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dctrimcntal effea ©o pubłic opiiuon at a rirac when ¹t was im poeta ni to emure a iceling or teamy and conrider.ee amony the inh jhicanci in order toimplemcot propcrly the prorisions of the United Natioos rtsolurion of 2 Decem¹ ber 1950. He agretd that one approjch to the proWem would be the inuiturion of an amnesry programme cocn-bined with a sigorous polky of carrying out scmcnccs igainst ibifta. At

155. A> a press confercac¹ hc!d in Aunara on 4 ApriI 1951, the Commissioncr condemned the acrinrics of sbiftj against livcs and propeny in Eritrea and rei: er -ated the vicws which he had communicated to the Chief Administrator in hu lence of 31 March 1951. 5/ The Commissioaer aUo becamc decpljr imerested in che rnerh-ods puriued by the British Aćmir.istr arion in combating ibifta terrorism and on cwo occasions (19¹20 Apei! 1951), on an inritarion from the Admimstridcn, the Comrois¹ rioner, accompanied by the Spcial Adrisor to the Chief Administrator, joumc>ed to a comber of reroote locah¹ ties in smali observarioa planet in order to inspect polkę field (orce potu and discuis the siruation with the offkers in charge. .    /    .

• 156. In spite of t)ł¹ AdmirustrarionYcamest efforts . to combat banditry and terrorism, the situarioo in the view of the Commiuioner ahowed no appredable im¹ pcoYcment duriag the entuing month. Coose^ucntly, on the cve of iruugurarirtgcoasulurions with the inhabiuou ccacerning the prepaurion of a draft of the Eritrean coosbturion, on l May 1951, he announred that he fdc compcUcd to potrponc consultarions btcauae of the eon¹ dition of intccuricy which conrimaed to exi» throughout the rerritory. In r^hing this announcement he vovccd the following viewu

"I do not believc it admable, from the psychological point of riew, to bcgln these consultarions at a time w hen the popu! arion, which desires peacc and sreu-rity abort all elsc, is in daeger. Furthermorc, I do not thinh ic pi oper that 1 should travcl about the counuy. f^r^g the fug of the United Narions, over toads suiacd with che btood of peoplc attacked by the terroruts. WhiJc 1 know there arc cases whert the United Nations flag has had to beflown ovcr f ©ad¹ »tair»cd with blood, it has bccn as a symbol of the United Nations sund agiinst aggrcuion and in the P^f°tectk>n of huraan righti. Flnilly, my coo-_Kirnce will noc allow mc to travcl at present ^eughout the treritory with an armed cscon, while tM inhabitanu w bom 1 desite to mect will run the °f ambuihes and aitacks from ibifta when cocning to metc mc.

mcm of the consultarions with the inhabiums; the statf of the United Narions will conrinoe wkh the comphcaced usk of the prepaiarory work. I may, howoer, in the mcanrimc. consutr rrembers of che popuhtion who will not incur any risks by havinj to travel long ditiances for this purpose.

*1 ha^t che profouad hope that this delay » my work will ordy bc of short dursrion, and chat soon the situarion will hivc impcosed suffldendy to pcimit me to mect the inhabitanu of Eiirrea in an atroos-pherc of oprimism and security; such ónprovement will be the haibinger of a happy futurc for this countr}'. O

157. In a lettcr dated 21 May 1951, addrcssed to the Coflimissioner, the Ourf Administrator madę the following obsenrarions coneeming the Cofnmissioner¹s sutemenc of 1 May 1951r

"On my return to Eriaci my anenrion has bccn drawn to your smement to the p rets on lst May last regardmg the effea of banditry on the pop ulice.

"I appredate that your mocive, as you caplained in a ¹ubscqocnt speech, was to make a morał protest against the prcvaifcng Uwkssnot'in Eritrea. But your sutemenc might, I suggest, ghc a rcade/, and pankulaily a reader outsidc Eritf ca. the impceasion that che lires and propeny of che populaooo at Urgr arc endangered and that the peoplc you wish to consult in accordance with the United Narions reso-luricn aie thieatcncd with intimidarioo by vi o lence for polmcal reasons.

"It is regictuNy truć riui banditry hal continucd in spite of che United Narions resohmon of Decem ber 1950 but it is generally coruidcred to ha¹e los¹ the pohrical corapcjoon fcrmerły annbuted to U. On the comrary, the polkkal parna which wert foc-merly in bina oppasieson presented an agreed and ioint address at your recent mectings in Asmara.

"The cridence availsbłc to the British Administra-rion does not lead me to beherc that persons you havc consulred ha ve be en subjea to inrimidarion nor that those you may wish to mect are endangered for polibcal reasons. In the chrcc months which havc clapsed sińce the United Narions Commissioner ar-rivcd in Erk/ea, cwo persons kuve lost their Kvcs w hak travelling on the main rnads. The renuining faul civdlan casualtics, some siary » number, oc-currcd in uibal and communal affrays and aas of

4TTw731frt <4    k coouwd ¹a A/wies 10.

y A/AC44K7.

