Eritrea Condemns Denial Of Its Right To Address Security Council

State-of-Eritrea

In the afternoon hours of Wednesday 30 November 2011, members of the UN Security Council were suddenly summoned and asked to immediately endorse a resolution drafted by Gabon and the United States designed to tighten sanctions resolution against Eritrea.

The ploy came as a surprise to the members of the Council. Whereas the Russian Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Vitaly Churkin, declared: “We were asked to approve the draft following a very sudden summons; we could not understand why in such a hectic manner.” Similarly, many members of the Council did not accept the very rush move either. And certainly, why the need to adopt a resolution in a hasty and restless way? As close observers assert, the reason behind adopting a resolution on Wednesday pm. is that the Presidency of the Security Council is scheduled to be handed over to Russia from Portugal. Thus, is it because it was ‘deemed’ an opportune moment to press for the adoption of the resolution before Russia assumes the Presidency?

As stipulated in Article 32 of the UN Charter, “Any State, be it a UN member or not, is entitled to appear before the Council to defend its case whenever an issue concerning it is presented to the Security Council”. Why deny Eritrea, a member of the United Nations, this very right? In opposition to the move, China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Li Baoding, declared: “We do not accept any resolution adopted in haste… it is proper that we invite the President of Eritrea to appear before the Council in person and explain the matter”.

All members of the Security Council, with the exception of the United States, have not only opposed the adoption of a resolution on an issue of major importance like that of sanctions but also underlined as being illogical denying the leader of the state concerned the right to appear before the Council and explain the case.

In the wake of mounting opposition, the US Ambassador to the UN was compelled to heed the obligation that the United States, as host country, is “obliged to issue a visa to any Head of State wishing to visit the UN Headquarters”.

It is to be recalled that the unjust anti-Eritrea UN sanctions resolution 1907 was adopted in the end of 2009 under similar hectic circumstances, i.e. on the eve of Christmas merriment through misleading members of the Security Council. This time too, resort is being made to a repetition of the same drama. But why opt for adopting resolutions in such a bizarre manner?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 30 — Amid widespread questioning in the UN Security Council of the push to vote today on new Eritrea sanctions, with the US having blocked a request from Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to talk to the Council, Gabon midday on Wednesday again said it would call for a vote later that day.

Sources tell Inner City Press that Russia has threatened to veto.

Inner City Press has obtained a copy of the November 29 letter to the Council from Eritrea’s UN Ambassador Araya Desta, and asked Desta about it. “It is the third letter,” Desta told Inner City Press.

The letter says, “It has come to my attention that the delebation of Gabon intends to table the draft resolution on Eritrea for action tomorrow… I appeal to your Excellency that H.E. Mr. Isaias Afwerki, President of the State of Eritrea, be given the audience to address the [UNSC] before any action is taken on the draft resolution.”

Desta speaking exclusively to Inner City Press went further: “What does Gabon know about Eritrea? Where it is? They don’t even know the location of Eritrea.” Significantly, larger African member of the Council South Africa is known to oppose voting on Wednesday on the proposed sanctions.

Desta told Inner City Press, “It is crazy to penalize the Eritrean people in order to get a second term for Jean Ping as commissioner of the African Union.” He mused, “Meles [Zenawi] tells him, I’ll help you get a second term, if you help” put more sanctions on Eritrea.

Inner City Press asked Desta why he thought the US was being so adamant. Desta said “my President has write two or three letters” to President Obama, “my foreign minister met with them.”

Some have alluded to the US “using” Ethiopia to fight Islamists in Somalia, first the Islamic Courts and now Al Shabaab, including it’s said from drone bases in Ethiopia.

To be less US-focused, Eritrea clearly has enemies among other neighbors: Djibouti, for example, often buzzes around the Security Council. But the idea that a head of state should on request be allowed to address the Security Council before such sanctions are voted on seems to be widely held.

Vitaly Churkin

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 30, updated below — After a draft resolution to impose more UN Security Council sanctions on Eritrea was “put in blue” at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, the Council delayed a planned 10 am open debate on its Working Methods to fight behind closed doors about voting on the sanctions.

As Inner City Press exclusively reported Tuesday night, US Ambassador Susan Rice said the vote should take place Wednesday since Gabon, Nigeria and the regional IGAD group want the sanctions.

But the other African member of the Council, South Africa, questioned the rush to vote. Eritrean president Afwerki as asked to speak to the Council. Ambassador Rice put on a block, and as of now no other member has (“dared to”) call for a procedural vote, which it is predicted Rice would lose.

Most Council members spoken to by Inner City Press feel that if any head of state wants to speak with the Council, especially before sanctions are imposed, it should be allowed as a matter of due process and precedent.

On Wednesday morning sources told Inner City Press that Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said there should be no vote on the Eritrea draft today. South Africa has amendments. Experts will meet — but will Rice get her way?

Eritrea

By: Berhane Woldu

On August 10 th 2011, Susan Rice U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations stated that Eritrea is a destabilizing force in the region. Furthermore, that there is a famine in Eritrea and that the government of Eritrea has denied the UN agencies and NGO’s from delivering food aid (dead aid) and the people are left to starve.

