A veteran of the liberation war and former defence minister, Mesfin Hagos, has said he favors using violence to overthrow the regime of Eritrean president Issayas Afeworki. He was speaking in a recent interview on TV Sened, a station representing the Eritrean opposition and appearing on YouTube.

4 April 2017 - Sheila B. Keetharuth wins Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award for human rights work in Africa

Issued by University of Leicester Press Office 27 March 2017

The University of Leicester has recognised the outstanding contribution of one of its alumni to exposing and protecting against human rights abuses worldwide. This year’s winner of the University’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award is Sheila B. Keetharuth, in recognition of her human rights work and her determination to provide a voice to the powerless. She was presented with the award at the University’s Alumni Association’s Black Tie Dinner on 16 March before an audience of nearly 500 alumni and guests in the Grand Connaught Rooms in London’s Covent Garden.

Washington imposed sanctions on the Eritrean navy after Asmara was found to have purchased military equipment from the North Korean regime – and not for the first time.

Eritrea’s dealings were revealed in a UN Security Council Sanctions Committee report dated 17 February 2017.

This described the “interdiction” of a cargo from North Korea via China to Eritrea.

The cargo was supposed to be for Eritech Computer Assembly & Communications Technology PLC, which operates from Asmara.

But when the UN experts examined the cargo it contained 45 boxes of military radio equipment. This purchase violated UN Sanctions. [See extract from the report below]

The UN report concluded that “The 2016 interdiction is the second documented interception of military-related items exported from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Eritrea and confirms ongoing arms-related cooperation between the two countries.”

The United States has now  banned any dealings with the Eritrean navy.

When asked why this was the case on Thursday 30 March, the State Department spokesman would not throw further light on the story.

This was the interchange with a reporter: “I noticed the Eritrean navy is on the list. Can you give a bit more detail as to how exactly they’re involved with this illicit trade? And is that notable for the navy of a country to be sanctioned like this?”

Senior State Department Official One: “I really can’t get into the specifics of why entities were sanctioned.”

Shipment of military communications materiel to Eritrea

1. The Panel investigated the July 2016 interdiction reported by a Member State of an air shipment suspected to be in violation of the resolutions. The shipment originated in China and was destined for a company in Eritrea, Eritech Computer Assembly & Communications Technology PLC (see annex 8-1), according to airway bills.[1] Given the involvement of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the cargo’s manufacture and logistics, the Panel concluded that it had violated the arms embargo (paragraph 9 of resolution 1874 (2009)).

    Inspection

1. The Panel inspected the consignment of 45 boxes and determined that the contents were military radio communications products and related accessories, including high-frequency software-defined radios, crypto-speaker microphones, GPS antennas, high-frequency whip antennas, clone cables, camouflaged rucksacks and carry-pouch (see figure 23 and annex 8-2). Certain boxes and articles were labelled “Glocom”, and almost all of the items had been advertised by the company Global Communications Co (Glocom) on its website[2] (see annex 8-2).
   

Figure 23

Crypto-speaker microphone (top right) with box (top left) and software-defined radio (bottom)

1. Inside the rucksacks, the Panel discovered reinforcement material consisting of cigarette packaging with Korean script and “made in DPR Korea” labels (see figure 24).

Shipper

1. The air waybills listed the shipper as Beijing Chengxing Trading Co. Ltd.[3] According to the Chinese business registry, the company is still active, mainly trading in electronics, mining equipment and machinery (see annex 8-3). Mr. Pei Minhao (裴民浩) was listed as a legal representative until 26 February 2016 and still owns most shares in the company (see para. 164).
2. The same individual has been listed in several online commercial databases as director of at least two other Beijing-based entities, including Guangcaiweixing Trading Co., Ltd.[4] (see annex 8-3). Guangcaiweixing was listed as the shipper of a suspect shipment interdicted en route to Eritrea aboard the Kota Karim and reported to the Committee in August 2012. The container cargo manifest listed mostly dual-use items (see annex 8-4), including “numerical control” machine tools and related equipment, which had been inspected and detained by a Member State. The 2016 interdiction is the second documented interception of military-related items exported from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Eritrea and confirms ongoing arms-related cooperation between the two countries.[5]

        [1] Based on information from the Panel, Chinese authorities thoroughly searched cargo manifest, air transport and customs clearance data for June and July 2016 and could not find any corresponding cargo from the Chinese mainland. The consignee is yet to reply to the Panel.

