ERITREA: AS ERITREA CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE THE AFTERMATH OF YEARS OF WAR LEAVES DISPLACED PEOPLE, POVERTY AND A RISK OF STARVATION

Record ID: 426052

  • Title: ERITREA: AS ERITREA CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE THE AFTERMATH OF YEARS OF WAR LEAVES DISPLACED PEOPLE, POVERTY AND A RISK OF STARVATION
  • Date: 4th June 2001
  • Summary: ERITREA, (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS /PEOPLE WATCHING FIREWORK (5 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPOS TSEHAYE, ENGINEERING STUDENT, SAYING "It is something you can't express it in words, you know. Freedom. Freedom. Sometimes people in the world don't know what freedom is." 0.24 3. VARIOUS OF CROWDS/ DANCING / WALKING (3 SHOTS) 0.33 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELSA YOSEF, NURSE SAYING "I'm so glad to come here and to see my people. So happy. The young men, young women, because everybody think that like all the young men they went to the war, you know fighting. But to see all of them here is really special, really something else. Like a dream." 0.51 (REUTERS ARCHIVE) 5. VARIOUS, LIBERATION OF ASMARA IN 1991 /CELEBRATING CROWDS/ TANKS ARRIVING 1.09 6. VARIOUS, TANKS/ ARTILLERY FIRING IN DESERT (2 SHOTS) 1.15 7. SLV PEOPLE WALKING ALONG ROAD WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED AND GUNS IN THE AIR 1.19 8. PAN OF BORDER ERITREA/ETHIOPIA BATTLEFIELD/ AFTERMATH (POST 1998) /BODIES IN TRENCHES (3 SHOTS) 1.36 (RECENT) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) 9. WIDE OF OFFICE BUILDING WITH ERITREAN FLAG OUTSIDE 1.40 10. SCU POSTER READING (ENGLISH) " ERITREA NEVER KNEEL DOWN" 1.41 11. SCU SIGN READING HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERITREA WITH DOVE OF PEACE 1.43 12. SLV STREET SCENE WITH CARS DRIVING PAST WITH ERITREAN FLAGS 1.46 13. VARIOUS, ERITREAN AIRFORCE HELICOPTER FLYING WITH BANNER READING " 10TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERARY " 1.53 14. WIDE OF BATTLE SCARED BUILDING WITH MODEL ON CAMEL ON THE ROOF 1.56 15. SLV MODEL CAMEL ON ROOF OF BUILDING 2.00 16. VARIOUS OF GIANT MODEL OF SANDALS WORN BY ERITREAN SOLDIERS AS CENTREPIECE OF ROUNDABOUT 2.05 17. SLV SOLDIER WALKING ALONG ROAD 2.08 18. SMV SOLDIER SITTING IN DOORWAY 2.10 19. VARIOUS, OF STREET SCENES WITH BANNERS AND DECORATIONS ACROSS ROAD (2 SHOTS) 2.15 20. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEHRIE ZEWELDI, WAR VETERAN SAYING "Fighting is not good but in order to be free you have to pay because, as I told you, life without freedom is no life at all. You have to be free. In order to be free you have to fight. You have to struggle. That's why I joined the EPLF as an Eritrean." /STREET SCENES WITH BANNERS (4 SHOTS) 2.35 21. VARIOUS, OF PEOPLE ALONG STREET (2 SHOTS) 2.45 22. WIDE OF STREET SCENE WITH BANNER "HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY - INTERNET CAFE " 2.48 23. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALMAZ-EYOB, SOLDIER'S MOTHER SAYING "She was 22 years old. It doesn't begin with her and it doesn't end by her because it's normal. Like any world's country you have to die for your country." 