EVER BEEN TAKEN FOR A RIDE, WHITE MAN
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The phenomenon of
Eritreans from the Horn of Africa celebrating the regime they have fled
from is now familiar in European countries, experts say. Dozens of
Norwegian Eritreans have attended a party arranged by the Eritrean
regime and celebrated the 25th anniversary of compulsory military
service, which is the main reason why many Eritreans were granted asylum
in the first place.
The party celebrated the
25th anniversary of the introduction of Eritrean national service and
the establishment of the SAWA Training Defence Centre, national
broadcaster NRK reported. It was
held at Bryn Event Hall in Oslo and featured Yemane Gebreab, the
Eritrean president’s closest adviser, referred to as number two in the
East African country.
In photos and videos from
the party, widely shared on social media, many of the participants are
seen wearing military-like camouflage T-shirts and waving Eritrean
flags. Many are seen taking selfies with Gebreab. The sheer popularity
of the event raised eyebrows, as Eritrea’s mandatory military service is
one of the most often cited reasons in asylum requests from Eritreans.
Woldab Feshatzion, the leader of Eritrean Community Association in Norway, called the attendees “cohorts of the regime”.
“Many of them have fled
this regime. To me, it shows that they are not real asylum seekers, and
have been allowed to stay on a false basis”, Feshatzion complained to
national broadcaster NRK.
Kjetil Tronvoll, a
professor of peace/conflict studies at Bjørknes University College and
Director of Oslo Analytica, seen as one of Europe’s foremost experts on
Eritrea, suggested that the party had gathered a “motley crew” of
people, but confirmed that some of the attendees had fled from the
Eritrean regime. According to him, the phenomenon of Eritreans
celebrating the regime they have fled from is known in other European
countries.
“Yes, it’s paradoxical.
Some come along because they want a community. Some join because they
feel social pressure to line up. And some people celebrate the regime,
because they are regime supporters, even though they have been granted
asylum on the grounds of fleeing the regime”, Tronvoll explained.
Eritrea’s national
service is mandatory for all citizens, it lasts for 18 months and
includes civilian tasks as well. For instance, servicemen are widely
used as supplemental manpower in the country’s agricultural fields.
It is one of the
most-often cited asylum reasons. According to Tronvoll, up to 25 percent
of the population has left Eritrea, a nation of 5 million, since 2001.
Norway has a substantial Eritrean diaspora of 22,000, most of
whom arrived after 2001.
Michael Walsh Was
aWarded Euro Weekly News ‘Writer of the Year 2011’. With 60 books
bearing his name, thousands of news stories and columns, Michael is
arguably Britain and Europe’s most prolific author of multi-topic books.
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