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Eritrea – on unique and challenging path to political and economic emancipation

2020-11-24T21:34:00.008-08:00

Photo: Independence Day festivities in Asmara (Credit: Natnael)

Eritrea – on unique and challenging path to political and economic emancipation

By Kidane Eyob

In 2018, the courageous and visionary Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed came to power following the popular uprising and declared that Ethiopia accepts the final and binding verdict of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) and publicly called for peace with Eritrea. The Eritrean president, Isaias Afeworki reciprocated by accepting the call for peace bringing an end to the 18 years of ‘no war no peace’ stalemate. Weeks later, the two leaders signed the seven-points peace agreement in July 2018 and formalised the peace accord. Soon, diplomatic relations were re-established, flights between the two countries resumed and telephone lines were reconnected and the required legal and ground work is being carried out for trade between the two countries to resume. Eritrea and Ethiopia can now focus on nation building and economic integration of the Horn of Africa for the benefit of the peoples of the region. With the establishment of the transitional government in Sudan and the wind of peace blowing in Somalia and South Sudan, the future of the Horn of Africa looks very promising.

At the time Eritrea achieved its independence, almost 30 years ago, most African countries were plagued by poverty, diseases, ignorance, corruption and conflict in spite of their rich human and natural resources. The root cause to this tragedy was attributed to the political, economic and social policies and programmes prescribed by the West and their financial organisations such as the IMF and the World Bank. These policies and programmes had miserably failed to bring the desired development and social justice. After nearly 60 years of independence, most African countries are still in a similar state of despair, in fact others are worse off now than they were at the time they gained their independence.

The Eritrean government was determined not to make the same mistakes and decided to pursue ‘homemade’ and independent political, economic and social policies and programmes that were developed during the 30 years of armed struggle for independence. At the heart of these policies and programmes are the pursuit of ‘self-reliance’, ‘unity in diversity’, ‘food security’ and the promotion of ‘social justice’. The Eritrean government pursued these policies at the risk of facing the ‘carrot and stick’ consequences if they fail to follow orders from the West and their financial organisations.

The ‘carrot’ usually comes with strings attached and is in the form of food and financial aid that decapacitates the local agricultural and manufacturing industries. Additionally, there are loans with extortionate interest rates that African countries can’t afford to pay back and consequently remain hooked indefinitely like drug addicts. African leaders are also bribed, corrupted and then blackmailed into serving the interest of the West and their corporate organisations.

The ‘stick’ also comes in many forms and the Eritrean government has been on the receiving end of this ‘stick’ which included but is not limited to intimidation, diplomatic isolation, economic sabotage and politically motivated unjust UN sanctions using fabricated accusations that the Eritrean government supports Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia. Surprisingly, even a German bank pooled out from a lucrative business, on the last hour, after agreeing to give loans to a Canadian mining company, Nevsun Resources Ltd so as to sabotage the first gold mine in Eritrea at Bisha. However, in spite of this hurdle and using revenue generated from shares in the international market, the Bisha gold mine commenced production in February 2011 as planned.

Furthermore, there was a well-coordinated and systematic human trafficking crimes committed to drain Eritrea’s human resources, particularly the youth. EU countries were suddenly giving Eritrean youth asylum and full refugee status almost automatically luring tens of thousands of Eritrean youth to leave their country in search of better life in the West. Sadly, thousands of them perished crossing the desert to Libya and the Mediterranean Sea. The corporate media also played a pivotal role in portraying Eritrea as ‘hell on earth’ in fact, some went as far as labelling Eritrea as the ‘North Korea of Africa’. Even though Ethiopia belatedly accepted the final and binding verdict of the EEBC, Eritrea’s territories still remain occupied because of TPLF's intransigence and lawlessness in Ethiopia. The so called ‘experts on Eritrea’ usually, Western academics, journalists and diplomats, predicted that Eritrea will be ‘a failed state’ on several occasions over the last 20 years using the corporate media’s platform but to their dismay, Eritrea came out victorious frustrating their resources and undermining their false prophesy.

Against all the odds, Eritrea continued to exist as a viable and independent country in a volatile region both economically and politically and was even able to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of time. The various developments achieved by Eritrea in the construction of vital infrastructures in agriculture, education, health, transport, fisheries and mining using its own human resources have become a good example to the rest of Africa. To promote equality in diversity, equal opportunities and social justice, health care and education (from primary to university level as well as vocational and technical training) is free of charge in Eritrea.

In the last 20 years, some economically influential countries as well as multinational organisations have defied the advice given by the West ‘not to engage with the Eritrean government’ for allegedly non-existent security reasons. These countries and organisations have, after careful consideration and professional assessment of the realities on the ground, decided to reject this inaccurate Western diplomatic advice ‘not to engage with the Eritrean government’ and invested in Eritrea in partnership with the Eritrean government. In a matter of few years these countries, organisations and the Eritrean people had become the main beneficiaries of the abundant natural resources in Eritrea and for the first time in the history of Africa, the Eritrean government was in a 40:60 joint-venture deal in the first gold mine at Bisha with a Canadian mining company, Nevsun Resources Ltd (60%). Sadly, some African countries only get 2% to 10% share from their mines while the foreign investors syphon over 90% of the revenue out of Africa and into the West.

These foreign investors in Eritrea, were not disappointed and they loved their stay in Eritrea because Eritrea is very peaceful, free from corruption, no ethnic and religious conflict despite the fact that the population is 50% Christians and 50% Muslims.

In 2021 the Colluli Potash mine will start production, this deposit happens to be the largest Sulphate of Potash (SOP) in the world and is 200 years’ worth of potash. Based in Australia, Colluli Mining Share Company (CMSC) is in a 50:50 joint-venture with the Eritrean government. In the near future, other African countries will also realise that they too can achieve what Eritrea has, political and economic independence, food security and the promotion of social justice.

Historical account

Eritrea is in fact roughly the size of England, has a population of about 5 million and is located in the volatile Eastern part of Africa, also known as the Horn of Africa. Eritrea has around 1200km of Red Sea coast, about 350 islands and shares borders with landlocked and second populous country in Africa, Ethiopia (110 million), the Sudan (45 million) and Djibouti. On the other side of the narrow Red Sea, lies Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabiya. This makes Eritrea one of the most geographically strategic countries in the world as the Red sea is a very busy passage of commercial ships carrying oil and other commodities to and from the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

During the scramble of Africa, Italy colonised Eritrea, Somalia and Libya and declared that Eritrea is its colony in 1890. The Italian colonial policy was different to that of the British and the French. The Italians established an apartheid system of segregation and arrogantly believed that Eritrea was another Italy abroad and built first class infrastructures and established modern irrigation system of agriculture and manufacturing industries. The capital, Asmara, the Italians called ‘Piccolo Roma’ (little Rome) has one of the biggest concentrations of art deco buildings of 1930s in the world, in fact in 2017, the city was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During the Second World War, Italy allied itself with Germany and as part of this war, the British Army in Africa, fought and kicked out the Italians out of Eritrea, Somalia and Libya and Eritrea remained under British Military Administration for ten years from 1941 to 1951. During this decade, the British are remembered by Eritreans for looting almost everything the Italians built including port machinery, factories, warehouses and cable wire transport system that transported goods from the port, Massawa to Asmara (120km). This looting was partly documented by a British Historian Sylvia Pankhurst and was assessed to be several tens of millions of pounds at the time. The worst crime the British government committed against Eritreans, however, was when they conspired with the US government to deny Eritreans their right to self-determination and manipulated the UN to federate Eritrea with its giant neighbour Ethiopia against the wishes of the Eritrean people. Note, Ethiopia was not colonised by Europeans, hence did not benefit from the industrialisation and infrastructural developments as Eritrea and other colonies did.

While the Europeans were exploiting the natural resources of their colonies in Africa, the US had none. Soon, some of the US oil companies realised that Ethiopia was not being exploited by any European country as it was not colonised and took advantage of the vacuum and an insecure but cunning Emperor Haile Selassie who also had his own sinister motives of illegally gaining access to the Red Sea for landlocked Ethiopia. The US government and the Emperor were partners in crime and the British were willing to facilitate this on the ground in Eritrea. In fact, it is believed that one of the main reasons the British looted Eritrea’s infrastructure and factories was to mislead the UN that Eritrea cannot exist as an economically viable country in Africa, therefore, Eritrea had to be federated with their ally Ethiopia. The other reason was to benefit from the revenue they generated after selling the machinery they looted to their other colonies including Yemen, Kenya and Pakistan.

In 1952 the US Ambassador to the UN John Foster Dulles made the following statement to justify their crimes against the Eritrean people:

‘’From the point of justice, the opinion of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interest of the United States in the Red Sea basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country [Eritrea] has to be linked with our ally, Ethiopia’’.

In 1943 the United States Army established their military base known as Kagnew Station in Asmara. Asmara has a very high altitude, around 2,325 metres (7,628 feet) above sea level and this helped the US intelligence to intercept the Soviet Union analogue communication system during the Cold War. Interestingly and by coincidence Ambassador John Foster Dulles died on 24th of May, the day Eritreans celebrate their independence day.

