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WORLD BRIDGE BLOG
Ethiopia - Eritrea Voices: International Rift Divides Families
Wed, 06/11/2008 - 14:59
During the 1998-2000 border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, more than 70,000 people died, 650,000 were displaced, and at least 70,000 individuals were deported, Ethiopians from Eritrea and Eritreans from Ethiopia. But these were not the only victims of the conflict. In addition to the bereaved and those who had to reestablish homes after being displaced, many continue to endure prolonged family separation. In Ethiopia, Refugees International heard stories of countless families ripped apart by the deportations, families whose only form of communication today is via the internet, if they have any contact at all. The personal and psychological scars of separation run deep and raise significant issues concerning Eritrean identity in Ethiopia. One woman in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, spoke of her experience following her father’s sudden deportation to Eritrea in 1998.
"My father was deported from a town outside Addis Ababa where my parents were living at the time, with only the shirt on his back. I was 18 years old and had just started university in Addis. My father was born in Asmara, had worked for the same Ethiopian company for over 25 years, and was an Ethiopian citizen. The government authorities came on a Thursday night – the deportations always happened on Thursdays. He was held overnight in a detention center and then taken to Eritrea by the Red Cross. So many others lost all their property in the course of the deportations, but after I learned he had been taken, I immediately went home, collected as much of our property as would fit in a taxi, and returned to Addis.
"My mother, who is half Ethiopian and half Eritrean, decided to keep the family in Ethiopia where she knew she could find work. We moved into a part of Addis where no one knows our background. I keep my Eritrean background completely secret. If someone asks about my father, I say he has gone to work in another country, maybe Nairobi, Kenya or the United States. Generally, I try to avoid the subject of family. Since the deportation, every time I saw my father’s name, I would cry. We were very close.
"I think Ethiopians really dislike Eritreans. Every day you get in a taxi, ride a bus, sit in a café, you hear negative comments about Eritreans. If someone you interact with knows you’re Eritrean, they will reject you. If that person thinks you are Ethiopian, you are intimate and close. Eritreans are seen as arrogant, acting like they are superior to Ethiopians. Maybe Eritreans think they are superior because they were ‘Europeanized’ by the Italians. Eritreans and Ethiopians are both nationalistic and feel this need to differentiate themselves from each other. They overcompensate.
"If there is another conflict, I fear it could be very bad. Eritreans in Ethiopia live dispersed throughout the country, they do not associate much with each other because they don’t want to be identified as Eritrean. You don’t want to be associated with any Eritreans who are supporting either the Ethiopian or the Eritrean government. I have a half sister in Asmara who I fear would be killed if another conflict takes place. She was forced into the military for six years. She is now studying at a technical college, but she could be drafted any time.
"Last year, I finally saw my father for the first in time in nine years. We met in Djibouti. We still keep in touch every day through instant messaging. As for connecting with Eritreans in Ethiopia, it’s not fair that people only see each other for weddings or funerals. Both governments carried out the deportations in such an inhumane way. They shouldn’t surprise people like that and separate families. They could have at least given people a warning or a deadline.
"I have grown up hating this 25 percent of myself that is Ethiopian because it prevents me from being accepted in Eritrea, but I also appreciate that it was this 25 percent that saved me from deportation. It enabled me to get an Ethiopian identification card. In fact, I hate talking about politics. I hate to think about all this. I wouldn’t even look at a website concerning these two countries. These things used to make me so depressed and psychotic, but I have gotten better about talking about them. I have a good friend in whom I can confide."
"My father was deported from a town outside Addis Ababa where my parents were living at the time, with only the shirt on his back. I was 18 years old and had just started university in Addis. My father was born in Asmara, had worked for the same Ethiopian company for over 25 years, and was an Ethiopian citizen. The government authorities came on a Thursday night – the deportations always happened on Thursdays. He was held overnight in a detention center and then taken to Eritrea by the Red Cross. So many others lost all their property in the course of the deportations, but after I learned he had been taken, I immediately went home, collected as much of our property as would fit in a taxi, and returned to Addis.
"My mother, who is half Ethiopian and half Eritrean, decided to keep the family in Ethiopia where she knew she could find work. We moved into a part of Addis where no one knows our background. I keep my Eritrean background completely secret. If someone asks about my father, I say he has gone to work in another country, maybe Nairobi, Kenya or the United States. Generally, I try to avoid the subject of family. Since the deportation, every time I saw my father’s name, I would cry. We were very close.
"I think Ethiopians really dislike Eritreans. Every day you get in a taxi, ride a bus, sit in a café, you hear negative comments about Eritreans. If someone you interact with knows you’re Eritrean, they will reject you. If that person thinks you are Ethiopian, you are intimate and close. Eritreans are seen as arrogant, acting like they are superior to Ethiopians. Maybe Eritreans think they are superior because they were ‘Europeanized’ by the Italians. Eritreans and Ethiopians are both nationalistic and feel this need to differentiate themselves from each other. They overcompensate.
"If there is another conflict, I fear it could be very bad. Eritreans in Ethiopia live dispersed throughout the country, they do not associate much with each other because they don’t want to be identified as Eritrean. You don’t want to be associated with any Eritreans who are supporting either the Ethiopian or the Eritrean government. I have a half sister in Asmara who I fear would be killed if another conflict takes place. She was forced into the military for six years. She is now studying at a technical college, but she could be drafted any time.
"Last year, I finally saw my father for the first in time in nine years. We met in Djibouti. We still keep in touch every day through instant messaging. As for connecting with Eritreans in Ethiopia, it’s not fair that people only see each other for weddings or funerals. Both governments carried out the deportations in such an inhumane way. They shouldn’t surprise people like that and separate families. They could have at least given people a warning or a deadline.
"I have grown up hating this 25 percent of myself that is Ethiopian because it prevents me from being accepted in Eritrea, but I also appreciate that it was this 25 percent that saved me from deportation. It enabled me to get an Ethiopian identification card. In fact, I hate talking about politics. I hate to think about all this. I wouldn’t even look at a website concerning these two countries. These things used to make me so depressed and psychotic, but I have gotten better about talking about them. I have a good friend in whom I can confide."
