--- "Zerzghi, Amanuel (Amanuel)" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: "Zerzghi, Amanuel (Amanuel)" <[log in to unmask]> > To: "'Jamila Allston'" <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Camps: An Interview With An Eritrean Official > Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 15:30:13 -0400 > > Jamila, > > This was posted on one of the Eritrean networks this morning. I hope > it > helps you understand what is going on inside Eritrea. > > amanuel > > > > Selamat: > > > > Last night, I had a phone interview with a senior government > official of > > the > > GoE who gave me permission to write about the interview provided I > refer > > to > > him as a senior government official (SGO). Here's the exchange: > > > > ======== > > SY: Let's talk about the detention camps. > > > > SGO: This is how it came about. When towns in the Central > Zone-Adi > > Quala, > > Senafe and every village in between--were being shelled, a great > many > > civilians were displaced. Some of the displaced were Ethiopians. > > > Understandably, many Eritreans were angry and outraged. The action > we > > took > > was...as the saying goes "aHan Haradien bHade yHadra"...it was a > > preventive > > measure to avoid a combustible situation. > > > > SY: So, it is a temporary measure. > > > > SGO: Very temporary. As a matter of fact, as of today, there are > no > > "camps." > > > > SY: What about the memorandum about rounding people up for > deportation. > > > > SGO: It was an honest mistake performed at the Zoba level. It is > people > > > > reacting to a dire situation. Yemane Gebremeskel is quoted as not > > knowing > > it was going on; as a matter of fact he did not know it was going > on. > > > > SY: So there will be no deportation. > > > > SGO: There will be no deportation. If there was going to be > deportation, > > we > > would have done it when they were deporting 70,000 people. In > terms of > > policy, there is absolutely no change from that announced two years > ago by > > > > the Bayto (assembly/cabinet), in 1998. Those who want to stay in > Eritrea > > will have a choice to stay and their rights are fully protected. > Those > > who > > want to be repatriated will be repatriated. Our policy is based on > the > > long-term interest of the Eritrean and Ethiopian people. > > > > SY: What about the news reports that one reporter was given access > to one > > > > camp and denied access to others? Doesn't that give an appearance > that we > > > > have something to hide? > > > > SGO: You guys should know better about how the media works! There > was > > no, > > "you can go to this camp; you cannot go to this camp." Even the > camp she > > visited where the Ethiopians told her they prefer to be in the camp > rather > > > > than be amongst angry Eritreans...even in that camp, NOBODY gave > her > > permission > > to go there! She just went. > > > > SY: Shouldn't you guys know better about how the media works and > how this > > > > would appear to the rest of the world? > > > > SGO: You can tell the world: as of today, there are no camps. > There > > never > > was and there never is a plan to deport Ethiopians. > > > > ============== > > Saleh > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------