From
the teams of:
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
the two teams of the Kunama two web-sites, have been informed, by extremely worried Kunama refugees in their camps, in Shimelba, (Ethiopia), that the leadership of the “Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama”, (DMLEK), led by Mr. Kornelios Adolay Osman, together with the members of “ARRA”, (Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs), and some leaders of other Eritrean opposition organizations, held a meeting, recently, where they came up with the very “arbitrarily conjured out decision” that, the Kunama refugees had decided not to be resettled in third countries anymore, but instead be given fields to grow crops and wait, until political situations change, and allow them to return to Eritrea. It has been confirmed by many other sources, that the refugees themselves, have never been either approached or informed on this matter, by those leaders, who are said to have acted solely on their own initiatives and for reasons the refugees are unable to understand. They are, in fact, claiming that their leaders are acting against their wishes Added reports did also confirm that those leaders had also written a letter and sent to the UNHCR, in Geneva, informing it of the “assumed” decisions of the Kunama refugees.
We take this decision to be very ”arbitrary, preposterous” and “very clearly violating the rights” of the Kunama refugees to continue seeking for better life conditions, after so many years of hard and uncertain life in refugee camps.
We are therefore, and urgently appealing, to the UNHCR’s authorities, in Geneva, (Switzerland), to categorically reject the decision and the appeal of those Eritrean opposition leaders and spare the Shimelba refugees, of further worries and sufferings.
With anticipated appreciations, thanks and regards,
The Two-teams of the Kunama two web-sites:
(July 20, 2012).