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Showing posts with label Eritrea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eritrea. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Visit Untold Stories for Researched articles about Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt.
Untold Stories gives voice to the very people who have had the basic human rights taken from them. Here, people who have experienced human right violations are more than numbers in vast statistics. Those who have their stories told here on Untold Stories are the exact people who have been oppressed and forced into silence. Untold Stories tells human rights stories with a focus on press freedom, freedom of expression and life in exile. Countries in focus are Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Hailemariam Desalegn Warns Saudi Arabia And UAE
AFRICANGLOBE – Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has told a local private newspaper that Saudi Arabia and the UAE will bear the consequences of Ethiopia’s response if their operation in and around Eritrea’s Port of Assab supports the ‘Eritrean regime’s destabilization agenda against Ethiopia.’ He made the remarks after a recent United Nations monitoring group report indicates that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have leased the Port of Assab for 30 years from the Eritrean government in their coalition to fight the Houthis in Yemen.
“They have assured us that they would not be engaged in activities that would endanger the peace and security of Ethiopia. They have said this is only a choice of tactical convenience to their operation in Yemen and that they would evacuate the area as soon as the mission is completed,” Hailemariam told The Reporter newspaper. “We have also stressed that they will bear the consequences of our response if their operation in the area supports the Eritrean regime’s destabilization agenda against Ethiopia. Although we understand their objective, we were not consulted before the countries reached to this agreement.”
The Premier also told reporters of the newspaper during his first interview with a local private media outlet that Ethiopia absolves itself of any responsibility in case of disruptions to their operation in the area due to its proportionate response to any provocations by the Eritrean regime.
“Although we understand their objective, we were not consulted before the countries reached to this agreement. We have a right to protect the sovereignty of our country. And this might depend on the actions of the Eritrean regime,” Hailemariam said.
The Prime Minister, however, said that there is no evidence Saudi Arabia and the UAE had leased the Port of Assab from Eritrea for 30 years.
Experts say the relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia is arguably the most important and volatile in East Africa. The fall-out between the former brothers-in-arms initiated a two-year-long border war in 1998, which claimed around 100,000 causalities, and cost billions of dollars. Many say the ‘no war, no peace’ situation between the two countries continues to serve as the main source of regional instability in the Horn of Africa.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Eritrea’s Issayas May Meet Ethiopia’s PM, Officials In India
The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), which has invited all the leaders of the 54 African countries to India will kick off on October 29,n 2015. Eritrea’s President Issayas Afeworki and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalgen as well as other top government officials have been invited to the Summit.
This would be one of the few times that the leaders of the two countries have sat in the same podium since the end of the border war in 2002 and subsequent peace deals. A handshake or not, the elephants of the two nations are set to see face to face.
All 54 countries, which have been invited, will be represented at the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) that got underway here on Monday, a senior external affairs ministry official said.
“This is a summit of 56 representatives – 54 (countries) from Africa, the African Union and our prime minister,” Syed Akbaruddin, additional secretary in the ministry and the chief coordinator of IFAS, told the media.
“We are confident that every institution and country invited will be present when our prime minister will take the floor on October 29. This summit will be a gathering of every country in Africa, the African Union and India, which is unprecedented in the annals of any summit between Africa and any other country,” he said.
Though he did not give the exact number of heads of government and state who will be coming, he said that even countries that had elections or where new governments have been formed will be represented at the highest level.
“Several Francophone countries will be attending like Gabon, Guinea. Guinea had elections on October 11. The president of Guinea has consented to come immediately after the elections,” said Akbaruddin.
“In Guinea Bissau, a new government was formed just two weeks ago. We will also have the president of Guinea Bissau here.”
He also informed that the kings of Morocco and Swaziland arrived in New Delhi on Monday and added that there would be representations across boundaries and different sectors.
This will, perhaps, be the first time that all the 54 African countries are coming together outside the continent for such a meeting.
The two previous India-Africa summits were held in 2008 and 2011, in New Delhi and Addis Ababa, but with only representative participation from African countries. The actual summit this time among the leaders is scheduled on October 29.
The IAFS formally got underway on Monday with a meeting between senior officials of India and the African countries.
On Tuesday, a ministerial meeting will be held between the foreign ministers of India and the African countries. This will be followed by bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her counterparts of several African countries.
The itinerary also includes a grand banquet to be hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, on the evening of October 29.
Ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Modi has said that India’s areas of focus in Africa will continue to be human resource development, institution building, infrastructure, clean energy, agriculture, health, education and skill development.