Ten years of British Military Administration was soon followed by ten years of federation with Ethiopia from 1952 to 1962. During the Federation period, Eritrea had an elected parliament, multiparty democracy, the first Trade Union in Africa and free press. On the other hand, Ethiopia was in its feudal state of governance and this forced marriage between these two neighbourly countries was not compatible to say the least and was doomed to fail from the outset. The cunning Emperor soon started to interfere in the internal affairs of Eritrea and used intimidation, coercion, religion and at times assassinations to silence and kill Eritrean activists and politicians until he finally and unilaterally annex Eritrea by abolishing the parliament, banning political parties and free press and made Eritrea the 14th province of Ethiopia in November 1962. When all these crimes were taking place the international community and the UN watched in silence and to the contrary the US financially and materially supported the Emperor.

In the early 1960s, the Pan Africanist leaders had split into two main groups, one led by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the other by Jemal Abdunnasir of Egypt. The cunning Emperor Haile Selassie volunteered to be the respected elder and peacemaker and invited the two groups to Addis Ababa for talks and gradually Addis Ababa became the Headquarters of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). One of the founding pillars of the OAU that was agreed during these discussions was that ‘African countries must honour the boundaries as demarcated by their European colonisers’. The second was ‘non interreference in the internal affairs of a member country’. Once the cunning Emperor learnt these pillars of the organisation, he decided to annex Eritrea and force Eritrea to be part of Ethiopia in November 1962 before the OAU was formally established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments.

In 1940s and 1950s the Eritrean people pursued peaceful struggle to achieve their right to self determination but this failed to bring the desired freedom. Eritreans lost hope in the peaceful struggle and on the 1st of September 1961, shot the first bullets to start the armed struggle against Ethiopian military occupation, the biggest army in Sub-Sahara Africa. This was to become the longest war in Africa and dragged on for 30 bloody years until Eritreans won the war against all the odds and achieved their independence on 24th May 1991. Over 65000 Eritrean men and women were martyred and tens of thousands disabled during this protracted and bloody war. To give this freedom a legal conclusion, Eritreans conducted a UN supervised referendum in April 1993 when 99.8% chose independence. Eritrea declared its independence and the international community reciprocated by recognised Eritrea’s independence.

During these 30 bloody years, the OAU was silent because they considered the conflict to be an internal affair of Ethiopia exactly as the cunning Emperor had planned. The West and their organisations were supporting successive Ethiopian governments both militarily and financially but ignored Eritreans’ right to self-determination. Although its African and Eritrean tradition to be self-reliant, it was during these desperate 30 bloody years for independence that the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) developed these virtues of self-reliance and independent political and economic policies as well as unity in diversity, the promotion of social justice and equality between men and women.

30% of the EPLF freedom fighters were women, perhaps the only women in the world who gained equal status as men when they fought and paid the ultimate price for freedom side-by-side with their men comrades. Indeed, it was these virtues and policies that helped the EPLF gain overwhelming support from the Eritrean people inside the country and abroad and finally the EPLF delivered independence.

From the outset, the Eritrean government had a clear vision and pragmatic short- and long-term programmes that wholly relied on its human resources. To facilitate this, Eritrea introduced mandatory National Service for all men and women after the age of 18 in 1994. Every year about 20,000 men and women from all over the country go to the training centre known as Sawa for academic, social, political, technical and military training where the youth get the kind of theoretical and practical educations that revolutionises the hearts and minds of the youth and so far 33 batches of young men and women have successfully completed their training. Sawa has become a melting pot for the Eritrean youth promoting ‘unity in diversity’ as well as developing confident, patriotic, selfless, disciplined and industrious youth who are playing pivotal role in defending the sovereignty of Eritrea and the construction of vital infrastructures such as roads, dams, schools, hospitals and solar power stations all over the country.

In 1997, the federal state of Tigray introduced a new map depicting its boundaries with other federal states in Ethiopia. Also, contrary to the Ethiopian constitution, it made illegal changes to the international boundaries with Eritrea by including huge portions of Eritrean land inside Tigray federal state. The redrawing of the boundaries was part of the jigsaw for the establishment of the Republic of Tigray. The regime in Ethiopia that was dominated by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) had also drafted the Ethiopian constitution and inserted Article 39 to facilitate the legal secession of the Republic of Tigray with huge fertile land it grabbed from the neighbouring federal states and Eritrea. A year later and seven years after independence, Eritrea was dragged into a ‘border war’ with the TPLF regime in Ethiopia led by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

This regime was a client state of the US and had been given two missions to deliver, to bring a regime change in Eritrea and Somalia. After Eritrea foiled three rounds of first world war style of human waves of attacks by the regime’s army between 1998 and 2000, the two countries finally went to the Hague for a final and binding legal verdict to bring a legal conclusion to the conflict. During this war nearly 20,000 Eritrean men and women were martyred defending the sovereignty of Eritrea and over 100,000 Ethiopian men were killed invading Eritrea so as to bring a regime change. To add insult to injury, the TPLF regime deported more than 80,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin from Ethiopia and confiscated their properties and businesses committing ethnic cleansing crime against humanity.

In April 2002, the border commission in the Hague delivered its final and binding verdict but the TPLF regime rejected the verdict as a tactical method to maintain a ‘no war no peace’ stalemate situation so as to weaken the Eritrean government and eventually bring about a regime change. This tactical method was coupled with UN Sanctions, diplomatic isolation and systematic and well-coordinated human trafficking to drain Eritrea’s human resources. Ironically, these tactics employed by the TPLF regime backfired and a popular uprising by Ethiopian youth brought about a regime change in Addis Ababa 2018.

Repeated efforts to bring about regime change in Eritrea failed miserably and frustrated those who engineered and plotted these conspiracies. The ‘border war’ failed to deliver the desired ‘regime change’ in Eritrea and plan B had to be initiated. Plan B was to place politically motivated sanctions on Eritrea using fabricated accusations that the Eritrean government supports Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia.

On the 8th October 2009, the UK Ambassador to the UN John Sawers, called for sanctions to be applied against Eritrea for unsubstantiated and unfounded allegations that Eritrea supplies weapons to Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia in violation of a U.N. arms embargo. In his speech, Ambassador John Sawers made references to the evidences fabricated by the UN Monitoring Unit that was established by the Bush Administration diplomat, Dr Jendayie Frazer. First and foremost, the evidences referred to had neither been independently verified nor presented to the international community for reasons that were not disclosed at the time, however, some of the accusations include but are not limited to the allegations that Eritrea had 2000 soldiers in Somalia supporting the Al Shabab terrorists. These allegations were proved to be fabricated beyond any doubt. This is very similar to the Weapons of Mass Distraction (WMD) fiasco, that Iraq had the capability of attacking Britain within 45 minutes. We all know the real reason why US and UK attacked Iraq.

On Christmas Eve of 2009 the US Ambassador to the UN, Dr Susan Rice delivered the UNSC Resolution 1907 to place sanctions on Eritrea. Subsequently, and to add insult to injury and weeks before Christmas 2011, the UNSC Resolution 2023 were declared renewing the sanctions placed on Eritrea. Here is a link to the open letter I wrote to Dr Susan Rice at the time.

The efforts and sacrifices of the Eritrean people in the last 20 years in overcoming the challenges posed by the unjust UN sanctions and the coordinated psychological warfare is incredible. Eritreans both inside the country and in Diaspora stood in unison for the final and binding verdict to be implemented, for the unjust UN sanctions to be lifted and for rule of law to prevail in the region. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to state that all of the aforementioned victories and achievements were made possible because the Eritrean people are the most united, resilient, patriotic, selfless and politically conscious people in the whole wide world. And, either by coincidence or divine intervention, it has taken the Eritrean people 30 years of armed struggle to achieve their independence against all the odds and another 30 years of resilience and sacrifices to defend their sovereignty and gain political and economic emancipation.

Tigray: Ethiopia PM claims army success against TPLF

2020-11-04T14:29:00.004-08:00

Tigray: Ethiopia PM claims army success against TPLF

By Aljazeera

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the army has succeeded in containing a rebel attack in the northern Tigray region after it was deployed to quell an uprising by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that sparked fears of a civil war.

The government also placed the Tigray region, which borders Eritrea, under a six-month state of emergency following what it said was an attack by the region’s governing party, the TPLF, on an army base.

“The army not only repulsed the attacks but has managed to control important and key locations,” the Nobel-laureate leader said in an address to the nation broadcast by state media on Wednesday evening.

He did not mention any casualties or whether fighting was continuing but added that the government would “conduct more operations in the coming days”.

The army released a statement saying it had inflicted “massive” damage on TPLF forces.

The latest challenge

The TPLF attack poses the latest challenge to Abiy from the party which held local elections in defiance of the federal government in September.

“TPLF has chosen to wage war,” he said. “The last red line has been crossed with this morning’s attacks and the federal government is, therefore, forced into a military confrontation.”

Regional broadcaster Tigray TV reported that the Ethiopian army’s northern command, which had a headquarters in the attacked base, had defected to the Tigray rebels, a claim the prime minister’s office denied.

The TPLF had long dominated Ethiopian politics. But since taking office in 2018, Abiy has been at odds with the elites in the region, many of whom he has purged from government and state institutions.

The federal government postponed a general election planned for August because of the COVID-19 pandemic but officials in Tigray defied the move and organised one anyway.

The UN issued a statement underlining the importance of Ethiopia’s stability for the whole Horn of Africa region, which includes Somalia and Sudan.

UN ‘alarm’

A UN statement said the body’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “alarm over the reported armed clashes in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and calls for immediate measures to de-escalate tensions and ensure a peaceful resolution to the dispute”.

The International Crisis Group, meanwhile, said Ethiopia was facing “grave political challenges”.

“This war is the worst possible outcome of the tensions that have been brewing,” it said in a statement.

The US and British embassies in Addis Ababa urged a “de-escalation”, while the German embassy warned its citizens in the country to expect “unrest”.

“There is also a possibility of an internet block across the country. Telephone connections in the Region of Tigray have been interrupted,” it said, adding there was a heavy military presence in the capital.

Internet observer Netblocks confirmed on its Twitter page that there was a web blackout. Tigray’s airspace has also reportedly been closed.

Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for resolving a border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.

In his statement, Abiy alleged that the TPLF was threatening that truce.

The rebels have been “manufacturing military outfits resembling that of the Eritrean National Defence Forces, to implicate the Eritrean government in false claims of aggression against the people of Tigray”, he said.

Eritrea blames TPLF for impeding regional peace, stability

2020-11-01T19:59:00.004-08:00

Horn of African leaders in Asmara

Eritrea blames TPLF for impeding regional peace, stability

By Medihane Ekubamichael | AddisStandard

November 01/2020 – Amidst heightened tensions between the federal and Tigray regional state governments, Eritrea released an official statement yesterday accusing TPLF of obstructing regional peace and stability.

Headlined “Stabilizing regional peace and friendship,” the statement, which was also shared by Eritrea’s embassy in Addis Abeba, said that the Horn of Africa region has gone through destructive experiences due to its strategic importance that draws the interest of powerful nations since mid-20th century. This has in turn created destabilization of the region, resulting in various armed conflicts between countries of the region at different times. It also led Eritrea to go through a war for its freedom, and left Ethiopia unstable due to “TPLF’s poisonous ethnic based politics”, which caused the rise of armed groups and political opposition.

The statement hails that today the Horn of Africa is entering into new era following recent political developments in Ethiopia and Sudan. One of the biggest showcases of this stability is the end of the 20 year long tension that followed the 1998-2000 destructive war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The statement said that this was achieved despite the years of TPLF’s reluctance which failed to implement international arbitration regarding the border dispute between the town countries.

The current peace agreement was therefore not only to end the standoff between the two countries but also to work jointly on different aspects partnerships and to ensure regional and continental peace and security. The statement recalled leaders of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia meeting in Asmara to sign trilateral agreement to work on regional cooperation which has expanded the cooperation between these countries in the past two years.

However, the statement admits that there were “drawbacks that should be overcome with patience and hard work” because the treachery of distant forces who think the cooperation “won’t serve their interest” are not completely wiped off the region.

These forces have recently been seen in European countries such as Holland and Sweden, the statement blames; and from the region “the TPLF led group” that has been declared “Game over” for a while is dragging back Tigray from being a part of this change. TPLF is quivering in its “death bed” and won’t reverse this “course of history.”

Eritrea’s statement followed Tigray regional state’s October 26 statement in which the regional government accused “the Issais regime” of “doing all it can to bring the people of Tigray, who paid tremendous sacrifices alongside the people of Eritrea during their struggle for independence, to their knees and plunge us into mutual bloodletting by scheming and conspiring with the enemies of the people of Tigray.” It also warned that “responsibility for any and all problems that follow” the federal government’s latest move the restructure the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). Which Tigray rejected and called “irresponsible… will be appropriately laid at the feet of the two individuals at the helm of their respective unitarist, personalistic dictatorship: Abiy Ahmed and Issais.”

Similarly, in an October 29 interview, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopia’s former foreign minister, said that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who made “a one day secret trip to Asmara” on October 27, was conspiring with the Eritrean dictator to wage a war on Tigray. Ambassador Seyoum also claimed “Isaias’ military and security officers were currently in Bahir Dar advising on how [the newly announced north-west Command which will be based in Bahir Dar], they train, organize and lead combat” and that there the regime in Asmara was recruiting and training the young and old in Eritrea the aim to “finish off TPLF.” AS

Ethiopian, Eritrean Leaders Visit GERD

2020-10-13T09:06:00.007-07:00

Ethiopian, Eritrean Leaders Visit GERD

By FBC

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki this afternoon visited the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Earlier today, the two leaders also visited the Koysha hydropower dam under construction on Omo River.

According to the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, the GERD has currently reached 39% completion.

The dam is expected to start generating power with two turbines this Ethiopian fiscal year (2020/21).

PM Abiy & President Isaias Afwerki visited Koysha dam & GERD projects - both key national hydroelectric power projects. The working visits & continued discussions between the two leaders follows the historic normalization of relations achieved b/n Ethiopia & Eritrea in 2018. pic.twitter.com/Z2HSfwNzMB
— Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) October 13, 2020

Eritrean leader arrives in Ethiopia to boost ties

2020-10-12T10:23:00.001-07:00

Eritrean leader arrives in Ethiopia to boost ties

By Addis Getachew | Anadolu Agency

Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki arrived in Ethiopia for a three day official visit on Monday.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was at Jimma Airport to welcome his Eritrean counterpart as the latter landed in Jimma – a city filled with history and is rich in natural resources including coffee and honey.

The president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Advisor Yemane Ghebreab, local broadcaster FANA quoted Yemene Gebremeskel, Eritrea’s information minister as saying.

The leaders of the two countries will hold extensive consultations on further enhancement of bilateral ties as well as the consolidation of regional cooperation, Gebremeskel added.

In 2018, the two countries managed to end a two-decade long hostilities following the olive branch extended by Abiy.

That successful gesture, together with other efforts to bring about regional peace and cooperation, earned the Ethiopian premier the 2019 Nobel Prize for Peace.

The two countries in 2019 signed a comprehensive cooperation pact in which they agreed to cooperate in numerous fields but little came out in terms of the implementation of the agreements that included the clause that allows Ethiopia to use the ports of Assab and Massawa.

Eritrea ~~seceded~~ [regained independence] from Ethiopia in 1993 following a three-decade long war for independence.

The two countries fought a deadly war between 1998 and 2000 in which an estimated 70,000 people died on both sides.

President Isaias Afwerki and his delegation were accorded warm welcome by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on arrival at Jimma Abajifar Airport earlier in the day pic.twitter.com/UkOclkMRHk
— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) October 12, 2020

Accompanied by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Isaias & his delegation today visited Jimma University, the Hachalu Civic Center within the compound, coffee plantations & investments in Oromia Region as well as Power Plants in Gilgel Gibe Dam (3 & 4) in the Southern Region pic.twitter.com/Wo75Pb2JbQ
— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) October 12, 2020

Ethiopian lawmakers vote to slash funds for Tigray

2020-10-07T17:46:00.004-07:00

Tigray held regional elections last month despite a nationwide pause on all polls because of the coronavirus

Ethiopian lawmakers vote to slash funds for Tigray

By Robbie Corey-Boulet | AFP

Ethiopian lawmakers approved slashing funding to the northern Tigray region, the upper house of parliament announced Wednesday, a decision a top Tigrayan official said was "tantamount to a declaration of war".

The move deepens a bitter rift between the federal government in Addis Ababa and the regional government in Tigray, each of which sees the other as illegitimate.

The funding cuts are a response to Tigray's decision to hold regional elections last month despite a nationwide pause on all polls because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The House of Federation, the upper house of parliament, previously dismissed the regional elections as "null and void".

"The House of Federation has announced the illegally formed Tigray regional assembly and cabinet has no legal basis so will receive no budgetary support," House of Federation Speaker Adem Farah told state television Wednesday.

Tigray was due to receive federal budget subsidies totalling 10.4 billion Ethiopian birr (around $281 million) for the current fiscal year.

It is unclear how much of that amount would be affected.

Adem's interview aired one day after the House of Federation announced it would cut off contact with Tigray's leadership.

Adem said Wednesday that federal authorities would maintain relationships with lower-level government bodies in Tigray, though it was unclear how that arrangement might work.

- 'Unacceptable' -

Tigray is governed by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominated Ethiopian politics before Abiy came to power in 2018.

Under Abiy Tigrayan leaders have complained of being unfairly targeted in corruption prosecutions, removed from top positions and broadly scapegoated for the country's woes.

Ethiopia was due to hold national elections in August, but the country's poll body ruled in March that all voting would need to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tigrayan leaders rejected the extension of political mandates -- which before the pandemic were due to expire this week -- and say Abiy no longer has a mandate.

Getachew Reda, a TPLF spokesman and former national communications minister, told AFP in a text message Wednesday that the cuts in federal funding were "an illegal decision by an illegitimate body" and "tantamount to a declaration of war".

Wondimu Asamnew, head of the Tigray Friendship Liaison Office, said they were "totally unacceptable and dangerous" and suggested they could jeopardise the region's future role in Ethiopia.

"You don't do this to a member of the federal republic unless you want, in practical terms, to declare that Tigray is an independent foreign state," Wondimu told AFP.

"The consequences are very, very serious," he said, adding that a formal response from Tigray would come "in a very short period of time".

