BBC NEWS

10/11/09

Jagama Kello, middle, left home at just 15 to fight Italian invaders

The 70th anniversary of World War II is being commemorated around the world, but the contribution of one group of soldiers is almost universally ignored. How many now recall the role of more than one million African troops?

Yet they fought in the deserts of North Africa, the jungles of Burma and over the skies of Germany. A shrinking band of veterans, many now living in poverty, bitterly resent being written out of history.

For Africa, World War II began not in 1939, but in 1935.

Italian Fascist troops, backed by thousands of Eritrean colonial forces, invaded Ethiopia.

Emperor Haile Selassie was forced to flee to the UK, but others, known as Patriots, fought on. Among them was Jagama Kello. Fifteen years old at the time, he left home and raised a guerrilla force that struck at the Italian invaders.

Mein Kampf

Other Africans learnt what Fascism could mean for them. Among them was John Henry Smythe of Sierra Leone. His teacher gave him Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf.

“We read what this man was going to do to the blacks if he gets into power. And he attacked the British and Americans for encouraging the blacks to become doctors and lawyers,” Mr Smythe said.

“It was a book which would put any black man’s back up and it put mine up.”

He volunteered to join the Royal Air Force, becoming a navigator, flying bombers over Germany. Others took a similar view.

Joe Culverwell, who went on to fight for the liberation of Zimbabwe, volunteered the day war was declared in 1939.

“Don’t forget in those days we were very loyal Brits – stupid as that may sound now,” Mr Culverwell says. “We were brainwashed into being little brown Britishers.”

Others were conscripted. They were picked up when they went to visit a local market or on the orders of a local chief.

And many found that once they enlisted they were badly treated. The reality of military life for African soldiers like Nigerian Marshall Kebby was very different from the propaganda.

“As a colonial soldier I had very rough treatment. At that time we hadn’t even a single Nigerian officer, all were British. And many of us

 

John Henry Smythe, left, read Hitler's Mein Kampf before joining the RAF

revolted against injustice, what I might call man’s inhumanity to man.”

‘Hell’

But once the fighting began there was little time for protest. For men like Mr Culverwell, serving in Somalia, being bombed by the Italians was a terrifying experience.

“Boy that was hell. We all had foxholes. I never felt so frightened in my life. They were bombing 100 yards away. We daren’t even look up, you see.”

Mr Smythe took part in air-raids over enemy territory.

But on the night of 18 November 1943 his plane was shot down over the German city of Mannheim. He spent 18 months in a prisoner of war camp, where the Germans tried to extract intelligence from him.

“You must use some special instruments to navigate your way here,” his interrogator told Mr Smythe.

“He said: ‘I want you to co-operate to get you out of this place.’ I said: ‘I will give you my name and number’. He started to scream at me; became a real Nazi officer.

“He said: ‘You know they are talking about whether to execute you tomorrow or not. Because you, as a black man, should not involve in white man’s war.’”

Meeting Gandhi

On the other side of the world, Mr Kebby was meeting Indians.

Among them was the leader of India’s independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi, who was addressing a crowd of one million people in Madras. Mr Kebby worked his way to the front.

“It was one of the greatest things I did as a soldier. I greeted Gandhi with a military salute and asked him: ‘What are you going to do for Africa now that India is going to be free?’

“He said: ‘India will not do anything for you. But India will give you moral support on condition you fight the British non-violently’.”

By 1945 the war was over, African troops had helped the allied powers defeat Germany, Italy and Japan.

Mr Culverwell remembers talking to other black soldiers he met about what would happen to them now.

“We used to have long chats about the colour problem and we were determined that we were not going to be treated that way any more.”

Freedom fighters

But for most Africans independence was still 15 years away.

In the meantime, the veterans had to get home and find a job.

Many found little gratitude for their years of service and no work.

In February 1948 veterans from Ghana, among them Kalimu Glover went to petition the governor.

But instead of receiving them, police opened fire. It sparked off an outpouring of anger on the streets of Accra.

