ASMARA, March 10 (Reuters – By Jeremy Clarke) – Eritrea accused the United States on Wednesday of trying to destabilise the Horn of Africa nation and halt its economic growth, local media reported.

Relations between the government and Washington remain antagonistic. The U.S. Embassy suspended its consular services in February and the ambassador has not been formally recognised by Asmara despite being in the country for more than two years.

Asmara accuses the United States of masterminding the sanctions resolution imposed on Eritrea last December by the United Nations Security Council, which says Eritrea is supporting an insurgency in war-ravaged Somalia.

Asmara denies involvement in the violence and demands substantial proof be produced. Last month, pro-Eritrea protests were held in various world capitals against the resolution.

“A concerted resistance on part of the Eritrean people has once again demonstrated the futility of past, present and future American agenda,” the Eritrea Profile said in an editorial.

“(The United States) attempts to create chaos and division on top of incapacitating Eritrean economy and political strength,” the state-run, twice-weekly Profile said.

The violence in Somalia has killed at least 21,000 people since the beginning of 2007.

Asmara permits no independent Eritrean media. The Eritrea Profile is running a sustained campaign blaming Washington for the sanctions. The Profile has not run a word this year that questions a government policy or decision.

Reporters Without Borders says Eritrea has been the worst violator of press freedoms in the world since 2007, ranking it below North Korea for three years in a row. (Editing by David Clarke and Giles Elgood)

GENEVA – (AFP) Some 5,000 Eritreans from around Europe rallied on Monday in front of the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva to protest against UN Security Council sanctions on Eritrea, police said.

The demonstrators waved Eritrean flags and carried banners such as “No to sanctions based on lies,” and “Eritrea will never go on its knees”.

The Security Council in December voted for an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against Eritrea, which has been accused of trying to destabilize the Western-backed government in neighbouring Somalia.

One of the organizers of the rally in Geneva, who declined to be named, told AFP that members of the Eritrean diaspora had travelled to the Swiss city from 14 European nations.

A spokesman from police in Geneva said about 5,000 people took part in the protest, which passed off peacefully.

Other demonstrations were staged in the Australian capital Canberra and in San Francisco, while the Eritrean community gathered in Saudi Arabia, according to an Eritrean government website.

Asmara has condemned the sanctions decision, which includes a travel ban on senior officials, as “a shameful day” for the United Nations.

The Security Council accused Eritrean leaders of aiding Somali rebels and pressed Asmara to withdraw troops immediately from disputed territories along its frontier with Djibouti. Source: (AFP)

US EMBASSY

WARDEN MESSAGE

U.S. Embassy Asmara, February 19, 2010

The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Eritrea, recommends that U.S. citizens defer travel at this time, and informs U.S. citizens that the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Asmara is currently closed for all public non-emergency services. The Consular Section will continue to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens.

Periodically since September 13, 2008, the Government of Eritrea has repeatedly, and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, interfered with the unfettered delivery of the U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic pouches. As a result, the Embassy is unable to receive critical supplies and materials necessary for the conduct of normal operations. Until this matter is resolved, the consular section of the U.S. Embassy has no choice but to suspend all non-emergency services.

This closure affects all routine services to American citizens, such as Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, passport services, and notarial services. The Embassy hopes to resume consular services once the Government of Eritrea resumes uninterrupted delivery of diplomatic pouches. Until then, American citizens who need routine consular services should consider traveling to the U.S. Embassies in Cairo, Egypt or Nairobi, Kenya, or the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, U.A.E.

Americans currently living or traveling in Eritrea are strongly encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Asmara through the State Department’s travel registration web site, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Eritrea. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of an emergency and provide updates on the security situations. The U.S. Embassy is located at 179 Alaa Street, P.O. Box 211, Asmara; telephone (291-1) 12-00-04; fax (291-1) 124-255 and (291-1) 127-584; web site http://asmara.usembassy.gov/.

For additional information, consult the Department of State’s Country Specific Information sheet for Eritrea and the Worldwide Caution at http://travel.state.gov. American citizens may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from overseas.

Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)- Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sanaa Salem Gasab al-Zamanan presented his credentials as a non-resident ambassador to Eritrea during a meeting with President Isaias Afewerki in the Eritrean capital Asmara on Saturday.

During the credentials presentation ceremony that was attended by the Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh, al-Zamanan conveyed greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to President Afewerki.

Al-Zamanan told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that he discussed during the meeting with the Eritrean President bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them.

He added that the Eritrean officials have praised the role played by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) in support of infrastructure projects in Eritrea, as five projects have so far been constructed at a total cost of approximately USD 81 million in Eritrea.

Massawa, 8 February 2010 – The residents of the port city of Massawa said that the commemorative events being organized in connection with the 20th anniversary of Operation Fenkil would provide added impetus to the Eritrean people’s cherished values of dedication, steadfastness and hard work.

