Eritrean Democratic Alliance General Secretary visited Swedish Parliament

On Thirsday 8^th, March 2006, General Secretary of EDA, Mr. Hussein Khalifa has met the Swedish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee member , Mrs. Cecila Wigström member of the liberal party in Sweden.

After presenting EDA’s objectives and plans, he briefed her the current situation in Eritrea. In his presentation he has taken the issues of human rights violation relating Dawit Isaak’s case as a  symbol representing all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners suffering in the dungeons of the brutal government in Eritrea.

The Eritrean people’s suffering under the regime of Essayas Afewerki does not need my clarification, as it has been reported by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the world nations at large. But  the world community has done very little to the Eritrean people’s suffering, Hussien criticized.  Eritrean people’s wishes for peace and development has been shattered forever by the regime in Eritrea, pinpointed, Hussein.

“We the opposition political organizations have many times showed our good will for peace and reconciliation after the independence of the country but the president in Eritrea closed all doors and refused to accept our invitations for dialogue. If I say, “ Eritrea is today a prison for its citizens is not an exaggeration”, pointed Hussein.”

Mr. Hussein briefed EDA’s  beliefs and democratic principles in the following keywords

–         Freedom of organisation

–         Freedom of speech and press

–         Freedom of religious and ethnic rights

–         Peaceful transference of power

–         Multi- party system of governance and decentralised state structure

We believe in policies that allow our people live in peace and develop on their own thinking without any fear, stressed Hussein.

Hussein indicated that women and children are the worst affected section of the Eritrean society. Women who struggled for the independece of their country on the side of their brothers are today exposed to many risks and negative consequences. Families are obliged to live separately as the children are taken to military training camps and war fronts for indefinite period of time. In addition, they have been victims used as maids and sexual objects of the regimes military officers. We the political opposition organizations work for genuine equality in Eritrea, elaborated Hussein.

On the issue of refugees in Ethiopia and Sudan, he urged the Swedish parliament to be concerned of their fate and provide them with immediate relief. If the situation is not faced seriously it will result in a great human catastrophe, Hussein stressed.

When Hussein has completed his speech , Cecila Wigström , in her return thanked Mr. Hussein for the information on EDA’s struggle for democracy ,peace and human rights; and she has promised that she will report the outcome of the meeting and the situation in Eritrea to the liberal party, the Swedish parliament and the European Parliament.

She confirmed him that the liberal party in Sweden will stand on the side of democracy and human rights respect in Eritrea. We will never cease our support even if Dawit Isaak is released from the prison, she said. In the middle of her speech she asked Hussein if he is visiting other countries in Europe except Sweden, Hussein responded and said that he will be visiting UK.

Mr. Cecila added asking Hussein, if the EDA has an office and activities in Sweden. Mr. Hussein replied yes we have.

Hussein conclude his speech by thanking the Parliament members who listened him  and discussed about Eritrea. He told them that it is the responsibility of the Eritrean people to change the brutal government in Eritrea but we need your support at this time of struggle for democracy and peace in Eritrea.

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Posted by farajat on Mar 10 2006 Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry