Eritrea: Information on reports of arrests of members of the Geberti tribe and on their treatment by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) government
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ERT24997.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Eritrea: Information on reports of arrests of members of the Geberti tribe and on their treatment by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) government, 1 September 1996, ERT24997.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac5583.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The information contained in this response was obtained from a Professor of Political Science at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia, knowledgeable on Ethiopia, during a telephone interview with the DIRB (10 Sept. 1996). The professor stated that the Geberti are not a tribe but rather a religious group composed of a mixture of Ethiopians in the highlands who have converted to Islam (ibid.). He also stated that the Geberti are found in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They tend to engage in commerce and for that reasons are considered to be "wealthier" than other segments of Ethiopian society (ibid). The professor was unaware of the kind of relationship existing between this group and the EPLF government and of the treatment of the former by the latter.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currentlyavailable to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Professor of Political Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. 10 September 1996. Telephone interview.