Stating that the Eritrean people have managed to enjoy peace and stability as a result of their steadfastness and sacrifices, the residents explained that Massawa has already been transformed into a modern and prosperous city thanks to the Government’s substantial investment in expanding equitable social services and putting in place reliable infrastructure facilities on the basis of the principle of self-reliance.

They went on to explain that the all-round achievements already registered in the modernization of the city over the past 20 years fully attest to the pledge made to honor the trust of martyrs. In this connection, they pointed out that this year’s commemorative event reminds us all to renew our commitment to build a developed and strong nation through redoubling all-round endeavors.

The city residents further voiced determination to make utmost preparations to colorfully commemorate the 20th anniversary of Operation Fenkil, as the event holds ever deep impression in the minds of the Eritrean people in general and Massawa residents in particular. Source: (Shabait)

Unicef

UNICEF launched last Thursday an appeal for US$1.2 billion in support for children and women in 28 countries that have been identified critical in the UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2010.

According to the report, UNICEF would need $24.8 million for funding programs in Eritrea that help addressing problems of impoverished children throughout 2010.

In comparison, Somalia needs $65.5 million and Ethiopia $68.6 million for the current year.

Critical Issues for Children and Women in Eritrea

Poor and erratic rainfall characterized much of the first half of 2009 in Eritrea, a country located in one of the driest parts of Africa and where seasonal rains are vital for subsistence. The worsening situation has been compounded by the effects of high food prices which have impacted heavily on the coping mechanisms of many households, pushing an increasing number of people into displacements and forcing women and children to live or work on the streets. Malnutrition is on a stark rise as a result, with admissions to therapeutic feeding centres as much as six times higher in 2009 than last year. The presence of landmines in Eritrea remains a major threat, with children comprising around half of the casualties and fatalities caused by the detonation of unexploded ordnance.

Planned Humanitarian Action for 2010 in Eritrea

In addition to working to reduce levels of moderate and severe malnutrition and to meet the needs of over 1 million displaced and relocated persons, host communities and other vulnerable populations, UNICEF is planning to increase its preparedness to provide immediate response to emergencies in partnership with the Government of Eritrea, local administrations and United Nations agencies. UNICEF also leads the Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Education Clusters, and the Child Protection Sub-Cluster, and participates in the Health and Protection Clusters. Joint United Nations programmes will continue to address the needs of resettlement areas holistically. Following are expected results of UNICEF emergency interventions:

Health and Nutrition: As cluster lead in nutrition, UNICEF will respond to the needs of over 1 million people, especially children and pregnant or lactating women, with therapeutic and supplementary feeding to prevent further deterioration in their already poor nutritional status.

Blanket supplementary feeding, initiated in late 2009, will continue into 2010 in the three most drought-affected regions of Anseba, Gash-Barka and Southern Red Sea as a priority.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): The UNICEF-led WASH Cluster will tackle the problem of access to safe water and sanitation facilities among 80,000 people living in drought-affected areas and displaced resettlement communities by building and rehabilitating water supply systems, as well as providing emergency supplies. The WASH Cluster will also improve the coordination of emergency preparedness in terms of planning and in the pre-positioning of supplies.

Education: A total of 4,100 primary-school-aged children in two of the most affected displaced resettlement areas will have access to a safe, protected and child-friendly learning environment through the construction of classrooms equipped with sanitation, water storage facilities and the provision of learning materials to ensure resumption and continuation of their education.

Child Protection: UNICEF will focus on the needs of at least 2,000 children made vulnerable to exploitation and abuse by food shortages. Support will include the establishment of drop-in centres and several child-friendly facilities that offer psychosocial care, vocational training, family tracing and reunification assistance for separated or unaccompanied children.

Mine Action: UNICEF’s primary concern is for the safety of those currently living in some 480 areas impacted by mines and unexploded ordnance. At least 180,000 students will have access to mine risk education, either in school or via community-based mobile teams. Mine or unexploded ordnance survivors, including children with disabilities, will benefit from increased levels of psychosocial support and vocational training.

Beirut, February 05 (QNA) – Lebanese Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Dr. Ali Al-Shami conferred here on Friday with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh , who is now visiting Beirut.

Talks during the meeting dealt with means of bolstering bilateral relations and enhancing ties of joint cooperation particularly during Lebanon’s chairmanship of the UN Security Council.

Saleh handed over a letter from the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to Lebanese president Michel Suleiman pertaining to means of promoting bilateral relations and Eritrea’s efforts to suspend sanctions the UNSC endorsed against it. Source: (QNA)

African Union chief, Jean Ping, dismissed accusations that Ethiopia has blocked the right of Eritrea to establish an office for its mission to the AU in Addis Ababa.

