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Eritrean military bands won’t be visiting Winnipeg

Performers criticized for military fundraising By: Carol Sanders For years, major Canadian cities have hosted Eritrean military bands that raised funds for a regime hundreds of thousands have fled. This summer, they're not coming, after human rights advocates in

Performers criticized for military fundraising

By: Carol Sanders
For years, major Canadian cities have hosted Eritrean military bands that raised funds for a regime hundreds of thousands have fled.
This summer, they’re not coming, after human rights advocates in Winnipeg complained to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
“We can’t be sure if this is because the government responded to our request, but it’s a good sign if they’re not coming this year,” said Daniel Awshek with the Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba.
“We’ve consistently been asking the federal government — Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canada Border Services Agency — not to let these people come here,” said Awshek. “Their only purpose is to do military fundraising and they divide the community,” he said. There are an estimated 3,000 Eritrean-Canadians in Winnipeg. Many are refugees.
On May 16, Winnipeg human rights lawyer David Matas and members of the Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba met with Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. They asked him not to grant visitor visas to those raising funds for the regime that’s been called the North Korea of Africa.
They said the Eritrean government’s supporters are inadmissible because of human rights abuses and international sanctions. Canada has endorsed UN sanctions against the Eritrean regime for its arming of Somali terrorists. Members of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front are barred from entering Canada.
Foreign Affairs has warned Eritrean expatriates in Canada against giving money to the regime for military purposes and last year kicked out the Eritrean consul for collecting a two per cent tax from Canadians to fund it.
To circumvent those sanctions, the Eritrean government has held fundraisers across North America that are billed as cultural events, a UN monitoring group report said.
The Walta Cultural Group, a military band from Eritrea, has visited Winnipeg in previous summers with a member of the banned Eritrean People’s Liberation Front. When Awshek’s group complained at the time to Canada’s Border Services Agency about their presence, nothing happened.
At the meeting with the federal minister in May, the Manitoba human rights group’s representatives provided the names of 67 Eritreans who shouldn’t be allowed into Canada, including three who’ve been allowed visitors visas in the past.
This summer, no visiting performers from Eritrea are scheduled to play at Festival Eritrea Toronto today or at the Eritrean festival in Winnipeg on Aug. 16.
“That is at least some progress,” said Matas. “Sometimes no news is news.”
Eritrean festival organizers in Winnipeg — the Eritrean Community of Manitoba Inc. — did not respond to a request for comment.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 2, 2014 A8

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Review overview
15 COMMENTS
  • tarikh August 3, 2014

    Kudos!! job folks!!

  • tarikh August 3, 2014

    Kudos!! Excellent job folks!! Very proud of you. Curtailing the regimes fund raising efforts should be our number one priority for us here in the diaspora.

  • amanuel August 3, 2014

    That is very good news, because those military bands were visiting Canada just to make money for the purpose of fundraising for Al shebab terror groups in Somalia and destabilizing the eastern African countries.The so called communities whom they were sponsoring them were surrogate organizations and they are the main reasons for our Eritrean society’s fragmentation.

  • WediHagher August 3, 2014

    Denying them cash is going to be an effective tool to fight dictatorship.
    Cash is used to pay high salaries to spies and generals who protect a regime that brutalizes its people.
    Cash is used to bribe security officers who protect Higdef’s dirty business in Sudan.
    Cash is used to finance opposition groups from neighboring countries.

  • Berhe Tensea August 3, 2014

    Good job W we must confront the regime anywhere by any means,

  • Yerhiwo August 3, 2014

    Good job Canada! Eritrean brutal dictator is in its last throes. Dictator Isaias Afwerki with his cousins Yemane Monkey and Hagos Kisha are in dire need for foreign currency before they are charged or captured by International Criminal Court.

  • wolde August 3, 2014

    Good job yehwat, the next work will be supporting to rid off the regime from Eritrea

  • simon August 3, 2014

    its exelent job the brutal regime of ERITREA he must stop not only in CANADA but in every corner of the world.

  • Truly Truly i say to you August 3, 2014

    Reading my following massage I know some of you as you baptise me, ” Truly, this time you sound like a PFDJ piece mouth.” I don´t mind to any of foolish person assumption or judgment.
    Ayte Isayas may not mistaken when said, ” there is no oppositions in Eritrea.” Some meek oppositions may think they are doing good and contributing something good for the struggle against dictatorship; for they attempting to stop or condemning the PFDJ´s 2% tax contribution, or for they disturbing the PFDJ festivals and meetings; while other side they doing and glorifying their meaningless own festival and meeting.
    Please if you have honesty and truth let me ask you simple questions. Let say your demand to the Canadian government to help you condemn and by any means to stop PFDJ that contributing 2% tax, is right and holly. According your definition because it strengthening the terrorist dictatorship regime in Eritrea. But what about the Canadian mining companies by collaborating with terrorist regime about they doing business in mining centre? Are you going to tell me this business is fair, legal and you have truth? Let me ask you in other form. PFDJ from elsewhere that contributing 2% tax do you think would it be more than 2 up to 5 million dollars? But no question in two three years PFDJ as can be contributing billions of dollar from mining sector deal. So as you demanding the Canadian government to stop the 2% tax, why equally do not demand the Canadian regime to stop collaborate with illegal regime, at least until we have by public elect legal regime? I tell you, you oppositions are hypocrite, ignorant liars. So no wonder if the worst evil regime exists until now without any remarkable threat. For me not only those of you that 2% tax disturbing you are the only liars, hypocrites and pretenders whom i call you you have anti Eritrean agenda; but those suggesting by military fight to change the regime propagating as well. Please again here let me ask you another simple question.
    Since you have no ability a single dictator to illuminate by any means, how can someone trust you by fighting you can change the regime? unless you have mission to exterminate Eritreans and make Eritrea failed state like Isayas Afeworki hardly working to accomplish his evil wish. But again please do not understand me wrong. I an not saying you, demonstration against the dictatorship or opposing 2% tax is wrong or unnecessary.

    • love eritrean August 3, 2014

      Truly,
      You sound very smart and have longer term solution. Unfortunately, it is not that simple to achieve what they achieved at Winnipeg.

      Additionally, we all need to learn how appreciate it and to be patient, when our Eritrean people are working hard to fight against the PFDJ in Canada. We should be proud of them and do the same thing in the rest of the world.

      Your understanding sounds that it is extremely simple job to fight against PFDJ and its followers, when you were setting behind your PC screen and analysing the outcome of the Winnipeg fight against PFDJ.

      However, you are welcome to take responsiblity to take action against the Canadian mining companies, if you want to save your people and home land.

  • Oromay August 4, 2014

    Canadian-Eritreans, you are really doing excellent job to cripple the l regime. Time is on our side.

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