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.
Shikor October 18, 2011
It is easy to say sitting a word “Crippled” and “strong youth” from Europe or US if you really you have clearvision and platform that benefiting the Majority eritreans NOT minority like you you got to go battle ground practically to make change Like Isaias bring a country called Eritrea struggling for bitter thirty years. They paid price to make this happen. However, a person like you let alone stand for week even you don’t know theoretically how a country administrate. Don’t echo from machine propaganda we don’t need copy and paste. Making democratic nation it is a PROCESS NOT endless talking like you as FISH WIFE. till then stay delusional
Bus.Zone October 18, 2011
Let them place the sanction on the Bandits so they would not sell the future fund of the nation
gasha October 19, 2011
t
truly, Truly i say to you October 19, 2011
part 1
The fact is besides the newly planed sanction unless the sanction not proceeded by Areb people like public upraising parallely , pfdj will never ever be affected and will not give it a dam as long as they in power. But defiantly the people and the nation interest will be the one, the more will affected and hit. So the point is for me after sanction, if the regime remains untouchabley and continues business like as usual , I mean to suppress and to suffer our people, the sanction has to say not purpose other than to serve foreign Minnie companies interest. Ofcourse if i be like to speculate the sanction as if has positive purpose, i would able to say it is assumes to weaken and to rid the regime easily,but not! definitely not! If the US believes Isayas is a threat, they know only one holly bullet is more than enough to end the game , not to put the whole people and nation under sanction.
truly, Truly i say to you October 19, 2011
part 2
But the sanction is because they know the more pfdj scares to his power the more will be compromising to deal the mine deal cheaply with them,or it could be enforcing destructing psychological manoeuvre pfdj not to change or stop its idea from sealing mine cheaply, that has already began, or to restrain pfdj not to compromise deal with other cheap companies,or the more pfdj scare for its power the more will be ready to invest the money to buy weapon, so that other companies indirectly to get back the money what the pfdj got from mining. That is the way to take back the poor mind 3rd world Africans wealth. To hold nations hostage because of disobedience is a big knowledge like it is written in the scripture, “How great is are God´s riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge,Who knows the mind of the Lord?”( Romans 11; 32- 33)
Isayas October 19, 2011
Good analysis. Seytan for his own sake cites a holy scripture. Shame on you to quote a verse from the holy bible.
Dawit October 19, 2011
Truly Truly I say Unto you,
Your concern is valid; however, when sanction is imposed upon a country, there are many steps the international community has to undertake, of which is the provision of foreign aid to , for example making drugs available to Eritreans.
Needless to say , there are always contingency plans in place when placing a country such as Eritrea under sanction-targeted or not. “KiElatat’n Mukurat’n deAa ember telmeden aykonun those who are responsible for imposing sanctions on any given country. This goes with out saying that PFDJ might make it as if it was the people who would be suffered most..it might as well block foreign aid….
gasha October 19, 2011
truly
That is the fact nothing will happen to hgdf even after the sanction however the poor people will suffer more. At the Ny meeting a lady said Mot kemalem. No matter what happen to president or the minsters of eritrea shaebia is forever.
Shaebia is the only light Eritrea owns , shaebia is the only nightmare of the enemy. Shaebia is the only one who works during good time and bad time. Shaebia forever!!!
Isayas October 19, 2011
Shabia, not Eritrea, thank you.
gasha October 19, 2011
Haqqi Nezareb
My posting is simply saying forget about sanction to eritrea Weyane did worst thing to the poor people of Tigray basically what they did back then was saction against their own people. Sorry you didn’t get it.
Haqqi Nezareb October 19, 2011
Gasha,
Thank you, I got it now.
gasha October 19, 2011
Always economic sanctions have accompanied war. To those Eritreans who are supporting the sanction is that what you want for Eritreans back home.
Sawel October 19, 2011
Gash
For the Eritrean people sanctions by UN could even help them get better standard of living and find bread, once the HGDEF is targeted then the have to give the business to the people to trade, import and export. the only effect will have on the gold mines even if Bisha is effected for know in future it is will be more beneficiary for people working there. but at the moment from the report of former Bisha worker the people building Bisha go paid 65 Nakfa per day in hash and apoling condition, the majority came from national slavery service @ 400 Nakfa per month, they never even feed the guys. so the sanction on the Eritrean people is already enforce by HGDEF.
from my opinion the only beneficiary is PIA and HGDEF.so for the last 20 years in Eritrea we never know the finance of the country. only when PIA decided to mention it he will say we have no credit but if Google it they have plenty of credit from china, the Arab world and they got most of the funds from European union for the electricity project but they don’t mention it and most of the komaro don’t seem to know the HGDEF.
abdi October 19, 2011
I swear your comment wouldn’t pay for mlelikh swa from the komaro’s house.do you agree with what u wrote?65 nakfa a day and getting 400 month , way ane haysh kabakha merbah dea ‘mkehala endye hawkh.
65nakfa zrebeho 30meAlti kndey dyu zkhewn?
abdi October 19, 2011
1950 nakfa eyu zkhewn ata Ede.ktdegmya ekhi za amet ezia.
sol October 19, 2011
Abdi,
Dunkoro, the guy said that there Eritreans who are employed,could be above 50 years,or demobilized, those get 65 days, but most of them are national service who get 400.
Tsemam hade derfu-Shabia,Higdef,IA
Haqqi Nezareb October 19, 2011
Abdi,
The komaro house comment will put you in trouble. Some memberes of the mafia government in Eritrea came from Komaros house.
gasha October 19, 2011
sawel
Since you know how to google just google and search for your self to see what happen to other countries after a sanction. One example is Iraq. You know that but hate hgdf much more than you love Eritrea and/or Eritreans. Shaebia for ever!!!
tesfaldetabraha October 19, 2011
keep crayin g the camel is marshing the dog is barking
Haqqi Nezareb October 19, 2011
Your camel has started running for its life rather than marching.