Yet she is working on additional economic sanction on Eritrea. The statement that there is famine in Eritrea is far from the truth, in Eritrea there is abundance of food. The truth of the matter is that there is famine in Ethiopia 4.2 million of its population is starving a country that is allied and nurtured by the USA. Why not help Ethiopia eradicate hunger.

Mrs. Rice has failed to listen to Eritrean diplomats who repeatedly stated that Eritrea does not hold any ill will to any of the African Nations and has never worked to destabilize its neighbors. Maybe Mrs. Rice needs to hear a new voice. The song “Your Embrace” (Kedeinkna) By Wedi Tekabo with his modern jazzy voice is my selection. The lyrics are so true and articulate in describing the misery that the people of the African Continent face due to the failure of their leadership and neo-colonialist force. “Your Embrace” in my humble opinion should have been one of the top ten songs of the year 2011. It did not, sad as it is living the judgment to the professional’s let me return to the lyrics and the story the song tells.

The lyric says “ululate mothers of Eritrea; ululate ladies of Eritrea mothers of virtue ululate as brighter days have come. Where others have failed, you have become victories.

Those East, West, North and South of Eritrea are rich. They have gold and diamond. Their leaders have chosen to become wolves they have divided the people using religion and ethnicity. Instead of sharing the wealth with their own people, they have chosen to collaborate in the grand larceny with foreigners”.

In Africa Grand Larceny, using the apparatus supremacy leadership has developed into Africa’s most stylish and money-spinning industry. The story of Black Diamond and The Prime minister of the Minority Government of Ethiopia who has been in power for only 20 years and amassed billions of dollars in foreign banks are some of the prime example. It involves group of actors businesses set as legitimate based inside the country and their agents scattered in places like USA and Europe (where it is believed that the Prime Minster of Ethiopia Melese Zenawe has been buying property). These facilitators come with different profession some are lawyers, accountants’ investors and bankers. There are others born with a silver spoon in their mouth “fixers” with political and business connections in the passageway of power in the western countries. These are people that collaborate with the Dictators in Africa help them making fortunes disappear from Africa only to reappear in America and Europe (remember Mobutu of Congo). A foreign partner speed flawlessly and undetectably through an impenetrable net work of accounts in several countries then reaches its destination as a high-value possession at choice locations around the world. The African regimes are ruling through fear and violence. They with the help of their Western backers have developed sophisticated and horrific instruments to cow their population and rob the National treasure chest. The First ladies of these countries have also become the most successful businesspersons of the Country. Case in point; Azeb Mesfin of Ethiopia in the last 20 years has become the richest woman in Ethiopia. The way of doing business is simple and with no risk of failure. The first ladies simply seize shares as high as 50% of successful companies then just sit back and milk the “cash cow”. Governmental power is the ultimate as it is a license to print money. The process of Grand Larceny necessitates a huge number of powerful people and big businesses in the Western democracies; it is hardly surprising that the whole issue is shrouded in secrecy. The elite and powerful in Africa immersed in the obscenely pretentious and ultimately disgraceful luxury of the palaces and fortress they had built for themselves around the world, they had lost all touch with or sympathy for the people they had been duty-bound to care, for they have become wolves.

“Your Embrace” goes on “Mother you who shade no ill will; you promote unity the nine nationalities live in harmony. While our neighbors kill each other and become the laughing stock of the west. You Mother that prays in church and mosque Scared, as you are nothing evil converges. During the war of liberation with all the challenges, hardship and the ground on fire, you marched forward with genuineness like a caterpillar.

Your enemies bragging as if they had destroyed you; as if you were an easy foe. With all that deep pain you shouldered you have bear freedom and offered us peace. You have emerged from eternity to be free like a butterfly bringing the flag with olive tree. The days have become bright with sunshine realizing our potential to live rewarding life”.

Not long ago there were symposiums given by different ministries and regional administrators in different region of Eritrea. The ministers and governors gave in-depth analysis of the achievements of the last 20 years and the five-year development plan.

The different symposiums avowed food security has been the priority in the national drive for development. Hence, Agro-Macro policy was devised, Irrigation based agriculture was introduced to increase output and create surplus in cereal corps, vegetables, fruits, and livestock. Dams, micro-dams and water diversion schemes were constructed. Since 1991 in Gash Barka region alone 67,754 hectares of land has been cultivated 35,500 hectares by irrigation, 20,980-splash irrigation 2,257 hectares uses spray irrigation and 1,100 hectares use drip irrigation. Agro-industries have also been put in place case in point; Aligider cotton farm, Elabered agro-industry, Mersanni, Afhimbole, Gerset, the Fancos and Ad Omer agro-industry. In the Northern red sea region with the focus on agriculture, over 90,000 hectares have been utilized and a number of agricultural infrastructure programs have been implemented which increase domestic consumption. The Red Sea coastline is rich in fish, lobster, shrimp, crab and anchovies. Annually 80,000 tones of fish and 50,000 tones of Anchovies and Sardines can be harvested for export. In-addition there is abundant of fresh water fish for domestic consumption. Poultry farm, honey farms and animal husbandry are new industry. The animal husbandry at Alebu is one set to export meat and hide. The North, Central and the Anseba regions all have large farms. One can drive from Asmara to Adi-Begiou near the border with Ethiopia on the Northern side crossing the Menguda National reserve coming down hill to reach Shiketi. The farmland starts from Shiketi until your reach Adi-Begiou. In-addition, the Hazemo, Halai, Kohaito plains and Saho settlements are all farmlands. The land is reach and looks as if one is crossing the wheat fields of the Mid-West in America. There are 50,000 hectares of land available for farming in the Northern region alone, 138 dams, and 256 ponds that hold 50 million meter Quebec water. In the last 15 years, the Eritrean Agriculture has emerged from subsistence farming to a modern agro-business.

