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U.N. slowly coming to its senses regarding Eritrea

The U.N. and United States Department of State are slowly reversing their belligerent and misguided policy on the Government of Eritrea. U.N.’s change of heart is evident in today’s comment by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who praised Eritrea as working for peace in the region. The U.N. made a grave error last December when it passed a resolution imposing sanction against Eritrea. We all know that Eritrea was targeted because of its moral and political support to Ethiopian freedom fighters. Somalia was used simply as a pretext. The misguided resolution was pushed through the U.N. Security Council by Amb. Susan Rice and other friends of Meles Zenawi at the U.S. Department of State. However, it seems that Zenawi’s 99.6 percent ‘victory’ at last month’s election has embarrassed the State Department. The May 2010 sham election also left Susan Rice and other cheerleaders of the Meles brutal dictatorship with eggs on their faces. Since then the U.S. has been trying to reach out to the Government of Eritrea. A couple of weeks ago, the State Department sent Amb. Donald Yamamoto to Asamra. Indeed it will be wise for the U.S. to revise its policy toward Eritrea if it wants to see lasting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa region. The U.S. State Department officials need to understand that Eritrea’s government is a strong ally of Ethiopian patriotic forces who are striving to bring about an end to Meles Zenawi’s genocidal reign in Ethiopia.

The following is Monday’s news release by the U.N. on Eritrea.

28 June 2010 (UN News Service) – Eritrea deserves credit for its recent constructive engagement with its neighbours and the international community, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report in which he urges the country to provide evidence that it is complying with a Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions for the country’s destabilizing activities in Djibouti and Somalia.

“Despite the Government of Eritrea’s long-standing positions on Somalia and Djibouti, it has recently taken a number of steps towards constructive engagement with its neighbours and the wider international community,” Mr. Ban says in a report to the Security Council on Eritrea’s compliance on resolution 1907, issued in January last year.

“While recent developments represent a move in the right direction, I urge the Government of Eritrea to do more to provide evidence of its compliance with resolution 1907 and the practical measures set out in it,” the Secretary-General says.

The resolution imposed an arms embargo on Eritrea and a travel ban and an assets freeze on Eritrean political and military leaders who violated the embargo, provided support to armed opposition groups destabilizing the region or obstructed implementation of a previous Council resolution that demanded that Eritrea withdrawal its troops from Djibouti.

The resolution followed a request by the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) for the Council to take such action.

The positive steps referred to by the Secretary-General include Eritrea’s reception of the Sanctions Committee in Asmara, its participation in the Istanbul Conference on Somalia, and its engagement in regional mediation efforts led by Qatar on Eritrea’s border dispute with Djibouti.

“I am encouraged that Eritrea is now engaging in an effort to arrive at a peaceful resolution to the border conflict and normalize relations with Djibouti,” Mr. Ban writes.

However, he notes that the UN’s ability to verify Eritrea’s compliance with resolution 1907 is very limited, and expresses hope that the new monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea, which will be established in due course, will provide for independent monitoring and reporting on the implementation of measures imposed by the resolution.

The Secretary-General also welcomes recent reports that indicate that Eritrea is taking measures to restore its representation at the headquarters of the AU and encourages the Horn of Africa country to make a similar effort in re-establishing its membership in IGAD.

“Eritrea’s enhanced engagement with regional organizations and international partners would be an important contribution to strengthening peace and stability in the Horn of Africa,” he adds.

He says that long-term peace and stability in the region require a comprehensive approach to address the interlinked conflicts.

16 thoughts on “U.N. slowly coming to its senses regarding Eritrea

  1. UN/USA, the mother of all travesty of justice in todays world, is in a habit of putting the cart before the horse. Ain’t that the lowest of low for the UN/USA to simply tell you guilty with no evidence whatsoever and then turn around asking you to prove them otherwise. I am afraid to say the world would be much better place without the tool of injustice so called UN.

  2. Obviously this man will never understand but Eritrea and Eritreans do not recognize the sanctions. The defacto situation they are trying to create will not happen as we Eritreans are NOT playing the stupid zero sum game. We will continue to support the rights of our Ethiopian and Somali brothers because our fates are completely intertwined and it is only through collective efforts that we have any hope of liberating our region of American sponsored and executed tyranny and terrorism. If stand for the rights of our Somali and Ethiopian brothers it is because we know full well it could very easily be us in their place. It is in our interest to defend their rights as it is in theirs to stand for our. The days that we are victim to neo-colonial/imperial interests are fast ending.

    I urge all Ethiopians, Somalis and our Sudanese neighbours to improve dialogue between us for a secure future for generations to come.

    Peace.

  3. Truth can be denied for short time but the long term is the field of truth. Nobody can deny it that Eritrea brought peace between east Sudan and the govt. of Sudan. Nobody can deny it that Eritrea is working for one Somalia and is the only one country which is not recognizing the so called TFG. Nobody can deny it that Eritrea is working for one Ethiopia without ethnicity.
    So let us give the west a little time and they surely come to their sense because all what Meles can give them is for the short term.

