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EU wants new aid for Eritrea soon to help stem migrant exodus

The European Union aims to agree on 200 million euros (145.65 million pounds) in development aid for Eritrea by year-end to help stem an exodus of people from the poor Horn of Africa nation to

The European Union aims to agree on 200 million euros (145.65 million pounds) in development aid for Eritrea by year-end to help stem an exodus of people from the poor Horn of Africa nation to Europe, a senior EU official said on Thursday.

The five-year package, already the subject of months of talks, was not prompted by the latest migrant influx into Europe but has gained impetus as the number of asylum-seekers arriving from the Middle East and Africa has surged.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told the EU parliament this month that, of the almost 500,000 people who fled to Europe this year, most came from Syria,Libya and Eritrea.

Neven Mimica, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, said the 200 million euro allocation now needed approval from EU states and a decision was expected “in November but not later than the end of the year”.

“This would be a development contribution to the root causes of migration in Eritrea,” he told a news conference in Nairobi.

Eritrea, one of Africa’s poorest and most tightly controlled nations with a programme of indefinite military service that many migrants says drives them out, received EU fundsuntil 2011 when Asmara decided to stop the foreign aid programme.

The nation, which secured independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after three decades of war, has often accused the West and others of conspiring against the government of Isaias Aferwerki, a former rebel who has been president since the secession.

Mimica said the EU funds would not be channelled via government agencies of Eritrea, a country often accused of abuses by rights groups and U.N. reports. Asmara denies this.

Asked how Eritrea responded to the idea of using direct channels for aid and not the government, Mimica said: “Would you point at any government that would be happy if they are somehow circumvented by the development cooperation programmes?”

The new EU programme was drawn up after Asmara offered an opening for renewed cooperation.

In addition to the 200 million euros, more funds could come from a 1.8 billion euro emergency Trust Fund announced by Juncker. Allocations across Africa are still being discussed, but about 500 million euros could go to the Horn of Africa.

One focus of the 200 million euro programme would be to help Eritrea’s energy sector, including small-scale generation for rural areas and support for expanding the national network.

Reuters (Editing by Aaron Maasho and Mark Heinrich)

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17 COMMENTS
  • wedi Toronto September 20, 2015

    A windfall to the dictator.
    bkurumtu yisiHik kemzelo filuT iyu::

    And guess where this EURO is going. Straight to the dictator’s Swiss account.

  • AHMED SALEH !!!. September 21, 2015

    If people want help themselves , they got to find own
    ways to deal to protect their interest .
    “Kab seb zideleye kem saini beleye” goes saying from
    our great forefathers.

  • Gash Barka September 21, 2015

    I think the EU leaders still they live in the past century. Since when they know Isseyas cares about the Eritrean people. Money and aid are not the issues. Dictatorship and corruption are the main.

  • semere 2 September 21, 2015

    It means they don’t know Isayas and his brutal regime. After all what the UN human rights commission reported, to come with such a proposal is very irresponsible. They offend our intelligence.
    We have to demonstrate in great numbers in front of the EU offices .

  • Aman September 21, 2015

    Semere 2, I agree 100% we should demonstrate and stop feeding the beast. Lets not waste time and arrange this and make it happen. These are the kind of fronts we can fight and win to battle against the dictator. How can they expect to accomplish any success in a nation where everything and anything is done by PFDJ. The energy sector is intentionally targeted to create chaotic life style and make people busy chasing illegally traded fuel, instead of sitting at home and watching news like DEMHIT leaving and so on.

  • YERHWO September 21, 2015

    OUR PROUD PRESIDENT WILL REFUSE THIS HAND OUTS! WATCH IT! HMMMMMM

  • Goytom September 21, 2015

    Are we still practicing self-reliance?

  • Gezae September 21, 2015

    The EU proposal is cool and we need to back it; I mean support it.

  • Mulue September 21, 2015

    EU must denounce evil deeds of the dictator, rather than reward millions of Euros that it is clear that the dictator uses this money for dismantling and repression of Eritrea. STOP AID!!!!!!

  • Teclay September 21, 2015

    200,000,000 Euro ; ኣየ ኢሱ ግዛእ ኢልዎ እዩ ኣምላኽ !!

    This means Issu is going to rule Bahre Negash for the next 20 years,as long as he doesn’t miscalculate and provokes Ethiopia…Yes ,he is 70 but fit,he can rule till 90, and one year after his death which means for about 21 years from now.
    The EU thought that the cause of the exodus is economical problem,and hoped by investing this 200mil they can stop the exodus ,not knowing the problem in Bahre Negash is not money but 60 years old cancerous Ghedli .Unfortunately this cancer won’t be treated by 200 mil or 200 bill and the exodus won’t be either.

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