It is human to be concerned and assist the less fortunate the 4.2 million starving Ethiopians the 200,000 homeless that sleep on the street of Addis Ababa and the many more East African countries need help. Eritrea on the other hand as avowed in the aforementioned paragraphs has leaped forward into agro-industry, has become a nation of self-reliance, and does not need food handouts.

Mrs. Ambassador; The Eritrean people want nothing more than to make their own choices, live according to their own values and to do so without relying on others. Self-reliance treasured in Eritrean traditional custom and highly cherished has been the national asset and not food handouts NGOs or UN. For once, think as a mother and not as a diplomat. A nation and people that is working hard as ever to capitalize on its water resources toiling its land to ensure food security does not deserve to be sanctioned.

President Isaias Afwerki, yesterday held talks in Juba city with the UN the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

In the meeting characterized with a spirit of understanding, the President pointed out that Eritrea would continue its effort and modest role towards promoting development and cooperation in the Horn of Africa, in the conviction that peace and stability are of paramount importance to this end. In this regard, he called for the United Nations to make due contribution in this domain.

President Isaias further assured the UN Secretary General that Eritrea would continue its contribution and positive engagement for fostering peace and stability in the Horn region in general and in Sudan in particular.

Calling for the annulment of the illegal and unjust sanctions resolution against Eritrea adopted on December 2009, he further reminded that an Eritrean delegation should be given a chance to present Eritrea’s just case to the Security Council and challenge the parties that sponsored the resolution. President Isaias also underlined that the necessary forum should be created in which the ‘accusers’ and Eritrean government representatives meet face to face.

Meanwhile, the President invited Mr. Ban Ki-moon to visit Eritrea so as to observe the objective situation from close quarters. Furthermore, President Isaias expressed readiness to visit the UN headquarters so as hold in-depth discuss on the issue.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon expressed appreciation to the role Eritrea plays in the Horn of Africa in general and the Sudan issue in particular, as well as the cooperation it has demonstrated to his special envoys on the issues just mentioned. He also noted the significance of Eritrea’s enhanced role towards promoting peace and stability in the Horn region, in addition to strengthening its partnership with the UN.

The Secretary General further stated that meeting he conducted with President Isaias is significant in strengthening cooperation of partnership between Eritrea and the United Nations. Mr. Ban Ki-moon also accepted the President’s invitation to visit Eritrea.

Shabait

By Amanuel Biedemariam

Dear President Obama,

On Christmas Eve Dec 23 of 2009, The US Ambassador to the UN, Dr. Susan Rice stepped in front of the microphone at the UN and said, “I want to talk about the resolution we just adopted imposing sanctions on Eritrea. This was an African initiative. It was the consequence of a decision taken by the African Union.”

Dear President Obama,

The sanction imposed by your administration on Eritrea is an example of an ill conceived decision that can have a far reaching long term negative consequences on US national interests and on the legacy of your presidency for many reasons.

Firstly, the unjust and illegal resolution lacks a moral authority because the US is a party to the conflict. The US has a long history of involvements in Somali affairs particularly during the cold war and continued into the early nineties when the US soldiers were entrapped. Moreover, the US completely failed to live up to its statements, which asserted that the US is a “friend to both Eritrea and Ethiopia” and failed to hold Ethiopia accountable for not abiding by the final and binding Algiers Agreement.

Secondly, the US is biased against Eritrea. Ethiopia gets regular financial, humanitarian, developmental and military assistance in large part to “Serve US interest” in the region. Ethiopia is also a key player to the conflict and is a country with a long history of enmity with the people of Somalia. In violation of UN mandate that precluded any military involvement of countries that share borders with Somalia, with the help of the US, Ethiopia invaded a sovereign nation and caused major humanitarian disasters.

Thirdly, the sanction against Eritrea was based on accusations of Ethiopia and others that are parties to the conflict and, unsubstantiated claims. The US led a biased approach while ignoring the role Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia played in funneling arms into Somalia in violation of UN resolutions. This arms trafficking was carried out after Ethiopia invaded Somalia.

Fourthly, the resolution was premeditated. The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Dr. Jendayi Frazer, pursued a very aggressive and punitive approach toward Eritrea. She tried to place Eritrea into the list of countries that Sponsor Terrorism and was rejected by congress for lack of evidence and merit. Moreover, leaked documents show detailed punitive options for Eritrea were discussed with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni well in advance. What is ironic is in June of 2009; Yoweri Museveni became the Chairman of the powerful UN body of the United Nations Security Council and tabled the sanction measure against Eritrea.

