Letter of Appeal to Yemeni President
By Commander Assefa Seifu
March 20, 2004

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Campaign to alleviate the Plight of former Ethiopian Naval & Civilian Personnel In Yemen c/o 2A Lithos Rd. London NW 3 6 EF Email: commanderassefa@yahoo.co.uk Mobile 4479 8685 0274 Fax. 4420 794 4265

H.E. Mr. Ali Abdala Saleh
President of the Republic of Yemen

CRUEL & INHUMAN TREATMENT OF ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES UNDER YOUR EXCELLENCY’S PROTECTION

Your Excellency,

It is with deep sadness that we learnt the illegal overwhelming of these destitute refugees for merely exercising their humanitarian right by peacefully demonstrating as of 10 Feb.

The illegal actions of your Riot Police, where there was no trace of riot, where the destitute refugees were demonstrating peacefully, without even the usual shouting that accompanies such actions, out of deference of the Diplomatic community in that area.

This morning, while they were sleeping at 0600 hrs local time, your riot police came drenched them with high powered hose pipe, overwhelmed them with smoke bomb and beat them mercilessly with their truncheons. Some of the victims were injured so badly there is even a rumour that one of them is dead.

We are further informed that Ethiopian refugees are hunted and detained in the roughest possible manner when seen in the streets. We are sad to learn that even women are not spared such indignities.

YOUR Excellency, you will agree that such an action contravenes not only human laws that your country has adopted and consequently instituted a Human Rights port folio, but also divine laws of your, mine and all religions.

We therefore demand that

• an investigation into such unnecessary and disproportional use of force against defenceless refugees under your protection,
• the injured refuges get immediate and adequate medical attention
• the illegally detained refugees be released without delay

Furthermore, we kindly request that you use your good offices with the UNHCR to provide a durable solution to the plight of these refugees.

Your Excellency is fully aware how many of your compatriots have been gainfully living in our country. We would hate this relationship to be adversely affected by actions or inactions of the present generations. No doubt your Excellency is aware that Prophet Mohammed sent his followers to our country to escape persecution, and their enemies came in hot pursuit, our king was ready to take up arms to protect those that have come to seek refuge in his Empire. He did not have to fight them for obvious reasons.

Regimes come and go but the relationship of peoples should not be adversely affected by regimes of the day. I am sure Your Excellency will not misconstrue the meaning of what we are about to relate to you. There was a famous humorist who was also a womaniser. When his wife went to fetch water he called a neighbourly girl friend. The wife returned sooner than anticipated and the neighbour had to rush out. In the process she just picked up one of the infants. The wife seeing that the infant was not hers and suspecting what had transpired picked up the infant and said, “ Shall I now feed this thing to the fire?” The husband quietly said, “ Don’t forget that there is fire in that house too.”

With anticipation of positive actions to meet our demands,

Respectfully yours,

Commander Assefa Seifu
Campaign Coordinator

Cc Amnesty International
fax. No. 0207 833 1510
ICRC: 00 41 22 739 7377
World Council of Churches 00 41 22 791 0361
UN High Com. For Human Rights 00 41 22 917 9011
Human Rights Complaints Team 00 41 22 917 9022
European Union 00 32 2 284 6974
BBC Africa 0207 379 5683
BBC World service: 0207 207 1258