“After the shooting, we said we should damage all British things in the city. We got stones, sticks to break down shops. We broke them all down. Those were wonderful days: February 1948, Saturday to Sunday.”

Mr Kebby is convinced that he and others like him helped end colonial rule.

“Every soldier who went to India got new ideas and learnt new things. We came back with improved ideas about life. We, the ex-servicemen, gave this country the freedom it’s enjoying today. We gave this freedom and handed it over to our country.”

09/11/09

News – VoA

Ethiopia's Communications Minister Bereket Simon

In Ethiopia, the ruling Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front says it’s unaware that hundreds of opposition members have allegedly been jailed ahead of next year’s election.

Opposition parties accuse the government of jailing at least 450 of their members to prevent them from running as candidates in next May’s general elections.

They say the imprisonment is part of the ruling party’s strategy to claim a landslide victory in the vote — a charge the ruling party denies.

EPRDF spokesman Seku Toure said that the opposition parties have yet to present grievances through established channels.

“We don’t have any information about this. If any party has got any kind of issue regarding this they can present to the EPRDF. We do have a common council of the four negotiating parties. We have agreed to review any kind of allegations and give some kind of remedy for that,” he said.

Toure said the ruling party will support an investigation into the opposition’s imprisonment claims.

“Yes for sure. If you have seen the code of conduct it says that if there are any kinds of allegations, any kind of abuses, all

Ethiopia reportedly struggling under a Marxist military government

political parties including the EPRDF have agreed to investigate and take measures about them,” he said.

Seku said the code of conduct agreed to by all political parties will ensure a level playing field ahead of the elections.

But Bulcha Demekssa of the opposition Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement stands by the allegations that hundreds of opposition members have been jailed.

“The government always denies everything. They even say that there is nobody in prison for political reasons, but this happens every day in rural areas. They put in jail anybody who does not readily join their party or anybody who does not go to their meetings. Anybody who is not buddy- buddy with them goes to jail,” he said.
Bulcha laments the arrests have affected opposition membership.

“As a result everybody now says he is a member of the government, practically everybody and the government claims that they have four million seven hundred thousand members. Of course this kind of membership is not obtained through just persuasion. You can be sure everybody is afraid not to be a member of the government,” he said.

The government says the opposition’s claims are meant to discredit the electoral process, fearful it could lose the 2010 elections.

Political observers surmise the ruling party is poised to easily win next year’s vote despite an expected challenge from a number of lesser-known opposition parties.

Images google search ( adalvoice)

09/11/09

VOA NEWS

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has canceled a planned visit to Turkey to attend a summit of the Islamic conference in Istanbul. Turkey has faced mounting criticism from the international community for its invitation to the Sudanese leader, who has been indicted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

Since Turkey announced that Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir would be attending the summit of Islamic Conference in Istanbul, controversy has grown. The invitation was in defiance of a warrant from the International Criminal Court for al-Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Turkey does not recognize the Court’s authority.

Late Sunday, Sudan’s state news agency reported al-Bashir postponed his trip to return to Khartoum to discuss a deadlock over election laws with his coalition partners, the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

According to news reports, the European Union, which Turkey is seeking to join, sent a diplomatic note calling for Ankara to retract its invitation to al-Bashir. But Turkish President Abdullah Gul rejected the call, saying it was an interference in Turkey’s affairs.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the charges against al-Bashir, drawing on his experience from his visit to Sudan.

“We could not come to the conclusion that there was a genocide [during our trip], as it is stated,” he said. He says African countries also are absolutely not agreeing with such a claim. He says African countries sided and are siding with al-Bashir on this matter.

Ankara has been steadily improving its relations with Khartoum, diplomatically and economically. Last year al-Bashir visited Turkey in defiance of international criticism.

Mr. Erdogan addressed a meeting of his party supporters during the weekend, dismissing criticism against him for the invitation.

There people trying to make black propaganda against us for this meeting, but it will not work. He said it is not possible for a Muslim to commit genocide.

Observers say behind the scenes diplomatic pressure has been increasing. According to Turkish reports al-Bashir’s last-minute decision not to attend was to help Turkey avoid a diplomatic crisis.