  4. The woyane are clamouring for any kind of legitimacy that they can get, from anybody who can give that to them. The Ethiopian opposition has to clean its language and deny them this. No adjective or verb should be used that gives any kind of respect, any kind of admiration, any kind of legitimacy to the woyane. The language that I like most, used in relation to the woyane, is that of Birhanu Nega and Ginbot 7. The Ethiopian people can be a formidable moral force who confers legiticay on those whom it deems are legit and denies legitimcy to those who are illegit. Civic disobidience or armed struggle without building such a formidable moral platform is simply not feasible.

  5. The american goverment has been involving in our internal affairs almost for seventy years.It is the time to tell them enough is enough we know you now and get out of horn of Africa.unless we kick them out like they have been kicked out from most Latin America.We will remain poor and there will be always civil war and there will be no development in Africa.Mengistu was right when he said american imperialist yewezaderoch telatoch nachew.

  6. 1.WE have to put our money were our mouth is.Freedom it does not come chip it have its own Price.Nothing less or more Just like our grand parents did.The only one we have is Eritera.Blood and sweat are the Crazy glue of freedom stand up and be a part of E.P.P.F.Those of you plan to live thuosand years.IF ever this wild dream of Cowards sucssed please do not for get it will be the same slavery you will be getting 99.6% of your coward life.Think THink Were is BURTUCAN?thier will be a day for JUstice.The average of law will catch up with you.

  7. Isn´t it funny, especially coming from people who call themselves world leaders, that they ask of the accused to provide evidence against the accusations? But what can one say of people who see themselves as the judge, jury and executioner and then turn around and say that they stand for democracy and justice around the world. But as the bible says: do what a preacher tells you but not what he does.

  8. Here is the response to the UNSG report on Eritrea from the Eritrean Mission to the U.N.:

    http://alenalki.com/images/stories/July%202010/eritrean%20mission%20to%20UN.pdf

    The inept UN, which is reduced to merely being a tool of the US, cares less of the innocent people whose erroneous and unjust policies affect. The interests of the US has to be protected regardless of who, in the process, suffers. The people of the countries in horn has been victims and continue be victims of these policies. For them these people are voiceless, faceless, whose life has no value, condemned to be manipulated for the sake of western interests. Eritrea has been standing up against these injustices and they are trying to make it pay for it. They are having hard time accepting such a country in Africa. Almost each African country is a subservient to the US. Their governments can’t last even a day without the handouts and protection of the US. Sadly, there is no hope in the near future that things will be any different, as long as people take is a give or have no will to stand up and fight.

  9. Look who is talking!

    I can not believe the Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon has the nerve to say in his new report ” He urges Eritrea to provide evidence that it is complying with a Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions for the country’s destabilizing activities in Djibouti and Somalia” Eritrea Destabilizing Somalia and Djibouti? Is he out his mind? Was he mistaken with Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia? Eritrea record is is crytal clear when it comes peace in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea was splapped with Sanction simply for talking its mind, for having a leader who has the guts to tell the world as is not as what they want to hear and for simply refusing to swallow the West’s priscription drugs period. Mr Kim-moon do your job, look no further than your desk and you will come across the Resolutions and agreements of the Eritrean and Ethiopian boundry commission collecting dust since April 13, 2002. More people suffer in the world as a result of UN. The UN is the most corrupted institution in the planet with no moral ground to talk about peace,justice,human right. They said, charity begins at home, Mr. Kim-Moon, the UN driver with out a license, do your job right, clean up your house first.

  10. I wish we have few leaders like Isaias in Africa. People we all who live in US, Canada and Europe know how they treat us and and all the racism we all experience. That is how they see the whole continent.

  11. Dear, Ethiopian brothers and sisters!! As a concerned Eritrean who grew up in Ethiopia I would like to see Ethiopia as one unified nation.It can only come by being selfless and think for the country and people.As many Ethiopians are in Diaspora there are only few who think and concerned about their country.
    One can only achieve by being selfless.
    Eritrea and Eritreans are doing our level best to help Ethipians to succed, but nothing can be achieved wihtout your help.good Luck

  12. Eritrea needs to re-establsh its membership in IGAD and AU so as to voice out the true and enhance its efforts for peace and stability of the region. We should never let our enemies monopolize such institutions regardless of their failures in implementing the promises they made to Africans. It is easier to paint a wall than to remove the paint from it.

  13. True, but unofortunately it’s we Africans who are affording these guys the opportunity to wrech havoc in our midst. By oppressing and exteminating each other it meanings we are unwittingly inviting them to set us againgt each other’s throat! Our lands and thier abundanty resources are more than enough to cater for our needs, so why are we invading and taking others’ rights? So long there exist injustice and oppression in our midst -Africans- there will be room for any imperialist to meddle in our affairs. Take care and apply what you preach to yourself first because charity begins at home!

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