Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 15 September 2010 - Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs -
In the last issue of its bulletin, “Week in the Horn”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, falsely alleges that Eritrea provided “a plane load of weapons and medical supplies to Al-Shabaab in Kismayo… at the same time as President Isaias was talking to Mr. Pascoe ( the UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs) and Ambassador Mahiga”, ( the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Somalia).
The statement goes further to claim: “about thirty wounded Al-shabaab fighters, including five foreigners, were then loaded onto the plane flown back to Asmara… An Eritrean official who flew down from Asmara in the plane also traveled to Afgoye to meet with Sheik Aweys.” To give a semblance of “credence” to these preposterous accusations, the Ministry attributes the story to anonymous “sources close to Al-Shabaab.”
This is not the first time the Foreign Ministry’s weekly bulletin is peddling propaganda against Eritrea. For reasons better known to Ethiopia, the misinformation campaign seems to have increased in the past few weeks with a litany of lopsided editorials on the well-known rulings of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, the Qatar mediation process, as well as innuendos and outright lies on the visits of foreign dignitaries to Eritrea. Dignifying these malicious distortions and/ or groundless accusations with responses will not serve any purpose and Eritrea has not bothered to address them.
The timing and intent behind this “Al-Shebaab” story has, however, two dimensions that must be addressed to put the record straight. Ethiopia Foreign Ministry has fabricated this story this week precisely in order to misinform and wrongly influence the Somalia Monitoring Group that is touring the Horn of Africa region and who arrived in Asmara this Sunday (Septmebr 12). The other probable reason might have to do with Ethiopia’s desire and pending plans to intervene again in Somalia. Indeed, when Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006, to oust the UIC of the same Sheik Sherif that was then accused of extremism and is now embraced as “moderate”, one of the pretexts it peddled was Eritrea’s deployment in Somalia of 2000 troops. Unfortunately, this total fabrication was not properly verified at the time and recycled as truth even by the Somalia Monitoring Group. We see now the same tape being played again.
In conclusion, as Eritrea has repeatedly explained, the crises in Somalia can only be solved through an all inclusive political peace process. Ethiopia’s repeated and failed invasions of Somalia and other political machination to keep Somalia weak and fragmented have not only proven futile but become a source of the problem rather than its solution.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asmara 15 September 2010
September 18, 2010 at 11:54 pm
The people of Eritrea are a GREAT people. They are people of the Bible in a beautiful country. As a North American individual of African-descent I wish them and their beautiful people nothing but the best.
My hope and prayer is that Eritea and Ethiopia which is another sacred place to ALL Blackmen will kiss and make up as brothers and put the past behind them. Ethiopia who I also love should respect Eritea’s territorial integrity and should cease and desist from undermining their brothers in Eritrea as it serves no useful purpose,it only breeds more hatred. Of course our Eritrean brothers should also understand and appreciate BIG brother Ethiopia also has some legimate beef. In due course maybe easier and or unfettred access to the sea/ports may ease the insult to big brother of been landlocked. As black men we all living with the consequences and legacy of European imperialist machinations and the discredited ideology of white supremacy. The decision to deny the the Ethiopian giant access to the sea was deliberate and malicious with the intent of weakening her so she would end up as easy pickings for the European raping of Africa.
Let us not let the past determine OUR future. There must be away for both of these two great people of the same blood to come to terms and move forward.
There is great human potential and mineral resources in both countries, war and tensions only delay the great possiblities the future holds for both nation.
I/we love both countries and people, we just want to see them both prosper. Africa need both nations as well as the region to be stable if its renaissance is to be fruitful.
Brothers we beg of you to find a way to work together. Transplanted Africans in the African- Diaspora want to see Eritea and Ethiopia partnering up to do great things.
Peace & Love is what the region need. There is enough resources for ALL of the people in East Africa.
I am not an expert on Eritrea and Ethiopia affairs, however thats is my take and 2 cents for what its worth.
One Love my brothaz!!..Please try and work together for the sake of your children, Africa, and the African Diaspora.
January 30, 2011 at 9:46 pm
T. David..that is probably, without a doubt one of the most ridicules comments I have ever read!! You clearly do not know what you are talking about, and since you are neither educated on the matter of wich you are speaking of OR is an eritrean, please do not bother to tell us what to do and not to do. Eritrea wants peace more than you do, believe me, but there are certain things that we simply have no control over. And for the rest of your’re blabber about insulting Ethiopia for land locking them and all the other nonsense..please, you are embarrassing your fellow african americans. And if you think Ethiopia is a sacred land for all black men..just look at what they are doing to the oromos in their country, their gov. do not look at men that look like bantus or A.A’s with much respect.