Eritrea is winning the war against malaria

2020-10-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Eritrea is winning the war against malaria

By Simon Weldemichael | Eritrea Profile

The Government of Eritrea launched the Primary Health Care Policy (PHCP) to minimize and eventually eliminate easily-controlled diseases that pose the most serious public health problems. Malaria, which affects millions in the developing world, is one of them. The common malaria parasite in Eritrea is Plasmodium falciparum, which accounts for more than 84% of all cases.

Eritrea achieved the Millennium Development Goals in the health sector because it was able to reduce its infant and child mortality, morbidity, mortality due to malaria, and the prevalence of communicable diseases as well as an increase in the penetration rate of immunization. The commitment of the government to providing sustainable and accessible health care has enabled Eritrea to be one of the countries expected to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the health sector.

The success achieved in health is attributed to strong political commitment and prioritization of health, innovative multi-sector approaches and administrative competency, and the ability of the government to motivate and mobilize the people. The main driver behind such a commitment is the government’s emphasis on human capital as a vital element of development. Historically, during the struggle for independence, the EPLF put great emphasis on education and health with particular emphasis on the rural population. The barefoot doctors made regular visits and conducted surveillance to protect the health of the people.

Since independence, Eritrea has been successful in controlling the spread of many communicable diseases, including malaria, mainly due to its strong commitment that puts health at the center of development. The government foresaw future needs and made long-term investments in health. The reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by malaria has been realized as a result of strategic interventions that included distribution of mosquito nets, early diagnosis, high level of community awareness, and access to health facilities throughout the country. As a result of the efforts made to build, expand and upgrade health facilities, access to health care is available for all within a five km radius. These developments and improvements in healthcare and other sectors over the last twenty-nine years has led to unprecedented reduction in malaria.

Although through systematic integrated surveillance and vector control mechanisms, the threat of malaria has been minimized greatly, the government will not be satisfied until malaria is totally wiped out of the nation. As the National Health Policy of Eritrea states “…comprehensive vector-borne disease including malaria control and prevention measures will be strengthened to ensure that malaria will no longer be a public health problem in the country” (2010:18). Eritrea’s progress in the provision of health care is also demonstrated in life expectancy, which has risen from 49 years in 1991 to over 64 years at present.

Despite the commendable achievements in the control and prevention of malaria, the threat of resurgence due to climatic changes is evident. Rainfall this season is forecasted to continue in the coming few months, and the period from September to December is considered ‘malaria season’ in Eritrea, especially in the Gash Barka and Southern regions, the two most susceptible malaria-risk regions in the country.

Malaria is both a cause and consequence of poverty. For this reason, the government of Eritrea sees malaria not only as a public health concern but also as a major challenge to development. Accordingly, the fight against malaria is considered a way to improve the health status of the population and reduce poverty. The general wellbeing of the people is determined by, among many factors, health. Poverty cannot be alleviated in an environment plagued by diseases.

The prevalence of malaria is associated with the impoverishment of households. Women’s empowerment, poverty eradication, and complete self-reliance are difficult to achieve without the elimination of malaria. The Eritrean society has benefitted greatly from the defeat of malaria. People today are far healthier than ever before. As early as 2013, Eritrea’s Malaria Program- Performance Review concluded that Eritrea was winning the war against malaria. For instance, malaria infection has been declining from 110 cases/1000 people in 1998 to 11.9 cases/1000 in 2012 and malaria-caused deaths have been declining from 0.198/1000 people in 1998 to 0.0076/1000 in 2012.

The goal of the malaria control program in Eritrea is to ensure that malaria will no longer be a public health problem. According to the Program Improvement Agenda, Eritrea has already launched pre-elimination programs (2014- 2018). Now, the journey to elimination and the establishment of a malaria-free future is on the way.

As we all know, the global health security is in danger due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Human lives are disrupted and the national economy of every country is severely shattered by the virus. With the outbreak of the pandemic, UNICEF warned that the overlap of COVID-19 and malaria could have potentially highly lethal consequences for children under-five if governments failed to respond soon to ensure continuity of services. The organization reported that every two minutes, a child under the age of five dies from malaria. According to the 2019 World Malaria Report, children under five accounted for 67 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide in 2018. Most of the cases were in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although Eritrea is not free from the disruptions of COVID-19, it is one of the few countries that have no records of deaths caused by the virus. However, while it has been taking precautionary and necessary measures to limit the transmission of the virus, it has not ignored other killer diseases, such as malaria. Environmental management through community participation and outdoor and indoor spraying of insecticide for the prevention and control of malaria outbreaks continue to be practiced. Also, insecticide-treated mosquito nets are handed out to people who live in the malaria-prone regions and free ambulance services are given, particularly to women and children. Further, awareness-raising campaigns are conducted by the national media outlets to keep people vigilant.

It is common knowledge that sick people are too weak to work, and this causes them to suffer from poverty. Fortunately, the era of misery caused by malaria is going to end in Eritrea with the elimination of malaria. This means having healthy people who are productive and capable of eliminating poverty in Eritrea once and for all.

Somali President Arrives in Eritrea

2020-10-04T21:20:00.005-07:00

Somali President H.E. Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed meeting with President Isaias Afwerki

Somali President Arrives in Eritrea

By MoI | Shabait

Asmara, 04 October 2020 – The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, arrived in Asmara in mid-morning hours today for a 2-day working visit.

President Mohammed and his delegation were accorded warm welcome by President Isaias Afwerki on arrival at Asmara International Airport.

President Isaias Afwerki and President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed held extensive talks at State House today focusing on bolstering the Eritrea-Somalia cooperation framework and consolidation of a strong, independent, and sovereign Somalia. They agreed to upgrade the all-rounded 2018 Asmara Agreement.

The two leaders further agreed to re-double ongoing efforts for regional integration on the basis of the Tri-Partite Agreement signed subsequently between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The talks between the two sides will continue tomorrow.

President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed and his delegation also visited various development sites and projects.

Danakali flags improvements to Eritrea potash project

2020-09-02T21:15:00.007-07:00

Danakali flags improvements to Eritrea potash project

By Cecilia Jamasmie | Mining

Australia’s Danakali said on Wednesday it has completed an updated process plant and infrastructure study for its Colluli potash project in Eritrea, which has identified optimization opportunities for the proposed mine.

The Perth-based company, which has completed phase two of engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) work at Colluli, said main potential improvements are related to the environmental and economic aspects of the project.

Upgrades include a beach well intake for the water intake treatment area, which has a lower environmental impact and was found preferable to a subsea intake pipeline.

A third-party review of the work by DRA Global found the beach well intake minimised risk to subsea and coastal habitats by avoiding onshore pipeline construction and offshore installation.

Another optimization was dry harvesting from back end recovery ponds, resulting in a less complex processing design.

Danakali has also selected RA International as camp provider which will give the project a fit for purpose manufactured camp.

Chief executive officer Niels Wage said the assessment provides “increased certainty and understanding” of the project and its schedule.

“The detail review process again validates the robustness of the project and previous technical studies,” he said.

“It is also pleasing to see that a number of optimisation opportunities in the process are established that will further de-risk the project,” Wage added.

Game changer

Colluli, a 50:50 joint venture between Danakali and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO), is on track for production in 2022.

In the initial phase of operations, the mine would produce more than 472,000 tonnes a year of sulphate of potash (SOP), a premium grade fertilizer.

Annual output could rise to almost 944,000 tonnes if Danakali decides to go ahead with a second phase of development, as the project has a possible 200-year plus mine-life.

The company will now begin phase three of construction at the project, which has been called “a game-changer” for the East African nation’s economy.

Danakali’s further de-risk of Colluli coincides with the move towards diplomatic relations between the once feuding countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which officially declared peace in July 2018.

Until that year, Eritrea was on the United Nations’ sanctions list.

SANY SRT95C Dump Trucks Delivered in Eritrea

2020-09-02T17:07:00.003-07:00

SANY SRT95C Dump Trucks Delivered in Eritrea

By ChinaTrucks

On July 23, Eritrean mining giant Bisha Mining Share Company (BISHA) took delivery of nine SRT95C dump trucks it ordered earlier this year from SANY.

In May, all equipment arrived at the Kobar Basin along the Red Sea coast where lies the largest copper-zinc deposit in Northeast Africa. To satisfy the increasing demand of ore production, BISHA tried to enhance its capacity and need the assembly and commissioning of all equipment finished within 30 days.

A technical support team consists of seven service experts was sent to the job site. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the whole journey from China to Eritrea took 23 days with multiple transfers. Eventually, all service engineers arrived at the job site and immediately started the back-up service with expertise regardless of the extremely hot weather.

Thanks to the dedication and commitment of all who involved in the commissioning of these machines, the delivery of the nine SRT95C dump trucks was 16 days ahead of scheduled date. Meanwhile, SANY also has improved the adaptability of the equipment, allowing it to be perfectly adaptive to the local temperature and coastal operating conditions.

Delivery of 9 dump trucks to Eritrea

Sudan's Bashir on trial over 1989 coup that brought him to power

2020-07-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Al-Bashir came to power in 1989 after he led a military coup against democratically elected Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi [File: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters]

Sudan's Bashir on trial over 1989 coup that brought him to power

By Aljazeera

Sudan's former President Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown last year by the military in the face of mass protests against his rule, has gone on trial in the capital over his role in a coup that brought him to power more than 30 years ago.

