The AU is calling on the Security Council of the United Nations to implement sanctions against Eritrea.
These sanctions can imply the suspension of trade relations, rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio as well as the severance of diplomatic relations with a state.
For countries such as Eritrea being able to import goods and services for the national economy can mean the life line for survival.
The threat of sanctions on goods and services in hand with the introduction of tariff and trade barriers, import duties as well as import and export quotas would cause heavy administrative fences for Eritrea. This would make it nearly impossible for a country to supply for the needs of its people.
Eritrea is already one of the poorest nations in the world, with an average yearly per capita income of $US 200 and ranking 157th out of 177 states in the World Development Index (World Bank 2006). Thus, it seems obvious that the introduction of sanctions could have a crushing impact on trade and food security levels for the population of Eritrea.
Especially, as the country is already highly vulnerable to external factors such as commodity prices and foreign exchange flows.
Previous examples of countries which have been sanctioned resulted in impoverishment, increase of child mortality and the lack of elementary items for living. This has led to a majority of people not being able to feed themselves, the GDP falling extremely and the gradual run down of necessary facilities.
In the eye of the increasing economical advances made in the country, the call to sanction Eritrea by neighbouring countries is definitely representing an ethical and humanitarian injustice against the people living in Eritrea.
The WHO has stated recently that good progress has been made in Eritrea to improve life expectancy for its people.
For the first time in years, foreign investment seems to not be scared away from the nation in the Horn of Africa and willing to provide with heavily needed foreign exchange.
Further, the World Bank is underlining that the prospect to ensure food security, develop human resources and physical infrastructure has improved for Eritrea. Moreover, the World Bank is referring to the positive outlook for economical growth with the introduction of a free trade zones as well as the development of the mining sector in Eritrea.
Between 2005 and 2007 Eritrea had an average GDP growth rate of 1%. Experts have estimated that Eritrea requires a sustained real economic growth of 7% or higher in the long term, to reach its Millennium Goal to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty by 50% until 2015.
Why is Eritrea risking to get trouble with the world?
Gebre,
WHAT?! Can tell me one specific action (supported by any type of proof) that is getting eritrea in trouble with “the world”?
try yo widen your horizon lest you suffer from tunnel-vision syndrome.
where is the proof or made up proof that AU and UN has to put sanction on Eritrea. Here we come again, CIA in the making. Why doesn’t CIA leave Africa alone. We would make better progress if the CIA leave Africa alone. They are the source of all this problem. Now they are inside AU too. They use aid and loan or fund to make the AU do its dirty job. Good job AU. Now CIA is working the nation from inside the AU office. I feel sorry for Africa, a bunch of idiots. You do your dirty work and you will see what will follow next.
Hi Abraham,
I am just wondering what is going on?
Why is it that we hear bad news from every corner of the world about our country?
I am a patriot and I love my country, I just do not want it to end up like Afghanistan or Somalia!
The African Union seems to be full of ignorance and a bunch of liars!
The AU is demanding sanctions against Eritrea without any proof and based on emotional outbreaks.
Exactly seven years ago the AU was founded by 53 head of states in order to improve the situation for Africans. Since this day we have not seen any results or major actions. They went out to help the helpless, to stop the wars and to take responsibility for a continent no one feels responsible for. African solutions for African problems - this must be a joke!
Look at Zimbabwe and Mugabe; the AU had done absolutely nothing to take actions against him. During African summits he was welcomed as a member and equal partner by the African Union. The failure of the African Union to keep its promises is no surprise to me. Mugabe is not the only former freedom fighter, who perceives his country and its people as his private property. Museveni of Uganda or Biya of Camerun have all changed the constitution to stay in power. The longest serving head of state in the world is an African (Trickser Omar Bongo of Gabun). In Togo the position as head of state is perceived as a family business. Moreover, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad or Gaddafi’s Libya can not be called democracies.
Having looked at this, you can not tell me the AU has the right to judge others or that the AU is able to implement its agenda for a better Africa. It will never be able to resemble other regional unions such as the EU. Thus Eritrea is right to call the AU toothless. Moreover, it is baseless and farce from the AU to demand sanctions against Eritrea from the UN. As long as Ethiopia is not implementing the agreed border demarcation with Eritrea, sad but true- WE ARE AT WAR! And Eritrea has the right to defend its sovereignty!
Defending the own country can be done in many ways – for example with indirect means in the same way as the USA or other states are doing it. Honestly, the African Union is afraid of Eritrea becoming a strong player in the region. A strong player with TEETH!
The AU is 100% funded by western countries and known to be the club of dictators!! This will not change!!
I am really surprised about the Consequence of a dictatorial leader ship in my prety beloved country,AU has demanded the UN security council to put sunctions on Eritrea but i fully disagree with their proposal as it would be penalising the innocent People of eritrea which are already under penality by the dictatorial issayas leader ship.
Hence UN security council I blieve the respect you have on human rights,as you are representing the international community ,please reject the proposal of AU and give your Democratic decisions.
And teach the dectator issayas who is trying to lengthen his power by define democracy as a greek word like a student
come on guys. Just leave your emotions out and think constructively. What does the CIA or AU or UN get by blaming Eritrea. They will get nothing. If it was out of everything no one would have remembered them. It is b/s of the insane Isayas’ long hands that they are blaming them. Why would Isayas mind whether Somalia is destabilized or not. He will never be harmed. The harm is only primarily for Somalia and then its immediate neighbors. Why would a normal human being would defend Isayas when he is witness of his oppression? Only INSANE people support his actions?????????
you Eitreans every where let be close tied and come with united vision and mission for the peace and prosperity of the God blessed Eritrea. Eritrea should remain a country of self determinet with her own bosses that are we the Eritreans. let tell them the CIA to keep their hands away.
Today the UN has decided to consider sanctions aginst eritrea for its support of the somali armed gorups.
According to UN documents regarding Somalia , the sanctions Include :
Arms embargo
Asset Freez
Travel Ban
I think the asset freez will definitely affect the eritrean Government. The asset Freez separates an entity ( could be an individual or a country or a group) form its finacial resources. Such respources includes both tangible and intangible asstes. In case of eritrea it would mean denaying the government form collecting 2% tax from eritreans abroad, forbiding the mining companies form making any kind of finacial transfer to the benefit of the eritrean government, forbiding finacial institutions such as banks form providing any kind of finacial services to the eritrea governmnet and of course frrezing any assets registred in the name of the eritrean government or people associated with the governmnet.
The travel ban will definitely frrez the activities of the government abroad. The offcials of the PFDJ and the governmnt will be barred from traveling abroad for any kind of activity. The will end up counting thier days simply in the samll town asmara.
Lastly, the arms embargo…I think this sanction will not have much effect on the Eritrean Government. The Government have enough weapons to terrorize its citizens. I do not think eritrea willl ever strat war against ethiopia.
Shigom