Turkey, which heads the 57 nation Islamic Conference this year, is developing ties with Muslim countries, including its neighbor Iran. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is attending the meeting .

Political scientists and newspaper columnist Nuray Mert says Turkish support for the Sudanese president could be part of a wider policy.

“It may be easily read as another sign or another message, of pursing your own independent policy,” Mert said.

Turkey along with being an EU candidate country is a member of NATO and has strong ties with the United states. But according to observers, the Islamic-rooted ruling party of the secular government appears increasingly prepared to pursue a more assertive and independent foreign policy.

06/011/09

Mirror.co.uk

Images ( adalvoice) google Serch

Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum-seekers in a bid to catch those who are lying about their country of origin.

The tests, also used to determine if children brought in are related to the asylum-seekers, have provoked outrage from human rights groups.

The United Kingdom Border Agency, who launched the project in September, say Britain is the only country using gene swabs this way.

So far, the tests have been carried out on people claiming to be from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan The Government argues that the voluntary tests can provide valuable evidence of origin. But experts say the science is “fundamentally flawed”. Sir Alec Jeffreys, a geneticist at Leicester University, said: “Genes are not aware of national borders.”

Genetic tests for UK asylum seekers draw criticism

//

By MARIA CHENG

AP Medical Writer

 

Graphic shows asylum applications received by the British governmentAP Medical Writer

LONDON — Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights groups.

The United Kingdom Border Agency launched the pilot project in September amid suspicions there might be a large number of asylum applicants lying about their home countries. An agency spokesman said Britain was the only country using genetic tests in this way.

Experts, however, say the tests are based on flawed science and there’s no way genetic swabs can provide meaningful evidence regarding nationality.

Concerned about potential fraud, the Bush administration launched a pilot DNA testing project in 2007 to vet applicants to a program that allows family members of African refugees already in the United States to join them.

The project, which wrapped up in March 2008, found an extremely high rate of fraud – 87 percent – among applicants claiming to be related to each other, the State Department said, and the resettlement program was suspended until those concerns could be addressed. The U.S. does not use genetic tests to try to prove nationality.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in London on Thursday that the U.S. has other ways of probing a person’s country of origin, such as testing language skills.

“I haven’t thought about it,” she said of the British attempt to match DNA to nationality. “We have a variety of ways we can use when we think someone is not telling the truth.”

Authorities in Britain described the testing as voluntary and said applicants would be asked to provide a mouth swab or hair or nail sample only in cases where questions arise about their nationality and they would be free to decline.

The government argues such tests can provide valuable – although not conclusive – evidence in assessing whether or not asylum seekers are telling the truth about their country of origin.

So far, the tests are being used only on people who claim to be from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan, though if successful, officials say the plan could be rolled out further.

Several experts slammed the effort as “fundamentally flawed science,” and a petition has been sent to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for the project to be dismantled.

“Genes are not aware of national borders,” said Sir Alec Jeffreys, a geneticist at the University of Leicester who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting.

“Nationality is a legal concept, and it’s got nothing to do with genetics at all,” said Jeffreys, adding that the kind of genetic research needed to identify ethnic origins according to DNA in Africa has never been done.

Human rights experts said the voluntary label was misleading.

“If people do not consent to this test, that could jeopardize their application or otherwise be construed negatively,” said Jill Rutter, a spokeswoman for Refugee and Migrant Justice, a London-based legal charity for asylum seekers and migrants.

“Refugees might not be in a position to understand what’s going on and they could be without legal representation when this request is made,” Rutter said. “It puts them in a very vulnerable position and their rights may be infringed upon.”

Refugees may be eligible for asylum in Britain if they can prove they face persecution at home because of their race, religion, political views, sexual orientation, or other factors.

Asmara, 6 November 2009

Shabait.com – News

The general manager of the  Commercial Bank of Eritrea (CBE), Mr. Yemane Tesfai, said that unlike other international banks which are engulfed in deep bankruptcy and crisis as a result of the current global economic meltdown, the Bank is not only free from debt but is also registering growth.