Al-Bashir, who has been jailed in Khartoum since his removal, faces charges of undermining the constitution, violating the Armed Forces Act and fomenting a coup in 1989 against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Before any statements or evidence could be given on Tuesday, the trial was adjourned until August 11 to reconvene in a bigger court to allow more lawyers and family members of defendants to attend.

Some lawyers had complained their colleagues had not been able to get into Tuesday's session.

Other defendants include 10 military personnel and six civilians, including his former vice presidents, Ali Osman Taha and Bakri Hassan Saleh, as well as former ministers and governors.

They are all accused of having plotted the June 30, 1989, coup during which the army arrested Sudan's political leaders, suspended Parliament and other state bodies, closed the airport and announced the putsch on the radio.

The man dubbed the true brain behind the military coup, Hassan al-Turabi of the National Islamic Front, died in 2016.

Al-Bashir stayed in power for almost 30 years before being overthrown on April 11 last year after several months of unprecedented, pro-democracy demonstrations that eventually forced the creation of a joint civilian-military ruling "sovereign council".

The 76-year-old is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), facing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed by pro-government forces in Darfur. Sudan's new governing authorities, which are tasked with leading the country to elections under a 39-month power-sharing agreement, have yet to hand him over to the ICC for prosecution.

Al-Bashir is also being investigated over the killing of protesters while, in December, a Sudanese court handed him a first, two-year sentence on corruption charges.

First coup trial
Ahead of Tuesday's trial, Moaz Hadra, one of the lawyers who led the push to bring the case to court, said al-Bashir and Saleh "have totally refused to cooperate with the commission of enquiry, but they will be present at the court".

Hadra told AFP news agency the accused are charged under crimes including Chapter 96 of the 1983 Penal Code, which had been abolished by al-Bashir, and which carries the death penalty for attempting to destroy the constitutional order.

The lawyer said "this is the first time someone who launches a coup will be brought to justice" in Sudan, which has seen three coups d'etat since its 1956 independence from Britain.

"This trial will be a warning to anyone who tries to destroy the constitutional system," he added. "This will safeguard Sudanese democracy. In this way, we hope to bring an end to the era of putsches in Sudan."

One of the 150 defence lawyers, Hashem al-Gali, charged that Bashir and the others would face "a political trial" being held "in a hostile environment on the part of the judicial system against the defendants".

"In fact, this trial is aimed at the Islamic movement, and its sole purpose is to present it as a terrorist movement, but we have prepared our defence, and we will prove the contrary," Gali said.

He argued that al-Bashir's overthrow of Mahdi took place so long ago that it was beyond the statute of limitations and should therefore no longer be dealt with by a court.

The trial takes place at a time when Sudan's joint civilian-military transitional government is introducing a host of reforms and has relaunched peace talks with rebel groups.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's administration has recently abolished rules restricting women's freedom of movement, outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation, scrapped a law against apostasy and relaxed a ban on alcohol.

Sudan hopes to soon be taken off the US State Department's list of state sponsors of "terrorism", a major hurdle to receiving foreign aid and investment.

Eritrea accepts Danakali’s mining development plan for Colluli potash

2020-07-22T18:39:00.002-07:00

Eritrea accepts Danakali’s mining development plan for Colluli potash

By David McKay | MiningMx

Eritrea has given its support for the development of the Colluli potash project which is being led by Danakali, a Sydney- and London-listed company operating in joint venture with the East African country’s government.

Potash contains potassium, nitrogen and sulphur which is beneficial to economic development as a crop-growing fertiliser.

Danakali now has 36 months from the submission of a notice to begin mining – accepted by the Eritrean Ministry of Energy & Mines (MoEM) – to complete the project in which some $200m will be spent.

The Eritrean government also accepted the accounting structure through which the project will be executed. As part of the authorisation announced today, Danakali has met a number of additional regulations including a mining licence and environmental protocols.

“This year, the project team has made significant progress through management of DRA during Phase 1 and 2 of the EPCM works and most recently by commencing the necessary test works, enabling us to maintain forward momentum of the Project Development,” said Niels Wage, CEO of Danakali in a statement.

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has with African Export-Import Bank agreed to provide $200m in senior debt finance to Danakali which is enough to see the project through to completion. The AFC also took a $50m equity stake in the project of which half has already been paid. The balance will be paid by November this year in terms of an extension agreed in June.

Ethiopia's Abiy hails 'historic' start of disputed dam filling

2020-07-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011 [AFP]

Ethiopia's Abiy hails 'historic' start of disputed dam filling

By Al-Jazeera

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has hailed the "historic" early filling of the massive dam on the Blue Nile River that has stoked tensions with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.

Addis Ababa had long said it planned to begin filling the dam's reservoir this month, in the middle of its rainy season, drawing objections from Cairo and Khartoum who wanted to first reach a trilateral agreement on how the dam would be operated.

Ethiopia's announcement on Tuesday that it had hit its first-year target for filling the dam came as the three countries were participating in talks overseen by the African Union (AU) to try to resolve the dispute.

"The completion of the first round of filling is a historic moment that showcases Ethiopians' commitment to the renaissance of our country," Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace laureate, said in a statement read on state television on Wednesday.

"The fact that we reached this milestone by our own efforts when no one else believed in our capabilities to accomplish such initiatives makes the moment even more historic.

"We conducted the filling of the dam without causing harm to anyone," said Abiy. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.

Ethiopia said the colossal dam offers a critical opportunity to pull millions of its nearly 110 million citizens out of poverty and become a major power exporter.

Downstream Egypt, which depends on the Nile to supply its farmers and booming population of 100 million with fresh water, asserts that the dam poses an existential threat. Sudan also views the dam as a threat to its water supplies.

After Tuesday's call with the AU, leaders from the three countries said they had agreed to continue with the negotiations, though it was unclear what concrete progress had been made.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Egypt's foreign ministry stressed "the necessity of reaching a binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam" that would "include a legally binding instrument to resolve conflicts".

Ethiopia has resisted a legally binding dispute resolution process. Its officials said the dam would not harm downstream countries.

They have also said this year's filling was a natural and inevitable part of construction.

By filling the reservoir with 4.9 billion cubic metres (173 billion cubic feet) of water, Ethiopia is now in a position to test its first two turbines - an important step on the way towards actually producing energy.

Ethiopian premier in Eritrea to discuss regional issues

2020-07-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ethiopian premier in Eritrea to discuss regional issues

By Addis Getachew Tadesse | AA

Ethiopia’s prime minister arrived in Eritrea on an official visit on Saturday.

Abiy Ahmed was welcomed in the capital Asmara by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and other senior officials.

The two leaders will confer on bilateral and regional issues, according to a statement by the Ethiopian premier’s office.

Relations between the neighboring countries were restored in June 2018 after two decades of mistrust and tensions.

They fought a bloody war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed around 70,000 lives.

Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for leading efforts to normalize Ethiopia and Eritrea’s ties and for making regional peace a priority.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, arrived in Asmara in mid morning hours today for a working visit to the country. President Isaias Afwerki accorded warm welcome to the Prime Minister and his delegation on arrival at Asmara International Airport pic.twitter.com/BQXP7a1xxD
— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) July 18, 2020

Ethiopia: Jawar Mohammed reportedly arrested

2020-07-01T17:00:00.003-07:00

Jawar Mohammed

OMN announced that Federal Police had arrested Jawar Mohammed on Tuesday.

By Borkena

The media, whose owner is Jawar Mohammed himself who was linked to the killings of 86 people in October 2019, claimed that there was a clash between the Federal Police and Oromia region Security forces, as reported by DW Amharic service on Tuesday.

However, OMN did not say details regarding casualties on both sides. It claimed that Federal Police members had to get reinforcements to make the arrest.

Bekele Gerba, who is among the senior leadership of Oromo Federalist Party, is also arrested along with Jawar Mohammed. The location of their arrest is undisclosed. Jawar joined the political party last December the legality of which was questioned by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia on grounds of Jawar’s U.S. citizenship.

The arrest came a day after prominent Ethiopian singer Hachalu Hundessa was assassinated in the capital Addis Ababa in the locality of Gelan Condominiums. Police said on Tuesday that he was killed after he got into his car.

However, Police did not disclose information about the identities of the killed although it has confirmed that it has arrested some suspects.

Hachalu was interviewed by OMN a few days before he was murdered, and there was apparent coordination on the part of those who plotted the killing to make his death appear as if it is linked to the remarks he made over the Emperor Menelik.

Oromia Regional State president, Shimeles Abdissa, said on Tuesday that the killing was an orchestrated one and was intended to bring about chaos in the country.

He pointed fingers to Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders and other political forces who he said were hired mercenaries. Speaking with breaking voices out of grief, Shimeles also said that political entities that are combining peaceful and armed struggle are involved in the campaign to reverse the reform measures in the country.

Lencho Bati, a prominent Oromo activist, and politician who is said to work as an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government said the killing TPLF and Egypt are likely to be behind the killing. But it was executed through the agency of mercenaries hired from the Oromo community, he added.

