Radio Erena: 24 DEcember 2014
People in Eritrea and abroad are upset about the news of the 13 Eritreans who were believed to have been shot dead in mid-September of this year.
Although the incident happed in September, the parents of the victims haven’t been informed until this month.
Our sources from Asmara indicated that the 13 Eritreans of whom 3 were sisters were part of 16 people who attempted to cross over to Sudan via the border town of Qarura. The whereabouts of the remaining three people is not known.
The three sisters who were identified as Ariam, Rita, and Hosan were 20, 17, and 14, respectively. Their parents are believed to be veteran Eritrean People’s Liberation Front [EPLF] fighters for independence – the father – a disabled man currently in Asmara and the mother in Canada are in deep shock from the tragedy.
While many Eritreans believe that the 13 Eritreans died from gun shots from the Eritrean defence forces at the border, some others believe they died of starvation after they were abandoned by their smugglers. Many Eritrean websites and people in social media are also providing various speculations on the issue.
The Qarura route to Sudan takes about two weeks and hundreds of Eritreans – including a journalist and artist Paulos Kidane, who have attempted to use it have lost their lives.
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