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*No action will be taken by the police or by thę couru against any ifci/b in respca of his pa« acrivi-rici as a lij/ii if he presents himself co a compctcnt offóal of che Admuuifraiion within one monih aficr the datę of this Notkę and had noc commuted any cfience after the cermi of this Amncsty havt reccwed generał publicity. The shiftas who so pre-tent themseUes to the authoricies will be requ«rcd co hand ora their arms.

•“The mott rigorous aaion will be taken against thifm who do not avail themseWes of this Amncsty, or who conunic offences after thit Kocice hat cc-ceired generał publicity.

"If this offer of Amnescy is succtssful in bringing about a croation of shifu aoMta. a Cocnmissico w# be setuptoadróetróChkf Admimstraóooregardjngthc rerów of tentencet on shiftas no w in prison which ' hivc beat impoted on them in respect of oHencts commicied by them at shifuj, and the onension to juch shifus of che bencfiti of thit Amnctty.

. "The Adminutraticn eacpecu those who ukc advan-Ugc of this General Amncity to retom co their familie* and resume their nor mai pcaccfuł octupa-. cions. Sbould cireu/nstances nukc this i/npossiblc in all cases ccmporary provijion will be madę for cheir subtittencc by public worki and other mcans.

"Disputcs and feodj which havc be cna ca red during the period of shifu actiróies will be senled, at far at ' possible, by cu stoma ry methods of conciliation and compenucion.

"Dctailed instrucrions to givc cffeci to che abovc will be issotd co officos of the Admimsuation and by other roeans." 91

163. Thit proclaroatioa was accompanied by a "Notkę to the Public^- which stated that "His Ertcellcncy the Chief Administrator in pcoclaiming the generał am-nesty puWithed to-day withes it to be known that H.M.G. are desirout of bringing peacc to E/krca by uadidona] methods of clemency and pardon. He hat bccn guidrd in recommending this course by the advicc he has cecdvcd front ałmott cvery organ of public opinion in the country and all scctions of the pcople, as wdł as the cxprtssed detire of His Imperial Majesry the Emperor of Ethiopia chat peacc thoold bc rettored to Eiitrca by traditional and meicifu) mcans. The opposiie courte would email funher hardship to the goiky and Innocent alike. He che/efore now appeals to the pcople of Eritrea to cjctcnd the same mcaturc of forgrvcncss for the injurirt they have soffered from those to whom che Adminisuation it now offertng clemency. Hc calh upon all che pcople, including ihc injurcd and those who have caused their iajurict, to ccyoperau with the Admtnisrraiion in making the im-nesty offered by H.M.G. the means of restoring peacc. He also cjpects the pcople of Emrca to co-operate with the Admirustration for the prevcntion of funher crimes by refusiog help of any k’md to those who remain shifu and for hclping the Admlnistration lo capturc those who commic criminal acts hcrcaftcr.* 10/

164.    In order to dcal mote effcewtły with the security ntuation in Eritrea and to implement that section of the General Amnmy prodamation providing for rig-orous aedon against sktfu who failed co sor renifer or who commirtcd offences following the prodamation an-nounceroent, the Chief Administrator, in a prodamation istued a few dayt bcforc the Generał Amncsty, i.c. on 14 Junc 1951, established special courts to dcal with armed band* or pertont who thcltercd or atsisted armed ban is. la addition, the proeUmaticn pcoróJed for com-munal rcsponsibiliry aecordmg to whkh colleaiYc finet could be impoted on a communicy if thcrc was reaton to bcłirwc that offenccs had been conumncd within the com-muniry aiea. Community bonds could also be demar.ded in order to sccure public order. 1V A nuir.ber of ghiftj, who tubsequcntly commined offences employing threatt of armed force, were erkd and conviaed under the proró tioot of the proc lam aticn and cxccuted by hanging.

Step1 uken by t!>e Commitsioner fotiou/ing tht procLmjlion of a General Amneary

165.    Simultancousiy with the prodamation ćf a General Amncsty by the British Admiotsuation, the United Nacioot Comraissioner madę the following an-nouncemenu

"l havc been in formęd by the Chief Administrator that His Bńunnic Ma)csty*s Go^tmmetit has ap-prcvcd the granting of a generał amncsty to all shifu, irrcspeccive of their past actmties. As l havc alicady stated publicly on mam* occasions, in my capacity of United Kations Commistioner in Eritrea, I have been, and aro, dceply concemed about the shifu outrages on human life and property and shifu terrorism which has teriously affected the cconofluc activities of Eritrea and dividcd its pcople amongst themteUcs, causing ttrifc and bloodshed berween them ac a dnve w hen, under che auspicct of ihc United Nations, a dramaticcvo!ution in Eritrcan Kii tory it k\ the courte of pcepar aiion. As l have said bcforc, the General Atsembly rcsoludon on the fu* turę of Eritrea, which it destined to condliate the

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aspiranons of the pcople of Eritrea and to proside peacc and progrets in this part of Africa mutt.beiorc |t can be rcali/cd, hav*e the solid suppon ot all Eritream, unjted in faith. in the achiestmeo: of a c om mon destiny.

