gunned them down on a bright day-light. Likewise, the civilian Tigrigna speaking people, living there, joined their policemen, ill-treated our people and killed them. All these sad events have carefully ben documented. 3.- WHAT IS THE VOICE OF GASH GOING TO BE? The Voice of Gash is going to be the herald of the provincial or regional government of Gash/Setit. It will be the emblem and the source of good service to the people, to the region and to the politics of Gash/Setit. In short, Gash/Setit will be governed by its natives. No one shall ever attempt to chase us, like wild animals and gun us down. GUIDLINES FOR THE FUTURE GASH/SETIT PROVINCIAL OR REGIONAL GOVERNMENT.
A) -Federal, provincial or regional government:
3. The Gash/Setit provincial or regional government shall be one that engages itself in developing the region and cares for the welfare of its people 4. The civil servants and the local police force shall be natives of Gash/Setit. 5. Our representatives to the Ferderal government shall be elected by the natives of Gash/Setit. B) - LAND: 1- The state, provincial or regional capital city is Biara, Barentu (Barenku). 2- The land shall be for the natives of Gash/Setit. 3- The land shall neither be bought nor sold. 4- All the local plantations, like: Aligidir (SIA), Bimbilna, Sikinibia (Shambakko) Dokimbia, Haikota, as well as the fields, dwellings and other personal properties that had unlawfully been appropriated shall be returned to their legal owners. 5- It is forbidden, in Gash/Setit, to cut down trees. 6- Hunting is forbidden in Gash/Setit. 7- Magula, Antore and Biakundi shall be the provincial or regional reserves or wild life-park 8- The following three projects shall be of priority: a) - digging of water-wells and building of dams or reservois; b) - building of clinics and hospitals; c).- building of schools and recreational facilities.
C) - LANGUAGES: Gash/Setit languages shall be: a) - Kunama; b) - Marda (Nara); c) - Arabic. D) - RELIGIONS: a) - Kunama Beliefs: b) - Christianity; c) - Islam. E )- NAMES: a) - In Gash/Setit, the names of the various territories, cities, towns and villages shall be those given by its natives and not the ones of foreign origin. b) - In Gash/Setit, avenues, roads, streets, public places and so on, shall carry only local names. THE LAST MESSAGE OF THIS LEAFLET: As there is no freedom of speech in our country, we had never had the opportunity to gather all of us together in order to exchange our views, express our wishes and propose our suggestions. Should, therefore, statements like: - Federal government; - provincial or regional government and so forth, be unclear or cause some uncertainty, it would be very advisable if experts on this matter were contacted and asked for clarifications. Very often, times undergo radical changes and there will be big changes in our country. We shall then, have all the freedom and the opportunity to sit together and talk over the content of "THE VOICE OF GASH": Till then, "LET PEACE REIGN OVER US". THE MESSAGE OF THE VOICE OF GASH.
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