Shousha Camp, under the burning Sun

From Libya to Tunisia

It was always unthinkable to go to Tunisia, all until the Libyan uprising begins. When Berlusconi launched his push back policy in May 2009, the opportunity of applying asylum in Europe also endangered. Eritrean refugees and migrant workers from many sub-Saharan countries caught in the high seas and were dumped to Libyan detentions. Humanitarian groups cried loudly, but Berlusconi and his men resisted a lot. Frustration among Eritrean refugees in Libya created another rout towards Israel via the Sinai Peninsula. Many hoped this way to be less expensive, both in human and financial cost. But, it cost beyond what was expected. Unbelievable number of Eritreans loss their lives by Bedouin traffickers and by Egyptian border patrols all over the Sinai Desert. Many others were kidnapped and forced to pay $8,000-10,000; some of these innocents killed when they can’t pay the ransom.



And many other Eritrean refugees remained closed in Libya. There was no hope seen from any direction. UNHCR was already closed, chance of asylum application in Italy dropped and at last even the way to Israel interrupted. It was in this difficult time the Libyan uprising started. An estimated of 2,000 Eritreans were in Libya and all were desperate of escaping Libyan crises. Rumors filled their minds and they desperately believed all the news related to evacuation. Two fights were possible to evacuate to Italy with the work of Abba Mussie Zerai and other Eritrean/non Eritrean activists; and in collaboration with the Catholic Church in Libya. The numbers of people crowding around the Church and the amount of pressure on Caritas work are all unforgettable. But, things goes from bad to worse, and as so the hopes for evacuation. The only ways were either to cross the Mediterranean or westward to Tunisia. Very large number of Eritreans decided to leave via the stupid sea. This was good opportunity for hundreds and they arrived safely to European Southern shores, luckily they are now in a place where they can get international protection. Yet the sea was as cruel as before and took many desperate lives. An estimated of 500 Eritreans drowned in the deep sea without any rescue, all crying for help… They died in a way of escaping death. May God receive their soul!!!

Flee to Tunisia and durable solutions



All the rest, including the one who is writing this article however decided to escape westward. To the unthinkable country, Tunisia. It was less expensive, both in human, financial and time costs. Very fortunately, there was no human cost and around 800 Eritrean refugees stepped to Tunisian soil. Thanks to the Tunisian government (the transitional government after Bin Ali), UNHCR, IOM, the Red Crescent, the Red Cross, Islamic relief, WFP, Medicine without Borders and many other nongovernmental organizations helped extremely high number of immigrants. Although the repatriation process was very slow, it returned thousands back home.

This was not the case of Eritreans, Somalis and some Ethiopian Oromo. They can’t return to their country, thus resettlement was the only durable solution. UNHCR continued to conduct Registration, RSD and resettlement interviews. Many Eritrean refugees who had pending private sponsorships to Canada and Switzerland continued to fly and seemed very encouraging. Not only this but also, UNHCR and IOM continued to resettle to third country. It is very slow, but it is better than nothing.

Current frustrations in Shousha camp

Now, weather in desert is at its maximum. Life under the tent is beyond what human can resist. It is always sandy, hot and dry. Can you please imagine the difficulty for babies, pregnant mothers and sick once? Despite the promises, the camp stayed longer time and the process of resettlement is very slow. Many Somalis returned to Libya in a desperate bid of reaching Europe and many of which loss their lives in the sea. It is feared that frustrations could push many other asylum seekers or ever recognized refugees to search solutions.


From Libya to Tunisia


On this difficult time, it also good to appreciate the resettlement initiations by USA, Canada, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Poland and others. It is also important to push these countries to extend their quotas and nock the doors of other countries to save the desperate from the frustrations under the burning sun. We always hope to see the sufferance of these refugees come to an end; all the new babies born under the hot tent will not remain there!

Timisoara: 47 Eritrean refugees arrived from Tunisia

The temporary camp in eastern Tunisia hardly closed. It was set to host people who flee from the Libyan conflict, and everybody was expecting to see all immigrants to leave in maximum of three months. The repatriation process was very hard. Thus, people were stacked there for months in very extreme situation. It was in this difficult time, that a serious conflict was erupted causing fatal casualties. Those who can return to their home soon left the camp and flew to meet their beloved once. Yet, as any anyone would expect, this was not true hundreds of Eritreans who flee Libya fearing violence. They will have a warm welcome in Asmara international airport and directly to underground detentions. Knowing this, who will be willing to go back and endanger his/her life? I guess no one, And no one did that!!