Dear President Obama,

The process and criteria your administration employed was unbecoming of a nation that bases its ideals on fundamentals of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are ideals that are the core of America; a nation that was once endeared by the world because of the values that it professed and believed in. The standard required to sanction a nation is a threat to international security. Eritrea poses no threat to international security. However the US, over the past few years, has been exercising a brazen assault on the international process regarding Eritrea. And in this case, your administration invoked, African name to draft and impose a sanction to absolve your administration from this sinister decision against the UN charter. But as you know well, if it was up to the American majority, Afro-Americans will probably still be slaves to date.

Mr. President, Eritrea’s long suffering and deaths are directly attributable to US policies that ignored the will of the people in pursuit of US interests. And the sanction cannot be seen differently. US policies in the region have been disastrous for the people in the Horn of Africa. That is the hard truth. However, the recent international developments provide a great opportunity to reconsider US positions and to press the reset button with Eritrea. One of the first steps that can bring-back the hope you generated across the globe during your election would be for US to “apologize and repeal” the illegal and unjust sanction it imposed on Eritrea.

Eritrea, as part and parcel of the region, has every right to be concerned regarding security matters of the region. The Somali people are Eritrea’s neighbors and friends of the people of Eritrea. The people of Somalia pose no threat to the people of Eritrea and conversely Eritreans are genuinely fond of the people of Somalia and the region. What Eritrea wants and stated publicly is to allow the Somalis to find a solution without outside interference. Eritrea’s position is the right position and the US will be served well by adopting this approach and fostering amicable relationship with Eritrea that can endure for generations.

Eritreans around the world are hoping for you to guide the nation in the right path by correcting this injustice and by repealing the illegal sanction measure imposed against Eritreans. It is also high time that you reverse the half-a-century old misguided US policy towards Eritrea and Eritreans. The people of Eritrea are the allies the American people desperately need in reconnecting to the world. Eritrea is a peaceful country with so much to offer and it will be a mistake for your administration to squander yet another opportunity. Wish you, your family, America and Eritreans happy holidays.

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

By Amanuel Biedemariam

Note: this article is a repost. The original was posted on Nov 27/2009. The revelation by Wikileaks on the role of Uganda’s Museveni and Dr. Jendayi Frazer played to hatch the ILLEGAL sanctions on Eritrea confirms what Eritreans have been saying all along. It is a travesty to see the one of the greatest nations to resort to this low! President Obama needs to repeal the ILLEGAL sanctions NOW!

For centuries, African leaders have done tremendous harm to Africans equal to that of the European colonizers by selling Africans to Western slave masters and by allowing foreigners to exploit Africa for their selfish interests. The exploitation of Africa using African leaders is pervasive. African resources are exploited by the West and other powers using African leaders who work for the interest foreign powers. These include leaders such as Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and the notorious Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia amongst others.

These leaders do not represent African interest, but worse, everything that they pursue is at the expense of the people they are supposed to lead. In the process, they are destroying the harmony, cultural heritage, the economies, health, agriculture and customs of the people in Africa. They are standing on the way of traditional cross-border trade amongst neighborly countries by igniting wars in an effort to fulfill the interests of their masters.

Over the years this tactic was used by many international actors. Since World War II, US governments have empowered and employed African strong Men to do their bidding in Africa extensively. During George W Bush´s administration however, the roles of these surrogates have expanded into many areas to achieve different geopolitical interests. They are being used as advocates for African related matters at the UN, as peacekeepers in sensitive areas where direct Western military involvement could conjure up anti-Western backlash and for PR purposes around the world. They are providing cover for Western powers to pursue questionable strategic interests and provide unfettered access into the countries of interest. The sole purpose is to exploit resources; and always at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of the people.

The human rights records of these surrogate African leaders are abysmal and should put them in jail for crimes against humanity. Their grade for governance is, Fail. The futures of the countries they lead are bleak. They are looting the resources and have neglected the infrastructures; health, agriculture, education and business opportunities are limited to the privileged few and foreigners. Their countries are ready to disintegrate from religious, ethnic and regional strife. We saw this in Kenya during the 2007 election-violence that paralyzed the country and in Ethiopia, during the May of 2005 sham election, with Ethiopians taking to the streets to protest against the criminal Meles regime, which responded by massacring innocent students by sharp shooters while the world witnessed in horror. The recent ethnic violence in Uganda that threatened to destabilize the country was quelled by violent Ugandan army that butchered people on the streets.

That is the hallmark of these leaders .But the irony is that they have the green light from the West to do as they wish in order to quell any popular uprising that could rise up against the interest of the West. The atrocities Museveni commits in Uganda and throughout the region is a shameful reminder of the warped justice Africans are subjected to. The West is making a mockery of justice as they employ it at will based on their geopolitical economic interests. Those on the payroll of the West can commit any crime ala Yoweri Museveni, Meles Zenawi, Mwai Kibaki and others while The International Criminal Court (ICC) looks the other way. But if you fail to tow to the whims of the West you are certain to face the fury of justice, or threat of it, as we have seen attempted on Sudan´s Omar Al Bashir.

Yoweri Museveni has constitutionally outlawed all other political parties and is ruling Uganda using his militarized one party dictatorship. He disbanded the presidential terms for him to rule indefinitely. Yoweri Museveni is one of the key US operatives in Africa and he doesn´t even care to hide it. When the ICC came out with Omar al Bashir´s indictment, he was the first to come out and express his intention to put President Bashir in jail while the rest of Africa unanimously denounced the process and stood by Bashir. The irony is Uganda and Sudan share common borders. Sudan is a huge country with untapped potential that could create opportunities for Ugandans. Instead, Museveni chose to aggravate the situation instead of inviting cooperation between the two countries.

