EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF ERITREA, LONDON  UK

Briefing by H.E. Ambassador T. Gerahtu  

8 January 2010

 

 

Thank you for accepting our invitation and on this occasion I wish you a Happy New Year.

 

The New Year hopes in Horn Region have been disfigured by the horse-race events that lead to a Sanction Resolution on Eritrea (1907/2009). It was masterminded under US leadership and greatly supported by the involvement of the UK. History repeating itself! The Press Statement of The Government of Eritrea released at the time has given adequate response to the Resolution. This Press Briefing is thus meant to address some of the important aspects of reality that impinge on the shameful Resolution. Four aspects of the reality have to be checked against this backdrop for a better understanding of the overall situation. But why is the Resolution shameful?

 

The reality as relates the essence of the Resolution can be seen in three interrelated dimensions. In the first place, It is shameful because it lacks rationality and clearly demonstrated the politics of power and status (including spheres of influence) inherent in UN Security Council. Secondly, it is unjust by all standards as it violates the basic human right of the Eritrean people for an independent stance taken while on the other hand it appeases and rewards the main culprits responsible for destabilizing Somalia and the whole region. The UN Security Council has remained silent on the continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories by Ethiopia in open defiance of the international law, the invasion and continued illegal presence of Ethiopia in Somalia, the continuous flow and trafficking of arms into Somalia by Ethiopia, the US and other actors in the region. The non-exiting “fabricated border dispute” with Djibouti has also been integrated into the Resolution to make it sensational. Finally, it is also illegal and runs contrary to the basic aspects of international law and the fundamentals of the UN Charter. In actual fact, the resolution was finally passed after a long campaign of blackmail, arm-twisting of those who challenged it and invoking an AU resolution to disguise the main culprits. As one writer put it “the UN Security council has compromised ‘its obligation of good faith”. But how does the Resolution match the reality as far the facts on the ground are concerned?

 

Eritrea’s determination to expose the truth has shown no limit but the Resolution has shown its motive of negating the reality and indeed the facts on the ground. The allegations that Eritrea supplies military support to Somali insurgents is baseless and both the US and the UN Security Council could never come with any evidence. Furthermore, while the Somali problem could only be solved by tackling the essence of the matter, the USA’s role has focused in complicating the problem. Finally, throughout the last 18 years Eritrea’s position on Somalia has been consistent and focused on the essence of the problem. What the Somalis need is the re-liberation and reconstitution of their nation through their own independent dynamics. Hence, the effort to cover up the failures by using Eritrea as scapegoat shows that the US and its collaborators are an integral part of the problem and not part of the solution. Then why did the US resort to sanction at this time?

 

It is not difficult to sense that US hostility on Eritrea has become another aspect of the reality in the Horn Region. In the last eleven years efforts made to destabilize Eritrea have all failed. Despite all this, Eritrea in the last 11 years has enhanced its independent stance and registered significant economic, social and political growth against all odds. All conspiracies on Eritrea failed because of an Eritrean reality that encompasses two interrelated aspects that reflect the real image of the nation: on the one hand a people united, committed, tolerant and hardworking and on the other hand a government and a leadership with a vision, committed to the national interests, pragmatic approaches to a development based on self reliance and partnerships, an independent stance of owning your own decision and a system free of corruption. The hostilities to negate this reality failed because it is a reality born out of the bitter struggle and the heavy scarifies of the Eritrean Martyrs to create a truly independent nation. Thus a greater part of the reality is that “our biggest responsibility to the Martyrs of Eritrea has thus been to never, never compromise our national security”.

 

It is because of this reality that a sanction regime passed to intimidate the Eritrean people and make them kneel down cannot have an effect. The Resolution will definitely strengthen the unity, resolve and organization of the Eritrean people and as always will create opportunities out of the challenges and fast track the national development prospects of the country. Eritreans everywhere, inside the country and in the Diaspora have shown their resolve and commitment that they are an integral part of the Government in challenging this shameful Resolution. The resounding message is thus “we have done it before, we can do it now, and certainly it can be done”. The resolution has thus failed in intimidating the Eritrean people. But does it have any effects and consequences in the realities of the Horn of Africa Region?

 

The policies of the US in the Horn of Africa have categorically failed and this sanction can only work to create further complications in the region. It is a well known fact that Ethiopia’s position can be emboldened by the shameful resolution and following at the footsteps of its appeasers, could 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 behaviour 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 to complicate the problems in the Region. These patterns of behaviour 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 behaviour where pretexts of peace, fighting bandits and terrorists, secessionists, etc.. has 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. This then warrants the people of the region to use their legitimate right and obligation to work for regional peace, security and development without any external interference.  Eritrea has thus always followed a principled position on this matter. What next?

 

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 viable economy and a strong social fabric. On the other hand, Eritrea is always determined to make its modest contribution, despite limitation in capacity, in 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.

 

It is my hope that the briefing outlined above has 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. That is why this shameful resolution will have no value and is not only condemned but challenged by all means. But after 6 decades, history is again repeating itself and the US and UK bear the greatest responsibility for any further problems which may unfold in the Region.

 

Thank you and will call you again to talk about the unending stories that reflect the real image of Eritrea!

 

 

Embassy of the State of Eritrea

8 January 2010