From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Nov 10 2009 - 08:05:35 EST
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-09-voa60.cfm
Eritrea is Focus of Brussels Meeting
By Lisa Bryant
Paris
*09 November 2009*
International experts and politicians are in Brussels for a two-day meeting
on ways to harmonize European and American policy on Eritrea and other parts
of the Horn of Africa.
The meeting is sponsored by Europe External Policy Advisors, a
Brussels-based research group. It is being held amid mounting international
concern about Eritrea's human-rights policy and allegations the Eritrean
government supports Islamist insurgents in neighboring Somalia.
In August, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned the Eritrean
government would face sanctions if it continued aiding Somalia's al-Shabab
insurgent group, which allegedly has ties to al-Qaida. Eritrea denies
arming the group.
Horn of Africa conference spokesman Abdulrahman Sayed says he hopes it will
forge a consensus between the U.S. policy on Eritrea and the European Union
one, which he describes as more open to dialogue with the Eritrean
government.
"What we hope this conference [will] accomplish is to at least produce a
guideline with some concrete recommendations by both the United States and
European Union policy makers as well as other players like legislators and
commissioners and also allow the civic society and political opposition
figures in the diaspora to be engaged with those parties in the U.S. and the
European Union to direct and influence their policy in Eritrea," said
Abdulrahman Sayed.
While Eritrea is the focus of the conference, participants from neighboring
Horn of Africa countries have been invited. Eritrea's internal problems,
including widespread allegations of human-rights abuses, are spilling across
its borders. Sayed says tens of thousands of Eritreans have fled to Sudan
and Ethiopia. Others seek refugee status in Europe and the United States.
Conference participant Woldeyesus Ammar wants clearer from Europe and the
United States. Ammar is chair of the Joint Leadership Committee, an
umbrella organization of Eritrean opposition groups that plans to form a
political party by the end of the year.
"Any action against the regime has not been cohesive," said Woldeyesus
Ammar. "They [Europe and the United States] have been pointing fingers
against the regime, but not doing more than that. It has been always talk,
but no action. We want them to do some action now."
Organizers hope the Brussels talks will lead to a more active international
policy toward Eritrea that possibly includes targeted sanctions against the
government.