It is evident Yoweri Museveni cannot keep peace and stability in his own country but at on behalf of his masters, he sent Ugandan forces into Somalia as peace keeping forces with disastrous results. Ugandan troops are mowing civilian populations from behind their barracks in Mogadishu using heavy artillery. He does that because that is how he makes money. The Somalis are unfortunately surrounded by leaders that entirely depend on Western support and as a result they are suffering mightily with no one to speak on their behalf. That is why Somalia cannot free itself from perpetual misery.

The geopolitical games at play are bearing deadly consequences for the people in the Horn of Africa in particular and Africa in general. The conflicts are widening and the international actors are desperate to assume full control using any means at their disposal. They use political, economic and military pressure to achieve their objectives. They are imposing leaders on the people of Africa and the weaker the leader the easier for them to control, exploit and impose their will. Therefore the main idea is to place a “leadership core” however possible. That is the West´s modus operandi. This means, third world nations will not be allowed the opportunity to create their indigenous governance policies. Instead, they will be subjected to leaders imposed by the West in contradiction to their own history which allowed them go through political strife to establish systems of their choice as in the case of the American Civil War. During the French revolution the US deliberately remained neutral.

The problem with this approach is that it is impossible to achieve. It is a fool´s dream certain to create human calamity much worse than the holocaust. It´s already created tremendous loss of life and resources with dire ramification for future generations. It is certain to fail for many reasons:

Firstly, the problems are overlapping and the issues interlock creating chains across borders and throughout the region. Unlike the Middle East, the situation and actors in the Greater Horn region remains unsettled. It is impossible for any imposed leader to be effective because of the complicated ethnic makeup of the region. Kenya and Ethiopia have Oromo ethnic population, Ethiopia and Somalia share Ogaden while Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia share the Afar and/or Issas´ and on and on. These overlap is multiplied across borders throughout the entire region. Many of these nationalities are fighting for some form of recognition, and in some cases they are fighting for total independence as in the case of the Ogaden. There are border issues, ungovernable and ungoverned areas. There are regions that claim to be independent and operate independently as in the case of Somaliland and Puntland.

These countries have competing economic and geopolitical interests making it impossible to create harmonious trading and political partnerships. For example: Ethiopia depends on Djibouti to access the sea. Djibouti needs Ethiopia because Ethiopia is the main source of income. Therefore, the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia serves Djibouti well because if Ethiopia utilizes much bigger ports in Eritrea Port Djibouti will be out of service. Moreover, the situation in the region is complicated by competing security interests, suspicion and history based-on-bloodshed.

Secondly, some international actors have always played and continue to play negative roles. All the problems in Somalia are byproducts of colonial and cold war legacies. And unfortunately, Somalia and the region are beset by foreigners with means and resources determined to their own interest at any cost to the detriment of the lives of the people.

At the height of the Bush era war-of-terror, Chinese oil explorers were killed in the Ogaden while under the protection and guidance of Ethiopian army. US oil companies´ have had licenses to explore oil in the Ogaden since 1945. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is claiming to have controlled sizeable territories from Ethiopian forces, which is a major development! While at the same time, the US operatives like David Shinn, in a complete change of tone, is accusing Ethiopia of human rights violation in the Ogaden. This is taking place in the backdrop of what is taking place in Somalia, a country that once claimed Ogaden as her own and went to war for it in 1976-1978. Consecutively, the US is trying to assert control in Somalia by putting in place a transitional government hatched by the failed diplomat Dr. Jendayie Frazer in Djibouti at the waning hours of the Bush Administration. Furthermore, in the same period, to satisfy foreign interest, Djibouti started unprovoked conflict against Eritrea and on and on…

Thirdly, the leaders in the region are susceptible to the very conflicts hatched by the West. Since they are surrogates and dependent on Western direct support, they have to parrot any agenda being pushed. It is to be recalled Dr. Jendayie Frazer threatened to place Eritrea on the List of States that Sponsor Terror. To satisfy Dr. Frazer, from the offices of African Union in Addis Ababa, the surrogates led by Meles Zenawi went on full gear to blame Eritrea for the problems plaguing Somalia. The Irony is these countries are key-parties to the conflict in Somalia.

Fast Forward
Uganda is a TEMPORARY member of the Security Council. And instead of using that time on a useful agenda that can foster development in the region and Africa they are using it to undercut and weaken Eritrea. Uganda is circulating a draft resolution at the UNSC to slap sanctions on Eritrea for alleged support of Al Shabab. These are Somalis fighting to rid Somalia from outside forces like the Ugandan-army responsible for the death of thousands of Somalis.

The regional organization that sponsored the draft includes Kenya a country that is admittedly arming and training Somalis. Djibouti is a country that has turned into a Trojan-horse for the region and has become a major nuisance at the behest of US and France. Somalia; the transitional government is a government in exile with no legitimacy on the ground. Ethiopia is a country at the center of the problem and responsible for the displacement and death of millions of Somalis. Meles Zenawi should be put in jailed for crimes against humanity he committed in Somalia, Ogaden and other places in the region.