Commerce is high on the agenda. India’s trade with Africa has ballooned 20 times in the last 15 years and currently stands at $70 billion. India’s investment in Africa range between $30-35 billion.
source:http://debirhan.com/?p=7692
Saturday, September 12, 2015
After military clashes: Ethiopian opposition forces inside Sudanese territory
Following the outbreak of the situation between the known Baldmahat Army system Eritrean and a military clashes in the Ethiopian opposition forces unknown real causes only Zhr some websites of refusal This forces from engaging in military scenarios with the Ethiopian regime and the impact of its refusal was blockaded and clash with them to include a patch of engagement large area including inside Sudanese territory. Where it resorted Bolyatea and equipment and asked not to force her to return to Eritrea.
Questions to ask itself whether the Ethiopian opposition armies of Alice goals hit the Ethiopian regime? Why become a reason for the outbreak of war between them and the Mstadhavha?
Did senior opponents of the Ethiopian regime enters to Asmara in the past months in order to carry out military operations against the Ethiopian regime?
Is there a scenario to get rid of the two systems both opponents of acting?
Obtained spaced at some of the bull social networking activists we publish below.
Source : http://www.farajat.net/ar/35370
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Eritrea's Isaias Afwerki: reviled and revered ex-rebel
Nairobi (AFP) - Heroic freedom fighter or iron-fisted dictator, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki's divisive rule over the Horn of Africa nation is as strong as ever, over two decades since taking power.
But his rule has been challenged by the monthly flood of refugees from Eritrea, with many of the thousands heading towards Europe, the third-largest number of those risking the dangerous sea crossing.
Authoritarian and austere, 69-year old Isaias led one of Africa's most remarkable rebel armies in a bitter 30-year struggle against a far larger Ethiopian army, backed first by the United States, then the Soviet Union.
At independence in 1993 he became the country's first -- and so far only -- president, but his increasingly iron-fisted and paranoid rule is driving thousands to flee every month, contributing to the world refugee crisis.
Eritrea was once held up as a beacon of hope for Africa by Western governments, and Isaias was hailed as a "renaissance leader" by then US President Bill Clinton.
But attitudes changed sharply as Marxist-inspired Isaias tightened control of the one-party state run by his People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) and as he began backing regional rebels, including accusations of supporting the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Shebab.
Born in 1946 in Asmara into an Orthodox Christian family, Isaias moved to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to study engineering but, aged 20, left to join a fledgling separatist rebel movement fighting for Eritrean independence.
- 'Isolated and mercurial' -
Tall, handsome and with a fearsome temper, Isaias rose through the ranks to command a well-organised movement whose guerrillas dug a warren of bunkers to hold out against Ethiopian fighter jets.
The rebels finally liberated Asmara in 1991, followed by an overwhelming vote for independence in a referendum two years later.
But Eritrea's dream of freedom turned sour. Between 1998-2000 Eritrea fought a renewed border war with Ethiopia that left at least 80,000 dead.
An international court awarded the flashpoint frontier town of Badme to Eritrea, but the Ethiopians have refused to withdraw, fuelling long-running tensions that drove Isaias to ship guns to regional rebels to needle Ethiopia.
Partly because of criticism of his handling of the war, Isaias launched a brutal purge in September 2001, arresting 11 top party figures -- close colleagues from the independence struggle -- and forcing a wave of others to flee.
He brooks no criticism, shrugging off international condemnation, including for throwing out a United Nations peacekeeping mission and expelling international aid agencies in a draconian policy of self-reliance.
Isaias has closed all independent media and jailed critical journalists. Eritrea dropped below North Korea as the world's worst nation for press freedom, according to rights group Reporters Without Borders.
- Religious minorities jailed -
Religious minorities including evangelical Christian sects are jailed in grim conditions -- often locked in shipping container prisons in baking heat -- because Isaias believes they are a foreign plot to foment divisions in a nation officially split equally between Islam and Christianity.
A keen admirer of Mao Zedong after training in China during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, he still plays "a mean game of ping pong", according to US diplomatic cables, although his once close ties to Beijing have waned in recent years.
Isaias, who like most Eritreans is known by his first name, shunned the cult of personality beloved by other African strongmen. His portrait is not on the country's banknotes and is rarely seen outside official buildings.
Indeed, Isaias once would take regular evening strolls down the streets of the mountain capital Asmara with its elegant Italian-era colonial architecture, popping into smoky bars for a drink, apparently keen to cultivate a "man of the people" image.
However, in recent years the "isolated and mercurial... unhinged dictator" -- as leaked US diplomatic cables describe him -- has became increasingly paranoid, fearing assassination attempts which he said were backed by the US spy agency, the CIA.