Freedom Comes Neither Freely Nor Cheaply

2020-06-21T17:52:00.002-07:00

Freedom Comes Neither Freely Nor Cheaply
(A Tribute to Our Martyrs)

By Haile Habtegaber

The 20th of June is one of the sanctified dates in Eritrea’s annual national holyday calendar. It is a day when we venerate and pay tribute to our martyrs for the most precious gift they gave us – a free sovereign Red Sea country called Eritrea. On this occasion, it is incumbent upon every patriotic Eritrean to pause for a moment and reflect on the true meaning of this day. When one hears the incredible stories of bravery and deeds of the young women and men (not exclusively young), it is hardly possible to comprehend the extent to which they were selfless and focussed only and only on one thing – the liberation of Eritrea. This writer has witnessed in person while in prison this selflessness, defiance and perseverance of the Tegadelti to withstand torture and hideous maltreatment. It was a harrowing experience but this Tegadalay did not hesitate to give his life and as I learned later he did as he was hanged by the brutal Derg regime of Ethiopia.

The story of two heroes Jemil Hassen and Mekonen Tadesse as movingly narrated in this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU-1dxw8jhw) also fittingly illustrates the extraordinary bravery and stoicism of Tegadalti Hizbawi Ginbar. It is a remarkable story to listen and true to their character these two young men did not return alive and the last word of their obituary is self-immolation. That is what Eritrea has costed.The Tigrigna quote ‘’ሓርበኛ ኣይነብርንዩ ታሪኹዩ ዝውረስ’’ truely epitomizes the life history of these good patriots who passed as best women and men and such is the backdrop to the commemorations of our Martyrs’ Day.

We as people who aspired to determine our fate and destination were denied by powerful regressive forces from establishing our own nation state unlike the rest of other colonized territories subsequent to the extrication from colonisation. Nonetheless, and not withstanding this misfortune, the Eritrean people were not deterred from realising their dream of founding a country by which they can define and identify themselves as free people to engage the world. They fought a fight uniquely singular and won to make the independence of Eritrea a reality. Inevitably this has costed the people of Eritrea immeasurable loss of their best souls not least the destruction and opportunity cost of time, resource and economic progress.

Our freedom was not manna from heaven. That much is true. It is therefore on this day 20the June, Martyrs’ Day, that we remember, honour and salute each and every one of our heroes and heroines for their sacrifice on behalf of every Eritrean alive today and those yet to be born. Generations will pass but Eritrea will remain for eternity and the memory of these gallant Hizbawi Ginbar Tegadelti and every Eritrean who was murdered for being an Eritrean and she/he who gave her/his precious life for the birth of Eritrea will also remain synonymous with name Independent Eritrea for ever.

The passing of time therefore cannot and should not diminish our respect and honour for our fearless patriots. For those of us older than Independent Eritrea, we know what it means to live under occupation and be treated as second class citizen in your own country. Perceptibly we can appreciate how Eritrea’s independence was achieved. But for the younger generation since they know only independent Eritrea, they may take it for granted. It is therefore critically important that they are helped and encouraged to actively take part in Martyrs’ Day commemoration activities so that they become cognizant and compassionately connected with the history of their ancestral land and the price that has been paid.

Equally our flag deserves our reverence and respect in equal measure because it cannot be separated from the martyrdom of our Tegadelti. Yet we have seen individuals who disgracefully denigrate the Eritrean flag and disparage our revered Tegadelti. Clearly these are not even traitors but twisted, damaged and pure mercenaries doing dirty enemy work for hire. Equally, it is baffling to see others who display the flag of the federation period and associate it with Eritrea- a none existent country. Are we missing something here? What does this mean? No clue, explanation please! Never mind these group of people are irrelevant gone astray beyond the horizon. They ought to unlearn and learn a lot.

And finally, as we perform the commemorative candlelight event, let us remember and recognize with deeper and solemn reflection that our Martyrs Day is our unifying day that bequeathed on us all our beautiful country with its beautiful flag. Let us proudly march forward inspired by the legacy of our martyrs and actualize our multifaceted aspirations.

Eternal Glory to Our Martyrs
Long Live Eritrea Libre.

Over 7,000 Eritrean nationals moved back to Eritrea in the past two months

2020-06-13T22:07:00.002-07:00

Over 7,000 Eritrean migrants moved back to Eritrea in the past two months

By MoI Eritrea | Shabait

Twenty four patients (24) were diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today in tests carried out for individuals who had completed their quarantine time at Adibara Quarantine Center – Gash Barka Region, Forto Sawa Sub-zone.

In the past two months, 1370 nationals who returned home through irregular land routes from the Sudan were quarantined in Adibara. Out of these, 117 individuals were released after due processes while 1253 persons still remain quarantined in the Center.

Although the movement of peoples remains banned in the region as a whole, 7158 nationals have returned home through land and sea routes from Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti as well as Yemen in the past two months. 3,135 persons still remain in 47 quarantine centers throughout the country.

In addition to the ongoing random testing, all individuals have to undergo, as a normative procedure, testing prior to their release from the quarantine centers.

The total number of confirmed cases in the county to-date has now risen to 65.

39 of these have recovered fully and were released from hospital in the past while the remaining 26 are receiving necessary medical treatment.

Ministry of Health
Asmara
13 June 2020

Speaker of Ethiopia's upper House resigns after polls postponed

2020-06-09T08:50:00.005-07:00

Keria Ibrahim (r), Speaker of the House of Federation, attending a TPLF emergency meeting

Speaker of Ethiopia's upper House resigns after polls postponed

By Dawit Endeshaw | Reuters

Ethiopia’s upper house speaker resigned on Monday in apparent protest at the postponement of planned elections in the Horn of Africa country over the coronavirus, a sign of growing tension between her party and the government.

The speaker Keria Ibrahim is also a top official in Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), one of the country’s major political parties and which has opposed the poll postponement.

The parliamentary and regional elections had been planned for August ahead of the end of incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s term in September. No new date has yet been set.

In a televised speech, Keria accused Abiy’s government of taking away Ethiopians’ sovereign rights, without elaborating.

She was widely understood to refer to the government’s decision to postpone the elections which effectively allowed Abiy to continue ruling beyond the expiry of his term.

“I can’t be an accomplice when the constitution is being violated and a dictatorial government is being formed,” she said. “I have resigned not to be collaborator (with) such a historical mistake.”

Last month TPLF, which is also the governing party for the country’s Tigray region, threatened to organise polls for the area in defiance of the postponement, potentially setting the region on a collision course with the federal government.

Keria’s resignation underscored the deteriorating relationship between Abiy and his ruling Prosperity Party and the TPLF, said Kjetil Tronvoll, professor of peace and conflict studies at Bjørknes University in Oslo.

“If the process is left unabated, it may lead to an open confrontation,” he said.

Abiy took power in Africa’s second most populous country in 2018 and went on to roll out a series of reforms allowing greater freedoms in what had long been one of the continent’s most repressive states.

But the reforms have made it possible for long-held grievances against the government’s decades of harsh rule to resurface, and emboldened regional power-brokers such as the TPLF to seek more power for their ethnic groups.

The German government will provide USD 1.5 million to support farmers in Eritrea

2020-05-18T14:45:00.003-07:00

The German government will provide USD 1.5 million to support farmers in Eritrea

By German Embassy Asmara

The German government will provide USD 1.5 million to support farmers in Eritrea affected by desert Locusts. Farmers will receive agricultural inputs such as improved seeds, animal feed, different types of hand tools, and training to restore their production capacity and improve food security.

The project in Eritrea is meant to minimize the impact of the locust crisis on grain and livestock production, and to support the livelihood of about 3,500 farming households in the North and South Red Sea regions.

The aid is part of a larger package aiming at improving food security in eight countries across the greater Horn of Africa. The project will be implemented by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of the State of Eritrea.

Eritrea's coordinated and pragmatic strategy to fight COVID-19

2020-05-17T21:39:00.001-07:00

Eritrea's coordinated and pragmatic strategy to fight COVID-19

By Kidane Eyob

Thanks to God and to the selfless Eritrean health service professionals as well as the firm leadership of the Government of Eritrea (GoE), all 39 patients have now made full recovery and have all been discharged from the hospital that was designated to accommodate COVID19 patients. Yes, as part of the strategy to fight COVID-19, the GoE designated an entire hospital in Asmara.

78 other quarantine centres were also designated in all strategic locations nationwide to accommodate those entering the country by land from neighbouring countries. Total number of those that were under quarantine in these centres were 3486, of these 2400 have tested negative and were subsequently discharged. Currently, there are about 1000 people in 33 quarantine locations nationwide.

The accommodation and medical treatment expenses were offered by the GoE free of charge. Eritrea has not recorded any new cases for several weeks.

Eritrea acquired the latest COVID-19 testing equipment and started to test all passengers on arrival at the airport weeks before lockdown was implemented on 21/04/2020. Eritrea has been under lockdown for several weeks now, which has largely been heeded to, and accounted for the ability to contain the virus. Flights were suspended on 25th March without hesitation and all passengers that arrived before flights were suspended were quarantined in the designated hospital.

The GoE issued several brief, clear and concise guidelines to implement the lockdown and promote social distancing and hand washing practices. In addition, almost all Eritrean artists inside the country and abroad produced educational and entertaining musical dramas, songs and video messages to promote the lockdown, social distancing and encourage the public to adhere to the guidelines.

People involved in several major developmental infrastructure projects and agricultural tasks were exempted from this lockdown as Eritrea is determined not to be taken hostage by COVID-19.

