By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 27 — As the push for additional sanctions against Eritrea gathers strength in the UN Security Council, Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki has asked to come and personally speak to the Council, Inner City Press was told Thursday by a Council Permanent Representative and the Deputy Permanent Representative of a Permanent Five member.

Both said there might be problems, in that other heads of state of neighboring countries, including Ethiopia and Djibouti, might then also want to address the Council. This happened earlier this year, at the foreign minister level, in a meeting in the UN’s North Lawn building exclusively reported by Inner City Press. (Click here for Inner City Press interview with Afwerki’s adviser Yemane.)

Thursday Inner City Press observed diplomats from Ethiopia and Djibouti going into the Security Council, followed shortly thereafter by US Ambassador Susan Rice. When Inner City Press asked, it was told “bilaterals,” not a Council meeting. More like “multi-laterals” or “Horn-wide,” said one wag.

Afwerki & Ban Ki-moon, new sanctions and impacts not shown African Union sources tells Inner City Press that “the neighbors” want harsher sanctions on Eritrea than the rest of the African Union can live with. Susan Rice and the US, they say, seems to be siding with “the neighbors.”

One AU source bemoaned, “The Ethiopians and Eritreans, their leaders, they are related… This whole thing, it is a great pain to us.” Another noted, “It is better to talk than fight.”