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Background: Alitiena - Before the InvasionExcerpt from "Guide to Ethiopia" Note: For more on Alitiena and the Irob see the excellent paper by Souba Hais: Some Facts About the Irob. Also see the attached Situation Update Report by the Diocese of Adigrat; a report by Dr. Waters-Bayer: "Conflict causes suffering among the Irob people" Eritrea invaded the Alitiena area in May 1998 as part of its escalation of the Badime aggression. Prior to May 1998, Alitiena had been part of Ethiopia. Italy never occupied Alitiena. Even the detailed Italian military maps prepared for the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 show Alitiena within Ethiopia. Because of the vague delimitation, disagreements occurred between Ethiopia and Italy on the precise location of the frontier. However during all this time (1902 to 1935), Italy never occupied Alitiena. It was never part of Eritrea. Sixty years later, this all changed. In May 1998, Eritrea resurrected the old border issue and attempted to create a new fact on the ground. The result was devastating for the local Erob community. Their lives have been smashed up in the name of Eritrean Nationalism. While ignorant Eritrean braggarts in Europe and America tout the supposed power of the Eritrean army, the inhabitants of the Alitiena area now live a desparate existence - they have lost their homes and all their property, and many civilians have been killed. The following description of Alitiena and the Erob country is by Dr. Ann Waters-Bayer, and was dated February 9, 1997. (It should be noted that the Catholic influence in the Alitiena area is due to the activities of French missionaries who have worked in the area since 1846 - long before the creation of Eritrea. The headquarters of the Catholic church district which includes Alitena, is located in Adigrat) - Dagmawi IROB COUNTRY: Extracts from a letter by Dr. Ann Waters-Bayer (dated February 9, 1997). Published in "Guide to Ethiopia" by Bradt Publications (1998). Last year I travelled on foot in northeastern Tigre, in the vicinity of Alitiena near the Eritrean border on the rugged escarpment leading down from the highlands to the Red Sea, and marvelled at the way the local Saho-spaking Irob people are capturing soil with dry-stone walls and creating agricultural land where there was none before, in the midst of bare rock. The Irob are benefiting from erosion on the high plateau, and doing their best to capture soil before it disappears into the Red Sea. During my wanderings in this area, I came across Catholic churches in Alitena, Aiga, Weratle, and Magauma. They are fine stone buildings and like Catholic churches everywhere, they seem disproportionately large for the surrounding population. But on the occasion of the major holidays, it is amazing how full the churches become. The services are seemingly interminable. When I was there, a new stone church was being built by villagers in Adio burra, just below Mount Asimba, a wild and forested area that has served as the secret natural fortress of the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front. On the other side of Mount Asimba is the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox church of Gunda Gunde, which for travellers who have not already got as far as Mount Asimba, is most easily approached from the south via Adigrat, Edaga Hamus, and Suba Sa'essi. It is possible to get to Alitena by 4X4 along a road built 22 years ago by local people with their bare hands. It leads from Zalambessa on the surfaced road between Adigrat and Asmara. Besides the huge Catholic church in Alitena, it is interesting to see the small chapel built by the French missionaries when they started their work in Tigre in 1846. It is situated in the mission overlooking the town. On the opposite side of town, beside the church, is the sisters' convent and a beautiful Montessori kindergarten. In the area around Alitena and the other parts of the Adigrat diocese, the local people have done impressive work in building footpaths - laying down stone, building up stone along cliff faces, or cutting the path directly into the cliff using only hammer and chisel. For anybody wanting to walk for several days through a spectacular landscape, perhaps with a donkey or mule to carry the load, these footpaths make the going much easier. In Alitena there are several young men and women with 12 years of schooling who speak English and would gladly serve as guides for walking tours. Indeed, I hope this is one income-generating activity that they will be able to build up over time. We ate fondue-like "tholoh" when we stayed in Irob farmers' homes during our visits to mountain hamlets. Another delicacy is the pure white honey from Alitena, which can be bought in Adigrat market and is well-known throughout Ethiopia. Note from Philip Briggs: To read more about the origins of the soil catchment methods in this area, try to get hold of the July 1997 ILEIA Newsletter, which contains a detailed article by Abba Hagos Woldu and Asfaha Zigfa. ATTACHMENT: Situation Update Report
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