From: michael seium (michael.seium@gmail.com)
Date: Sat Feb 28 2009 - 10:14:31 EST
*To: The European Commission
Re: Development Aid for Eritrea
From: Tesfay Aradom, Ph.D.; LMHC
Date: February 23, 2009*
Any government has an obligation to keep its citizens safe within a secure
environment conducive to economic growth, political stability and social
progress. It also has a duty to protect the territorial integrity and
sovereignty of the nation. That is exactly what the Eritrean government has
been doing confronted with the unjustified and persistent harassment and
threats by the Bush administration and its support for the weyane regime's
military and political adventurism.
Given all the progress that the GOE has been able to achieve in ensuring
food security, providing adequate health and education services and
infrastructure building, as attested by various UN agencies and some NGO's,
it is my hope that the European Commission will not be easily distracted by
comments from disgruntled former officials or individuals, both national and
foreign, who have an axe to grind. The preponderance of Eritreans in the
Diaspora as well as in the country knows very well that any assistance will
be put to good use.
Therefore, the European Commission should not equivocate in making a
decision regarding the 122 million Euros development aid earmarked for
Eritrea.
However, should the assistance come with pre-conditions that would
compromise our national integrity and divert us from our priorities, I am
sure that our collective response will be, thanks but no thanks. As our past
history clearly shows, we will just pursue our goals by relying on our own
human and material resources. Needless to say, succeed we will !