The Eritrean Federal Democratic Movement’s : Final Statement and Resolutions

Adopted at the 3^rd Session of

The Eritrean Federal Democratic Movement’s

Central Committee, held from 16-18/12/2005

The Eritrean Federal Democratic Movement’s (CC) legislative committee has held its 3^rd and last regular meeting for the year 2005, from 16th -18 December 2005. The meeting has deeply studied and analysed the papers of all executive offices: –

–         Political and diplomatic affairs

–         Information affairs

–         Organizational affairs

–         Economic and financial affairs

–         Report Papers sent by branch offices and CC member representatives from Sudan, UK and Australia.

–         Proposal letters, questions and advice from the EFDM’s friends.

The meeting has also discussed on the current issues overwhelming our country and our people and the actors involved in these issues. It has looked and given priority to following political issues:

–         The economic hardship and the state terror under the police state our people are suffering.

–          Ethio-Eritrean border conflict

–         Eritrean Refuges

–         Regional relations and stability

–         Women’s participation in the struggle for democracy

–         The role of civil societies in Diaspora

 All the activities of each executive office and papers sent by member leadership and branches were presented and were discussed in-depth by the meeting. The strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities (SWOT) facing the organization in general and each distinct office in particular, from the political, economic, social and technical (PEST) aspects were mapped. Based on these analyses the meeting finally decided on the following:

On the Police State

·        Condemned the regime for all the atrocities it is committing against our impoverished peace loving people.

·        Called upon the regime to free all political prisoners, respect human rights for all citizens, and allow freedom of movement, expression, belief and worship

·        Called upon the regime to dismantle its forced labour and slavery in the form of forced conscription of the so-called national service.

·        Called upon the regime to dismantle its fascistic security apparatus, take apart its police state run by the self elected president and hand over power to its right owners, the Eritrean people.

On organizational affairs

·        Resolved and adopted a new development strategy and work plan for the year 2006.

·        Discussed deeply, issue by issue, the report from dialogue committee that had been carried out with a variety of Eritrean parties, organizations and groups that was separately presented. The meeting has resolved and approved the report of the dialogue committee and the agreements reached with some of these parties. The CC recommended the leadership to hasten its execution soon.

·     The meeting has deliberated in all the political options and possible means available for the EFDM in the medium and long terms to develop and spread its political philosophy among its true owners, the Eritrean masses. It has opted to hoist and put the EFDM into a higher political orbit and consequently has adopted decisive and historic resolutions that will be implemented in the year 2006.

Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA)

The meeting has unwearyingly and passionately debated in depth about the role of EDA, what it has achieved and where it fails to deliver. Evaluated its efficiency and effectively against the goals it had set for itself since it was founded almost a year ago. The meeting argued keenly about the EFDM’s membership and its role in the Eritrean Democratic Alliance. The meeting mapped all the positive and negative implications of being a member of EDA at this stage, both for the movement (EFDM) as an organization and the opposition camp in general and therefore established that:

·     Unity and cooperation under one umbrella organization, United National Front, is in itself a democratic value that we all in the Eritrean democratic camp for change must pursue, and the EFDM must strongly support and sustain.

·     Resolved that the Eritrean Democratic Alliance is in the right direction, however, it is still in the ground in its take off stage, it has not yet accomplished the construction of many political, structural and organizational institutions necessary to rally the whole potential of the anti-dictatorship and anti-exclusion forces among the Eritrean people. The Eritrean Federal Democratic Movement must do whatever it can to accelerate this institution building process forward and help achieve take off so that EDA reach its destination in the shortest possible time. The EFDM will participate with the others to elevate EDA to the level of the expectations of our peace and democracy loving people, aspiring to be free from oppression, state violence and poverty.

·     Reiterated that the EFDM has no organizational or any other particular interests and gains in joining EDA, apart than to participate with the other democratic forces to enhance the democratic values of partnership and to make a positive impact in the building of democratic Eritrea. Hence, it is very important for the EFDM to define clear terms and specified machinery for the partnership in EDA that leads to democratic practices and behaviour.

·     The meeting recommended the Executive Committee to insist on EDA to:

–         Build democratic institutions, among which a conflict management and conflict resolution body (to resolve conflicts both within and among member organizations).

–         Democratise conflict management mechanisms.

–         Promote efficiency and transparency in all its activities.

–         Establish a clear EDA membership criterion and unambiguous partnership accord.

–         Institutionalise its works and methods of work.

·     The meeting recommended the Executive Committee to insist on EDA that information should flow from top to bottom without obstacles, and decision-making processes and activities should smoothly follow in the direction from bottom to top.

On the Ethio-Eritrean border conflict

The meeting reaffirmed its full support for a peaceful resolution based on the Algiers Peace Agreement and the EEBC demarcation verdict. The meeting has called upon both governments to avoid all actions that lead to tensions along the boarder and shun rhetoric and incensed measures that escalate the situation and lead to war. The meeting believes that no one gains from such a war between the two countries, but all lose. The meeting urged the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia to hasten the implementation of the EEBC demarcation decision without appeal and prevent a war and save the two brother peoples from its devastating consequences.