Several diplomats residing in Asmara and other individuals have on several occasions expressed their delight and surprise via social media, in the way the Eritrean people complied with the lockdown and social distancing guidelines in a disciplined and civilised manner.

Once again, Eritreans round the globe rose to the challenge in support of their people and government, this time to fight COVID-19 in unison. If there are any people in this world that have plenty of experience in putting their differences aside and getting united for a common cause, then Eritreans come on the top of the list.

Nationals living at home and abroad have made significant monetary and material contributions, landlords have waivered rents for months and government has differed utility bills indefinitely. Even the children of the patriotic Eritrean parents in diaspora have contributed their pocket money to fight COVID-19 in Eritrea, many of them supported with recorded video messages in a bid to encourage others to do so.

Nearly 30 years after independence, the unity of the Eritrean people inside Eritrea and in diaspora is as strong as ever and their unanimous financial and material support to fight COVID19 is a testament to this unity. In this sacred month of May, as Eritreans celebrate their independence, a loud and clear vote of confidence on the GoE was delivered and this shocked the so called ‘experts on Eritrea’ into disbelief and humiliation.

Either by coincidence or by divine intervention, just as the armed struggle for independence took 30 years, it has taken Eritreans 30 years to survive as a viable nation in a volatile region and against all the odds, conspiracies and declared and undeclared sanctions thanks to the unity of the Eritrean people inside the country and abroad. Special thanks and recognition also goes to the selfless and gallant Eritrean armed forces and the firm, principled and visionary leadership of the GoE.

As we start to celebrate Eritrea’s 29th year independence on 24th of May, we acknowledge that for centuries, Eritreans of 9 different ethnic groups and various beliefs have lived together in harmony. However, this harmonious coexistence and mutual respect of this civilised people was first targeted by the British during the British Military Administration (1942 to 52) when their policy of divide and rule was implemented dividing Eritreans along religious, ethnic and geographical lines.

Ten years after the British looted Eritrea’s infrastructure built by Italians over 50 years, they conspired with the US to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia against the wishes of the Eritrean people. The Ethiopian emperor pursued a more aggressive and divisive policy than that of the British in order to weaken the unity and cohesion of the Eritrean people and tried to sabotage the birth of an independent Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, albeit they failed miserably.

In spite of decades of foreign intervention and their divisive policies, in the early 1950s Eritreans were united in a common cause, independence for Eritrea. In their wisdom, the early Eritrean leaders/elders of the peaceful resistance against Ethiopia’s violation and aggression decided to put their religious, ethnic and ideological differences aside and put the national interest first in order to pursue the peaceful struggle for their right to self-determination in unison.

Ten years of peaceful struggle in 1950s failed to bring the desired freedom, justice and the promotion of Human Rights so in September 1961, Eritreans had no choice but to pursue military struggle to achieve their independence by force.

Although this military struggle was initiated by a small group, Eritreans of all ethnic groups and beliefs were united in a common objective, to pursue a military struggle for independence in unison. Soon, Eritrean young men and women from all walks of life and from as far as the Middle East, Europe and North America abandoned their education, professional jobs, livelihood and their families to join the armed struggle for independence.

During the armed struggle, the EPLF effectively and consistently implemented the policy of ‘unity in diversity’ to ensure the active participation of women who comprise about 50% of the population and the ethnic groups who used to be marginalised by Haileselase’s regime. As a result, over 30% of EPLF fighters were women and all nine nationalities took active participation in the armed struggle for independence such that just before independence, the EPLF fighting force grew to almost 110,000 fighters. This unity in diversity of the freedom fighters and that of the people is therefore, what gave the EPLF the strength to win battles and the war for independence. Indeed, the Eritrean people were not disappointed because the EPLF delivered what was promised, independence on 24th of May 1991. To give this independence a legal conclusion, the EPLF created a conducive platform for a referendum to be conducted under the supervision of the UN and credible witness in which the 99.8 % of the Eritrean population chose independence.

After independence, Eritrea asserted its pragmatic political, economic and social policies and steadily began to develop with impressive economic growth records until this trend was suddenly sabotaged in May 1998 when the TPLF regime declared war on Eritrea under the pretext of a border dispute. This war was yet another sabotage that was definitely not engineered by the TPLF regime. Repeated efforts to foil Eritrea’s independence both politically and economically failed miserably and humiliated those who engineered and plotted these conspiracies.

In spite of the war and the ‘no war and no peace’ climate that dragged on for 20 years, the GoE pursued a policy of unity in diversity in its efforts to promote social justice through equitable distribution of wealth and the promotion of equal opportunities as well as by providing basic social services, such as free education, free health care, potable water, transport, electricity all over the country. Unlike most other countries in Africa, holistic developments, opportunities and provision of basic social services in Eritrea are not limited to the privileged few in the urban areas.

Roughly, about 80% of the population live in rural areas this significant proportion of the population used to be deprived of opportunities and basic social services before independence and that is why the GoE rightly put rural holistic development as its top priority.

The National Service and Sawa have since 1994 reinforced the unity of the youth by acting as a melting pot and a mould that forges generations of youth to become united, confident, capable, industrious and disciplined. The National Service played a pivotal role in safeguarding the sovereignty as well as implementing rural developmental projects by constructing vital infrastructures required by various social services. The provision of these vital social services all over the country further ensured the promotion of equal opportunities and social justice that strengthened the unity of the people.

In the last 20 years, the Eritrean government, managed to skilfully and successfully overcome the declared and undeclared sanctions, diplomatic isolation and the conspiracies aimed at reversing Eritrea’s independence by carrying out a regime change but the GoE beat the TPLF at their own game and declared ‘Game Over’ during the Eritrea’s sacred day, the Martyr’s Day 20th of June 2018.

Eritrea is now squarely on a plateau, has a full tank and is well engaged into its 5th gear for a long journey to its final destination, to realise its people’s vision and aspirations. Just as the EPLF delivered what was promised, independence on 24th of May 1991, the GoE is set to deliver what was promised before the start of the 1998 'border war', that is, food security, investments, various infrastructural developmental projects and economic emancipation in 2021 so watch the space.

As Eritrea turns 29, its “One people, One heart” motto proven in action.

2020-05-12T21:41:00.001-07:00

As Eritrea turns 29, its “One people, One heart” motto proven in action.

By Bereket Kidane

The month of May is a special one on the Eritrean calendar. We are in the midst of Eritrea’s national holiday season with Independence Week (qinyat natsnet) a mere one week away. But this year is a little different. Instead of gathering in various parks and outdoor concert venues in the diaspora to honor Eritrea’s 29th birthday while Eritreans at home parade through the streets, hold carnivals and party late into the night in celebration of Eritrea’s Independence Day, the Eritrean people may still be sequestered in their homes with their nuclear families to fight the spread of Covid-19.

But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be celebration and pride in abundance. During the current global pandemic, Eritreans at home and diaspora have proven that they truly are “One people, One heart.” If there is anything that we have re-learned from the past two months, it is that Eritreans, wherever they are on this planet, will always open their hearts and wallets whenever The State of Eritrea faces a national challenge or threat of any kind. We saw this clearly, unequivocally and abundantly over the last 20 years when Eritrea faced sustained threats, sanctions and invasions to its sovereignty.

The images seen over the past month on Eri-Tv and YouTube during songs and videos such as Yonas Maynas’s “you’re in my heart” a shout out to Eritreans sequestered in their homes with their nuclear families and proudly waving the Eritrean flag from their balconies couldn’t help but melt the most hardened hearts.

It is during trying times that we see the connection Eritreans have to each other and their land. The stories of generosities and compassion coming out of Eritrea during this pandemic are truly heartwarming. Landlords and landladies have stopped asking for rent from their tenants. People in the countryside are sharing their crops and harvests with their neighbors and fellow villagers to make sure everyone has enough to eat. Relatives and strangers are checking on the elderly whose children live abroad or were martyred during the war to make sure they’re coping with the extreme situation. The list goes on and on.

Although the Coronavirus has not swept through Eritrea due to the government’s early and decisive intervention, of the 39 stricken citizens 37 have already undergone a lengthy treatment at the nation’s referral hospitals and released to their families. And you can be sure they didn’t go home with a big bill either as is customary in the West. Healthcare is free and a basic human right in Eritrea as it should be.

Of course, as Eritreans we are alive today because our forebearers knew how to survive plagues and pandemics. It was interesting to read centuries old literature written in Tigrigna with specific guidance codified into traditional law on how the village chief “Chiqa Adi” should go about quarantining the stricken and their households during plagues. The laws were sophisticated, compassionate and rational.

The Coronavirus challenge and ban on large social gatherings will be with us for the foreseeable future. Car parades of hundreds of vehicles with people waving the Eritrean flag that go through major streets and virtual events will have to be among the innovative ways we celebrate Eritrea’s birthday this year. Eritrean millennials may have to take the lead in organizing this year’s celebration. Time is running out.

Eritrean communities in Scandinavia have already announced that Eritrea’s 29th birthday will be celebrated virtually. I sure hope they stream it live. This is an unprecedented opportunity for Eritreans around the globe to unite virtually and celebrate Eritrea.

As it turns 29, Eritreans can be proud of so much. The Coronavirus challenge will pass, but the attributes that make Eritreans such a cohesive, compassionate, patriotic and great people will always be with us.