His popularity slumped in the tightly restricted country, where the young are conscripted into mass national service that can last for decades, and where military police prowl the streets to round up those skipping the army service.
Together, open-ended conscription and state repression have driven thousands to flee despite a shoot-to-kill policy by border patrols, with families of those left behind risking being punished by crippling fines or imprisonment.
As the economy has stagnated, rumours have grown of Isaias's heavy drinking, furious temper and shouting fits aimed at cowed officials.
Although nominally under civilian rule, Eritrea under Isaias has been carved up into zones of control by army generals, who run flourishing networks of corrupt businesses and cream off lucrative profits.
But with opposition figures jailed and government media warning of a constant threat of Ethiopian attack, many feel there seems little alternative to the unelected president, still viewed by some as a hero of the independence war.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 በወያኔ ላይ የሰነዘረውን ድንገተኛ ማጥቃት ተከትሎ ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ “ህዝብን አስፈቅደን ከሻብያ ጋር እንዋጋለን” አሉ
አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 በተለያዩ ግንባሮች በወያኔ ላይ የከፈተውን ማጥቃት ተከትሎ ከወያኔ ጎራ የተምታቱ ዜናዎች እየተደመጡ ነው።
ቀደም ሲል የተሰነዘረባቸውን ጥቃት “ምንም ነገር የለም” ብለው ለማድበስበስ የሞከሩት የወያኔ ሹማምንትና ካድሬዎች ዜናው በኢሳት ቴሌቪዥን፣ ሬድዮ፣ በተለያዩ ድረ-ገጾች እና በዋንኛነት ደግሞ በማህበራዊ መገናኛ ገጾች በስፋት በመዘገቡ “ምንም ነገር የለም” ከሚለው ወደ ተምታታ ዜና ማሰራጨት ተሸጋግረዋል።
የወያኔዎቹ ቃል-አቀባይ ጌታቸው ረዳ በሚሚ ስብሃቱ ኤፍ ኤም ራድዮ ላይ ቀርቦ “በአካባቢው በመሬት የተነሳ መጠነኛ ግጭት ነበር” በማለት ሁኔታውን ከገለጸ በኋላ ወድያውም “በሻብያ ላይ የማያዳግም ቅጣት” ሊሰነዝሩ እንደሚችሉ ተናግሯል።
አይጋ ፎረም የሚባለውና በአፍቃሪ ወያኔነቱ የሚታወቀው ድረገጽ ደግሞ የመከላከያ ሰራዊቱ በሻብያ ተላኩ ያላቸውን ታጣቂዎች መማረኩን ዘግቧል።
አነጋጋሪ የሆነውና ምናልባትም አብዛኞችን ፈገግ ያደረገው ዜና ደግሞ ኣሻንጉሊቱ ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ ለአሻንጉሊቱ የተወካዮች ምክር ቤት ያደረጉት ንግግር ነው፣ “ህዝብን አስፈቅደን ከሻብያ ጋር ጦርነት እንገጥማለን” ነበር ያሉት ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ።
የወያኔ ሹማምንት ጥቃት እየሰነዘረባቸው ያለውን “አርበኞች ግንቦት 7ን” በስም ለመጥቀስ እጅግ የፈሩ ይመስላሉ።
አርበኞች ግንቦት 7ን በስም መጥቀስ ለምን ፈሩ? ብሎ ለሚጠይቅ መልሱ ቀላል ነው።
ህዝብ የአርበኞች ግንቦት 7 የነጻነት ታጋዮች ከአብራኩ የወጡ የቁርጥ ቀን ልጆቹ እንደሆኑ ያውቃል። ስለዚህም ከአርበኞች ግንቦት 7 ጋር ጦርነት ልንገጥም ነው ቢሉ ማንም እንደማይተባበራቸው ይረዳሉ። ያላቸው እድል “ሻብያ” እያሉ መለፈፍ ነው።
የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ የጦርነትን አስከፊ ገጽታ ይገነዘባል ይሁንና የወያኔ አስከፊ ዘረኛ ስርዓት እያደረሰበት ካለው የመረረ ጭቆና ጋር በማነጻጸር ይመስላል አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 በወያኔ ላይ የሰነዘረውን ጥቃት በደስታ ነው የተቀበለው።
በርካታ ኢትዮጵያውያን ወደ ኢሳት ቴሌቭዥን በመደወል ደስታቸውን ሲገልጹና ለአርበኞቹም መልካሙን ሁሉ ሲመኙ ተደምጠዋል።
Source: http://ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/15307/
አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 በተለያዩ ግንባሮች በወያኔ ላይ የከፈተውን ማጥቃት ተከትሎ ከወያኔ ጎራ የተምታቱ ዜናዎች እየተደመጡ ነው።Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn on Al Jazeera