The question here is who gave Ethiopia the right to invade and occupy a sovereign nation against UN resolutions with impunity and without consequences at the cost of millions of Somali lives displaced, dead and wounded. Who is the international arbiter to decide who is guilty? Why not sanction Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya for arming, training Somalia flouting international law? Why is the US exonerated? Is the US interest more important than that of the interest of the people in the region? Who makes the US above the law? Does it mean that a Superpower can use international law and mechanism to punish others and accord themselves immunity from justice regardless of the crimes? What does this mean for the future of the region? Do the people in the region have to be subjected to hardship that surpasses the holocaust in volume and impact until US interests are fulfilled? How is justice going to be served on the true crime that is being committed by Museveni? The questions are endless.

What this shows is a broken international system and, if allowed to continue, it can threaten international stability and disrupt world trade because the area is a major international waterway. And the people in the region will suffer endless conflict cycles.

The UNSC has diminished its stature by allowing its permanent members to use dictators that are unaccountable to their own people and region in order to fulfill ill conceived agendas. Yoweri Museveni is a dictator with criminal human rights and poor governance record. He is alms dependent and beset by civil strife. In other words, a criminal is playing a prosecutor for one month because of a broken international system.

This also shows the hypocrisy of the international organizations that claim to represent the interest of justice, human rights, freedom of speech and the like. Organizations like Enough Project, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders and individuals who claim to care about humanity. But what these organizations are Faucets that can be turned on and off on queue based on the interests and the whim of their respective governments. They are PR tools. They use justice as a tool in places where they can help the powers in subjugating these nations.

Conclusion
If the mercenary, Yoweri Museveni, is seeking stability in Somalia, he needs to get out of Somalia and give the Somalis a chance to solve their own problems. The money he earns for providing soldiers is not worth the destructions he is causing. Using Eritrea as a scapegoat is not going to change the situation in Somalia. Nor, will it exonerate or absolve Uganda and Ethiopia from the crimes they have committed. The Somali people have a legitimate right to cast their path and must be allowed.

As history shows all the attempts by foreign powers to control the resources in the region failed because it doesn´t belong to them. It belongs to the people and they should be allowed respite to gather their nation. The Somalis must be allowed to go through the process of re-forming their nation and become responsible international citizens capable to exploit their wealth while satisfying international appetite based on market dictates. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon all and particularly the people in the region to stand for the rights of the people of the region!

Amanuel Biedemariam

On a cold snowy day in February 22 of 2010, Eritreans from around the world and the US gathered in front of the Whitehouse and State Department to denounce the unjust sanction. They demonstrated to demand the repeal of the illegal and UNjust sanction the US authored and implemented against the people and government of Eritrea. Thousands showed up. Most took a day-off from work to voice their opposition. College students sacrificed and parents allowed their kids to skip class for a day in order to join that momentous Eritrean event. Eritreans from all walks of life, young and old, congregated to register their objection to the decision the UNSC made in the name of global security. Amongst them, a charismatic eight years old boy named Dawit stood out in a historic way.

The sanction measure was adopted in the name of an international body, the AU. However, for those who follow the events of the region it was easy to see who the key players and what their intentions were. Eritreans have followed the events that established the foundation to make the case for the sanction from the beginning until the sanction measure was put in place. The whole idea was hatched by the US State Department Africa desk which at the time was under the control of the Dr. Jendayi Frazer. Her initial goal was to put Eritrea in the List of Countries that sponsor terrorism. However, that met a stiff opposition in the US congress because they saw the absurdity of the lies that did not connect with the reality in the ground. Therefore, she proceeded to the next best thing, to slap sanctions on Eritrea however possible. This was taking place on the wee-hours of the Bush Administration and during the 2008 US election.

At the time, Nov 11, 2008, I posted an article on response to a hearing the US/Dr. Frazer staged under the auspices of the UN. I called the article High Tech Lynching of Eritrea. An excerpt:

On October 23rd, the UNSC staged a hearing about a border dispute between Djibouti

and Eritrea. The hearing was conducted because on June 12, 2008, Djibouti alleged Eritrean forces seized her territories militarily. On June 13 2008, a day later a call to urge Eritrea to withdraw immediately; and without examination or investigation, voices of condemnation reigned on Eritrea from the US and friends. “Their statements were suspicious, well coordinated, unjustified, fabricated and misleading. For the seasoned observer of the region however, it is clear this was fabricated and part of a much bigger agenda. There was no motive, evidence or genuine effort to understand and present a resolution. And there was not an established mechanism and ability to validate the claims made by Djiboutian authorities.”

The statement above is a clear starting point for the lies the UNSC based its sanction decision on Eritrea. In fact, the lies were eerily similar to the farce claim the Bush Administration spewed leading up-to the disastrous Iraq war that turned world opinion against the US. The US, under George Bush, pursued an aggressive unilateral policy that bullied nations into following US lead by any means necessary. And unfortunately, the hubris with which the failed Bush Administration pursued its strategic goals in the Horn of Africa resulted in genocides. Thousands were killed, millions were displaced and social infrastructures decimated for decades to come. However, when the Obama campaign preached change, engagement and the audacity of hope; Eritreans and the region were hoping for a new attitude and a change of direction by the US.