With this fact on ground, the UN refugee agency is doing its job. Eritreans and Somali asylum or refugees are at the priority list. Some Ethiopian Oromo and some West African applicants are also in the second list. Eritreans who had pending files in Tripoli continued on their step and those who didn’t have any application are given opportunity to apply for asylum.
As part of resettlement processes, Eritreans have been transferred to Romanian transit camp under international protection, so that USA and The Netherlands can continue the resettlement procedures for them. Thus, IOM and UNHCR have been sending them to Romania in different groups since April 20. Now, a group of 47 of Eritreans arrived from Tunisia after spending more about four months of desert life in Choucha camp, Tunisia. They are welcomed here by IOM, UNHCR, GTR and Eritrean colleagues who arrive ahead of them. A sense of hope shines from their desert sun-burned face, and their smile shows they haven’t given up!!

The situation back in Tunisia remains as it is. Asylum seekers are yet waiting their RSD interviews; all the refugees are waiting their resettlement. But when will this happen? For how long will the developed world close its eye and deafen its ear? As Eritreans and after being delivered from that situation, we are once again urging first world countries to look down the Tunisian Sahara and pick up the desperate. It is humanitarian catastrophe!!! It is hard to stay in desert camp without any hope and it is a moral mandate to all countries who signed the Geneva Convention 1951 to help refugees in critical situation. But, first it is moral mandate to every human being to help anyone in such situation. Let’s just follow instincts of doing good thing!!

Selamawi: Alive somewhere in Europe

This article was orginally posted by Gabriele Del Grande in Fortress Europe after Selamawi confirms he is alive and he is safe in eastern Europe.

We met at church in Tripoli three years ago, during my first trip to Libya with Roman Herzog in November 2008. And once we realized it was not a guy like the others. He agreed to invite us to lunch at his house, taking the risk of being intercepted by the Libyan secret service men that followed. And before you say goodbye, we had delivered the appeal he had written four months earlier with five other students of Asmara, with whom he had spent a long period of imprisonment in Misrata , Libya, after they were arrested en route to Lampedusa. Since then Selamawi had never ceased to cooperate with Fortress Europe. It was one of the most active community informants Eritrea in Libya. And because of its militancy we were able to spread important news , especially at the time of the rejections and the riots in Libyan prisons. This is despite the threats that Eritrea's embassy officials had sent not so subtly, letting them know that they knew that behind the pseudonym Selamawi was his name and he had to stop yelling so much interest in politics. But he has continued undeterred. Translating the articles of Fortress Europe in Tigrinya , the Eritrean diaspora to. And updating his blog from the Internet point of Tripoli. Until one day it disappeared into nothing.

The last time we felt the phone was on February 24 . Benghazi had fallen into the hands of the insurgents after a week of blood, and in Tripoli the demonstrations were suppressed with the firing on the crowd and the militia house to house to flush out opponents . In that climate of terror, while hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to leave Libya, Selamawi me that Tunisia was too dangerous to reach, because the blacks out of Tripoli was to be mistaken for mercenaries and killed Gadhafi. So, he concluded, would wait to see if it had reopened the route to Lampedusa groped for the lot. Then silence. For three and a half months I have not heard from him again. raqm the Ar-matlub muqfil . I had memorized the Libyan automatic sms. The number of the person you call may be switched off or unreachable. Meanwhile, at sea there were hundreds of dead, week after week. And I must admit that I was starting to make me a reason. That there were other explanations. And Selamawi was dead. Drowned along with hundreds of other boys from the ports of Tripoli in search of safe beaches on the north shore. I was now sure, because I was so sure that if he were still alive somewhere would contact me in one way or another. Until this morning I had confirmation. Inbox. Message of 08:27. Subject: " From Timosoara ". I knew that I would contact if he were still alive. Do not ask me how, but Selamawi arrived in Romania and is doing well. And I hope that soon we can all go back to calling him by his real name. Maybe in the corridors of an English university, where Selamawi dreams of continuing her studies in marine biology.

Timisoara: Eritreans on their way to build life

It has happened. Nobody has thought about it before, to come to Timisoara-Romania. Eritrean refugees who have been suffering for long, they are now relieved from all the past sufferance and have seen international protection for the first time. It is small transit center, but it hosts very diverse and complicated testimonies of refugees. Nobody can either write or narrate it all. It is very long and complicated; they have cried and suffered a lot. Yet, everything has an end.

The history starts as these refugees plan to escape Eritrea. Fleeing the closed country by itself is a mystery. Very fortunately, and unlike those who remained there, these refugees managed to arrive neighboring Ethiopia or Sudan. The sufferance hardly remained in Eritrea, rather it migrate with them. Yet, the sufferance was different as it was happening abroad. The way to reach Khartoum is unimaginable; to reach there many lives were paid. And the most difficult decision was the plan to cross the terrible Sahara. These refugees buried tens and hundreds of Eritreans in the sandy desert, may God receive their soul. Those who luckily arrive Libyan territory, they were welcomed to inhuman detentions.