ቀደም ሲል የተሰነዘረባቸውን ጥቃት “ምንም ነገር የለም” ብለው ለማድበስበስ የሞከሩት የወያኔ ሹማምንትና ካድሬዎች ዜናው በኢሳት ቴሌቪዥን፣ ሬድዮ፣ በተለያዩ ድረ-ገጾች እና በዋንኛነት ደግሞ በማህበራዊ መገናኛ ገጾች በስፋት በመዘገቡ “ምንም ነገር የለም” ከሚለው ወደ ተምታታ ዜና ማሰራጨት ተሸጋግረዋል።
የወያኔዎቹ ቃል-አቀባይ ጌታቸው ረዳ በሚሚ ስብሃቱ ኤፍ ኤም ራድዮ ላይ ቀርቦ “በአካባቢው በመሬት የተነሳ መጠነኛ ግጭት ነበር” በማለት ሁኔታውን ከገለጸ በኋላ ወድያውም “በሻብያ ላይ የማያዳግም ቅጣት” ሊሰነዝሩ እንደሚችሉ ተናግሯል።
አይጋ ፎረም የሚባለውና በአፍቃሪ ወያኔነቱ የሚታወቀው ድረገጽ ደግሞ የመከላከያ ሰራዊቱ በሻብያ ተላኩ ያላቸውን ታጣቂዎች መማረኩን ዘግቧል።
አነጋጋሪ የሆነውና ምናልባትም አብዛኞችን ፈገግ ያደረገው ዜና ደግሞ ኣሻንጉሊቱ ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ ለአሻንጉሊቱ የተወካዮች ምክር ቤት ያደረጉት ንግግር ነው፣ “ህዝብን አስፈቅደን ከሻብያ ጋር ጦርነት እንገጥማለን” ነበር ያሉት ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ።
የወያኔ ሹማምንት ጥቃት እየሰነዘረባቸው ያለውን “አርበኞች ግንቦት 7ን” በስም ለመጥቀስ እጅግ የፈሩ ይመስላሉ።
አርበኞች ግንቦት 7ን በስም መጥቀስ ለምን ፈሩ? ብሎ ለሚጠይቅ መልሱ ቀላል ነው።
ህዝብ የአርበኞች ግንቦት 7 የነጻነት ታጋዮች ከአብራኩ የወጡ የቁርጥ ቀን ልጆቹ እንደሆኑ ያውቃል። ስለዚህም ከአርበኞች ግንቦት 7 ጋር ጦርነት ልንገጥም ነው ቢሉ ማንም እንደማይተባበራቸው ይረዳሉ። ያላቸው እድል “ሻብያ” እያሉ መለፈፍ ነው።
የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ የጦርነትን አስከፊ ገጽታ ይገነዘባል ይሁንና የወያኔ አስከፊ ዘረኛ ስርዓት እያደረሰበት ካለው የመረረ ጭቆና ጋር በማነጻጸር ይመስላል አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 በወያኔ ላይ የሰነዘረውን ጥቃት በደስታ ነው የተቀበለው።
በርካታ ኢትዮጵያውያን ወደ ኢሳት ቴሌቭዥን በመደወል ደስታቸውን ሲገልጹና ለአርበኞቹም መልካሙን ሁሉ ሲመኙ ተደምጠዋል።
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Former Secretary of State for Africa Herman Cohen Paid to Lobby on Behalf of Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki
Former US Secretary of State for Africa Herman Cohen is using the good offices of the US Department of State to lobby on behalf of Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki. Our readers will recall that there is a move by the International Criminal Court to bring President Isayas before the court for “crimes against humanity” following the recent 400 plus page report on the astonishing human rights abuses against the people of Eritrea directed by the President’s Office and the President’s party, the Peoples’ Front for Democracy and Justice. Today we are posting a letter written by Berhane Gebrehiwot, Eritrea’s Chargé D’affaires in Washington, DC to Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, detailing a number of conversations with Ambassador Cohen as well as a joint strategy for improving President Isayas’s relationship with Washington. We make no comment today to allow our readers to reach their own conclusions about Ambassador Cohen’s motivation for pursuing this relationship. More to follow.
Embassy of the State of Eritrea
United States of America
To: Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Asmara
Subject: Conversation with Ambassador Herman Cohen
23/Jan/2015 EOE-US-00415
I met Ambassador Herman Cohen, President and CEO of Cohen and Woods international, the former USA Assistance Secretary of State for Africa in our embassy office on 21 January 2015. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange ideas and follow up on the specific issues we have discussed upon in our last meeting.
