Eritrea's last native Jew tends graves, remembers

ASMARA, Apr 30 (Reuters) Tending graves knee-deep in dry grass and purple flowers, Eritrea's last native Jew clutches memories of a forgotten community.

Sami Cohen was born 58 years ago in the tiny Horn of Africa state into a vibrant Jewish community, but death, war and emigration have left him all alone in Asmara, a city overlooking the Red Sea.

''A lot of people, a lot of friends, a lot of parents, a lot of families,'' he says with a shrug. ''Now they are all gone. You can imagine how I feel. You need family, need celebration.'' When Cohen was growing up, Asmara was home to hundreds of Jews whose ancestors had crossed from Aden -- then a British protectorate -- in the late 19th century. Cohen's mother was born in Asmara, his father came from Aden as a child.

The Italians had just colonised the port of Massawa, and business opportunities presented themselves across the region.

For decades, Eritrea's Jewish community thrived under the protection of successive colonial regimes: the Italians, the British and later, the Ethiopians.

EXODUS Then, in the mid-1970s, Eritrea's war of independence from its giant neighbour Ethiopia reached the capital, shattering peaceful lives, Cohen remembers, and triggering an exodus of Jews from Asmara.

''The fighting started sometimes in the street. No electricity, no water. People were scared,'' he says. ''I have seen bodies in the street. I don't want to see any more.'' Eritrea triumphed in the 30-year struggle in 1991, but deep mistrust remained and the two nations soon slid back into conflict.

This time, in 1998, Cohen's wife and daughters fled to Italy, leaving him behind. They meet up from time to time in various countries. His four sisters live in Britain, the United States and Israel.

Times are tough and economic stagnation has hammered business, but Cohen plans to stay on in his home town, making a living from his import-export business.

''I was born here,'' he tells Reuters with another shrug.

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