On the situation of Eritrean refugees in Sudan and Ethiopia

The meeting discussed the situation of the new Eritrean refugees’ influx to the Sudan, Ethiopia and to the Diaspora, and resolved that:

·     The new refugees’ influx to neighbouring countries from Eritrea is escaping persecution by an oppressive regime to save their lives.

·     The flow of refugees from Eritrea at this time is because the cruel human rights violations- harassment, extra –judicial killings, rape and torture by the regimes security forces and military generals.

·     Thousands of Eritreans are fleeing the country and living in Sudan and Ethiopia without the help of the international community they deserve.

The meeting expressed its sympathy with and support for the suffering refugee brothers and sisters in the neighbouring countries and:

·        Called upon the UNHCR that the legal situation of the Eritrean refugees must be reconsidered and be allowed the refugee status in the Sudan, Ethiopia and elsewhere.

·         Recommended to the Executive Committee of the movement to work with all NGOs and other humanitarian organizations to get support for the Eritrean refugees.

·     Reiterated that the Eritrean Democratic Alliance should take its responsibility and work hard to solve this problem at the international level.

On peace and regional stability

Based on the strong conviction of the EFDM on peace, democracy, human rights respect, rule of law, and peaceful coexistence as basic condition for stability and development of nations, the meeting has considered the recent developments of peace and democracy in the Sudan, adopting negotiations as peaceful means of resolving Sudan’s internal conflicts, and successfully building a transitional government of National Unity as many steps ahead to peace and a progress towards a sustainable stability in the region.

The meeting has also considered the courageous steps taken towards pluralism and democracy in Ethiopia that was manifested in the last election, as positive developments and considerable solid steps towards peace, sustainable democracy and a sign of hope and optimism for stability in our region, the horn of Africa.

While these were the positive developments in the Sudan and Ethiopia, the totalitarian regime in Eritrea has been all the time, dumb and deaf, unable to learn from the tide of democratic changes in the region and the world at large. It failed to feel the misery of the Eritrean people.  The regime, as usual, is enjoying war mongering and is still dancing on the rhythms of war drums; it is more and more revealing its anti -peace and anti-democracy nature. The regime in Eritrea has always tried to reverse the positive democratic developments in the region by intervening in the internal affairs of the Sudan and Ethiopia and create chaos in the process of peace and democratization.

Cognizing all the above, the meeting has:

·        Condemned the Eritrean regimes for its interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries and for persistently annoying the international community, represented by the UN Peace Keeping Forces, other UN offices and the various NGOs.

·        While Cheered up the democratic developments in both the Sudan and Ethiopia, has wished more progress to the peoples and governments of both Ethiopia and Sudan towards promoting peace, democracy development, and justice sustained by implementing federal democratic systems adopted by both countries.

·        Expressed its wish that the peace agreement between the different Sudanese ethnic, regional, social and political groups and its implementation in the Sudan would have a positive effect on Eritrea. Though the meeting has resolved that it is against the true nature of the regime, it wished that it would learn from its neighbours and denounce its policy of violence, oppression, and exclusion and resort to national unity and the rule of law.

·        Articulated its support to the Sanaa cooperation countries, Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia, on their struggle for peace, peaceful coexistence, free trade and development in the region. It has also greeted all the peoples struggling for peace, democracy and justice all over the world.

On women’s role and participation

The meeting discussed the absence of women in the Eritrean political process of democratization. It reiterated that building peace and sustainable democracy couldn’t be achieved without women’s participation. The Eritrean federal Democratic Movement, since it was found, recognized the importance of involving women in the process of democratization, the meeting therefore:

·        Recommended that EFDM leadership should implement this resolution in practice in the EFDM and put the gender issue as its priority in the Eritrean Democratic Alliance by demanding to promote women to leadership positions, and involve them actively in the decision-making processes.

·        Women experiences, values and priorities bring important perspective to both federalism and democracy in Eritrea.

The role of civil societies in Diaspora

The meeting has evaluated the activities of civil society associations in Diaspora. It emphasized the role of civil society in building democracy and its role as arbiter between the citizen and the state. It resolved that democracy without a healthy civil society is not sustainable. Civil societies act as both a channel for participation and provide checks and balances on the government.

·        The meeting supported and appreciated the activities performed by civil societies in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and the Sudan.

·        Expressed its support to the newly established civil society organizations in the Sudan like- the Eritrean Medical Association, Suwera Centre for Human rights in Eritrea, Eritrean Association for refugees and Eritrean Women Association.

·        Encouraged other Eritrean professionals in Sudan and in all over the world to organize in such activities. It is such organizations a democracy needs to grow and sustain.

Long lives Eritrea, free and sovereign

Shame to the dictatorial chauvinistic regime

Glory to Eritrean martyrs

Issued in the on 18^th December 2005

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