Eritrea asks U.N. to replace “biased” Somalia panel
By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Eritrea has called on the United Nations to replace what it says is a "biased" monitoring group on Somalia after the panel's report prompted sanctions on Asmara
By Aaron Maasho
ADDIS ABABA, Dec 23 (Reuters) – Eritrea has called on the United Nations to replace what it says is a “biased” monitoring group on Somalia after the panel’s report prompted sanctions on Asmara over links with militant groups in Mogadishu, according to a letter sent to the Security Council.
The reclusive Red Sea state is incensed by a raft of accusations published by the U.N. Monitoring Group report on Somalia in July which accused Asmara of providing political, financial, training and logistical support to al Shabaab militants and other armed groups in Somalia.
Eritrea denies the charges.
The report triggered a Security Council resolution on Dec. 5 that expanded sanctions against Eritrea for continuing to provide support to Islamist militants. The resolution also urged countries to make their companies involved in mining in Eritrea to exercise vigilance to ensure funds were not used to destabilise the region.
Eritrea had already been slapped with an arms embargo, assets freeze and travel ban in 2009.
In a letter obtained by Reuters, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh urged the Security Council’s current chair, Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin, to establish an “independent, impartial and credible body”.
Saleh said the monitoring group had “failed to garner the support of many (council) members due to its lack of independence, professionalism, impartiality and objectivity, as well as its susceptibility to political influences”.
Saleh also called for the lifting of sanctions, saying they were rooted on “fabricated” accusations emanating from “hostile political objectives”, according to the letter dated Dec. 19.
Despite repeated denials that it is not a destabilising force in the volatile Horn of Africa region, Eritrea is widely regarded in the international community as a pariah state and is deeply mistrusted by its neighbours. Analysts say its latest request will probably fall on deaf ears.
The monitoring group was set up by the Security Council in 2002 to monitor embargoes on the delivery of arms to Somalia. Its mandate was expanded in July, allowing the group to investigate revenues generated from rebel-held seaports in the anarchic country.
Eritrea, however, says the monitoring group has come under heavy influence from arch-foe Ethiopia and the United States and dismisses any links with Somalia’s militants, including the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels.
Eritrea is at loggerheads with Ethiopia over disputed territory and accuses the U.S. of failing to force Addis Ababa to hand over disputed land that was awarded to the Red Sea state by a U.N. commission after a border dispute a decade ago.
The Horn of Africa nation has also accused Washington of obstructing President Isaias Afewerki’s attempt to address the Security Council ahead of the sanctions resolution.
truly, Truly i say to you December 23, 2011
Isayas the fool with his 1st level very little narrow childish mind knowledge and baseless logic, he thinks he would change and convince the mind of those at high 3rd level from religiously, politically and socio- economically by ellits group well advancedly advised and orientated the Western nations and Americans politicians and future thinkers. It is ameasing! I wish if someone able to tell what PM Meles Zenawi has rightly said it about Isayas. He said, “Isayas´s wants and ruling his people like the system he ruled at he was in jungle during liberation time, that is why many Eritreans are suffering at a result. This person thinks too as if Asmara is the center( nucleus )of the sphere where all the world politic is deciding, he considers himself as if he is the world president and the world politic is functioning in his advice and wise leadershiment philosophy he feels as if everyone will give him regard. PM Meles has absolutely truth.
truly, Truly i say to you December 23, 2011
part 2
Doesn´t this guy have no advocates to stop his childish argument and false adventurism? Why not they tell him not the Americans they are the one whose should change their future visions and idea but Isayas himself that should be. I am sorry my nation to be be represented by such wicked rulers and advisers. Didn´t they know by the way even the God Almighty as sent him Prophet Jeremiah to tell his people to submit to the rule and the Authority of Nebuchadenezzar at time for that was the world mighty president, like now Americans? (Jeremiah 27, 8) and, do you know like God told to Jeremiah as he advised his people like this, “ Don´t listen to your false prophets!( false Mekete activist Gedion Abbay Asmerom, Sofia Tesfariam!…)but submit to the kingdom of Babylonia ( listen to America). Why should this city become a pile of ruins? (Jeremiah 27; 17)So I say to you too. Be tried to adopt with the world real politic. Stop your own unworkable bullshit fake truth and logic, instead give and respect your own people basical human rights and justice. So no wonder if the one who does´not give respect to own citizens basical human rights if in his turn also not be able to be listened ,or be mistreated, even has partly truth, because, “every official is protected by the one over him and both are protected by still higher officials” written in ( Ecclesiastes 5; 8.)