        [2] The Glocom website was shut down shortly after the Panel sent letters to Glocom front companies in Malaysia.

        [3] In Chinese: 北京成兴贸易有限公司.

        [4] In Chinese: 光彩伟兴贸易（北京）有限公司.

        [5] See S/2016/157, paras. 94-95.

In an Appendix to the report the waybill is reproduced

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30 maart 2017, 40ste jaargang, nr.

The long arm of Eritrea

Refugees are forced to flee, then face extortion

In 2015, a United Nations report listed the different methods of torture applied by the Eritrean regime. The drawings were made by a torture survivor.

فرجت : ملبورن
كشف رئيس الوزراء الإثيوبي؛هيلي ماريام ديسالين؛ عن سياسة بلاده الجديدة تجاه الحكومة الإرترية؛ مهددا باتخاذ اجراءات جديدة ضدها دون الخوض في التفصيل.
وقال إن بلاده لن تتعامل مع الارهاب الصادر بل مع المصدر الذي تمثله إرتريا.
وجاء ذلك في تقرير نصف سنوى قدمه اليوم أمام نواب الشعب الإثيوبي “البرلمان” حول أداء حكومته .
تناول فيه علاقات بلاده مع دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي؛وأمريكا؛والاتحاد الأوروبي. بجانب الملفات الساخنة على الصعيد الإقليمي وعلى الصعيد الداخلي لبلاده.

نقلا عن صفحة الاعلامى محمد توكل على صفحته بمواقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيسبوك”

March 25, 2017 - It is wrong to fight alongside forces whose main aim is to destroy Ethiopia, says Samrawit Sisay, who recently defected from Ginot 7 and returned to Ethiopia. In a video interview with Ethiopia First, Samrawit tells her story of why she went to Eritrea and joined Ginbot 7, what she witnessed there during her period with Ginbot 7, and why she finally decided to leave Eritrea and return to Ethiopia. In the video interview, Samrawit warns others not to make the same mistake she did. She advises fellow Ethiopians to struggle for a better democracy, justice and fairness here at home, rather than going to Eritrea and fight alongside Shaebia. Shaebia does not stand for a better Ethiopia, says Samrawit, but for a weak and fragmented Ethiopia

By Zeray Hailemariam

Ethiopia is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa. Close to a million refugees are housed in the country so far. The largest number of refugee is from South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, which totals more than 800,000 as of 2016. The rest are from Yemen, Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo etc.

The main cause for the influx of refugees from South Sudan is the deadly civil war which erupted in 2014. The clan based civil war and currently the worst ever drought induced hunger caused the largest South Sudanese exodus to Ethiopia.

The case of the Somali refugees is also understandable. The country has been without a functioning central government for the last 25 years. This political gap created suitable environment for various internationally linked terrorist groups and local warlords to operate freely exposing the Somali people to various form of subjugation, murder, rape and robbery. Hence, the situation led to millions of Somali refugee to be scattered all over the world.

On the other hand, the case of Eritrea is different. There is no actual war inside Eritrea. However, there is psychological warfare, fear, torture and killing applied by the regime's security apparatus against those who demand justice, constitutional government and the right to work. The people of Eritrea have generally been exposed to crimes against humanity by the military, security and other wings of the regime. The indefinite national service, forced conscription, lack of employment opportunities and access to education, lack of freedom to work, speak, absence of liberty and other form of oppression frustrated the mass.

1. Senior Research Fellow, Horn of Africa and Southern Africa, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study