The region was hungry for peace and stability. But unfortunately for the region, the new Obama Administration appointed an over zealot hawkish Susan Rice as US Ambassador to the UN. Ambassador Rice embraced President Bush’s aggressive policies. And more importantly, President Obama elevated the UN Ambassadorship into a cabinet level position independent from any congressional scrutiny and impediments and freed her to make and implement decisions. That meant the Obama Administration pursued a more aggressive policy than his predecessor. And a year after Ambassador Rice came to power; she succeeded to slapping UNjust sanction on Eritrea based on fabrications and trumped up unfounded accusations.

Worse yet, it was sad to see the US took such a step on Christmas Eve and to deliver the news to Eritreans and the world in a most dismissive tone. Ambassador Rice told Eritreans and the world on Christmas Eve:

“I want to talk about the resolution we just adopted imposing sanctions on Eritrea. This was an African initiative. It was the consequence of a decision taken by the African Union.”

This statement is a revealing testimony that Ambassador Rice and in effect the US, is trying to deceive the world and Eritreans. Here is why: Firstly, and according to the UNSC charter; the UNSC is the principal organ that can carry out decisions on matters of international security. No other organization has authority or mandate to carry out such decisions. Secondly, it was disappointing to see the Obama Administration use a disgraceful excuse to pretend justice was being served on behalf of an international security body based on a “demand of the majority.” In this case, Africans represented-by the African Union. However, here is the fact: If it was up to the majority, Ambassador Rice and President Obama will still be slaves. And the sad part is President Obama is a constitutional scholar well versed on why minority rights need to be respected. Yet, that is how President Obama and Ambassador Rice have decided to bestow their injustice on the people of Africa in this case Eritreans. The intent is an attempt to systematically decapitate Eritrea into serfdom.

That is what motivated little Dawit Daniel, an eight year old boy, to skip class, join the demonstration and to express his views. He got up on the stage picked-up the microphone and tapped on it to make sure the sound is ok and asked the participants; “can you hear me?”… This young boy was covered by an Eritrean flag from head to toe as he stood on a stage that was facing the State Department. This is what he said:

“First, I just want to say a couple of reasons why I thank God; first, I thank God that I am part of Eritrea, people that care about their country more than anything else…and I thank God… we are all here…, because at the end of the day…we are going to make difference.” Dawit was fully aware that his presence can and will make a difference. Pumping as if he is getting ready for a fight; little Dawit continued…” Why you people are wondering why an eight year old is here in a school day because school is a priority…? I am here so people can hear my voice about what I think about the UNJUST sanction.”…

Making it clear to all why he was standing there. After a few comments and, questioning the reasons why the US and the British pushed for the sanctions he stated that these sanction have no legal basis. He went on…If the UN was to use a border dispute to justify the sanction…he asked; why didn’t the UN sanction Ethiopia while is violating a legal and binding decision? Please note this is eight year old kid asking. Continued:

…” also…I want to give a message to Barack Obama. Ok…, you know…; when you were running for president…I…loved you! You were my leader. I followed you on every stump. You were my role model. But then…, the happiness you gave me…; turned into sadness…During the inauguration… you said, you will give hand to those countries who want to make peace…Eritreans are making peace in the best way they could…how come…, you don’t give hand to Eritrea?”

This is a kid that felt betrayed by his hero.

…” I want to give a message to Susan Rice. First, you give us a present that is the sanction and then you said; you…care for us…!? Stop trying to fool us because Eritreans have gone through a thirty year war. You can’t fool us. We learned a lot of experiences…so.”

Dawit’s statements were a reaction to calloused and disingenuous statements Ambassador Susan Rice made when she announced the sanction decision on Christmas Eve. Quote:

“The United States stands with the people of Eritrea who have fought long and hard for their independence and to build a country in which we have great hope for the future. Thank you.”

Dawit is right to call-out Ambassador Rice. The US has never sided with the good people of Eritrea. To the contrary, it is the US that drowned the people of Eritrea into a quick-sand of colonialism by an African country while consciously denying Eritreans a right to self determination. The US handed Eritrea to Ethiopia for its own strategic considerations. That is a historic fact that Ambassador Rice knows well. Furthermore, Ambassador Rice was disingenuous to claim the US stands with the people of Eritrea after slapping sanctions that attempt to tie Eritrea’s hands while at conflict with a very hostile neighbor, Ethiopia – a country that survives on US aid almost entirely. And contrary to her claims, the US is hell bent on seeing Eritrea weakened and is a subservient to their client State, Ethiopia.

Concluding remarks

Imagine being sentenced to death without legal representation; imagine being convicted without a due process and imagine; once convicted, there is no process or mechanism for appeal. That is what the Obama Administration and the UNSC did to Eritrea. They sanctioned Eritrea based on trumped-up, fabricated and unsubstantiated accusations. What is ironic is, the US is a full participant in all that is taking place in the region or Somalia. The US, with a rogue ally Meles Zenawi, invaded Somalia and took part on the mayhem that took the lives of thousands and displaced millions unnecessarily. Somalia is awash with armaments in large part with arms supplied by the criminal regime in Ethiopia. This is a public record. In addition, the US, while claiming to support the final and binding Hague decision, has been supporting Ethiopia, a country that is occupying sovereign Eritrean territories in violation of international laws. Yet that is the kind of justification the powers to be fabricated to justify their sanction on Eritrea.

