Asmara - November 13 2009

 

Unable to make a long visit to Keren (travel regulations) I decide to explore the outskirts of Asmara. They are an unusual tourist destination, but I like to walk.

Arbaete Asmara is the cradle of Asmara. It is a mediaeval village build of simple building materials, including car parts. Donkeys and horse carts dominate the streets.

I am surrounded by more and more children. Two older women tell them to return to their houses and leave the tourist in peace.

From Arbaete Asmara I walk to Edaga Arbi.

In a small bar I drink two Asmara beers. One of the other visitors is a bit drunk and performs a traditional song. Quit happy with his live music, I buy him an araki. At first he thinks it is a bribe to keep him silent. When I convince him that I like his performance, we are friends again He sings a song especially for me.

He tells me his name is Said. He is a Muslim. I have been told that Muslims are not supposed to drink alcohol, but I don't want to discuss the issue with Said, because although a bit drunk, he is good company. He tells me the songs are Sudanese songs. Other visitors challenge me to dance.

The other visitors of the bar try to translate the songs of the Muslim singer in English. Their araki accent makes me decide not to stay to long. It is difficult to communicate in very worse English, and I don't want to get drunk in this part of town.

I pay my bill now that it is still clear who invited who for a drink, and I return to Asmara's center for lunch.

From the center I walk to the Barka school. I stare at the painting above the entrance. When I come closer, one of the teachers, Mebrahtu Solomon invites me to have tea in the teachers room.

We talk about the school, about my background, and about the attitude of Eritreans towards foreigners. "If we meet a foreigner, we will always respect him, help him, and have a friendly word with him, but we also will wonder what he is doing in Eritrea. Here nobody will harass you, nobody will rob you, everyone will help you."

"But who will help Eritrea? The decisions on the Eritrean - Ethiopian border were disclosed in 2002, but the implementation is still to come, after more than seven years."

"Nobody is interested in Eritrea. The US leans on the four powers in Africa: Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa. The interests of all the smaller countries has to give way to the economic interests of the US in the four largest economies in Africa."

I can only agree. Eritrea is interested in ethical values, self respect, and justice. The US measures the result of its foreign policy in terms of dollars, power, and winning the war against terrorism. A war that will never be won, as long as injustice prevails.

Mebrahtu continues with his work: looking over the weekly planning of the teachers. "If you ever pass by again, do not hesitate to come in and to have a word with me."

In a small shop I buy two bottles of araki for Gebrehiwot. It helps to forget the cold. It is winter in Asmara, which means that temperatures at night are almost zero. The houses have no heating system.

The women dress in thick cotton dresses (gabi) warming themselves at a small charcoal stove (fornello) that is used to brew coffee.

 

Shanty village - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Shanty village - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Shanty village - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Shanty village - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Traditional grain store - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Landscape - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Alley - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Dahlak Kebir Street - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Main street - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea.

Habrengaka Street - Arbaete Asmara Eritrea..

 

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*) December 12, 2000 Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace agreement in Algiers, after a 2 1/2-year border war.

Article 4, sub article 15 reads as follows: “The parties agree that the delimitation and demarcation of the Commission shall be final and binding. Each party shall respect the border so determined as well as territorial integrity and sovereignty of the other party”.

On April 13th 2002 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague published the conclusions of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.

In September 2003 Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, formally informed the Security Council that Ethiopia rejected the decisions of the International Boundary Commission (arbitration of the International Court in the Hague). He declared the proposed 1 000 km international border drafted by the commission as "null and void".

This disrespect of Ethiopia for the decisions of the Court of Justice in The Hague has practically halted the peace process. Still the UN needs to live up to its responsibility of ensuring the implementation of the final and binding resolution of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's ruling on border delimitation.