01:36 p.m Jul 18, 1998 Eastern
By Alexander Last
ASSAB, Eritrea, July 18 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Ethiopians in Eritrea, caught up in the conflict between the Horn of Africa neighbours, have demonstrated for food, work and the opportunity to return home, witnesses said.
More than 300 demonstrated in Assab on Friday demanding Red Cross assistance to return to Ethiopia after a Red Cross delegate visited the south Eritrean port town on Thursday.
``We want food, we want work... We are very angry, now we want to go to our country (Ethiopia),'' one former dock worker told Reuters.
Ethiopians comprise 60 percent of the population of Assab. Ethiopia boycotted Assab and Massawa ports in May when a border dispute between the two former allies erupted into conflict.
Hundreds have died in the conflict, in which the last significant fighting was reported south of Assab on June 11.
Almost all business in Assab, 450 km (281 miles) southeast of the capital Asmara, has now stopped.
``There has been no work for 3 months,'' explained a protestor who declined to be named. ``We have no money for food.''
The demonstrators met municipal officials and said later Ethiopians would start food distribution from local centres. Ethiopians could register for assistance or to leave.
Eritrean officials said they had started to organise transport for Ethiopians who wished to leave, but did not want to be accused of deportations.
Over 400 Eritreans deported from Ethiopia arrived exhausted at the border south of Assab on Wednesday and were told to walk the four kilometres (2.5 miles) through no-mans-land between the two armies, witnesses said.
Some arrived at night and were refused permission by Eritrean authorities to cross because they had not been informed in advance of the crossing.
For one it was too late. A 56-year old teacher died soon after arrival from dehydration, witnesses said. He had taught in Ethiopia for 36 years but was arrested 10 days ago because he had an Eritrean identity card.
On Thursday more than 1,000, including hundreds of Eritreans from Assab, attended his burial after a funeral service at an Orthodox church.
Many Eritreans expelled from Ethiopia have spent most of their lives in the neighbouring country. Some say they have dual nationality, while others say they were born in Ethiopia.
Eritrea claims 7,000 of its citizens have been deported.
``I do not consider myself... against the security of Ethiopia. I did not particpate in the struggle,'' said Meharim Skena, a merchant arrested for having an Eritrean People's Liberation Front party card.
Nearly all the deportees interviewed by Reuters said they had business and family in Ethiopia.
Russom Fesaye said he invested 20 million birr ($2.8 million) in a plastic factory in Debre Zeit, 40 km (25 miles) from Addis Ababa three years ago.
Russom said he lived in Italy for 23 years, kept both an Ethiopian and Eritrean passport and was arrested on Friday at his factory before deportation on a bus.
``My workers followed the bus as far as they could. Some were crying,'' he told Reuters.
Tesfai Debsa, a priest working in Ethiopia for 11 years, said he didn't know why he was deported: ``They didn't say clearly. Some of us contributed to the Eritrean community so maybe that was the reason,'' he said.
Many told of a culture of denunciations in Ethiopia since the start of the conflict and compared it to the Dergue regime, which was defeated in May 1991. Many Ethiopians were against the deportations, they said.
Deportations also tested family loyalty. Said Hahanul, in Ethiopia for 20 years, said she had to leave her six children with her husband when she was deported.
``He (my husband) did not protect me because he himself does not like Eritreans,'' she said. ``He said this is the law, you cannot go against the law, so you must leave.''
The deportees were housed temporarily in Assab hotels before being transferred to government accomodation in the capital.
On Friday Eritrean authorities produced a letter of thanks from one of the Ethiopians who arrived in Djibouti.
A U.N. and Red Cross delegation met Eritrean deportees and Ethiopians wishing to leave on 17 July.