Peaceful and legal means of struggle were the signature of Eritrean politics until we arrived at a time where legal and peaceful means of opposition are considered a sign of weakness by the ruling PFDJ regime. Politicians of the forties and the fifties had already exhausted all civilized means of appeal in their quest for justice and fairness. They were ignored. Had Emperor Haile Sellasie listned to their warnings and rational, the Eritrean and Ethiopian people would not have gone through the bloody confrontation that lasted forty years.
In 1953, when the Ethiopian regime was encroaching into the Eritrean Federal authority, men of reason and courage appealed to the United Nations to look into the matter. They were ignored. What started to brew then was the anger of the Eritrean people. The anger led to the formation of the Mahber Shewate and later the Eritrean liberation Front.
Towards the end of the fifties, almost all patriotic Eritrean leaders were either jailed or exiled. Similar to that era, in post-independence Eritrea, many patriots are either in jail or living in exile.
The following letter is a copy from the British Archives. It is a letter written to the Un by three prominent Eritrean politicians of the era. The Fertile Womb has seen many exemplary peaceful struggles which most of the time was thwarted by successive violent regimes that didn’t see the looming dangers. Read the letter and contemplate.
September 12, 1953
URGENT
(Translation from the Tigrinya version)
To the United Nations Representative,
Asmara
Dear Sir,
It has been a year since Eritrea has been federated with the Ethiopia; and the second year is beginning now.
From the day of federation until now, Eritrea has fallen into great trouble since it has not received the rights accorded it by the UN Resolution. As the people of Eritrea cannot endure this any more, we beg that the following receive issues attention as soon as possible:
(a) All this internal authority which Ethiopia has taken from Eritrea be immediately returned to Eritrea
(b) The extension of the Court of Ethiopia to Eritrea, which represents anti-democratic rule, has to be stopped immediately.
(c) The Ethiopian soldiers who lack discipline and who disgrace Eritrean women and cause vexation to our people be returned to Ethiopia.
(d) The representative of His Majesty should not go into Eritrean internal affairs. He is giving much trouble to those Eritreans who try to do the right thing for their country.
If the above issues are not looked into to bring immediate action and satisfactory results, we will surely be against the government of Haile Sellassie, which we believe is against individual freedom towards human beings.
By relying upon the protection of “God” we have decided to intervene against this Government for the sake of our country and for its honour.
As we write this application in order to let you know of our decision in advance, we are counting on the United Nations to bring about the right results.
Respectfully,
Signed) Mohammed Omer Cadi
President Independent Moslem League
Signed) Ahmed Abdelcader Bescir
Secretary General Hezbi El Watan El Eritrill
Signed) Ibrahim Sultan
Secretary General Moslem League.
Copy to the following:
To the Eritrean Assembly
His Majesty’s Representative
The British Consul
The American Consul
The French Consul
The Italian Consul