3.03 ASMARA, ERITREA (24 MAY 2001) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) 24. WIDE OF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS WITH PARADING SOLDIERS WITH FLAGS 3.07 25. VARIOUS, PEOPLE AT CELEBRATIONS HOLDING UP CANDLES AND DANCING (2 SHOTS) 3.12 26. SLV PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWERKI WALKING INTO CELEBRATIONS 3.17 27. VARIOUS, CROWD DANCING AT CELEBRATIONS (2 SHOTS) 3.25 28. SMV PRESIDENT AFEWERKI WITH CROWD 3.29 29. VARIOUS OF CROWDS AT CELEBRATIONS (2 SHOTS) 3.36 (RECENT) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) 30. VARIOUS, DISPLACED REFUGEES WALKING AND RIDING ON CARTS IN COUNTRYSIDE (3 SHOTS) 3.48 31. VARIOUS, OF UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE CAMPS WITH TENTS (2 SHOTS) 3.53 32. SMV DAMAGED BUILDING DESTROYED DURING WAR 3.35 33. SLV , UNITED NATIONS ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER ALONG ROAD OF VILLAGE 4.06 34. VARIOUS, ( SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN CHRIS FRENCH, CANADIAN U.N. PEACEKEEPER SAYING "From what I've seen, some of the homes are destroyed. Of course they're going to have to rebuild their homes. And that'll probably be the major difficulty right now. Mines are a threat. It has definitely been on the Canadians' mind since we've been here. But we don't go anywhere that has not been a cleared and proven route by a Canadian engineer. And so when we want a route open we will ask the engineers to go prove it and clear it and then we will start patrolling it." /DANGER SIGNS FOR MINEFIELDS/ UN APCS PATROLLING (6 SHOTS) 4.34 35. VARIOUS, REFUGEES IN CAMPS COLLECTING WATER (2 SHOTS) 4.41 36. SLV MEN CHOPPING WOOD PALLET INTO PIECES TO BUILD NEW HOME 4.43 37. SLV GROUP OF REFUGEES 4.46 38. SCU , RAHMA EBRAHIM AND CHILD (2 SHOTS) 4.57 39. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Tigrina) RAHMA EBRAHIM, INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON SAYING "We wait. The government must help us. Otherwise we have nothing. We left everything there, even our clothes. We took nothing from our house. Now we are waiting living in the tents. So the government must help us." 5.13 40. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN CAMPS (2 SHOTS) 5.21 41. WIDE/ PAN, TENTS IN CAMP 5.27 42. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDEBRHAN GIORGIS, U.N. LIASON COMMISSION CENTRE SAYING "Now with a durable peace within sight we can dedicate our energy, our resources, to the development of our country and to the betterment of the human condition of our people. And this gives us a great inspiration and tremendous hope and the unshaken belief that our future is very bright with lots of advantages." 5.55 43. WIDE/ PAN ASMARA SKYLINE 6.02 44. WIDE OF LARGE BUILDING WITH ERITREAN FLAG 6.05 47. VARIOUS WOMAN NARRATING LETTER FOR NARRATIVE PURPOSES OVER SHOTS OF TYPEWRITER "Mr. President, Eritrea is at a crossroad. It is time for a serious soul searching by all concerned, starting from the leadership. Let the leadership and the entire nation conduct an open debate. People should not be denied this right which they have paid for with their blood, sweat and tears...." (6 SHOTS) 6.40 48. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEBRE TSEHAYE SAYING "If you ask my personal opinion, I think it's too early to judge the Eritrean government because we've been 30 years and now another phase of war for the last three years. I would love to know of any criticism. I'm not saying this government is absolute. It has its weaknesses like any other government." 6.59 49. VARIOUS, TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN ARENA WITH MEN WEARING TRADITIONAL COSTUMES CARRYING WEAPONS (2 SHOTS) 7.21 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ERITREA
  • Country: Eritrea
  • Reuters ID: LVA48KE41N81MI29UMFLWYDLWHNG
  • Story Text: Eritreans are celebrating ten years of freedom, even
    though the aftermath of the war is still leaving a
    devestating impact on the population.



