Pages tagged "eritrea"
UN says Ethiopia has no legal right to expel 7 UN officials
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations informed Ethiopia on Friday that it has no legal right to expel seven U.N. officials whom it accused of “meddling” in the country’s affairs.
Global Journalist: Eritrea's opportunity
Global Journalist: Eritrea's opportunity
UAE-backed Egyptian forces arrive in Eritrea
Following coordination with the United Arab Emirates, Egyptian forces arrived in Eritrea today, Al Sharq has reported. The forces are armed with modern technology and heavy armoured vehicles. Sources told Al Sharq that a meeting was convened between the UAE, Egypt and the Sudanese opposition representing groups in Darfur and eastern Sudan. There are no reported military confrontations.
The military presence in Eritrea may be a response to Sudan allowing Turkey to take over Suakin Island in Sudan temporarily last year, as part of a broader Turkish engagement policy in Africa. Suakin was once Sudan’s largest port and governed by the Ottoman Empire but has fallen into disuse since the creation of Port Sudan in the 20th century just 60 kilometres to the north.
Al Sharq reported that, according to diplomatic sources, Turkey is planning to build a military base on Suakin Island. It opened a military base in Somalia last year, deploying 200 troops to train local Somali forces. Relations between Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Khartoum have been strained as a result of Turkey’s presence in Sudan.
An Egyptian military source denied that there were plans to establish a base in Eritrea back in May last year. Media reports in Sudan claimed that Egypt communicated with Somalia and Djibouti to establish a base for 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers.
Throughout 2017, Egypt was trying to put together an African lobby in a bid to defend its position on Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam. Egyptian experts claim that the dam will harm Cairo’s access to 55.5 billion cubic metres of River Nile water. However, Ethiopia insists that the project will have a positive effect by assisting Egypt and Sudan with electricity generation.
The construction of the dam began in 2011. It is located 15 kilometres east of the Ethiopia-Sudan border and has been a major cause of political tension between Egypt and Ethiopia. The reservoir of the dam is expected to hold 70 billion cubic metres of water, which will help to solve Ethiopia’s own power shortages. Once in operation, the dam will be Africa’s largest hydro-electric power station.
Sudan: Attack on Halayeb will be counterproductive for Egypt
Eritrea: British firms bankrolling a brutal regime
n the pursuit of profit British firms are turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and reinforcing a ruthless dictatorship.
The Eritrean people live in fear. Eritrea is one of the most repressive states in the world: no elections since 1993; a crackdown on press freedom; forced labour; arbitrary arrest and detention without trial; indefinite compulsory military conscription; and sexual violence against women and girls.
The list goes on.
Yet these shocking human rights violations mean nothing to big business, whose only purpose is to exploit Eritrea’s wealth of natural resources. Right now in Eritrea, mining companies from around the world are bankrolling a brutal regime and are complicit in its forced labour system, whether through mining taxes paid the state or investments made in mining construction projects.
Kibrom Dafla Donation to STOP YPFDJ Conference
GAME OVER DIA ACTION NETWORK IN ACTION VIVA HOLLAND...
A number of politicians in The Hague are concerned about a conference for supporters of the Eritrean dictatorial regime that is planned for the Netherlands, NOS reports based on information from OneWorld.
The gathering will be the annual European conference for youth wing of the only party allowed in Eritrea. It is not yet clear when and where the conference will be held. But according to the broadcaster, it will be in the Netherlands and in the next couple of days. Around 650 people are expected to attend.
Ethiopia adopts a war-like stance against Asmara
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.
Read moreUS places Eritrea under fresh sanctions for military deal with North Korea
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
- 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
- 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)
- 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
- 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).
- 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.
[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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long arm of Eritrea Refugees are forced to flee, then face extortion
Eritrean-born journalist Dawit Isaak awarded UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2017

Dawit Isaak, an imprisoned Eritrean-Swedish journalist, has been chosen to receive the 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Mr. Isaak was arrested in a crackdown on the media that occurred in September 2001. The last time he was heard from was in 2005. His present location is unknown.
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