Feature - Plight of the Kunama refugees

They call their homeland Kunama land – fertile plains that fall along the highly contentious border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Yet many Eritrean Kunamas now find themselves living as refugees in a temporary camp in Ethiopia, only a few kilometres from the border.

“I love my country,” says 57-year-old Kuchi Raya, a sentiment shared by dozens of the Kunama refugees taking shade from the sweltering heat under a large acacia tree. “It was not our intention to come here but what has happened in our country forced us to.” Some 4,000 Kunama fled Eritrea in 2000 as the war with Ethiopia was drawing to a bloody close. Like many refugees they left all their possessions behind. Although the international community has largely ignored their plight, the complex and sensitive issues that surround these refugees are now coming to the fore.

Dilemma of the camp

Crucial demarcation of the disputed 1,000-km border is due to take place early next year with expected territorial and population exchanges. The dusty refugee camp of Wa’ala Nihibi, near the town of Shiraro, falls in one of the most hotly contested areas - Badme and the Yirga Triangle, the flashpoint of the two-year border war which erupted in 1998. The camp's close proximity to the existing border with Eritrea also poses further dilemmas and has heightened tensions among the refugees. “It makes us nervous,” admits Kunama elder Afeworke Kalo, who fled after the withdrawal of the Ethiopian army from western Eritrea under the terms of the June 2000 ceasefire agreement. “We are worried about being so close. There is a suspicion of the Kunama by the Eritrean regime.”

Puzzle of the Kunama plight

There are estimated to be around 100,000 Kunamas in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They speak their own language and are visibly different from their highland neighbours. About 70,000 are said to live in Eritrea - mostly in the Gash Barka region. Yet their plight is a puzzle. Tens of thousand remain in Eritrea. Those who fled are mostly the population of two villages whose districts fell under the control of the Ethiopian army. Their flight, alongside the Ethiopian army which pulled back under the ceasefire agreement, sparked accusations that they had sided with the Ethiopians. Historically, Eritrea has questioned the Kunamas' support for independence from Ethiopia. Kuchi, a mother of four, adds: “When the Ethiopians left, we were suspicious about revenge the Eritreans might take on us saying we helped the Ethiopians.” The Eritrean authorities say they are keen for the Kunama refugees to return home, arguing that they were taken to Ethiopia against their will. "They left with the [Ethiopian] army," a government official told IRIN. "As far as we are concerned they are abductees. People don't go voluntarily with an invading army. And if they did go voluntarily, in the midst of war, then they are not refugees. They must be sent home." He denied claims by the Kunama that they are "discriminated against" by the Eritrean government. "The people of Eritrea, including most Kunamas, do not think they are being discriminated against," he said. "Those Kunama who are under the TPLF [Tigray People's Liberation Front, dominant party in Ethiopia's coalition government] are being forced to say such things." The official denied claims by the Kunama refugees that the town of Barentu - the Kunama heartland in Eritrea - was made the capital of Gash Barka province as a "propaganda move" by the Eritrean government. "Any law promulgated by the government is not directed at one ethnic group only, it is for the benefit of all Eritreans," he stated. "By moving the provincial capital to Barentu [from Agordat], it was a clear sign of the interest the state has in that part of Eritrea and its people. The government does not take action for political propaganda."

Continued refugee status

The future of the Kunama refugees is further complicated by the impending December 2002 decision that brings to an end automatic refugee status for Eritreans around the world. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, is considering exempting the Kunama at Wa’ala Nihibi from this – but in the meantime their temporary existence continues as they anxiously await their fate. The UN’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is also monitoring the situation ahead of demarcation. They patrol in and around the 25 km buffer zone separating Ethiopia and Eritrea – an area that includes Wa’ala Nihibi. UNHCR is keen that the camp is shifted away from the border. Both UNHCR and the Ethiopian government’s Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) have tried to secure a new camp. One area was fitted out by UNHCR and ready for use last February, but the Ethiopian government vetoed the move at the last minute. Another site is being looked at but the government’s refugee administration – which has the final say – believes it will be at least another six months before a move can take place. The new camp will require infrastructure and facilities under laws that govern refugees. Food, shelter, healthcare and education will all need to be provided. As pastoralists living from cattle, the Kunama will also need grazing lands. UNHCR is also looking into the possibility of resettling the Kunama in a third country. The fact that the camp is to be moved has also played a role in creating tensions. Some Kunama complain bitterly about inadequate relief assistance, a view shared by some officials working there.

IRIN

But like many refugees they have gradually made the camp their home despite its obvious lack of facilities. Small shops selling a few vegetables and grain have sprung up. Even so, currently there are 58 people to every toilet, although one non-governmental organisation, International Rescue Committee (IRC), supported by UNHCR, is building new ones. IRC is also responsible for education in the camp and a small school has been constructed which provides teaching in several languages, including Kunama and Tigrinya.

Refugees welcome to go home

Although the Kunama refugees admit they came to Ethiopia alongside its army, they are adamant they do not want to go home yet. “I came here to save myself and my family,” says Kuchi, who came from the village of Fode some 55 km away. Her view is echoed by fellow refugees. She complains that many of her children and relatives have gone missing after being "forced into military service". “Until things change I do not want to return,” she says. “What is it that would attract me to go back?” The Eritrean government reiterates that it wants its citizens to go home. "If they come home, there is no way they will suffer recriminations," said the official.

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