The decision to sanction Eritrea was a clear exposure of the injustices and failures of the UNSC led by the US. It was an overreach, and irresponsible abuse of power. The reason to sanction Eritrea has nothing to do with global security, regional security, the stability of Somalia or a border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea. It is a punitive measure designed to chip-away at the strength and stability of Eritrea.

Unfortunately, Eritreans have learned this the hard way. Eritreans have suffered for decades and paid dearly with the lives of hundreds of thousands of Eritrean lives for decades. Millions have been displaced and scattered everywhere around the world as a result of these injustices. However, Eritreans have learned to turn this tragic imposition of injustice into a positive experience. Eritreans have learned to challenge them -united and effectively, regardless where they are and, regardless of the impediments they encounter in their daily lives. That is their salvation and hallmark.

It is that spirit that propels Eritreans young and old to face these challenges. That is why the little Dawits of Eritrea are sprouting incensed and ready to tell the world of this bullying perpetrated in the name of justice, democracy, stability and terrorism. They are ready to stand up to do what it takes to reverse the UNjust sanction and to campaign the US and the UN to stop their hostile unfair approach toward Eritrea.

On 20 November 2010, on the sanction’s one year anniversary Eritreans around the world will be launching the 30 days of Action for Eritrea, to call on the Barack Obama Administration and the United Nations to annul and repeal the unfair and unjust Resolution 1907 (2009) that imposed sanctions on the people of Eritrea.

Eritreans know they can not rest until this injustice is reversed. Thus, they have decided to reach out, in any way they can, to their communities at all levels be it local, regional or nationwide.

“The Illegal & UNjust Sanction must be Repealed, and repealed NOW”!

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

Eritrea’s Foreign Minister today told the General Assembly that the United Nations “continues to ignore” Ethiopia’s failure to comply with the ruling of an international commission that delineated the border between the two countries after their 1998-2000 war.

“While the United Nations grapples with Sudan and Somalia, it continues to ignore grave consequences of Ethiopia’s continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territory, eight years after the ruling of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), and three years after the Commission ended its work by depositing in the United Nations the demarcated boundary between the two countries,” Osman Saleh told the Assembly’s high-level segment.

To end the border war, both parties agreed to abide by the ruling of the border commission, which was reached in April 2002. However, Ethiopia’s rejection of the decision stalled the physical demarcation of the border in 2003.

“Ethiopia’s illegal occupation and the United Nations silence, which mean the continuation of the conflict, is exacting a heavy price on the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia and complicating the regional situation.

“I wish to remind the United Nations that Eritrea awaits responsible and urgent action to end Ethiopia’s violation of international law and its threat to regional peace and security,” Mr. Saleh told the General Assembly’s high-level debate.

Haile Menkerios

The new head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reiterated today his call for the national elections to be carried out next month as scheduled, but stressed that any decision to delay should be made entirely by Government officials and the electoral institution.

“Elections need to take place according to timelines subscribed by the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement], and they have to be conducted in a conducive atmosphere to ensure a free and fair process,” said Haile Menkerios today in Khartoum, in his first press conference since becoming the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of UNMIS.

“The CPA, however, is an agreement by the two Parties. And should the two Parties decide whether to have the elections on time or should they want to postpone them for a time, it is up to them,” the Special Representative added.

He also told reporters that it was his understanding that the presidency would meet on Tuesday to review a request by political parties for postponement of the elections currently scheduled to take place from 11 to 13 April.

The national elections, the first of their kind in 24 years, are seen as a benchmark in the implementation of the peace agreement, which was signed in 2005 to end the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.

Voters will be able to choose a national president, a southern president, local and national assemblies, and governors.

The next major benchmark in implementation of the CPA would be a referendum next year on southern secession.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Menkerios stressed that the elections are a Sudanese process led by the governments and the National Elections Commission (NEC), with the UN providing only technical assistance and limited logistical support – as mandated by the Security Council – to the authorities staging the ballot.

“The election in all its aspects is a totally nationally owned process,” he said.

UNMIS, in cooperation with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and donors, has provided technical assistance in voter registration through its Electoral Assistance Division, and advice on operational planning.

The UN mission has also been involved in intensive election security training, instructing almost 24,000 police officers, close to 17,000 in the north and over 7,000 in the south.

“While the responsibility to provide security during elections lies with the Governments of National Unity, and the Government of Southern Sudan in its area, our peacekeeping forces will also assist in enhancing security in areas where threats of armed confrontation may exist,” Mr. Menkerios said.

Mr. Menkerios also stressed that the UN does not have a monitoring role in the elections. That role will be filled by various independent observer groups, both international and national, accredited by the NEC that will perform monitoring functions and report accordingly.

When asked what he thought of the decision to print electoral ballots at the National Printing Press in Khartoum, which is being criticized by some opposition activists, Mr. Menkerios said that decision rests solely with the NEC.

As well as UNMIS, the UN is involved in another peacekeeping operation in the country. (UNAMID) is a joint operation with the African Union in Darfur, the western region of Sudan.