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UN draft resolution would hit Eritrea mining

By Patrick Worsnip UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Mining companies would be banned from investing in Eritrea's potentially booming minerals sector under a draft U.N. resolution that Security Council members are due to start negotiating on Tuesday. The

By Patrick Worsnip
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Mining companies would be banned from investing in Eritrea’s potentially booming minerals sector under a draft U.N. resolution that Security Council members are due to start negotiating on Tuesday.

The council is weighing the investment ban, as well as an import ban on Eritrean minerals and other measures to add to existing sanctions against the Horn of Africa state in retaliation for Eritrea’s alleged support of Islamist rebels in Somalia. Eritrea denies supporting the rebels.

But diplomats said some of the toughest provisions in the proposed resolution, which has been drafted by Gabon, faced opposition from some members of the 15-nation council, meaning the final text could be watered down.

Proposals by an East African bloc to toughen sanctions on Eritrea have been stalled for three months as the search went on for an African state sitting on the Security Council to sponsor them.

The Inter Governmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, which groups seven East African states, called in July for more sanctions to hit the Eritrean mining sector and remittances.

Eritrea has blamed its rival Ethiopia, from which it split away in 1993, for the drive. In a letter this month to the council it urged the body to “reject Ethiopia’s current hostile campaign” and immediately lift all sanctions against it.

The new draft, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, says that “all states shall prohibit investment by their nationals, persons subject to their jurisdiction and firms incorporated in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction in the extractive industries and mining sectors in Eritrea.”
It also says all states shall prohibit the import of gold and other raw materials from Eritrea.

DIASPORA TAX
The draft also seeks to block payment of a 2 percent “diaspora tax” on their incomes that Eritreans working abroad are expected to pay to their local Eritrean embassy.

Eritrea is seen as being on the brink of a minerals boom that could revive its struggling economy. Remittances that it receives from its large diaspora in the West and Middle East are its biggest source of foreign exchange.

The country’s most advanced mining project, Bisha, believed to contain gold, copper and zinc, is run by Canada’s Nevsun Resources Ltd. Earlier this year, Eritrea granted Australia’s Chalice Gold Mines two new exploration licenses in a nearby location.

The fresh sanctions drive follows a report by a U.N. monitoring group in July that found Eritrea continues to provide political, financial, training and logistical support to al Shabaab and other armed groups in Somalia.
Eritrea has denied repeatedly that it funds and arms the Islamist al Shabaab but the accusation prompted the Security Council in 2009 to impose an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on leaders and firms in Eritrea.

The new resolution would add more individuals and organizations to those already under sanctions.
But council diplomats suggested it could be toned down.

“Council members are generally well-disposed towards a strengthening of the Eritrea sanctions regime but several cannot accept the most substantive elements of the draft, particularly those that amount to sweeping economic sanctions,” one diplomat said.

“However, the key point is to target the regime and its destabilizing activities in the region and it should be possible to find consensus on measures that achieve that.”

The diplomat did not identify the countries that were objecting but China and Russia typically are cautious about sanctions.

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Review overview
78 COMMENTS
  • kozami October 19, 2011

    Temesgen, Haqqi N. and Ahmed S
    Part 2
    On the second issue, advocacy work to try to win the release or fair trial of such persons has succeeded in some cases and didn’t in others. The worst case scenario is however, when the work of advocacy, sensitive as it may be, is hijacked by others (woyane included) to advance other agendas. Unpolitical, that is to say not politically structured, oriented, or focused approach involves mediation, personal appeal to head of state through intermediaries or notables (the recent example of the couple of Israeli pilots comes to mind) and others could be more appropriate, though not the only one. Unfortunately, your self contentedness would not let you to see through this. As a parting remark, how many self centered people does it take to change a light bulb? Actually, only one to hold the light bulb and the rest of the world will revolve around him/her.

    • Haqqi Nezareb October 19, 2011

      Kozami,

      Kozami
      I caught you fabricating on the Canadian Certificate law. This is what the law says:
      “The Canadian law, a security certificate is a mechanism by which the Government of Canada can detain and deport foreign nationals and all other non-citizens living in Canada” The federal government may issue a certificate naming a permanent resident or any other non-citizen suspected of violating human rights, of having membership within organized crime, or is perceived to be a threat to national security.[1] Subjects of a certificate are inadmissible is subject to a limited form of review by the Federal Court.
      Please stop bringing fabricated cases to the forum. Post it on Dehai or Meskerem. You are worse than the other liars of the Zombie Land.

      • kozami October 19, 2011

        haqqi N. Before straining your brain cells, let me explain that I am talking about the practice of detention without fair trial as opposed to the nationalities of the victims.

        • Haqqi Nezareb October 19, 2011

          Kozami,
          Still the law is about non-nationals not Canadians. Are you saying detention places in Canada are as harsh as the one in ERaEro. At least the detainee has:
          1. His/her day in court and will be assigned a lawyer.
          2. Has the visitation right by his/her loved ones.
          3. Access to medical assistance.

