Press Briefing by H.E.Tesfamicael Gerahtu, Eritrea Ambassador to UK & Ireland!

Press Briefing by H.E.Tesfamicael Gerahtu, Eritrea Ambassador to UK & Ireland!

Press Briefing on the occasion of Eritrea’s 19th Independence Anniversary, the national programs designed to strengthen internal capacity

and the global campaign to annul and repeal the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions imposed on Eritrea.

London UK, May 14th 2010

H.E. Tesfamichael Gerahtu Eritrea’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, began by addressing the 23 December 2009 UN Security Council Resolution 1907 (2009) that called for sanctions against Eritrea . The SC through Resolution 1907 (2009) accused Eritrea of aiding Somali groups opposed to the Transitional National Government of Somalia. Although it was presented as an “African Initiative”, the Ambassador said it was masterminded by the US, with the UK’s support. Member States objected to the draft resolution in the early days, but in the end, succumbed to Washington’s pressures.

Ambassador Gerahtu also gave briefings on the recent visit to Eritrea by the Security Council Committee concerning Somalia and Eritrea and its discussions with Eritrean officials.

On the Eritrea-Djibouti issue, Ambassador Gerahtu said that Eritrea has never had any territorial designs on Djibouti and that the 2008 incidents were exaggerations pushed by the US administration. Eritrea has duly accepted the recent initiatives by friendly countries to bring the two brotherly countries to resolve any outstanding issues that may have contributed to the unfortunate developments of 2008. Ambassador Gerahtu also spoke about the prospects for peace in the Horn of Africa region, Eritrea’s nation building agenda, and the social, economic and political developments and challenges.

US policies for the Horn of Africa have failed and the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions against Eritrea will only create further complications in the region. These actions taken to appease the minority regime in Ethiopia will embolden it to take desperate measures which could further plunge the Horn Region into more conflicts. This would be another sad episode that can complicate the problems in the region, a region that has suffered for so long.

The Region has been affected by a set of patterns of behavior manifested in various ways in the last 100 years. In the post-cold war situation in particular, the US has acted as a sole super power exacerbating problems in the region. These patterns of behavior include: adherence on geopolitical agendas and interests to complicate problems; the use of an agent (always Ethiopia) to serve the interests of superpowers in total disregard to the national interests of Ethiopia and interests of regional peace, security and cooperation; ideology of aggression and the politics of hegemony inherent in all successive regimes of Ethiopia in the last 100 years; a pattern of behavior where pretexts of peace, fighting bandits and terrorists, secessionists, etc.. have been used to create turmoil; the utilization of the UN and the UN Security Council as an instrument for implementing the superpower geopolitical agendas and interests, always in the name of peace.

Eritrea’s main long term mission is to focus on the nation building process which is geared towards the creation of a viable state based on a sustainable economy and a strong social fabric. On the other hand, Eritrea is always determined to make its modest contribution, despite limitation in capacity, to regional peace, security and development. This emanates from the belief that the future of the peoples in the Horn region will always succeed on the harmonization of efforts, peaceful coexistence, tolerance, complementariness and sound cooperation among the nations and peoples of the region. It is this resolve that will finally count in a basic approach that focuses in addressing the fundamental problems in the regional through the external dynamics of the people of the region.

Ambassador Gerahtu said that the briefing was meant to “shed light into the real image of Eritrea”. It is anti-thesis of the perceived image created by the US and its collaborators though the distortion of reality, blackmail, campaigns, corruptive methods and intimidation. The real image of Eritrea is totally different and irreconcilable with the image created in the minds of hostile elements through a myriad of myths about the country. Eritrea is in the right path of nation building but there is recognition that the goal will require time and space and commitment.

But victory is certain! The realities outlined above and the orientation on the ground present telling evidence of a certain victory.

In answering questions about Eritrea’s alleged support of the Al Shabab group the Ambassador said that Eritrea did not provide any support to the said group and stressed that Eritrea had a moral obligation to help the Somali people and will continue to do so in the future. He said that Eritrea believes it is best to leave the Somali people to resolve their problems by themselves without external interference. External interference has only deteriorated the situations in Somalia and unless all Somalis gather around one table to solve their problems there would not be a solution to the present chaos in Somalia. The Ambassador said the Security Council has turned a blind eye whilst the Ethiopian minority junta continues to openly supply arms to various warring factions in Somalia and creates havoc in Somalia.

Ambassador Gerahtu reminded the audience that Eritrea, as one of the earliest victims of Al-Qaeda and terrorism in the early 90s, has been fighting the scourge long before September 11 and the US’ “war of terror”. “Eritrea has neither the political will nor the financial capability to support armed groups in Somalia”, he added.

Answering questions relating to the Djibouti-Eritrea issue, the Ambassador said, that it was a US instigated incident designed to create conflict between two-otherwise brotherly nations and its Eritrea’s desire to resolve the issue bilaterally without external interference. Ambassador Gerahtu said that the Security Council has refused to shoulder its moral and legal obligations in the Eritrea Ethiopia border issue by not enforcing the final and binding Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commissions (EEBC) delimitation and demarcation decisions of 13 April 2002 and 30 November 2007 respectively.

The Security Council’s failure to enforce its own resolutions and decisions has emboldened the minority regime in Ethiopia to continue to militarily occupy sovereign Eritrean territories in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.

Re-iterating the fact that the sanctions imposed against Eritrea will not hamper developments in Eritrea, the Ambassador stressed that all development projects will continue to be implemented and Eritrea takes this opportunity to welcome potential investors in the various sectors, including mining. Ambassador Gerahtu said that these gatherings offered media professionals and others, as potential friends and partners, an opportunity to develop an objective understanding of Eritrea, show solidarity and make contribution to make a difference in peace and development in their own ways.

The Embassy of Eritrea in the United Kingdom and Ireland holds quarterly Press Briefings and special briefings as needed,

Embassy Media

emwg@eriambauk.com

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