The following story was relayed to us by a 26 year old Eritrean now living in the Sudan. We have withheld his name to spare him and his family in Eritrea further government-sponsored terrorism. It is a gruesome, but all too-common, tale of how the life of Eritrea's youth has been reduced to hopelessness, where they will do anything to escape PFDJ's terror. Read this story and see if people leave Eritrea and risk their life because they want to make money in foreign lands.
I am [name deleted.] I was born to [name of father and mother deleted] in 1978. In 1990, at the age of twelve, I left my home village to start formal education in Adikeih. I studied till grade four under the care of my aunt. From fifth grade to eleventh grade (end of high school) I took care of myself by engaging in manual labor with low wage.
After I finished high school, I joined the Sawa military training camp to do my national service duty. I joined the camp before the university entrance exam was made public [announced.] After six months of military training, I was told about my exam result. I passed the exam with a 2.4 GPA and I joined the university in 2000-2001, in the department of political science. I continued my studies till 4th semester.
In April 26, 2002 I traveled to my home village to visit my family. However, in zoba debub [Southern Region], Mai Aini, the bus stopped at a checkpoint. A soldier entered the bus and started asking every one for their IDs. When he reached at my seat, I showed him my university ID card. Then the soldier ordered me to leave the bus. When I asked him why I should leave the bus, he slapped me in the face so hard that I lost my balance and leaned towards the one who was sitting next to me.
The soldier ordered me for the second time to leave the bus; as I didn't have other options, I left the bus. The bus left, but the soldier asked me where I was going; I told him that I am going to my home village to see my family. But he could not trust me. He said that I was not telling him the truth, and he was furious by this time and added: "listen, your intention is to cross the border to Ethiopia, you better tell the truth" I responded by saying that I am a university student working hard to improve myself and help my family and that I don't have any plans to cross the border to Ethiopia. Because I know that Ethiopia is no better than Eritrea.
However, the solder misunderstood my case and started insulting me, beating me by his gun. Finally, I run out of patience and stated defending myself. But soon, his comrades joined him and they beat me with guns and sticks till I was unconscious. I fell to the ground, covered by blood. Then they threw me to a prison cell in Mai Idaga. The police who were there were not also sympathetic.
They left me in a dark cell. After some [time], I gained my consciousness and I started screaming with a low voice. Finally, God helped me; there are always good people in the middle of evil people. One of the police named [name deleted] came up with the idea of taking me to the hospital. But the others who were beating me rejected this idea because they were afraid that I was acting. [He], however insisted on taking me to the hospital and asked some car driver for a ride; the car driver agreed. [The policeman] and his comrades almost fought with each other. [He] carried his gun and took me to the hospital. I returned to the prison after I was treated in the hospital.
My family visited me in the hospital, because I sent them a message. My mother was almost crazy when she saw me because she was only expecting my hopeful future. My family and friends made every effort for my release or my release on bail so that I can continue my studies, but they failed. The authorities finally transferred me to special prison in Dahlak Island. This prison is found in a very hot area [Red Sea] and built under the ground by covering of a thick woods and leaves. In Dahlak, I stayed for 18 months without understanding my mistake and although with out taking me to the national court.
On December 18, I was sick and the policemen took me to Massawa hospital. I stayed in the hospital for 10 days and my health situation is changed to normal. So that the hospital doctor told me that I have to go back to Dahlak, then they have to phone to Dahlak. They phoned directly to Dahlak, but the policemen didnt come at that time.
At that time, I was got a chance to go out from the hospital by secret and I started a big and difficult program to run out from Eritrea. As my program began on December 29, 2003 I traveled by rental taxi from [deleted] to [deleted.] If I had traveled in a public bus, there are so many check points, so that if the policemen ask me about a permission paper at the check point, I wouldnt have any answers and I would have been sent back to the prison with a worse fate.
In [deleted], I stayed for two weeks with my wife out side my house. After two weeks I aimed to cross to Ethiopia by a car (Toyota Landcruiser) with my friend. We painted the car with white color and also wrote on it UN on three sides. The car was owned by the Zoba Debub [Southern Region] administration and my friend was also a driver of it. In January 17-2004 we crossed to Tserona town and we passed 5 checkpoints as U.N workers. After that, we entered Tserona on Sunday 17, 2004. We were very happy because most of our problems were solved.
But we couldn't sleep there, because of some questions that were how to leave the car and how to cross the last Eritrean border. At 8:00 PM, we parked the car near the branch of Zoba Debub office in Tserona. And we left it in this place.
75% of our goal was achieved, but the 25% is surrounded by the Eritrean soldiers and UNMEE soldiers. At this place, there is no permission for anybody to shoot. That means this place is United Nations military observation place. We crossed by running fast and entered to Ethiopia. At that time, we felt full happiness. Every Ethiopian said to us welcome.
In Ethiopia, there is systematic democracy but not full democracy. After two (2) days, we continued our journey to Axum by the way of military administration. In every town there is a lot of questions to us by Ethiopian security. After six (6) days of difficult questions in different towns of Ethiopia, we were transmitted to UNHCR. Before we were transmitted to UNHCR, the Ethiopian securities gave us two (2) free days. And I phoned to Saudi Arabia to my wife's father. I asked him about my family. But I was not to hear any good news.
He [my father-in-law] told me, Your wife and your father are living in prison because of you. This made me very sad. I didnt want stay in Ethiopia for a minute. Because of the Badme situation, Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia find themselves in a dangerous place. In this place, many youth were kidnapped and one youth was killed by unknown persons. This place is border of Ethiopia and Eritrea and it also the main conflict point between the two countries. Life in this camp has:
- No freedom of work
- No freedom of movement from the camp to any Ethiopian town.
So the best choice for me is to go to Sudan until I get better life. I am here now in Khartoum, Sudan. But I dont have any permit from the Sudanese government or the UNHCR as a refugee or a political man [recipient of political asylum.] At this time, I am asking political asylum to the Sudanese government, UNHCR office branch of Khartoum, all ambassadors of the world in Khartoum, and nongovernmental organization in Sudan.
So please, I ask you too to help me.