Asmara said in a letter circulated during the 14th AU summit Eritrea has been banned for the last 10 years from its right to participate in African Union summits and other meetings in Addis Ababa by Ethiopian refusal to extend proper diplomatic and security guarantee.

Eritrea also called on the African Union to stop holding its summits and other meetings in Addis Ababa.

In his reply to the Eritrean Foreign Affairs Minister, Osman Saleh, the Chairperson of the African UN Commission said that “Ethiopia should never been accused for Eritrea’s denial using its rights to take part in AU deliberation,” the official ENA reported on Thursday.

Ping said the commission had discussed the issues with government of Ethiopia at highest level and has accepted a categorical assurance that the Eritrean government is free to establish a mission to the AU in Addis Ababa.

Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a bloody war between1998-2000 which killed 80,000 people. The conflict between the two countries started when the two neighbors disputed over the small border town of Badme.

Ping said the former chairperson had also informed Eritrea that it has the right to participate in AU sessions in Addis Ababa.

The AU chief was referring to a letter by the former Chairperson Alpha Omar Konare to the Eritrean government that its mission will be accredit only to the African Union, will not have or carry out bilateral activities and the staff will operate from Addis Ababa only where the AU headquarters is located.

The 14th African Union Summit voiced support to UN imposed sanction and condemned Asmara to its negative roles in regional stability.(Sudan Tribune)

gold rock

ASMARA (Reuters) – More than a dozen foreign mining firms are now working in Eritrea, but poor villagers in the Red Sea state’s remote lowlands are also increasingly using their bare hands to claim some of the riches.

The nation is on the brink of a mining surge that could boost its agriculture-based economy, which has suffered from irregular rains and the global downturn, while aid agencies say Eritrea’s poor suffer widespread hunger and malnutrition.

Experts say the country’s impending mining boom will challenge oil-rich neighbours to make it easier for foreign firms to prospect across a large geological structure in the region rich in base metals and gold.

Gold, copper and zinc are the main attraction for foreign explorers, and licenses are held by companies from Australia, Britain, Canada, China and Libya.

Asmara holds a significant stake in the projects, but the most advanced mine, run by Canada’s Nevsun Resources Ltd, will not begin production until late this year, and Asmara is unlikely to see a profit until 2012 at the earliest.

However, some of Eritrea’s poorest people are already cashing in on the nation’s vast mineral potential, working in family groups to collect rocks and crush them by hand.

“The price of gold is so high at the moment that if these people, who are so poor, can find just one gram per month it is equivalent to the wage paid for national service,” Tucker Barrie, an economic geologist and regional expert, told Reuters.

“But you can find one gram in a day if you are lucky.”

Gold has been on a roll as investors buy the precious metal as a hedge against inflation although it slipped towards $1,100 an ounce on Thursday from $1,124.45 on Wednesday.

USING MERCURY

National service is mandatory for young Eritreans, and when someone will be granted “demobilization” is often unknown. Some Eritreans spend most of their adult lives in national service, whether in the military, building roads or working in cafes.

Mining company officials say the groups of impoverished Eritreans who search for gold on their licences use primitive and often unconventional methods.

“Every day on site I see local Eritreans working in groups, men and women,” Timothy Strong, Eritrea manager for British company London Africa, told Reuters. “They use one rock to crush, and the base of their sandals to pan for the gold.”

The dangers of rudimentary, artisanal mining are well known, where no safety standards are enforced and children carry piles of rocks between deep vertical pits.

“In the more advanced areas they also use mercury to extract the gold from the rock, which kills local wildlife, and in an agricultural area it gets into the food source. It also burns your skin and the fumes send you crazy,” Strong said.

Industry officials insist the artisanal mining is not in conflict with the big foreign companies, which use modern industrial methods alongside the basic, local extraction.

“Although artisan mining on sites licensed to companies is not technically legitimate, it is much wiser to build a good relationship with communities,” Strong said.

“If you totally disenfranchise local villagers — apart from being immoral — you leave your project open to sabotage. We help on our site. We give water and other provisions.”

Other than the small-scale artisanal mining and some minor extraction by Italians during the colonial era, Eritrea’s mining potential is largely unexploited.

Saron Teclu Belay

Family, friends and neighbors of Saron Teclu Belay, a 37-year-old mother of two who is mentally-disabled, have issued a plea for help and offered a reward to help find the woman who has been missing for more than two weeks. Belay was last seen January 8 at 10:00 a.m. after being released from a Long Beach hospital and inadvertently dropped off by a taxi at the wrong location in Norwalk, CA.

Ms. Belay and her two children–Angela, 15, and Johanna, 11—live in Lawndale with her parents, Teclu Hailu, 81, and Nigisty Ghebre, 67.