The extents of human right violation in Libya are known to everyone, but Eritrean refugees are the witness for it. How many died in Ra’es Jedida? How many suffered in Misurata, Zileten, Garabuli, Zawiyah or Twaisha detention centers? How many innocents were killed in Ganfuda, Benghazi with cold blood? Or how many Eritreans beaten, robbed, or killed with knife in Libyan streets? Nobody has an answer for these questions, except he or she will say a lot of them. At the time of sufferance, all migrant workers and Eritrean refugees cursed Libyans for their cruel habit, and wished to see bad day of Libyans. By the end of the day, the day has really come. Now after all the sufferance of Eritreans in Libya has ended, Eritrean refugees are wishing all the best for Libyans, they forgot everything.


When Libyans start their revolution, another round of sufferance came to Eritreans and all Sub-Saharan immigrants sieged in Libya. The word “MERCENARIES” became headache after a rumor heard that Col. Gaddafi is hiring African fighters to suppress popular uprising. Eritrean refugees could not leave their rooms for food shopping. It was very hard time there. The work of Eritrean and non-Eritrean activists did unbelievable work in trying to evacuating the desperate. John Stauffer of ATDE (USA), Don Mussie Zeray of Agenzia Habeshia (Italy), Elsa Chyrum of HRC-E (UK), Eritrean activists in Switzerland and many others did their best. The work of freelancers, bloggers and journalists was also very helpful. Gabriele Del Grande was among the most hardworking bloggers to open the blind eye in the European frontiers. Many Eritreans, young and enthusiastic activists from Tripoli also did their best in exposing the amount of sufferance from inside Tripoli. Yet, all this trial did very little thing in evacuation of Eritreans from Libya. Thus, Eritrean refugees loss their hope of evacuation and NATO starts aerial bombing. Pushed by this, hundreds of Eritreans died in the sea in desperate trial of reaching Italy. The rest crossed to the west and arrived Shousha camp of Tunisia.

Now, those who had resettlement programs to USA and the Netherlands or other countries got some hope. With the help of the external pressure and the work of UNHCR & IOM in Tunisia, first 30 Eritreans arrived in Timisoara in April 20. Then, many groups followed them and arrived Timisoara Transit Center and they are enjoying some form of freedom under international protection. The work of GTR, IOM and UNHCR in running the camp is evident. With all its drawbacks, the Romanian government is working very hard in meeting the need of the desperate who suffered for more than six years all in North Africa, Libya in particular.

After all, another group of Eritreans are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, thus the Department of Homeland Security will start to screen the refugees as a final stage in the resettlement process. They are hoping the sufferance to end here, and looking very far beyond the Atlantic… it will soon happen!!!

Tunisia- May 24: Eritrean Refugees between two fires

Tunisia- May 24: Eritrean Refugees between two fires




Eritrea was celebrating its 20th birth day, and its citizens in Shousha camp in Tunisia got no time to remember for their independence day. Even all the days before were all tempting for Eritreans, and tensions escalated since May 22. The situation becomes calmer latter late in the evening after the calash took so many lives and injured many others.

We woke up by laud cry. It was about 3:30 am, Sunday may 22nd. At first we thought is clash among some different nationalities, but after hearing gas container explosions, we realized it is fire. We rushed to it. We were too late to extinguish it. The fire extinguishing team was bit far and they have been in their dream. Wind blow high, fortunately, not as high as the day before and distribute the fine to 21 tents in a matter of less than 10 minutes. Now after the fire stopped burning new tents, the fire fighters also arrived and did whatever they believe to help them from responsibility. Now, we realized and watched four bodies lying on the burned tents. It was difficult to distinguish on their identity. People told us their identity only from the way they were lying on. Now, the police were also good after everything was over. They picked up the bodies without even taking photos that can help detectives to look in to the crime.

Before sun rise, all Eritreans heard what has happened to their desperate brothers, and they all burned with anger. But, there was no any available solution that can stabilize us. We marched to the police station in mass as a protest and delegates spoke with security personnel. Thus, hoping the rule of law will do something on our behalf, we returned back to the big tent for mourning. It was all unbelievable. Our unity reflected there and spent all the day and night there remembering those who passed away in a flame of tents. Somali and Ethiopian Oromo came to the camp in mass to show their condolences and prayed for the dead once.




