Eritrea: Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) and alliance with other opposition groups (1998 - September 1999)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 22 September 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ERT32749.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Eritrea: Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) and alliance with other opposition groups (1998 - September 1999), 22 September 1999, ERT32749.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad5b14.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Political Parties of Africa and the Middle East the Eritrean National Pact Alliance (ENPA) was formed in September 1992 at a meeting in Saudi Arabia of the Eritrean Liberation Front - Central Command, the Eritrean Liberation Front - Unified Organization (ELF-UO), the Eritrean Democratic Liberation Movement, and the Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) (1993, 100).
Political Handbook of the World 1998 reported that an Eritrean National Alliance (ENA) was formed in November 1996 upon the initiative of the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and along with the Eritrean Liberation Front - National Council (ELF-NC) and the Eritrean Islami Jihad Movement (EIJM) (1998, 297).
In September 1998 Indian Ocean Newsletter reported on the change in name of the Eritrea Islamic Jihad Movement to Islamic Salvation Movement (5 Sept. 1998). The group's secretary-general was reported to have "reiterated" the group's commitment to forming an Islamic government after the removal of the present Eritrean government. His statements:
cut short hopes that the name change might cover a concession on the nature of a future Eritrean government in the name of a united opposition. For instance, Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) had refused to integrate Eritrean National Alliance (ENA), set up with help of the Khartoum regime by several Eritrean opposition movements with fundamentalist tendencies (ION 754) precisely because of the mention 'Islamic Jihad' in its name and of its programme calling for an Islamic government in Asmara (ibid.).
A 9 March 1999 report from the Walta Information Centre in Addis Ababa, states that eleven Eritrean opposition groups operating out of Sudan held a joint meeting in Khartoum and "adopted a political platform as a basis of their future activities, the paramount aim of which is to seek a peaceful solution to the Ethio-Eritrean crisis. During the meeting, the participants unanimously elected a body for leading the union of opposition groups." While the Walta Information Centre did not report the name of the new organization, the participating groups were identified as:
the Eritrean Liberation Front, Eritrean People's Congress, the Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolution Council, Eritrean Liberation Front National Congress, Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Eritrea, Eritrean Kunamas Democratic Movement, Eritrean Democratic Resistance Movement (Gash-Setit) in southwestern Eritrea and Eritrean Islamic Salvation Movement, Eritrean Initiative Group and Ato Mr Ali Mohamed Seid Berhatu (ibid.).
A 7 March 1999 BBC report states that the Alliance of Eritrean National Force (AENF) was formed from ten opposition groups who had met in Sudan. The report states that "the newly elected leader of [the group], Abdullah Idriss, said they would use all means necessary to overthrow the government of Eritrea" (ibid.). A May 1999 New African report includes mention of the formation of the "Eritrean National Forces Alliance (ENFA)" and states that "official media in Asmara have portrayed this new body as a Sudanese front. ENFA is said to report to Ali al Haj, deputy general secretary of the Sudan's ruling National Congress."
According to a Website identified as that of the "Eritrean Political Opposition," and which contains a number of ELF-RC articles, the members of the AENF are:
Eritrean Liberation Front, Eritrean People's Congress, Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolution Council, Eritrean Liberation Front NationalCongress, Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Eritrea, The Eritrean Revolutionary Democratic Front Eritrean Kunamas Democratic Movement, Eritrean Democratic Resistance Movement (Gash-Setit) [insouthwestern Eritrea] Eritrean Islamic Salvation Movement, Eritrean Initiative Group and Ato [Mr] Ali Muhammad Sayyid Berhatu (8 June 1999).
ELF-RC provides some background on the formation of the AENF through its newsletter (Feb.-Mar. 1999). It states that while the Eritrean opposition has in the past been divided, the ELF-RC took "the initiative" to invite other groups to talks toward "the first sustainable effort on the part of the Eritrean opposition forces to act and behave as one united force" (ibid.).
For the first time in the history of the Eritrean opposition, all opposition organisations had succeeded to adopt a National Charter based on minimum points of agreement.
As positive outcomes of the Congress, all organisations have agreed to respect one another, avoid from inciting provocation that cause undue tension, and give more priority instead to those that promote unity than discord and dissension. Moreover, they have also agreed to organise their actions on the basis of objective realities, accept differences in political tendencies and programmes as they are, devote more attention to national principles agreed upon and, above all, give priority to their united and uncompromising objective of bringing the demise of the EPLF regime.
The report goes on to deny claims that the Eritrean opposition is "collaborating with outside forces against the interests of the country and the people. It is neither willing to accept instructions from others, nor has the objective of causing dissension and instability in the country by selling the interests and independent decision of the Eritrean people" (ibid.)
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
BBC. 7 March 1999. "World: Africa Eritrea Opposition Forms Alliance."
Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC). February-March 1999. No. 83. "The Eritrean National Alliance for Peace and Democracy." The Eritrean Newsletter.
Eritrean Political Opposition. 17 May 1999. "The Alliance of the Eritrean National Forces."
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 5 September 1998. "Islamists Change Name." (NEXIS)
New African [London]. May 1999. "Eritrea/Ethiopia; Around Africa: The Crazy War." (NEXIS)
Political Handbook of the World 1998. 1998. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.
Political Parties of Africa and the Middle East. 1993. Edited By Roger East and Tanya Joseph. The High, Harlow, Essex: Longman Group UK.
Walta Information Centre [Addis Ababa, in English]. 10 March 1999. "Eritrean Opposition Meeting in Sudan Resolves to Topple Asmara." (BBC Summary 10 Mar. 1999/NEXIS)