He explained that the root cause of the bankruptcy of the major world  banks emanates from the fact that they resorted to investing in what they claim ‘very profitable’ investment which in actual fact leads to high risks, besides granting loans without securing enough reserves. In this respect, Mr. Yemane pointed out that such a phenomenon did not affect the Eritrean Banks, as they did not engage in activities of this nature and invest assets abroad.

Stating that the Commercial Bank of Eritrea has secured its due reserve and deposit in accordance with the rules and regulation of banking activities, he indicated that its capital has increased to over 1 billion Nakfa, which in turn raised the initial capital of 50 million Nakfa 2,200 fold.

The general manager further noted that the CBE is extending loans to private investors or others engaged in development tasks in the country, and that loan amounting to more than 230 million Nakfa has been granted this year to 515 customers. Mr. Yemane went on to say that over 456,000 Nakfa has already been deposited in customers savings and checking Bank Accounts in the CBE, and that an interest rate close to  430  Nakfa is being paid annually to those who have deposited in saving accounts.

Furthermore, he elaborated that contrary to some other Banks on the verge of quitting paying interests to the deposited saving accounts or only paying below 1%, the Eritrean banks are paying 3% interest rate in foreign currency and 4% in local currency.

Pointing out that strenuous efforts are being made to expand equitable banking service across the nation through opening branch offices in all administrative regions, Mr. Yemane indicated that the CBE maintains working relations with 20 reputed foreign banks in facilitating hard currency deposit, exchanging remittance, as well as import and export transactions.  He also called on customers to resort to the habit of using cheque and other banking procedures instead of tender money.

“Central America is a bridge for illegals” -

Right Side News ( Mexico City )

05/11/09

Article’s sub-headline): “More and more African and Asian migrants arrive in the area, smuggled by Chinese and Colombian bands, heading to the U.S.”

Chinese and Colombian mafias, allied with the Central American “coyotes” have enlarged the hugely profitable, massive illegal traffic of persons who seek to enter the United States and Canada by land, via Mexico

, and have converted Central America into the hallway of Africans and Asians – and not only Latin Americans and persons from the Caribbean, who face a dangerous journey with an uncertain outcome, after paying large amounts of money. The head of Panama’s Immigration Service said that this phenomenon could open up a thresher for the infiltration of international terrorism due to the illegal entry of fundamentalist African Muslims.

The Africans fly from South Africa to Brazil and go by land to Colombia, Central America and Mexico to be able to get into the United States and Canada. Due to controls in Costa Rica and Panama, routes change and sometimes they are taken by sea from the Colombian ports of Barranquilla and Cartagena, on the Caribbean, toward Nicaragua or Honduras, so that they may enter Belize, and from there, to Mexico, the United States and Canada. The minimum charge per each illegal migrant is over 7 thousand dollars. The head of Costa Rica’s Immigration and Foreigners’ Affairs, Mario Zamora, said that in Nicaragua and Honduras “they have social networks that assist them and collaborate with them during the trip, and in the case of Belize’s black population they wouldn’t stand out” and that once in Belize they obtain the trip to Mexico. He added: “The phenomenon continues. From information we’ve been able to obtain, we know that there are some two thousand persons of African origin in Colombia and the southern portion of Central America, which demonstrates that the detentions have been minimal in comparison with the official figures we have been furnished.”

Nearly 275 Africans are detained in immigration housing facilities in Central America, but the number could be higher because there is no precise official tally. Of the total, most are from Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana and Somalia, but also included are citizens of Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, who entered as part of the “African” network. The phenomenon began to be detected in 2008 and the key bases of the contraband operated in Costa Rica and Panama.

In August of this year, Costa Rican immigration police gave the smuggling ring a hard blow and captured three Colombians who were attempting to have a numerous group of Africans to go ashore at the Costa Rican port of Limon; they’re now accused of international people trafficking. Zamora explained that one of the causes for trafficking of Africans and Asians in Latin America is that Europe has reinforced its migratory and security controls.