U A«vi II.

armed bnganJage. The highway robbenes whkii have oeoarred were indiwrimirutc actt for rcason% of gain and hsd no apparent poltfkal compleaioa.

"I do not wish to suggesr that this len er should be cocmnunicated to the pre;s or otherwise pubhshed but I should bc gratefu! if you would pvc śc the same distribudon in offkial circles as was gis-cn to your staicment. lu eon tenis are not imended to influetNe your own conclusions but only to record the opinko of the British Admanlsaarion in pursuance of the fuli, frank and elose consulcarions which we muru-aDy maintain in all aspecu of our ioint task." 7/

158. The Commissioncr, in a communication dated 24 May 1951, addrcssed to the Chief Administrator. rcplicd in the following ternu:

"1 ha¹e the honour to a^knowledge the rccctpt of your leuer of 21 May 1951, conctrning mv sute¹ menc to the Press on Ht May 1951, regarding the

*    effea of banditry on the popuhtion of Eritrea.

"While 1 an still conccmed about the grarin¹ of che problem¹ of bandkry and publk¹ security in this country, I havc taken notę of the oprimisric pkrure

•    which you havc peesemed in your lenen

"I am particularly plcascd co have ioceived your Exccllcncy's communicaoon oo this iroporunt sub-feer at a moment when His Britannic Majcsty's Covemmcnc has apprmed a measuie which 1 am surę will contribute to the pacificarioo of this country, and in whosc crecution 1 am pcepartd to assisc to the onent of mjr aUlities.

"I am happy loWorm >Wthat, in accordance with the wish eaprcssed in your lener, 1 am making the ntcessary arrangements so that it may have the same distribudon in offloal circles ss was gjvcn to my statement, in order that the opinion ol the British Administration may be pherd on tecoid." V

159. By lener of 26 July 1951, the Chief Adminis¹ trator rcplicd to the Commissioncr as foliow¹

"I havc refrained unril now from acknouledging the receipt of your lener of che 24th May, regarding the effea of bandkry on the popularion of Eritrea, be ca usc 1 wishrd, bc/orc doing so, to bc in a posirion «o gauge the effea of the mcasum the British Ad-ministration has bccn ulcing to suppress banditry lince your ktter was wrinen. I am glad to say that »hey havc met wkh contidcrable success.

"Wkh respea, 1 would suggest to Your Lcccllcncy that l drew no oprimisric pkture of banditry or Public security in my lener ol 21st May 1951. The

knur »imp!y caplained that. in my ¹ścvr. persent wbom you Had consulted in Eriuca hsd not been subiecte J to polirical intimiJauon :r om bandits. and that tho<c uhom you withed to mm were nos m danger of polkicallr inspired attacis by handirt because they were coming to mcet >xm for your consultarions. I fclt k nccessan¹ todothis bccauw \ our pubłic statement on the ht May might p^t the im¹ pression that soch pohtkal inrimidarion wat riic."

160.    By lener of Scptrrabrr 1951, the Commis-sioner informed the Chief Adrnkusuator that in his sute-ment of May 1951 announcinc the postpooement of consultarions sriih the inhabicams, he had not imended to imply that persons who etmc to eonsoh him were in danger for polkical reasons. His main eoncem was that conditions of insteurity in the lerritoty had led to pessi-mtsm and fear, and thercibrc he had consideted it kud-risable to initiate consultarions in soch an atmosphere as prcva0ed at that time.

•

Siejom uki¹ by ihe Britiib AdmimstrAtionjo combat shifta actiwty: prodtmjtion of s genrroi śmmitty a>d other ucurity mtAturts

161.    The British AdmiALstrarico, meanwhilę. had had under considerarion for some time a pb n for gran ring a gcnrral amnesry to all shifu in respccc of their pas¹ lawlest acriritics, linked with rigotous measures to be taken against ibifta‘who faikd to surrender ot uho

. commit: cd of fen ces following the prodamarion of a generał amnesry. Such a plan for combacing ibifu aakity was favourcd by impoitanc gioups aroong the inhabi¹ tasses. Funhermore, U was hdd to be in kecping with local . tradirions and historical preccOcnts, alchough a condi-ciotut amnesry in the past, while indudng large numbers to surrender, had not brought about the eliminarion of ibifta bands.

162.    On 19 Junc 1951, the Chief Administrator prodaimed a General Amnesry whkh carried the following prorisions:

"GENERAL ASSLMBLY

"In vicw of the United Nations resolurion cooccm-ing the Fcdrrarion of Eihiopia and Eritrea and in vkw of the neccssity for crtating an atmosphere of peacc and rranquHlity in which to give effea to this cesolution, His Maycsty¹s Goremmcnt havt ap-proved che granting of a General Amnesry in the following tenns to all ihiftat in respea of their past aairirics as ibifuu

7/ Ałvi 12. l/MMlłi

Documcnt 7    103

102 TK£ UNfTID SATIONS AND TMt INDIllNDLNCC OF LWT7.CA

1

1 want you to know that this decisioo docs not in any way consritucc a cessarion but ordy a postpone-