MEHRETU HABTE December 23, 2011
እቲ ´98 ብህግደፍ ዝተጻሕረ “ናይ ዶብ ውግእ”……መንግስትና ኣካለ ስንኩላን ከም ዝቐዝፍ፡ እናፈለጥና….እቲ፡ ቦታ፡(ባድመ) ድማ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ (with the blessing of EPLF ) ተመሓድሮ፡ ከም፡ ዝነበረት፡ እናፈለጥና…..ኣብ፡ ርእሲ እዚ´ውን፡ ህዝቦም እናተቐወሞም፡እንከሎ፡ቡንን፡ ሽኮርን፡ በርበረን፡ እናሕለፉ፣ ሕሉፍ፡ ሓሊፎምስ፡ ኣብ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ናይ፡ ኤርትራ፡ ቢራ፡ ብቐዳምነት፡ ከም፡ ዝሽየጥ፡ ኣገዲዶም…ውጹዓት ኣሕዋትና፡ ኤርትራውያን፡ ብዙሕ፡ ተቐንዝዮም፡ ኢዮም፡ ኢሎም፡ ንህዝቦም፡ ከእምኑ፣ ኣብ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ካብ፡ ኢትዮጵያውያን፡ ንላዕሊ….ተኸቢርና…..
MEHRETU HABTE December 23, 2011
…..ንሕንናኸ ፧.. ኣይሮፕላናትና፡ ቆልዑ፡ መቐለ(ኮነ፡ ኢለን)፡ ጨፍጺፈን፡ ምስ፡ ተመልሳ፡ …ኣይሮፕላንና፡ እንቋዕ፡ ብድሓን፡ ተመልሳ፡ ኢልና፡ ከነጣቕዕ….ናብ፡ ልብና፡ ክንምለስ፡ ክልተ፡ ዓመት፡ ተጸሚሞምና….ብድንቍርናን፡ ጭካነን፡ ዝተሃነጽና፡ ህዝቢ፡ እንከለና….ሕጂ፡ ተመሊስና፡ ነቶም፡ ንህግደፍ፡ ደገፍትነቶም፡ ዘይሓደጉ፡ ክንዋራዘየሎም፡ ኣእምሮን፡ ሕልናን፡ ከም፡ ዘይብልና፡ ኢዩ፡ ዘመልክት። እቶም፡ ጀብሃ፡ ዝነበሩ፡ ንሻዕቢያ/ጸረገድሊ፡ ኣንዳዕዲዖም፡ ዝፈልጥዋ፡ኣብቲ፡ ውግእ፡ ናይ፡ ምጭፍጫፍ፡ ተምሃሮ፡ መቐለ… ተመሊሶም፡ ንህግደፍ፡ ክሕለቑሉ፡ ምርኣይ፡ ነዚ፡ ከምዚ፡ ኸማይ፡ ገባር፡ ከይተረፈ፡ ተምላስ፡ የምጽእ ። ቅድም፡ ቀዳድም፡ ነቲ፡ ካብ፡ 35፡ ዓመት፡ ንታሕቲ፡ ዘሎ፡ ህዝብና፡ መጥሓን፡ ተሰኪምና፡ ይቕረ፡ በለልና፡ ክንብሎ፡ ኣለንና። .
