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Wedi Gerhatu, the Eritrean Ambassador to South Africa has threatened Eritrean students pursuing higher education in South Africa with deportation to Eritrea. Wedi Gerhatu was appointed to the post after another officer appointed to the position refused to go assume the post and remained in the USA (Gedab October 9, 2002). Until his transfer to SA as an Ambassador, Wedi Gerhatu worked in the ministry of education and was in charge of the Mother Tongue education project. He was the nemesis of Abu Arre, a fierce opposer of the mother tongue education. The debated passionately about the issue on the Free press before the press was banned and Abu Arre arrested. Abu Arre is now in jail without trail since Sep 2001.
Until Wedi Gerhatu took charge, the Eritrean students affairs in South Africa was managed by Lula Gebreyesu, a close friend of Dr. Weldeab Isaac, the president of the Asmara university. Lula who was a signatory to letter written to Isaias Afwerki in October 2000 she latter disowned the letter which came to be known as the Berlin Manifesto Claiming that she was recruited under false pretenses Lulas withdrawal from the Berlin group is believed to be as a result to a promised lucrative business managing huge grants by donor nations earmarked for higher education scholarships for Eritrean students. Donor nations had decided to cancel the grant if the Eritrean government didnt use it by the end of the year 2000 (Gedab News November 21, 2000). Dr. Weldeab, who was in charge of the funds, hastily assembeled hundreds of student and dispatched them to several places for higher education. The majority of students left for South Africa where Lula, Executive Director of AIPA is the sole agent of the government and in charge of their admissions to different universities.
The students in South Africa started to become vocal and were resisting the governments efforts to organize them as a satellite students union under the PFDJ structure in Eritrea. When Isaias was visiting South Africa last July of 2002, he belittled the students when they asked questions relating to human rights in Eritrea and he told them that if they want to go to the West, they are not and he said that we can import Indian teachers and globalization is an equalizer. Most of the students are reluctant to return to Eritrea due to the unstable situation in Eritrea where finding a job is not easy. Furthermore, students are forced into unpaid labor, known as Warsay-Yekaalo project. Students are always in search of ways to get out of the PFDJs control once they graduate. The Asmara university has made arrangement with the universities no to give students their diplomas once they graduate and that they should travel to Eritrea to receive it- a means of forcing students to go back to Eritrea.
So far, two students, Isaac Habte and his fiance Rahel were deported to Eritrea when they were discovered planning to travel to Germany. It was unknown whether the two were traveling for a short visit or were avoiding going back to Eritrea. Another two students, Yared Tekaa and Solomon Russom, an ex-EPLF combatant who studied management and graduated with distinction were arrested and interrogated by the South African authorities (Department of Home Affairs)-- Solomon was arrested on his graduation day, April 10, 2003. When Solomon applied for a visa to The Netherlands, the Dutch embassy informed the South African Department of Home Affairs which in turn asked the Eritrean Embassy to confirm if the passport was authentic. Upon learning that Solomon has applied for a visa, the Eritrean Embassy immediately nullified the passport. Our sources said that the police officer who arrested Solomon informed him that he is no longer allowed to stay in South Africa since his passport is nullified. Solomon fought his case in a court and managed to get a permit to say in South Africa were he still lives.
In a recent meeting which was called by the Ambassador and where all students attended, Wedi Gerahtu told the students that the Embassy has blocked all possible ways for Eritrean students who intend to flee to Europe or USA He claimed that he has done this in cooperation with the South African Department of Home Affairs and Western Embassies in the country.
Solomon confronted the Ambassador strongly accusing him of curtailing the freedom of movement of students by threats, blackmailing and intimidation, the Ambassador seemed to lose the argument and told the meeting in what seemed Isaias speech of last July, If any one of you thinks he is willing to go to UK or else and become a cab driver, let him do that.
Students in South Africa claim that the Embassy has asked South African authorities and foreign embassies to check with the Eritrean embassy when they receive an Eritrean passport requesting a visa or upon trying to leave the country because some Eritrean passports were lost and there are forged Eritrean passports which might be used by terrorists.
Similar to what is going a massive form filling campaign, all students in South Africa were asked to fill a new mandatory registration form which is due to be submitted to the embassy by June 10, 2003. Our source said that every student has already filled a similar form in his/her respective ministry or department and especially in Asmara University before coming to South Africa and I dont understand the purpose of this new registration. Our reporter added, Wedi Gerahtu has also orderd students to create branch committees in every university, an out-dated PFDJ command and control tool.
Students fear the Eritrean-Embassy-brokered detention and deportation to Eritrea because many students dont want to go back home to the prevailing condition and would like to stay away. So far, countless students have made it to the West while others have only reached to places like Malta were they were deported back to Eritrea to be jailed the government. Their fate is not known since December of 2002. Tens went missing in the deserts of Sudan, Chad and Libya trying to cross to Europe on trucks, camels and on foot. |