During our last discussion, we have reached a consensus that his initial idea on the “resolution of the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea” was unrealistic and unattainable owing to the intransigence of Ethiopian government. Therefore we have agreed to focus his efforts on ways and means of lifting the unjust sanction imposed against Eritrea and on improving the relation between Eritrea and USA. It is also to be recalled that he had also promised to publish an article similar to the previous one and was also tasked to assess the position of the State Department and, whenever he got the opportunity, to work and positively influence US policy on Eritrea.
On my part, I started the discussion by appreciating his continued initiative and commitment. I briefed him on the all rounded progress we have made in Eritrea since our last meeting, the efforts we are making to solve problems at regional and international levels diplomatically and the enormous experiences we have accumulated in the this regard. Then, I asked him to focus on the issues we have last agreed and provide detailed information on the subjects he was tasked to accomplish i.e. if he had made any contacts with the relevant officials of State Department and its
outcome? The assessment he had carried out and the contacts he established to tackle the problems relating to the removal of the sanctions imposed against Eritrea, and the assignment he was given to write a piece focused on important issues I have identified and given to him in our last meeting.
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Ambassador Cohen replied to me as per our previous understanding that he has been doing his level best to find mechanisms to remove the sanction imposed against Eritrea and find ways at improving the relations between the United States and Eritrea. He said as the UN Security Council last report on Eritrea has indicated, there is no evidence whatsoever that incriminate Eritrea, and after assessing the increased interest of many of the Security Council members at lifting the sanction imposed against Eritrea; he said that he has come to conclude and organized his ideas to help the United States, the country he believes that could play the most important role in lifting the sanctions, to at least abstain and play positive role.
He has also informed me that to make some assessment he has contacted different officials in the State Department African Affairs, including, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Department for African Affairs Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum and the East African Affairs Director Nancy Cohen. In his discussions with these officials, he said, he had raised the benefit the USA would garner from the cooperation with Eritrea, by highlighting Eritrea as the most stable country in the most volatile Horn of Africa and Middle East region. He had also mentioned to them that it is the wish of the US Department of Defense for Eritrea to play an important role in the fight against terrorism and emphasized that this could serve as a good starting point to normalize the relations between the United States and Eritrea. He also added that many countries including allies of the United States that took hostile stance against Eritrea, due to the influence of the USA, are interested in removing the sanctions and would like to work with Eritrea. He further stated that in his discussion with these officials he preferred to take a middle ground in his argument to convince them in order for the United States to at least abstain in lifting the sanctions imposed against Eritrea.
According to what he said was an honest opinion of Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum and his assistant Director Nancy Cohen, he said the assessment made by the State Department with regards to improving the relations with Eritrea was not far from that of his position. In order to normalize relations between the two countries, the State Department believes, according to these officials, it is important that the sanction against Eritrea be removed and the United States should abstain to bring about the desired change in the relations. However, he further stated, the two State Department officials confided to him that the White House has different perspective towards Eritrea and there is a pending instruction to veto the lifting of the sanctions because
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the White House still believes that Eritrea is not yet ready to improve its relations and work with the United States.
Ambassador Cohen asked Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum and his assistance Director Nancy Cohen on what should be done to normalize USA-Eritrea relations. They stressed, he noted, that improved relations with Eritrea is very important more than ever to the strategic interests of the United States. In order to remove the strong opposition by the White House, they suggested for Eritrea to take “Cuba type” gestures that would help them reverse the hostile position taken by the White House. This gesture may include, for example, releasing the two detained US Embassy staff members, enhanced diplomatic representation between the two countries to ambassadorial level. If Eritrea takes these initiatives, they said, it would help influence the hostile attitude of the National Security Advisor (Suzan Rice) towards Eritrea. He also expressed his desire for me to pass on this message to the Government of Eritrea.
After putting his evaluation and conclusion on the visible differences between the White House and the State Department concerning the relations between the US and Eritrea, I have asked Ambassador Cohen what would be the impact and significance of the position of the State Department in normalizing the relations between the US and Eritrean.
He replied, the State Department due to geopolitical reasons especially because of the deteriorating security situation developing and has been taking shape in Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia, there is a complete consensus within the State Department that working with Eritrea would be to the best strategic interests of the United States. He further stated that this view is also shared by the US Department of Defense and the only obstacle remaining in place, he said, was the position taken by the White House particularly by Suzan Rice and her followers. Ambassador Cohen further commented that although Suzan Rice considers herself as an expert on African affairs, her diplomatic skills rely on intimidation and the use of force; her decisions solely based on love and hate, driven by personal bias and according to his opinion she is categorically unfit for diplomacy.