In the case of Chinese, the structure is controlled by a Chinese Mafia known as “Red Dragon”, and that it charges up to some 60 thousand dollars per person to take them from Hong Kong to Paris and Bogota by air, and then they choose various options to attempt to reach the United States. One method of the traffic is to hide the Chinese in ships that sail from Panamanian ports to the United States. In other instances, the Chinese are taken by land to Panama and then by vessel to Guatemala so that they may enter Mexico and continue toward the United States. One of the routes detected is the one which takes them to Ecuador, and from the port of Guayaquil they’re sent to Guatemala so they may continue their northbound trip on Mexican soil. The maritime trip from Colombia to Nicaraguan and Honduran ports on the Caribbean is also used, from where they are sent by land to Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.

Costa Rican sources have confirmed that the Chinese mafia has made death threats against immigration officials because of smuggling operations being undone. Panamanian judicial sources warned about the danger of the Red Dragon, since the Chinese communities “are very reserved” in their culture, and for fear of becoming kidnapping and extortion victims of the gangs.

A man caught on CCTV trying to rape a woman in Glasgow blamed the incident on the devil, a court has heard.

Misrak Eyob, 20, was found guilty of the attack on the 35-year-old woman in the Royston area last July.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he pounced as she stood alone in the street after becoming separated from her friends on a night out.

Eyob, who told the trial “Satan created the situation”, was remanded in custody until sentencing next month.

He also faces being deported back to the African country of Eritrea.

During his trial the jury was shown graphic CCTV footage of the attack, which happened after the victim had left a nearby bar.

The incident only ended when the crying victim alerted passers-by to what had happened.

Satan claim

The woman told the trial: “I felt invaded, disgusted. You should be able to walk down the street without someone attacking you.”

Eyob claimed he had been drinking that evening and that he had only been “hugging and kissing” the woman.

His counsel Tony Graham put to him that it appeared from the video that he was doing more than that.

Speaking via an interpreter, Eyob replied: “I was persuaded. I have never engaged myself in criminal conduct.

“I believe in the bible and in Christ. I abide by the rules. I was drinking and it was Satan that created this situation.”

Eyob was an asylum seeker and had been in Scotland seven months at the time of the attack.

Get your own Slide Show!

Asmara, 1 November 2009

shabait.com ( News )

As part of the continuous donations extended by nationals living inside and outside the country to assist martyrs’ families, over 83 thousand Euros, 17,280 Krona and over 27,000 Nakfa was donated to the Martyr’s Fund.

Accordingly, Eritreans living in Germany donated over 63,000 Euros from January to September of 2009. Moreover, over 20,000 Euro has been donated by Darmstadt Cultural Association, Eritrean communities in Frankfurt, Ainfelale Youth Team, Communities in Manheim and Tubingen, Tsna’t, Bodensee, PFDJ and NUEW branches in Bielefeld city and 6 female high school students in Darmstadt.

Furthermore, NUEW members in Umea- Sweden donated 17,280 Krona and 6 Eritrean women residing in Riyadh, Saudi-Arab donated 10,400 Nakfa.

Similarly, a mother of a martyr, Ms. Rshan Abrah, residing in Asmara has donated 17,250 Nakfa.

Presented by Aklilu Abraham

Adal voice of Eritreans strives to serve its listeners through quality presentations and media productions that highlight the main issues and challenges of Eritrean Immigrants in their quest to build new life outside their native country of origin.

Adal Voice of Eritreas Radio and website programs are designed for the Eritrean diasporas across the world.

The program covers documentaries, history reportage, art and music, multi-cultural presentations, panel discussions, celebrity interviews, life styles, women’s issue and children and young people’s program. It also explores Law and Society issues and presents News and Current affairs. Some main features include, ‘views with out limits’, a program presenting letters to the editor and Eritrean community events from across the world.

Listen to Adalvoice Real life Radio

Sanday November – 01/11/09

Listen the Mesage from Eritrean Refugees in

Libya to Eritrean diasporas across the world.

From 11 : 00 am to 12 : 00am GMT – Part 2