"Ascaro Ignoto"

Gli Eritrei Furono splendid!

Tutto quello che potremo
Fare per L`Eritrea Non
SARA`Mai quanto L`Eritrea
Ha Fatto per Noi….

These words of the Italian Gen. Amado Guillet are inscribed on his grave in the Eritrean garrison town of Keren. I spent the weekend in this mountainous and beautiful town. It was a focal point of fighting between Britain and Italy during the Second World War when the Italians eventually lost the war. Eritrea was an Italian colony 1890-1940, under a British rule 1941-1950 and a federation with Ethiopia 1951-1960. The Ethiopian despotic emperor Haileselassie (Ras Tafari) eventually annexed Eritrea in 1961 and made it the 14th province of Ethiopia. The Eritreans had no other option than fighting for their liberation and independence which lasted for 30 years until 1991.

Colonialism has always been a malign and an evil form of human degradation. In the case of Eritrea, the Italians never thought that they would ever be forced to leave this beautiful land. They planed and acted as if they were going to stay here for good. All the Art Deco monumental buildings which still are here are reminiscent of the recent past which is haunting us up to the present time. Thousands of Italians had moved to Eritrea and many Eritreans were forced to serve as colonial soldiers as so called “Ascaris” to conquer neighboring countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Libya.

Thousands of Eritreans died in these wars. It is one thing to be colonized and forced to live under the yoke of colonialism and its bondage but it is something else to be forced to wage their wars outside your territory. God knows how many Africans have perished in this sort of wars fighting for the sake of “the white man” against other colored people in the name of “humanity´s civilizing mission”. I saw hundreds of graves in the Italian cemetery in Keren and the saddest moment of my visit was when I discovered the fact that people are not equal even in death.

There were the graves of Italian soldiers on the left side with their full name and date of death and on the other side; the graves of Eritreans without any information whatsoever except the words “Ascaro Ignoto” meaning an unknown and nameless soldier. No body deserves to be treated like that in his own land. This crime against humanity is not discussed at all as the west has always managed to get away with whatever crimes they commit. Impunity is their trademark as they control both the mechanisms and institutions of the “international system”.

Glory and honor to the martyrs of Africa! Africa for Africans!