Furthermore, Ambassador Cohen said that he had also discussed the issue of the sanction with French ambassador to Washington who was the permanent representative of France to UN. Ambassador Cohen learned from the French
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ambassador that the UK and French also want the sanction imposed against Eritrea to be removed. According to what the French Ambassador had told to Ambassador Cohen, perpetuating and maintaining this unjust sanction have become a source of shame to his country. However, the French Ambassador said, the strong stance of the USA to maintain the sanctions in place on the one hand and the inflexibility of Asmara to improve its relations with Washington on the other hand is complicating the situation. The French Ambassador further informed Ambassador Cohen that the strong position of the USA and more specifically the White House as the only remaining hurdle that needs to be overcome in order to remove the sanctions imposed against Eritrea.
Finally, regarding negotiations between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which we have agreed to give secondary attention due to its impracticality, Ambassador Cohen has come with the following assessments from his sources in Addis Ababa. He said there are elements within the EPRDF leadership who would like to resolve the conflict with Eritrea peacefully. However, few but very influential members of the ruling party do not subscribe to the idea of negotiation with Eritrea because they think the Government of Eritrea is dying by itself and maintain that there is no need for withdrawing Ethiopian troops from Eritrea and no urgency to demarcate the border. He said these elements are pushing hard against the peaceful settlement of the conflict with Eritrea.
The points I proposed to him can be summarized as follows
I emphasized on the significance of the paper he promised to write which would help enhance awareness on the importance of removing the unjust sanction imposed against Eritrea and improving relations between the USA and Eritrea. I argued the publication and dissemination of this paper would help convince those who support the sanction to change their opinion while on the other side; it helps to boost the morale of those who support Eritrea. I strongly urged him to speed up the publication of this important article for it also creates an impact on the aggressive position of the White House. (He agreed on its importance and I will try to follow it up as necessary)
In order to overcome the obstacles and disseminate supportive idea towards Eritrea; I suggested to him the need to organize different forums, which would focus on the down side of supporting the continuation of sanctions imposed
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against Eritrea and showing the benefits for the United States from improved relations with Eritrea. I suggested this forum may involve concerned journalists, officials, congressmen and think tanks and to implement this idea to see whether his lobby firm, Cohen & Woods International, could do it or I asked him to make some assessment if these forums could be organized, through his influence, by other think-tanks and academics. (He accepted the idea. However, as Cohen & Woods International is a lobby firm, he promised to find out other pertinent think- thanks to organize the forum)
On his part Ambassador Cohen has asked me to communicate to the relevant Eritrean Government authorities the efforts he has been making to establish contacts with officials of the State Department. I encourage him to continue his communications with the officials of the State Department and I also promised to him to establish communication with officials of the African Affairs, whenever I got the opportunity or meet them if they are willing to see me.
With regards to the points he raised that Eritrea should have taken the initiative as a good gesture, I replied to him that Eritrea has been asked to deliver more than its capabilities. To support Ethiopia at the expense of the national security and the very existence of Eritrea, the country has been forced to pay enormous sacrifices over the last 17 years. Therefore I told him this injustice to be rectified first. I emphasized our position to him that trying to address very minor and side issues, leaving aside the most basic and fundamental ones would not help but only complicate the solution to the main problem.
Finally we have agreed to continue our communication on regular basis, to exchange useful information and enhance our joint efforts. In addition, I invited him and his wife to participate on the 35 anniversary of Eritrean Women’s Association exhibition which demonstrates the role played by women in the liberation struggle and after the independence to be held on March 07/2015 in Washington DC, which he accepted.
VICTORY TO THE MASS! Berhane Gebrehiwot Chargé D’affaires
Source:: strathink.net
Monday, May 25, 2015
Eritrea and Ethiopia named most censored countries in Africa
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| Kenyan journalists demonstrate for press freedom. Eritrea ranked number one while Ethiopia came in fourth in the list of 10 most censored countries in the world. |
Eritrea and Ethiopia have been named as the most censored African countries in a report compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
According to the CPJ release, the list is “based on research into the use of tactics ranging from imprisonment and repressive laws in the harassment of journalists and restrictions on Internet access.”
Eritrea ranked number one while Ethiopia came in fourth in the list of 10 most censored countries in the world. The eight other countries on the list are North Korea, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Myanmar, and Cuba.
CPJ says Eritrea’s president Isaias Afewerki “has succeeded in his campaign to crush independent journalism, creating a media climate so oppressive that even reporters for state-run news outlets live in constant fear of arrest.”
