Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 18:53:19 +0200
By Samsom Berhane
June 2, 2015
The group encompassed EU, British, French, Italian, Switzerland, Belgian, Turkish Ambassadors and first secretary of Embassy of Check Republic have conducted a three days tour (26-28 may 2015) in the Anseba and Gash Barka regions. Of course, the Swiss, Belgian and Check Republics representatives are not residents in Asmara. The German, Norway and Swedish Ambassadors who were supposed to be part of the group stayed in the capital due to other engagements.
Day one/20.05.2015
The group toured Elaberid Estates, enjoyed the offers of the farm and Eritrean hospitality with the company of Anseba’s governor.
On its way to Bisha it passed through communal development activities, project sites and extensive Barka river basin farms.
Finally, at 3:30 PM, it reached at the gate of Bisha Mining and welcomed by the prime principle of the plant in a big banner, “Everyone going home safe and healthy every day”.
Accordingly, the group met with the Operation Management Office only after accomplishing the basic and brief health and safety training. Then followed lengthy explanation by the operation manager, visit to the pit, especial cocktail and magnificent overnight stay.
Day two/27.05.2015
Early morning visit continued to the gold and copper processing plants and the zinc processing plant which currently is under construction.
This visit delivers insidious information and experience of Bisha to the diplomats. Afterwards none of them was shy to express its excitement on the standards and entire atmosphere of the plant. No negative news and motives in the name of different terms can sustain long against this fact.
This second day trip continued to Barentu and paid a visit to the mini grid (thermal generation grid) of the city. This grid is set for expansion in the forthcoming joint programme.
On its way to the moving Tessenay city for overnight stay the group visited different agro industrial plants in the Alebu industrial zone.
The day closed with a dinner from the mayor of the city and another magnificent overnight stay.
Day three/ 28.05.2015
With a beautiful lowland sun rise the group drives across the farms in Aligedir and surroundings and visited the border with Sudan. On its way back it visited Tesseney water supply system – successful project from the 9th EDF.
And finally it landed at the impressive Gehrset dam and farm. Gherset project, Alebu’s agro industrial zone and the visible Fanko’s regional mini grid, according to their accounts, have impressed the diplomats and helped them to understand what really the social justice and self reliance policies of the government mean.
The tour have covered tens of village, towns and cities; sees a number of private and public farms, health centers, schools and other social and economic infrastructures.
Throughout the tour, when crisscrossed the Anseba and Gash Barka regions (through asphalted and gravel roads), the diplomatic convey was without a single man in arms. And according to my discussion with them the message we wanted to convey have been communicated well. If they were thinking Asmara is safe, now they have found the remote areas to be even safer.