MEHRETU HABTE December 23, 2011
…….ኣስላማይ፡ እንተኣሰረ፣ ትማልትማል፡ ሙጅሃዲን፡ ስለ፡ ዝኾነ፡ እዩ፡ ንብል፡ ኔርና። ኩናማ-ደይ፡ ብቐደሞም፡ ንኢትዮጵያ፡ ዝድግፉ…ኣካለጉዘታይ፡ እንተትኣስረ፡ ምስ፡ መንካዕ፡ ነተሓሕዞ። ኣሕዋት፡ ወዲ፡ ሰብ፡ ካብ፡ ጌግኡ፡ ይምለስዩ። ግን፡ ንኻልእ (scapegoat )እናገበረ፡ ኣይኮነን። ትማል፡ ትማል፡ መብዛሕትና፡ናይ፡ህግደፍ፡ ባርያታት፡ ዝነበርና፡ ኢና። Before we change others ,we have to change ourselves.
MEHRETU HABTE December 24, 2011
I did not know that the Ethiopian govt. had such superior power .These are s not my words,but of our beloved govt. ..ie…the reason for the sanctions is Ethiopia´s lies “..Well which means Ethiopia by twisting Super powers´hands & obliging China & Russia to Abstain….forcing Nigeria & …… to propose extended sanctions ….fooling the Eureopean union…threatenning Kenya ,Uganda,Somalia,Djibouti….BASICALLY …ETHIOPIA BULLYING OR LYING TO THE WHOLE WORLD CAUSED THE “UNJUST” SANCTIONS.Off course these retarded excuses were not meant tyo fool anybody ,but us, “the people “,the retarded cows ..who believed that Ethiopia invaded us by retreating from Badme ,the area it was administering !!!Our stupidity has no boundry.
Huluf December 24, 2011
Mehretu Habte,
There goes DIA begining to screw this watered down sanction, tampering with indpendently selected people calling biased. He must be shivering in his spine of what is unravelling. “UNJUST” is putting in dangeon a brilliant military strategeist and the architect of EPLF espionage…who controlled Mengistu’s every move from Sahel- Verteran Harbegna Petros Solomon, BULLYING is asking General Awliyay be sent to jail when DIA met him walking in Godena Harnet…He was picked up right then there. “BULLYING” is breaking a citizens head with a Whiskey Bottle and you are unaccountable because you are a president. Stop lying Ethiopia can not force Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan etc….Each of these neighbours do not find DIA trustworthy because they know of his ambition earlier than we did. I remember defending Issayas Afeworki in University of Columbia agains a South Sudanese panelist…to the same sound you are victim… I woke up once hestarted a war single handedly…I understoo d then he has no regard of Eritrea or Eritreans life.
Stop calling our governoment , we dont have one, we have ONE MAN RULE…he likes you he corrupts you with power , he despises you you end up in a dangeon.
He is the symbol of injustice , bullying all of the things you think of Eritrea is a victim of.
MEHRETU HABTE December 24, 2011
Right ,HULUF , I agree we have a CARTEL, BANDIT.All my beloved ones including “our chicken ” is in Europe & north America. But ,if I do not feel ,the PFDJ sponsored rape ,maltreatment of mothers of martyrs ,forced sex in the trenchs , then I can not call my self human being.. I LOVE ERITREANS ,MORE THAN I DO TO THAT MISERABLE COUNTRY OF OURS WE CALL 2nd SINGAPOUR ,ERITREA:
zemen beraki December 24, 2011
I support Mihretu, because as he said the masses or as we say hzbi in Tigrigna has no principle except looking into where its advantage lies. Let me tel u a simple example. Two mothers I knew were staucnch supporters of the dictator until 2006. Then, Eritrea had a bumper meshela harvest in barka and the regime was boating that it can export meshela and even send aid to poor countries, (Alamin in Amsterdam). It happened later on that truckers began to transport meshela fm Barka and sell it in Asmara for 500 a quintal and every poor and rich family benefited by buying a quintal in the open market. Soon the regime became furious and stopped everything within minutes. The price of meshela immediately skyrocketed to 1500 Nakfa. All Eritrean mother then began to curse Isayas. The funny thing is they blamed him by saying so: “Ezi rgum isayas esi nezi meshelana nab Somal yi’a’yi sheytuwo, kndey ke yckin!! nezi zkewn sebay tesainu? mintil enete zebiluwo dea!” I tried to tell the mothers that casue is an issue of supply and demand which was in turn caused by Isayas’s foolhardines, but they won’t listen. The women were bitter with Isayas from his previous actions and lamented that it is not his first time since he has also ‘blocked the backeries fm preparing Hambasha and the price of Areqi gone up to 100 nakfa already!’ So, as Mihretu said, we Eritreans need to reudjust our mentality and try to work in coordination and learn tolerance.
