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Gissen, Germany, Bans PFDJ Festival
Following the example of the belated decision by the Italian city of Bologna to ban Eritrean government sponsored festivals, Giessen, Germany, has now decided to ban Eritrean government sponsored festivals. Until last year, Giessen hosted such festivals every summer. For many years, Eritreans from Germany and other parts of Europe have been demonstrating against the…
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Betrayal And Predicament Of An Eritrean Artist
“During the struggle era [Pre-Independence] I was also painting, telling the story of the struggle, the culture of the people and scenes of battles, and such works. My concern was to make sure that I reflect my ideas properly to achieve my goal of getting the message of the struggle across.” […] “…In 1997, [six-years…
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Italy Still Serenading The Eritrean Dictator
On July 2nd, 2014, Italy’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lapo Pistelli, met President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara, and Ethiopian State Minister, Berhane Gebre-Kristos*, in Addis Ababa. The purpose of Pistelli’s visit to Asmara, as he explained, was to demonstrate to “President Isaias personally … that Italy is ready to show a new willingness that…
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Eritrean Resistance Forces Declare Victory in Bologna
For the last three days, the Italian city of Bologna has been a battleground for a showdown between the supporters of the Eritrean regime and its resistance forces. Hundreds of supporters of the regime travelled from all of Europe to attend the festival that was sponsored and organized by the Eritrean ruling party. Almost all…
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An Open Letter To The Israeli Embassy
An Open letter to H.E. Mr. Ron Dermer, Ambassador of Israel to the United States of America Embassy of Israel, Washington D.C. Dear Ambassador Dermer, I am writing on behalf of thousands of Eritreans who are in Israel in conditions that raise serious concerns of human rights and humanitarian issues. They have been corralled and…
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Sunridge CEO: 99% Of Eritreans Support Our Operations
It has always been the mission of Awate.com to work hard to inform its readers on everything the government of Eritrea and its collaborators hide from the people. Awate.com was established for that reason. We monitor the mining sector seriously simply because of its corrupt nature, undisclosed dealings, the long lasting environmental disaster it brings…
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Eritrea: Heroes Made of Steel (By FantiGhana)
The following was written by FantiGhana, a commenter at Awate Forum, two months ago. We liked the short story so much we thought of sharing it with you. FantiGhana, thank you for the story and noble feeling.//Awate Team. Between 1979 -1982 I used to work for a Swedish-run clinic called Sudan Council of Churches. Well,…
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Presenting Master Painter Michael Adonai
Recently I had a lengthy conversation with master painter Michael Adonai. What was planned as a brief interview expanded and in the middle of the conversation, I discarded the list of questions that I had prepared and let the flow of conversation lead wherever it may. Below is an abridged version of the lengthy conversation…
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Eritrean Orthodox Diocese Supports Catholic Bishops’ Letter
The Eritrean Orthodox Church’s Statement (Translated into English by Semere T Habtemariam) In a statement issued on the occasion of Eritrea’s Martyrs’ Memorial Day, June 20th, the Arch Diocese of North America of the Eritrean Orthodox Church expressed its unequivocal support for the Year-of-Faith’s Pastoral Letter of the four bishops of the Eritrean Catholic Church.…
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A UN Human Rights Inquiry Commission For Eritrea
Resolution A/HRC/26/L.6 which was tabled by Somalia at the 2014 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Eritrea was adopted by the UNHR in Geneva. Mr. Yusuf Mohamed Ismail, the head of the Somali delegation who made the introduction to the session stated that, “Since the tabling of the draft resolution, a number of countries from different…
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Eritrean Exodus: Reversing The Trail Of Moses
In an act of complete desperation, a mainly-Eritrean crowd of refugees in Israel has decided to march to the Sahara this Friday morning. About one thousand refugees left the barbed wire protected Holot detention camp on their way to the Sahara to protest their mistreatment by Israeli authorities. Eritreans have been escaping from their country…
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Sunridge in Eritrea: Gold Rush or Gold Rash?
The Eritrean mining sector is wrapped in secrecy similar to all other sectors of the economy. The government has never published financial reports since the independence of Eritrea in 1991. As such, only investors who are willing to operate in shady environment are willing to invest in Eritrea. There is no delineation between the interest…
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Constructive Ambiguity And Eritrea’s Bad Choices
One of the most memorable revelations of Dejen Ande Hishel, the Eritrean Air Force pilot who escaped after 15 years of arrest without charges, was his realization (four years into his arrest) that, in Eritrea, to ask the government, “what are the charges against me?” is to commit a crime because your question is slandering…
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Eritrean Mining: China’s Wanbao Withdraws
Recently, Wanbao, China’s largest state owned mining firm announced its withdrawal from Eritrea and that it would no longer seek a stake in the cash strapped Canadian mining company Sunridge Gold. The company [Sunridge] which has been involved in the exploration of precious metals in Eritrea since 2003 was unable to reach production phase due…
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Rest In Peace Memhr Mewael
Another member of the “Steadfast Generation” left us these past days. After a long and debilitating illness, Memhr Mewael Mebrahtu passed away on Tuesday, June 17 2014 at the age of 80 in San Diego, California. Mewael was born in Keren, on September 11, 1933 to his father Deg. Mebrahtu Gubsa and his mother Weizero…
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Eritrea: Demographic and Environmental Crisis
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Eritrea disclosed that 4,000 Eritreans are fleeing their country each month. Thousands more are unaccounted for since they are not registered with UNHCR or other agencies that tracks new arrivals. Many Eritrean refugees leave their country and melt away in the neighboring countries, mainly in Ethiopia, Sudan…
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Pastoral Letter: A complete and Literal Translation
I was moved and inspired by the courage of the four Eritrean Catholic Bishops and felt obliged to do something, or at least, shout out the proverbial expression of solidarity, “I am an Eritrean Catholic too.” Compelled by an irresistible urge to help and promote their cause, which is Eritrea’s cause, I took it upon…
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The Flood Of Poverty
A team of Kuwaitis traveled to Eastern Sudan and visited Eritrean refugee camp to offer some aid. They report what they observed about the forgotten and neglected Eritreans, some of who are third-generation refugees. The first batch of refugees reached Sudanese refugee camps in 1967 and since then, their numbers have been increasing, yet always…
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U-Turns Regression: Two Opposition, Two Eritreas
“In truth, there is no pain but comfort, no fear but courage, no chaos but order, no betrayal but trust and no dishonor but the highest of accolades.” (Haile-TG) Prelude Politics has never been a matter of principles. It was and will be a matter of interest. It is not unusual to see political U-turns…
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The Selfless Bishops Who Took The Lead
Unable to watch the humiliation of their people idly, four Eritrean Catholic Bishops from Segeneiti, Asmara, Keren and Barentu Eparchys rose up and blew the lid in the face of the notorious dictator – Isaias Afewerki. These four courageous Bishops have had it and without fear or favor, they dispatched their pastoral letter to the…
