Isaias Afwerki: Reports of my death are highly exaggerated

Recent rumor regarding his state of health “attests to the mounting frustration on the part of its authors.” – President Isaias

By Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Asmara, 28 April, 2012 – In a brief interview he conducted tonight, 28 April 2012, with the national media outlets, President Isaias Afwerki underscored that the recent rumor regarding his state of health attests to the mounting frustration on the part of its authors.

Explaining that in the past week he had been abroad on a 3-day working visit, and that upon return home he has been on a tour of inspection to Gash-Barka, Anseba and the Northern Red Sea regions from 21 to 22 April, the President said: “I am lucky; I enjoy robust health. The speculated ill-health is only in the minds of the authors of such a baseless rumor.”

Elaborating that the issue has nothing to do with his health status but designed to create anxiety among members of the public, President Isaias pointed out that it is but a continuation of the coordinated psychological warfare and anti-Eritrea smear campaign that has been going on for the past decade under various guises. He further indicated that the fabricated ploy was concocted at a time when the nation is registering impressive development stride, coupled with the mounting popular resistance, and that the recent enemy speculation is intended to put their frustration on others.

He went on to underline that as information technology is becoming an instrument of the special interest forces, members of the public should not fall into the trap of being misled by such fabricated misinformation for acts of this nature may be repeated from time to time on the part of the same authors.

Commending the perseverance and resistance of the Eritrean people against all enemy conspiracies, the President called on citizens to continue the national development endeavors without being distracted by futile enemy ploys.