•I havc madę estry effort to uoderstand the genesis of the problem and to acquaine cm*Klf with the thoughts of the leadera of Eritrean public opinion and I am in complete agreement with His Britannic Majcsty's Governroent in affirming that almost aU organs of public opinion and almost all sccnofis of the population are United in recommending cne te-establishment oi pcacc in Eritrea thcough traditional methods of clemency and mercy. Keverthelett. the adoption of theie methods pie-supposes ummmify and solidarity in reaching thesc high obiectisct, and must not in any evcnc be aUowtd to lead to aiurchy and disturbancea.

• •

"I considcr that the daty given to mc by the General Atsembly of the United Nations—chat of peeparing a constitution and a>sisting and adróing in its eon-lider ation—it noc merely an acadcmic caerctsc but a matter of poliiical importance. This poUdcal mis-won must have the backing of the pcople of Eritrea, acting together in the ifKCfCttS of liberty and order, frcc from fear, and proteaed by prmcij>!es estab-lished by a cHilbcd world for the ptesenation of human life and property. In this spińc and to this end, I, the United Narions Comrnissioner in Eiitrca, belicvc it my duty strongly to support the measures of clemency and mercy granted by His Brkannk Maiesty*s Gosernment for the purposc of restoring an atmosphere of pcacc and tranquillity in which to givc effea to the resolution of the United Nations conccming the federadon of Entrea and Ethiopia.

"1 hope that in tuch an atmosphere it will be possiblc to łay the foundations on which the Eritrcan coosd-tudcnmust be based, and 1 sinccrclyhope, therefote, that chc objeaives behind these coostnactare meas-ures will bc fully realiied. To this end 1 offer the morał wcight of the United Narions and usvoke the principia of the Charter in making a stroog appeal to shifu to takc advanuge of the generał amncsty and to bccome loyał and pcacc/ul cituero of their country, playing their part and shouldcring mpon-sibility in the dercloproent of their common futurę. I also cali upon the inhibicantt of Eritrea to co-operatc with the British Administration in puning into effect this greac er.tcrprise which I hope will o pen up a new era of pcacc in Eritrea.* 12/

166.    Al a conterencr bcld m .bmara un 29 Juk 1951 at which prominent pcrsonaiitrcs anJ imtuł^r* the Press wete present. the Commissioocr announced ht^ intention to proceed wich hit plan for consulting the inhabitintt of Eritrea conccming the preparation of 4 draft of ihc Eritrcan constitution.

Resuhs of ibe General Amncsty jh.1 the present security utuathu

167.    On 21 joty 1951, the Bdtish Administration issucd the following communication-

"On I9th June 1951, the Chief Administrator .of Eritrea published a notkę appioving an amncsty to all bandiis who surrendered ssith their arms wnthin a monih. At the same dme a new public security prodamation was promulgatcd giving che Chief Administrator $» ca ter powers for the repression and prcvention of bandury.

"As a rcsult of tribal and Łiuercommonil strlfe in which armed bandiis werc panicipning in a rei in Eastern Eritrea ss-as puc under military authocicy on 23 Juhc. Police action against rccalcicrant bandits was taken.throughout the country.

"During the period of the amncsty 1,086.13/

" bandits have surrendered and 93 arrests werc madę under the puMic secwrity prodamaiion. Measures * have also been taken by the Bricbh Admuustrauon to assist the return of the sunendered bandits to normal life and to sctile ouutamhng tribal and-indiridua! feuds. Measures arę being taken for the apprehension of bandits who have not suiiendcrcd • and the prerention of banditry in the futurę."

168.    In addicion to those shifu who surrendered to the British Administrauon, many aossed the border in orda to surrender to the Erhiopian authoriiks in accord-ance with an arrangement between ibe cwo adroinistra-tions. The majority of known shifu leaders have surrendered, either to the British Administration or (o the Eihiopian authorities, and tbc numba at present ac large is considered to be negligible.

169.    The succcas of the generał amncsty pro-grarome and the new security measures pot into cfkct may be gauged by the fan that the movcment of aU road transport throughout Eritrea, with rwo minor cjcecp-rioos, 14/ was finally decontrollcd as of 3 August 1951, and raił transport now proceeds uncscorted by police.

UUJACM1LA.

\ V The fo»l number of turircdcn, inclfcdói ituny    afur 19

jyłp 1951,    i® 1350.

}4J Fre*a A di Qu*U io the Czhkeun bonia. » dnuncc ©f II nukt. lod from Seiufe to the Łthiopun borde*. • duutxt of U rnues.

Documcnt 7    105

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