    The joy is untrammelled. Ten years after Eritrean
    guerrillas captured the capital Asmara from the Ethiopians,
    the people of the war-ravaged country are celebrating.

    "It is something you can't express it in words, you know.

    Freedom. Freedom. People in the world don't know what
    freedom is." (Philipos Tsehaye, Engineering student)
    Joining the party are Eritreans who fled the country for
    the United States when the fighting began.Some plan to
    return for good.

    "I'm so glad to come here and to see my people. So
    happy. The young men, young women, because everybody think
    that like all the young men they went to the war, you know
    fighting. But to see all of them here is really special,
    really something else. Like a dream." (Elsa Yosef, nurse)
    The liberation of Asmara in 1991 marked the end of 30
    years of fighting. Eritrea was once an Italian colony then
    was federated with Ethiopia in 1952. But Ethiopia had wanted
    to turn Eritrea into a mere province and the long struggle
    for independence began.

    But even after the storming of Asmara, peace for this
    tiny nation of four million has hung by a thread.

    Fighting was to reignite in 1998 when a border dispute
    boiled over into an all-out battle with Ethiopia that cost
    tens of thousands of lives. The trench warfare ended with a
    ceasefire in May last year and the deployment of U.N.

    peacekeepers.

    But these celebrations are seen as an occasion for
    pride and unity. On cars, on buildings flags flutter, and
    the three helicopters of the Eritrean air force are
    constantly dragging banners or dropping patriotic messages.

    The significance of the camel is lost on no-one.

    Camels were used by soldiers to ferry weapons and soldiers
    to ferry weapons and equipment to the war zone. Even the
    sandals worn by the soldiers have become icons.

    Many of those celebrating are veterans of the war.

    Teachers like Gehrie Zeweldi have returned to studies but
    fought in the struggle for independence. "Fighting is not
    good but in order to be free you have to pay because, as I
    told you, life without freedom is no life at all. You have
    to be free. In order to be free you have to fight. You
    have to struggle. That's why I joined the EPLF as an
    Eritrean."
    And his many thousand fallen comrades are seen as sources
    of national pride. Almaz-Eyob had a daughter who died while
    serving in the army but she says she's proud to be the
    mother of a hero. "She was 22 years old. It doesn't begin
    with her and it doesn't end by her because it's normal.

    Like any world's country you have to die for your country."
    But despite such a display of national unity the
    long-term legacy of the fighting is unlikely to disappear.

    The popular leader Isayas Afewerki has much to grapple
    with as he prepares for presidential elections in December.

    He must first find a way to feed his people. The United
    Nations says that a quarter of Eritrea's population, or
    around one million people, is at risk of starvation.

    Indeed, while Asmara celebrated with fireworks and a
    special anniversary beer, not 300 kilometres away others
    could only muster coffee, popcorn and a little music. They
    are the Internally Displaced People, or IDPs.

    Every day a few more trickle back to this UN camp. The IDPs
    abandoned their homes when their villages were shelled. Now
    that UN forces have prised a 25- kilometre gap between the
    two armies, they have a safe haven but not a home.

    "From what I've seen, some of the homes are destroyed.

    Of course they're going to have to rebuild their homes. And
    that'll probably be the major difficulty right now."
    (Captain Chris French, Canadian U.N. peacekeeper) Mines are
    a threat. It has definitely been on the Canadians' mind
    since we've been here. But we don't go anywhere that has
    not been a cleared and proven route by a Canadian engineer.

    And so when we want a route open we will ask the engineers
    to go prove it and clear it and then we will start
    patrolling it.

    It's a hard life in the camps, relying on what the UN can
    provide. A pallet is gratefully accepted. It will be used
    to help build a home.

    A year ago Rahma Ebrahim fled the fighting for the
    mountains. She returned to find her home destroyed and her
    farm turned into a minefield. "We wait. The government must
    help us. Otherwise we have nothing. We left everything
    there, even our clothes. We took nothing from our house.

    Now we are waiting living in the tents. So the government
    must help us."
    But the cash to get people out of the camps could be hard
    to come by. Economists outside Eritrea believe that growth
    rates will continue to be meagre but the government line at
    least is that prosperity will return.

    "Now with a durable peace within sight we can dedicate our
    energy, our resources, to the development of our country and
    to the betterment of the human condition of our people. And
    this gives us a great inspiration and tremendous hope and
    the belief that our future is very bright with lots of
    advantages." (Andebrhan Giorgis, U.N Liasion Commission)
    But with hard times ahead and no sign of an official
    opposition there are rumblings of discord from a free press
    and from Eritreans abroad.

    In a rare sign of protest, a group of intellectuals wrote
    to the government, saying the Ethiopian army's successes had
    shocked every Eritrean to the core.

    "Mr. President, Eritrea is at a crossroad. It is time for a
    serious soul searching by all concerned, starting from the
    leadership. Let the leadership and the entire nation conduct
    an open debate. People should not be denied this right which
    they have paid for with their blood, sweat and tears..."
    Officials dismiss the critics as unrepresentative, and
    many in the country are willing to give the government the
    benefit of the doubt.

    "If you ask my personal opinion, I think it's too early
    to judge the Eritrean government because we've been 30 years
    and now another phase of war for the last three years. I
    would love to know of any criticism. I'm not saying this
    government is perfect. It has its weaknesses like any other
    government." (Gebre Tsehaye)
    And as the Independence Day celebrations drew to a close
    in the national stadium, the nation's problems could be
    quickly forgotten. The challenge for the government is to
    harness the talent, enthusiasm and unity of this lavish
    display in the reconstruction of the country.


    ---ENDS---

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