Earlier this month, family and friends held a press conference to detail the efforts being made to date to find her, and described her inability to care for herself. There is a $10,000 reward for information which leads to her discovery.

Ms. Ghebre reported that her daughter – who was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States in 1990 – has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had just completed a two-week stay for psychiatric treatment at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach when she disappeared.

She stressed that Ms. Belay does not know their address and telephone number, is unfamiliar with Norwalk, and is very shy and would not approach people for help.

According to Christopher P. Yuhl, an advisor to the family, when Ms. Belay’s stay at the hospital was completed, Pacific Hospital arranged for her transfer to a supervised care-and-board facility in Norwalk. It contacted Independent Taxi Company to transport her and paid the fare.

The taxi driver took her to an address on 166th Street in Norwalk, a quarter mile from the supervised facility, and left her off in front of a house. Mr. Yuhl added that the only reported sighting of her was at a dairy market.

When notified she was missing, the family notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and produced fliers and distributed hundreds of them throughout the area.

Mr. Yuhl said anyone having information on Ms. Belay should report it to Detective Diane Harris of the Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5510 or to him at 310-827-2800. Source: (Everythinglongbeach)

Westminster

UK Members of Parliament discussed regional security in the Horn of Africa during a debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday. Ivan Lewis, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responded to the debate representing the UK Government.

The debate focused on issues of security and stability in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Yemen acknowledging the strategic, economic and cultural importance of these countries. However, a great part of the discussion in Westminster Hall centered around the border problem between Eritrea and Ethiopia as a driver of conflict in the region.

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard opened the discussion on Eritrea and Ethiopia by stating, “What happens in Addis Abeba matters”. Mr Pritchard supports his view by arguing that Ethiopia is one of the most stable countries in the Horn. He told attending MPs that he recently made a visit to Ethiopia and that the country reflects stability regardless of ongoing disputes and tensions with Eritrea.

Mr Pritchard was asked by Jeremey Corbyn, Labour MP from the Islington constituency, if he was able to discuss the issue of border dispute with the Ethiopian Government during his visit to Addis Ababa and whether he believes that there is any chance that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling might be accepted by both parties.

Mr Pritchard replied that he had discussed it with the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia and other representatives of the Government. He said that it would help if the court would make the effort to visit the border rather than making judgments based on a map from a room in a European capital.

Throughout the debate the Conservative MP appeared to support Ethiopia accusing Eritrea of causing instability in the Horn with the support of Libya, Qatar and Iran. While the Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs tried to emphasise the complexity of the forces driving conflict in the Horn.

“I wonder whether we are not sometimes too simplistic in looking at goodies and baddies, and whether a much higher degree of involvement is needed,” Mr Corbyn said for instance.

Moreover, Labour and Liberal Democrats seemed to support the view that the Algiers Agreement and the Court of Arbitration ruling might be key to solving many problems in the region.

Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ivan Lewis responded to the debate saying,

“To my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North who raised the issue of the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, I have to say that there was arbitration. The Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary commission made a very clear decision on the border.

Despite our friendship with Ethiopia and our tremendous admiration for the progress it has made, we continue to press it to implement the decision following arbitration. The matter will continue to be a running sore and a cause of much instability until it has done so.

I say to the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) who asked the question that we continue to make the case for that recommendation to be implemented, because it is a root cause of the significant instability.”

“We support the sanctions regime against Eritrea because we believe that country has consistently flouted international law, which is why we supported UN Security Council resolution 1907. However, that is not an alternative to engagement. Of course, we want to engage with Eritrea, as well as to insist that it does not behave in a way that undermines stability in the horn. It is very important to get that balance right.”

Watch the debate on link below:

WESTMINISTER HALL VIDEO

Ethiopian Airlines

An Ethiopian Airlines aircraft that took off from Beirut airport has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea with 90 people on board, confirms an airline spokesman.

“The incident has happened, and we have dispatched an investigation team to Beirut. We don’t have clear information besides that at the moment,” he adds.

Media reports quoting the Lebanese transport minister say the crash site has been identified, and search and rescue operations are going there. No survivors have been found yet, add the reports.

Flight ET409 reportedly taken off in stormy weather, say the reports. Bound for the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the aircraft lost contact with Lebanese air controllers shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport at 02:35hr, says the airline.

Ethiopian operates a daily flight between Beirut and Addis Ababa with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The ill-fated aircraft was carrying 82 passengers and eight Ethiopian crew members, says the airline.

“A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information we will release further information as further updates are received,” says Ethiopian. On the airline website a statement reads,

“Ethiopian Airline regrets to announce the missing of its flight number No- ET-409 from Beirut to Addis Ababa with 82 passengers and 8 crew on board for more information contact the emergency call center…”