Next year, may we be together to celebrate Eritrea’s milestone birthday.

One people, One heart!
Eternal Glory to our Martyrs.
Awet n Hafash!

COVID-19: Leveraging on social capital to ‘Flatten the Curve’ in Eritrea

2020-05-03T08:39:00.004-07:00

In Eritrea containment measures are managed by the wardens and members of the community holding each other accountable for the common good of the society. ©Eritrea - Ministry of Information

COVID-19: Leveraging on social capital to ‘Flatten the Curve’ in Eritrea

By James Wakiaga, UNDP Eritrea

COVID-19 has so far defied logic by voraciously impacting poor and rich countries with equal measure. But in Eritrea only 39 infections and zero deaths have been reported so far.

This may be largely due to the country harnessing its social capital, in partnership with UNDP.

In the African context, social capital – also called ‘Ubuntu’, ‘Undugu’ or ‘Ujamaa’ - means the interpersonal relationships and network that give people a sense of identity, shared responsibility and collective accountability. What social capital teaches is that we need to place the responsibility of preparing and responding to the COVID-19 on the citizens and community at large.

If the pandemic challenges long-held values such as handshakes and social contacts, many African countries have so far been able to manage and control the spread of COVID-19 by taking advantage of their strong social capital networks. In addition, the experience of these countries in dealing with infectious diseases such as Ebola has been a game-changer to the COVID-19 response on the continent.

In Eritrea the Government’s outlook on COVID-19 has been largely influenced by its communal approach of engaging communities as frontline disseminators of risk-communication, and promoting social distancing.

Social networks and volunteers act as caregivers. They provide emotional and psychological support to those in isolation and quarantine. Communities also display a strong spirit of compassion by sharing with needy families. During lockdown, for example, residents of Central region (Gala Nefhi, Paradizo, and Arbate) provided material support to disadvantaged groups, and in some cases also contributed financially.

What do we learn from this experience? The response to contain the COVID-19 pandemic comes with stringent measures such as quarantines, self-isolation, lockdowns and curfews. In some countries these have been forcefully enforced using security agencies which, in some cases, defeats the very purpose of social distancing and keeping communities safe. Establishing social trust is therefore a fundamental principle in building social capital as a currency for community involvement.

This means investing in public communication and promoting social cohesion as a soft power in dealing with the pandemic.

Costa and Kahn (2020) argue that the social capital can push people to isolate noting that ‘social can decrease contagion risk by solving the classic problem of who is willing to trade-off for the common good’. In the case of Eritrea, with its elaborate system of community wardens, containment measures are managed by the wardens and members of the community holding each other accountable for the common good of the society.

This practice is typical of most communal African societies which have historically used traditional governance systems to address social matters, including health. The ‘Baito’ system in Eritrea, a local assembly embedded in customary law, forms an important platform where the community deliberates on issues affecting the society. The Baito is also effective in the dissemination of information to the community and sensitization on disease outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baito comprises various sub-committee of elders called “Shimagile “, which preside over social matters including land administration, water, health, and feeder roads among others. The health sub-committee is important in the COVID-19 context in channeling information to the community and providing direction to Extension health workers.

As part of UNDP’s support to these efforts, we are working to produce a TV and radio documentary on hygiene and infection prevention and control. Thse products target people with disability (PWD) and other vulnerable groups for inclusive risk communication, as well as safeguarding people’s rights.

Maximizing the social capital to roll out social safety nets and protect vulnerable groups from the shock of the pandemic will no doubt require an integrated approach, working together as a UN family and leveraging the whole of Government approach. But, in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impacts in the medium to long term, building back better should remain the hallmark of all our interventions.

Eritrea’s Zero Coronavirus Death Rate is Commendable

2020-04-19T16:51:00.002-07:00

Asmarinos are staying at home to combat the spread of COVID-19

Eritrea’s Zero Coronavirus Death Rate is Commendable

By Bereket Kidane

Eritrea, with its public awareness campaigns related to Covid-19, strict lockdowns, stoppage to international flights and immediate 14-day quarantining of travelers arriving on international flights prior to the total ban on travel is having great success in managing the pandemic outbreak.

When dealing with health crisis, the most important statistic is a ratio between the confirmed cases and the number of fatalities, which in Eritrea currently stands at zero percent, the lowest in the world.

To date in Eritrea, there have been 39 confirmed cases and zero fatalities. The average death rate around the world currently stands at 6.3%. If we look at the frightening scenarios happening in European countries for instance, Italy (13% death rate), France (11% death rate), Spain (10% death rate) it’s obvious that Eritrea’s strict, no-nonsense approach to fighting this pandemic is showing great results. The Government of Eritrea’s handling of the crisis by leveraging the strength and solidarity Eritreans are capable of has been excellent thus far.

Eritreans are not great social distancers in general because we put a premium on community engagement. However, when it comes to dealing with crises or national challenges, we are known to put our differences aside and work hand in glove with our government. That’s exactly what Eritreans at home and abroad have done since the outbreak of this global pandemic.

Eritreans abroad immediately went into a “Mekhete” mode just as they did when their sovereignty was threatened and raised millions of dollars to fight this pandemic while Eritreans at home adhered to the guidance issued by the Ministry of Health to save themselves and their fellow citizens from a catastrophe.

The current lockdowns and bans on international flights will eventually be lifted and with that the rate of infections may rise in the future. Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, there are too many unknowns about the exact trajectory of the pandemic and much trepidation about the social and economic disruptions it will no doubt cause in the future. But in this fight against a formidable enemy, the Eritrean people’s strength and solidarity as well as the Government of Eritrea’s expertise in crisis management gives me great hope that Eritrea will emerge intact with little loss of lives out of this global crisis.

Yesterday, Eritrea’s President Isaias Afewerki took to the airwaves to give words of encouragement on the fight against the global pandemic and convey his government’s well-wishes for the start of the holy month of Ramadan and the celebration of Orthodox Easter Sunday. Eritrea simply needs to ignore its riff-raff detractors and their demented fantasies.

In ordinary times, this would be the time when Eritrean communities around the globe start planning their Independence Day party programs. But these are not ordinary times. And this year is not like all others. Indications are that the social distancing guidelines and lockdowns will still be largely in effect a month from now, especially in the diaspora.

The Covid-19 pandemic will make it impossible for Eritrea’s Independence Week rituals of carnivals, packed outdoor concerts, street performances, tent parties and large social gatherings to be observed this year. But skipping it is not an option. Remembering and rejoicing in the miraculous birth of the State of Eritrea is no less important this year. We can still wave Eritrea’s flag proudly from wherever we are and celebrate Eritrea’s 29th birthday in unison virtually perhaps on Zoom or through a global-live streaming? Or will it be a drive-by Independence Party this year in some localities and parks? It goes without saying that we will have to find new ways to celebrate Independence Day this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Public Statement by H.E. Estifanos Habtemariam, Eritrean Ambassador to Uk & Ireland [Video]

2020-04-19T16:43:00.002-07:00

By Embassy Media

The Statement by H.E. Estifanos Habtemariam, Ambassador of the State of Eritrea to the United Kingdom and Ireland extends gratitude to the Eritrean community and friends of Eritrea for their insurmountable contributions globally to the COVID-19 response fund aimed at assisting the Eritrean Ministry of Health, especially so at this unprecedented time of economical uncertainty.

The Ambassador underlined that the Government of Eritrea and relevant departments have undertaken adequate precautions and continue to work in liaison with their counterparts and international organisations to minimise and stop the spread of CoVID-19 in Eritrea.

The Ambassador reiterated that the continuous fight to control the spread of the disease has proven successful and thanked Eritrean professionals in UK closely working with the Ministry of Health and offering their expertise and assistance.

As we navigate through this difficult time, His Excellency shared his best wishes to those infected and his deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones during this difficult time.

Al-Fashqa Returns to Sudanese Sovereignty After Agreement With Ethiopia

2020-04-12T16:17:00.001-07:00

Al-Fashqa Returns to Sudanese Sovereignty After Agreement With Ethiopia

By Aawsat

The years-long border conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan is expected to end with the return of the disputed Al-Fashaqa region to Sudanese sovereignty within two weeks.

The two countries took practical steps to start the processes of demarcating borders. These steps included setting up border markers and withdrawing forces to behind the separation line.

According to sources, who requested anonymity, the Ethiopian Chief of the General Staff General Adem Mohammed has discussed with Sudanese officials an action plan which sees the forces of each of Sudan and Ethiopia retreat to demarcated borders.

Sudan has border disputes with Egypt and Ethiopia over the Halayeb triangle and the fertile agricultural region of Al-Fashqa.

Ethiopian forces control Al-Fashaqa, which stretches over about 600 square kilometers of highly fertile agricultural land.

Ethiopia recognizes Sudanese sovereignty over the agricultural area but has not taken practical steps to demarcate the border, allowing Ethiopian farmers to cultivate the area and providing them with protection.

Sudan’s transitional government had deployed troops on the border strip with Ethiopia, in order to secure agricultural areas in al-Fashaqa.

Ethiopia and Sudan share a common boundary of over 1600 km which was drawn through a series of treaties between Ethiopia and the colonial powers of Britain and Italy. To date, this boundary has not been clearly demarcated.