The tactics used by Eritrea and North Korea – second on the list – mirror each other to a large extent. These regimes use “a combination of media monopoly, harassment, spying, threats of journalist imprisonment, and restriction of journalists' entry into or movements within their countries” to keep their grip on power.
The last accredited international reporter was kicked out of Eritrea in 2007, while those invited occasionally to just interview the president are closely monitored by state security.
“Imprisonment is the most effective form of intimidation and harassment used against journalists,” CPJ adds.
The country is Africa's worst jailer of journalists, and with at least 23 behind bars it ranks third in the world just after Iran, which has jailed 30, and China 44.
Additionally, President Afewerki’s government has deliberately limited internet access through slow dial up connections such that less than one per cent of the population goes online.
Eritrea also has the lowest figure globally of cell phone users, with just 5.6 per cent of the population owning one, making the country the least connected place on earth.
“Fearing the spread of the Arab Spring in 2011, the government scrapped plans to provide mobile Internet for its citizens,” the CPJ report says.
This limited the possibility of accessing information to the point where most Eritreans had no idea that the regimes in countries nearby in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya were being swept out of power.
In Ethiopia, the watchdog says the threat of imprisonment has forced a majority of journalists to seek asylum abroad for fear of persecution.
A crackdown on bloggers and independent publications in 2014 forced over 30 journalists to flee the country, and ahead of the May 2015 elections, authorities have stepped up the campaign to close down the country’s last remaining independent publications through a wave of arrests of journalists and publishers.
“Filing lawsuits against editors and forcing publishers to cease production have left only a handful of independent publications in a country of more than 90 million people,” CPJ says.
Last year, 10 independent bloggers were imprisoned while authorities charged six publications in court for “encouraging terrorism”, forcing at least 16 journalists to flee the country.
Ethiopia has also been accused of using surveillance technology to spy of dissidents at home and abroad.
A report released last year by Citizen Lab, a non-profit research lab that investigates surveillance technology across the world, says Ethiopia has been using a sophisticated malware to spy on Ethiopian journalists based in the US and Western Europe.
Source;theeastafrican
Eritrea and Ethiopia have been named as the most censored African countries in a report compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
According to the CPJ release, the list is “based on research into the use of tactics ranging from imprisonment and repressive laws in the harassment of journalists and restrictions on Internet access.”
Eritrea ranked number one while Ethiopia came in fourth in the list of 10 most censored countries in the world. The eight other countries on the list are North Korea, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Myanmar, and Cuba.
CPJ says Eritrea’s president Isaias Afewerki “has succeeded in his campaign to crush independent journalism, creating a media climate so oppressive that even reporters for state-run news outlets live in constant fear of arrest.”
The tactics used by Eritrea and North Korea – second on the list – mirror each other to a large extent. These regimes use “a combination of media monopoly, harassment, spying, threats of journalist imprisonment, and restriction of journalists' entry into or movements within their countries” to keep their grip on power.
The last accredited international reporter was kicked out of Eritrea in 2007, while those invited occasionally to just interview the president are closely monitored by state security.
“Imprisonment is the most effective form of intimidation and harassment used against journalists,” CPJ adds.
The country is Africa's worst jailer of journalists, and with at least 23 behind bars it ranks third in the world just after Iran, which has jailed 30, and China 44.
Additionally, President Afewerki’s government has deliberately limited internet access through slow dial up connections such that less than one per cent of the population goes online.
Eritrea also has the lowest figure globally of cell phone users, with just 5.6 per cent of the population owning one, making the country the least connected place on earth.
“Fearing the spread of the Arab Spring in 2011, the government scrapped plans to provide mobile Internet for its citizens,” the CPJ report says.
This limited the possibility of accessing information to the point where most Eritreans had no idea that the regimes in countries nearby in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya were being swept out of power.
In Ethiopia, the watchdog says the threat of imprisonment has forced a majority of journalists to seek asylum abroad for fear of persecution.
A crackdown on bloggers and independent publications in 2014 forced over 30 journalists to flee the country, and ahead of the May 2015 elections, authorities have stepped up the campaign to close down the country’s last remaining independent publications through a wave of arrests of journalists and publishers.
“Filing lawsuits against editors and forcing publishers to cease production have left only a handful of independent publications in a country of more than 90 million people,” CPJ says.
Last year, 10 independent bloggers were imprisoned while authorities charged six publications in court for “encouraging terrorism”, forcing at least 16 journalists to flee the country.
Ethiopia has also been accused of using surveillance technology to spy of dissidents at home and abroad.
A report released last year by Citizen Lab, a non-profit research lab that investigates surveillance technology across the world, says Ethiopia has been using a sophisticated malware to spy on Ethiopian journalists based in the US and Western Europe.
