A High EDA Delegation visited Sweden

EDA Activity Report/Sweden

By EDA reporter

A higher delegation of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance, Mr. Beshir Ishaq, the head of foreign relations of the executive office, and Mr. HajAbdelnur Haj head of the organizational office and public mobilization office has been engaged in meeting the Swedish parliamentarians and foreign department- Horn of African desk in Sweden … 

In their meeting with government authorities and political parties, they briefed the current situation in Eritrea under the repressive Eritrean regime, have been mercilessly perpetrating gross injustices and sufferings on our people. As a result, our people were left with no other choice, but to struggle against the repression for achieving their liberation and dignity.

The magnitude of repression which is being exerted on our people by the repressive regime has reached at its maximum level and that Eritrea under this regime, is on the verge of social destruction. Therefore, the delegation has urged for the prompt support by the Swedish Parliament and government. The delegation has also discussed the behavior of the regime in Eritrea and its destabilization policies in the horn of African countries and called that Sweden as a member of the UN to implement the resolutions of sanctions adopted by the UNSC- 1907 and 2023 resolutions.

The delegation urged also that the Swedish parliamentarians and the government push for stronger sanction against the totalitarian regime in Eritrea according the resolutions adopted by the UNSC.

The Delegation also briefed the recent developments that have taken inside the opposition forces for democratic change. In 2010 EDA has organized a 7 day conference in Ethiopian capital- Addis Ababa. In this conference participated about 340 from all Eritrean diversity- civil society organizations, youth and women associations. The conference established a partnership between the political organizations and civil society organizations and elected a commission composed of 53 persons to prepare a national congress for democratic change. Year 2011, in the month of November a congress for democratic change was convened in Ethiopia- Awasa, where about 630 people from various movements participated . The congress elected a 127 national council for democratic change and adopted national charter and organizational constitution and roadmap, one of the central principles of the national charter is to bring about democratic change, establish constitutional government, and institute rule of law in Eritrea. While our struggle has made significant strides towards that end, we are also cognizant of the fact that there are many challenges ahead; and that we, the Eritrean people, are required to further organize ourselves and transform the struggle to the next higher level- ending the dictatorship and establishing a democratic state in Eritrea. The delegation stressed that so long that the Eritrean repressive regime is in power, there cannot be any kind of peace, justice, stability, and prosperity – in either Eritrea or in the entire region of the horn of Africa. Therefore, the delegation called the Swedish parliament and government to support the just cause of the Eritrean people- through the recent established national council for democratic change (ENCDC).

It further stressed that the Swedish government and parliament take strict measures against the illegal activities of the dictator’s embassy and its supporters in Sweden. Cease collecting 2% taxes, money extortion in Sweden. The delegation has also discussed the issue of Eritrean refugees in their escape from the oppression from Eritrea fall in the hands of smugglers and trafficking where they are detained in the deserts of Sinai in Egypt- many of them were tortured and killed because they couldn’t pay the huge ransoms to them, the delegation urged the Swedish government and parliament to put their pressures that the government of Egypt and Sudan protect the refugees from illegal traffickers in their countries. The delegation further expressed its fear that there is hundreds of the youth escaping from Eritrea to Ethiopia and Sudan every week according UNHCRs report estimated 3000 every month. The refugee camps in Ethiopia and Sudan need international attention and support especially by giving the youth education and health, in this case, the delegation request the Swedish parliament and government to play its role in the European Union redirect the Development Assistance supposed to Eritrea by the EU to the refugees in Sudan and Ethiopia.

The delegation also asked for support and recognition to the newly formed, “Eritrean National Council for Democratic change/ ENCDC,” an umbrella organization including all groups for democratic change. The response of the Swedish parliamentarians and foreign relations was positive and told the EDA delegation that they following up the latest developments inside the Eritrean Forces for democratic change both the conference held in 2010 and the congress held in 2011 and their outcomes. They told the delegation that Eritrean opposition is on the right direction but has a long way to go because democracy is a process but not an end.

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Posted by farajat on Feb 28 2012 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