zemen beraki December 24, 2011
Forget about our mothers, the most surprising point is when you hear people who have lived in Europe for about 25-30 years claiming, “Hager xbuq tlemi’e ala, Isayas jigna iyu! nsu ente zeyhilu entay mkonna, hzbi teale keybelo silemntay kab sltan u zwerd! etc etc.” Some of them are naturally imbeciles who can not think correctly, some are biased because they are afraid of the regime since they visit Eritrea annually, some have property (bond house etc), some are real opportunists, some think on regional issues and want Isayas because they think he is from their region or represents their region; so how can one come to terms with such people who are living in an era fifty or sixsty years back??? I rememeber while I was in Asmara and every one who supported the G15 was labeled immediately as a woyane!!! period! and this is inspite of having fought for Eritrea’s independence and lost a leg or a hand! To add insult to injury the people who say so are ex dergue Isepa members and colaborators. Poor Eritrea. It is the Amahara saying, “Ertra ageracn mogn nat telala, yemotelat qerto yegedelat bela!!” being repeated. Eritrea is foolish and dumb, those who killed her are dinning and winning while those who died for it are in misery. I hope this is enough for you my country men! if you want to use your brains!!
MEHRETU HABTE December 24, 2011
Dear ZEMEN BERAKI,
Thanks for the moral.We can not change others ,before we change ourselves. We have to have compassion & empathy, whether the victim i8s Ethiopian ,Jew, Palestinian , swedish. DEQI BRUKHAT MKWAN´NA AYNRES ´E .WE ARE GOOD PEOPLE WITH A SLAVE MENTALITY. WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.BUT, SINCE WE , THE SOCALLED MAINSTREAM “HIZBE TIGRINYA” HAVE NO REAL IDENTITY. WITH OUT THAT ,NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
Semere December 24, 2011
If Ethiopia managed to convince the UN, it scored a further political and diplomatic victory over Eritrea, apart from the military. What did Isaias Afewerki accomplish, besides killing our people and denaturing our county? The good thing is that we do not carry any blame because we never elected him. Isaias does not represent us, he is self-acclaimed leader, breaching even his own constitution. He is illegal, immoral and irresponsible. I wish the sanctions were imposed for these internal reasons.
zemen beraki December 24, 2011
ISAYAS IS CONFIRMING THAT ETHIOPIA IS A POWERFUL POLITICALLY IN THE WORLD ARENA BECAUSE BY CLAIMING THAT THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS UNDER THE BIAS OF ETHIOPIA OR INFLUENCED BY ETHIOPIA. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. WHAT HE AND HIS MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (AND EX HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER IN ADWA) CAN DO IS BEING DONE BY MELES ZENAWI HIS STUDENT ACCORDING TO ERITV (THE VOICE OF TRUTH)! SO INSTEAD OF SHOUTING THAT THE UN SECURITY OR AMERICA IS THE MOUTH PIECE OF ETHIOPIA HE SHOULD COME TO HIS ENSE, TO HIS PEOPLE, TO ERITREAN ELDERS AND RECONSIDERS WHAT WENT WRONG AND RECTIFY THE PROBLEM AND FINALLY ACCEPT HIS CRIME AND HAVE AN EASY WAY OUT. BETTER THAN GADAFI’S FATE I SAY!!