wfn.org | LWF will continue humanitarian aid in Eritrea for further 12 months

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Specific details to be worked out

GENEVA, 30 July 1998 (lwi) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will
continue its humanitarian aid in Eritrea for another 12 months. The
extension was agreed upon in talks between LWF General Secretary Ishmael
Noko and Eritrean state authorities on July 10 in Asmara.

The LWF, together with all other NGOs, previously had been asked by the
Government of the State of Eritrea to discontinue its development programs
in the country and to hand all material and equipment over to the
government. The deadline for closure of the LWF's Eritrea office was July
15.

Noko and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki agreed that immediate action
needs to be taken to ease the situation of Eritrean people expelled from
Ethiopia as a result of the country's recently changed circumstances caused
by the Eritrean-Ethiopian conflict. The number of returning Eritreans,
expelled from Ethiopia, is increasing daily, according to President Isaias
Afewerki. By July 10, more than 6,000 had arrived in Eritrea. The Eritrean
president criticized the dehumanizing circumstances under which people of
Eritrean origin had been forced out of Ethiopia. People of all ages had
been separated from their closest family members, Afewerki deplored.
Furthermore, for Eritrea, among the poorest countries of Africa, the
expellees represent a significant social and economic burden.

Consequently, Noko and President Isaias Afewerki agreed that the LWF would
facilitate rehabilitation and reintegration measures during the next 12
months. Specific details will be worked out in due course to establish the
specific needs of such a program.

President Isaias Afewerki expressed appreciation for the role taken by the
churches and religious leaders in Eritrea. They had called for a cessation
of hostilities, remaining neutral on the political stand of the government.

Noko told the Eritrean president of the LWF member churches' wish for the
attainment of peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia and assured him of
continued humanitarian support for the people of Eritrea in their struggle
toward a peaceful outcome. Noko also stressed the recommendation of the LWF
Council at its recent meeting in June "...to explore ways LWF assets in
Eritrea might continue to be used...".

During a previous meeting with President Isaias Afewerki on May 20 to
discuss possible solutions for the use of the LWF assets in the country, as
reported earlier (see LWI 10 for June 4, p. 3), the LWF general secretary
had made two alternative proposals to the Eritrean government concerning
the LWF programs. The first was that the LWF should be granted a long
extension of its operations, to enable it to complete the process of
withdrawal and handover in an orderly manner. The second proposal was that
a special fund be established from the proceeds of the sale of all movable
assets of the LWF Eritrea programs, to be used for projects in favor of
Eritrean communities and to be administered by a board. While President
Isaias Afewerki had expressed openness to the second proposal, Noko's
negotiations with the Eritrean authorities at that time remained
inconclusive.

Background: LWF World Service in Eritrea

LWF World Service's presence in Eritrea dates back to 1992 when an
agreement between the LWF and the Eritrean government was signed on March
6, 1992 - after an agreement had been made with the Evangelical Church of
Eritrea (ECE). It was foreseen that the LWF would continue its activities
in Eritrea until mid-2000. The first four-year phase, 1992-1996, was to
restart the Development Department of the ECE, to assist it in building up
its capacity, and to train staff from the ECE who later would start to
manage some of the ongoing LWF-WS projects. The next four years, 1997-2000,
would be the second phase during which the LWF would reduce its activities
and the ECE would become the main implementor.

This process was disrupted when the Government of Eritrea issued the
Proclamation on Religion and Religious Organizations in mid-1995. Under
this proclamation, churches and related organizations could no longer
implement relief, rehabilitation or development programs. The same applies
to the Muslim community as well. That put an end to the agreed-upon
transition period from an international to a national church partner.

Eritrea is one of the 14 African countries where the LWF-WS has development
or emergency operations. In 1997, the budget for the Eritrea programs
amounted to USD 2.13 million.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/