Source;theeastafrican
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Ghermay and Medhanie have made £72m from smuggling migrants in the last two years
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| Wanted: A police e-fit image of millionaire people trafficker Ermias |
Two millionaire people traffickers have been heard mocking the migrant boat disasters that have resulted in thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean, it has been reported.
One of them, an Eritrean called Mered Medhanie, also known as The General, was heard laughing on a police wiretap about overloading migrant ships, a problem that causes them to capsize.
Medhanie, 34, who is based in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, is said to have boasted: 'They say I put too many aboard , but they're the ones who want to leave in a hurry.'
A second trafficker, Ermias Ghermay , who is thought to have made £72million with Medhanie from smuggling in the last two years, also showed callous disregard for the plight of his 'customers'.
He was heard declaring last summer: 'They organised another trip a few days ago. I don't know what happened – they probably died.'
Reports of the conversations come just days after at least 900 people were feared to have drowned in one of the worst maritime disasters since the end of World War Two.
More than 1,700 have perished in the last week alone.
Italian police yesterday released Ghermay's photofit as they sought to track down the pair, who are among several traffickers wanted in connection with a major human smuggling ring.
Medhanie, who reportedly compares himself to the former Libyan dictator, and his accomplice enjoy the protection of local law authorities in the capital after it was taken over by a rival Islamist faction.
Isis: Eritrean teen migrant forced to witness Libya massacre - 'I watched IS beheading Christians'
A 16-year-old Eritrean migrant who escaped captivity under the Islamic State (Isis) in Libya has exclusively told IBTimes UK that the jihadists forced him to watch the beheading and shooting of Eritrean and Ethiopian Christians.
Nael Goitom, 16, fled IS captivity along with four other Eritreans minors on 7 April after the extremists decided to move their Libyan camp in the desert to hide from the fighting in the area.
"We thought: it's better to try to escape than to wait to be slaughtered by them," he told IBTimes UK in an interview. They walked for four days before reaching a settled area and asking for help.
Under more than a month of IS captivity, the Christian boys were forced to learn the Koran to become "Cubs of the Caliphate". "They asked us 'what do you choose, to be killed or to become Muslims?' Of course we choose the latter. 'We'll fight for you', we said," Nael said.
But the most harrowing account regards the execution of dozens of Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians in Libya by IS militants, which was shown in a 30-minute video featuring extensive rants against Christianity and the West.
The final part of the clip shows a group of men dressed in black who are said to be hostages in southern Libya held by a group of IS fighters clutching machine guns.
Then, the prisoners are shot in the back of the head. The video also depicts masked militants escorting a group of men in orange jumpsuits along a beach. The men's severed heads are later shown in the sand.
'We were forced to watch IS cutting heads'
"They made me watch everything," Nael said. "After the kidnapping they put us in one big hole, Eritreans and Ethiopians."
"Then one day they came over and brought black clothes and asked 47 people to wear them. Then, they took them to the sea. They also carried 10 minors, I was among them. I saw when IS shot them dead. We kept screaming," he continued.
The jihadists reportedly did the same with the rest of the group – about 14 people – who were forced to wear orange jumpsuits. "We were forced to watch IS cut their heads," Nael said.
The boy was kidnapped on 3 March after he crossed Libya from Sudan along with other 61 Eritrean men, 10 Eritrean women and 8 Ethiopians. About 20 or 30 armed IS members stopped the Tripoli-bound caravan of migrants in the middle of the southern Libyan desert and they started asking religious questions.
"They wanted to know who was Muslim among us. We Christians had crosses and pictures of Jesus, so we really couldn't hide it," he said.
'I keep seeing people being slaughtered and shot one by one'
Somalians were allowed to continue, while Eritreans and Ethiopians were driven to the IS camp in the desert. There were about 300-400 members of the jihadist group in the camp and for days the prisoners, who were tied and held in a large hole, were told that "the boss will come and decided our destiny".
Nael recognised three Eritreans fighting for IS. "We hoped they were going to help us, but instead they showed no emotions," he said.
After his escape, Nael and four other minors – Yohannes Mebrahtu, Thomas Ghiwet, Abraham Naizghi and Aman Shishay – walked for four days before running into a Sudanese man who drove them towards the Sahara where most of the refugees gather. Then, a smuggler got them into Tripoli, where Nael's brother lives.
Despite the lucky escape, Nael is still traumatised by the ordeal.
"I'm starting to process it now. Until a few days ago it was just a matter of survival. Now I have a lot of nightmares, I keep seeing people being slaughtered and shot one by one," he said.
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