In May 23rd, those believed to be the crime makers, they organized all sub-Saharan Africans to join them in protest and they united to block the Libyan-Tunisian road- THE LIFE LINE. They did this protest intentionally to block Eritreans from leaving to third world country and attract the world by blocking the LIFE LINE. So they did. IOM bus couldn’t enter the camp, and the trip canceled. They were happy in the evening singing… Africa sem sem… meaning Africa is united and we are all the same. But not true… some of them are migrant workers and the rest refugees or asylum seekers. UNHCR was handling their cases differently according the need. Late in the evening clashes seemed obvious as tensions escalate.

The next day, the clash erupted abruptly. It started near the big tent where Eritreans were in Mourning. There are different responses as how it first erupted, but the conflict was between Eritreans on one side and the other entire sub Saharan African on the other side. It was unbalanced conflict. Soon, Eritreans could not resist the mass attack orchestrated by Sudanese and Ivoirians. We flee towards the neighboring Tunisian town Ben Guerdan. In the conflict, many Eritreans and from the other front injured seriously, fortunately, there was no death in this part of the conflict. But, another greater danger was coming from the nearby town.

Angry Tunisians meet us in the way. They thought first as if we are marching to attack their town, latter we explained we are attacked and pushed out of the camp by other groups and we have nothing to do with closing the LIFE LINE. They threaten us and left to attack the campers, so they did. They looted, robbed and burned every tent. They, with the help of the local police attacked all sub Saharan Africans without discrimination. The number of causalities is much higher than the official news broadcast. Thanks God, Tunisians forgot what they came for and tend towards robing all the stores. Before sunset all the properties of the camp were transported to Ben Guerdan. The police were just watching silently the whole day, but latter they have to do some easy drama… they chased the robbers when there was nothing left behind. Another shameful drama was by the fire extinguishing team. They just follow the burners (they are their friends) and pour their chemical for nothing but to show their boss they use all their effort in Firefighting. Shameful.

Late in May 24th, after losing too much lives, the repatriation started and majority of the migrant workers left the camp and flew to their countries. Yet, the rest remained on bare desert with out any tent for days fearing another burn and loss of lives. I remember nights of patrol to safe guard our people from possible night fire. Now,I left the desert camp to a safe place, but I am still spending sleepless nights thinking about the situation of those I leave them in the sandy desert. May God deliver them soon!!

Eritrean refugees arrive in Romanian emergency transit centre from Tunisia

TIMISOARA, Romania, April 20 (UNHCR) – Thirty Eritrean refugees have arrived at an emergency transit centre in western Romania after fleeing Libya and spending weeks in a crowded camp in Tunisia as UNHCR and its partners sought a solution for them.

The Eritreans, including three women and a boy, will spend up to six months in the centre in Timisoara before being resettled in the United States and the Netherlands.

Unlike most of the foreigners who have fled from Libya since mid-February, hundreds of Eritreans and Somalis stuck on the Tunisian and Egyptian borders with Libya cannot return to their countries because their lives would be at risk.

This is the first group to be flown out of the country ahead of resettlement. Their evacuation was organized by the UN refugee agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Romanian government. UNHCR officials said more were expected.

The Eritreans said they fled their country to escape forced military recruitment and claimed that they had been detained and physically abused in Libya. People from sub-Saharan Africa have also been at risk in Libya because of rumours that the government was using them as mercenaries.

One 36-year-old refugee, after thanking UNHCR "for saving me and my brothers, said he had spent six year in a Libyan prison.

Eritreans who made it to Tunisia have had to remain in the Choucha transit camp as tens of thousands of workers from other countries in Egypt and Asia were repatriated by their governments or UNHCR and the IOM. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has repeatedly urged resettlement countries to help the refugees.

Meanwhile in Geneva, UNHCR on Wednesday presented its Global Resettlement Solidarity initiative to resettlement countries. This programme is aimed at addressing the resettlement needs in Egypt and Tunisia arising out of the Libya crisis. UNHCR called on the resettlement countries to provide 8,000 dedicated places for the refugees at the borders with Libya.

"We call on states to provide additional places [to their current resettlement quotas]," stressed Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR's senior resettlement coordinator. "The numbers of people in need of resettlement from Tunisia and Egypt increases by the day and may soon be in the thousands rather than the hundreds," he added.

Van der Klaauw also noted that resettlement out of the region could ensure that fewer of these vulnerable refugees risk taking dangerous boat journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. More than 500 people are known to have lost their lives attempting the crossing in recent weeks.

The Timisoara Emergency Transit Centre was set up in 2008 by the Romanian government, UNHCR and the IOM to house people in urgent need of international protection until their resettlement applications have been processed. It can accommodate up to 200 people and has hosted more than 600 refugees since opening, including Eritreans, Sudanese, Palestinians, Ethiopians, Sri Lankans, Iraqis and Nigerians.

By Roland Schönbauer in Timisoara, Romania and Leo Dobbs in Geneva