          Do the heroes of Nakfa have similar rights at EraEro? Not at all. Sadly they are condemed to die slowly by the Rats of Nakfa and Zobies like you.

  • Michael October 19, 2011

    A UN draft resolution that would ban mining companies from investing in Eritrea and impose an import ban on minerals from the country has come under fire by operators inside the country, branding the paper illogical. “It’s not logical,” said Chalice Gold Mines’ executive chairman, Tim Goyder, whose company is developing the Zara gold mine in Eritrea and has eight more exploration licences. “On the one hand the UN wants to fight poverty in the East African region, driving development in countries like Eritrea, but then on the other hand impose sanctions that would achieve quite the opposite.” He added that he thought the draft paper was “politically driven by the antagonism between Ethiopia and…

  • Barentu October 20, 2011

    Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia has been victims of the terrorist Somali group – al shabab. Last week, there were several high profile kidnappings in Kenya’s tourist destinations, plus the poor Kenyans along the border have been victims for several years by al shabab.
    The African Union and the IGAD nations should push hard to the Security Council members to implement tight sanctions on Hgdef. Eritreans have been living under strong sanctions by the Hgdef regime for more than ten years, therefore any UN sanctions would not change their worse situations. It can not get worse that what it is already now.

  • gasha October 20, 2011

    barentu
    keep dreaming the sanction will never happen.

  • Semhar October 21, 2011

    Gaddafi is dead Isayas is next!

    Yes we can DISTROY the dictator ISAYAS and his terrorist organization the PFDJ where ever they are.
    Yes we will DISTROY the dictator ISAYAS and his terrorist organization the PFDJ where ever they are.
    Eritrea will be free soon!

    – The international community’s talking peace and carrying big stick [sanctions] is having an effect.
    – The Eritrean people are beginning to realize that there is no point in waiting for the regime to reform itself — that it needs to be overthrow.
    This is the moment we must come together to save our land and our people.

    Let freedom ring in Akeleguzay!
    Let freedom ring in Barka!
    Let freedom ring in Denkel!
    Let freedom ring in Hamasien!
    Let freedom ring in Sahil!
    Let freedom ring in Semhar!
    Let freedom ring in Senhit!
    Let freedom ring in Seraye!

    Let freedom ring in ERITREA!

    Let freedom ring allover Eritrea!
    Let’s LIVE FREE OR DIE with dignity.
    Our martyrs did not die to crown the tyrant.
    We must reclaim our flag, our constitution, Highi Indaba, our land (our original provinces), our people, and our culture.
    DISTROY the dictator ISAYAS and his terrorist organization the PFDJ where ever they are.
    Eritrea will be free soon!

    • Hagos October 21, 2011

      Hi Semhar, you might go and die in accident before your wish is fullfiled. How on earth you wish this horrific tragedy???I would not wish you to die in accident even from your family. but for those who wish death in others might face it before hand. thank you

  • Dan October 21, 2011

    I REALLY GET UPSET OF THE RESOULTION. IN ONE HAND THE RIGME SHOULD HAVE A PUNSHIMENT FOR WHAT HE SAW AND DID TO THE INNOCENT PEOPLE OF ERITREA IN THE OTHER HAND THE UN SHOULD CONSIDER WHO IS MOST TO SUFFER NOT THE GOVERNMENT BUT THE PEOPLE. WHEN THE SANCTION THE MINNING WHICH MEANS PEOPLE WILL BE IN HUNGER AND STARVATION BECOUSE OF THE THE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF GOODS DONE IN THE COUNTRY.
    UN SHOULD AGAIN THINK NOT TO DO A SECOND HARM TO OUR PEOPLE. WE DID NOT FORGET WHAT UN DID 1951 TO UNITE US WITH ETHIOPIA WITH OUT THE PEOPLES CHOICE. STOP IT UN. STOP IT. DO BE AGAINT ERITREA ALL THE TIME TO PLEASE ETHIOPIA. STOP IT. IF REALLY CONSIDER SOLVE THE BORDER ISSUE IF YOUR RESOULTRION IS CORRECTLY WRITTEN. THANKS

  • Dan October 21, 2011

    UN IS A MAD ORGANIZATION WHO WORKS TO PLEASE AMERICA. STOP THIS SUNCTION I AM NOT A SUPPORTER OF TYRANT ISSIAS BUT MY LOVED PEOPLE AND COUNTRY. EVREY TIME UN DRAFTS AGAINST US, WHY IS THAT? I AM STRONGLY OPPSED THE SANCTION BECOUSE IT WILL DERECTLY HARM THE PEOPLE. IF UN WANTS TO MAKE THE REGIME FALL, LET UN BAN THE MILLITARY BAN, NOT MINING. THANKS PEACE AND PROSEPERITY BE TO THE PEOPLE OF ERITREA.

    GOD BLESS ERITREA.

  • Kalu October 21, 2011

    Gabon initiative handed by ther masters is failed. It was ignored by all countries and no body bothered to read the paper presented. It was far from considering as an issue. Where are the bluffers & sell outs? What is the next fabrication?

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