From: Ogbazgy A.Asmerom (ogbazgy@gmail.com)
Date: Fri Jan 08 2010 - 21:03:21 EST
Hypocrisy at the Highest Place: UNSC Sanctions on Eritrea
By Ogbazgy Abbay Asmerom
Be just and fear not ... Shakespeare
This article is written to protest, in a profound sense, against the
shameful sanctions, UN Security Council Resolution 1907/2009, which was
imposed on 12/23/09, on Eritrea, based on fabricated information and lies.
It is also written to express the indignation, surprise, and shock, and to
denounce the negative action taken against a “tiny and poor” country,
Eritrea. The actions taken are irrational, illogical, and absurd. They do
not serve any valuable purpose. Instead, they have shown us several forms of
the abuse of collective power, insensitivity, and arrogance at the highest
place, the UNSC. Here is the seat of hypocrisy! This hypocrisy must be
condemned by using the strongest words.
Libya abstained from voting; China maintained its neutrality. Both must be
applauded for their tentative positions! The others, France, Great Britain,
Russia, The USA, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Croatia, Austria, Turkey, Japan,
Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Mexico have shown what a useless job can be done
within 37 minutes. This was the time allotted to determine the fate of an
African country, without any moral values or deliberations attached to the
resolution, where a great amount of time was wasted behind the scenes with
actions of wheeling and dealing to score points. In this case, those who
voted for the sanctions did not show any critical thinking. Most of them
were duped, deceived, cajoled, and bamboozled by certain powers to follow a
different drummer!
The USA, Great Britain, France, and Uganda were the main actors. Ethiopia
worked behind the curtains. The others were mere spectators, and only voted
to please old bosses. Some of the rotating countries do not even know the
history of the struggle of the Eritrean people to be independent and masters
of their own destiny. They do not know that history was made in Eritrea in
1991!
A careful look at the history and situation in Somalia should have given the
members of the UNSC some light or showed them some ways to see things
differently, and determine those responsible for the problems in that
country are those that have some historical antagonism with Somalia. It is
not Eritrea. To be blunt, it is Ethiopia! Ethiopia, with the tacit agreement
of the USA, invaded Somalia in December 2006. Because of the invasion, the
Somali situation has deteriorated. It has gone from bad to worse and from
solvable to insolvable. Now, it has reached a point of no return, especially
with the way things are going in that poor country. The sanctions against
Eritrea were designed to please and support Ethiopia. There is nothing in
the sanctions that supports Somalia, the fractured country.
All peace-loving people and citizens could have supported a coordinated
policy of constructive engagement, reconciliation, and partnership within
the countries of the Horn of Africa. Sadly, the actions taken by the UNSC on
12/23/2009 that hastened to impose foolish sanctions against Eritrea on
charges repeatedly proven to be false, groundless, and baseless are
shameful. Eritrea did not create the Somali problem. Eritrea has not invaded
Somalia. It has not violated the Arms embargo imposed in 1992. The actors in
the theater are others, and they must bear the responsibility for the
problem being created. How can a “tiny and poor” country destabilize a
country that has already been destabilized by others? How can a “poor and
tiny” country get the resources to give financial assistance?
What are 1,800 US troops, and 3,000 French soldiers doing in Djibouti? Have
they kept the Somalis or Djiboutians from any present turmoil or crisis? The
Djibouti case was added to the Somali problem to add some resemblance of
credibility to label some accusations against Eritrea. Eritrea has nothing
to do with the Afar problem in Djibouti. Ethiopia has its eyes on Djibouti.
Since Eritrea became independent in 1991, Ethiopia has been looking
feverishly for an outlet to the Red Sea!
The Isas of Djibouti are Somalis. Colonial administrations have divided the
two groups, and have intervened in various ways in the affairs of the two
ethnic groups and have complicated their co-existence. The two super powers
have not maintained any peace in Djibouti or in Somalia, and have not
contained the activities of pirates in the east coast of Somaliland.
Unfortunately, whenever there is some foreign interference in the affairs of
a nation’s domestic issues, there are always turmoil, chaos, and conflict.
Eritrea should have been taken as a good example of best practices. It is
working in maintaining regional peace in the Sudan, Ethiopia, The Great
Lakes, and Yemen, where the current terrorist activities are being observed.
Eritrea is doing its best, with limited resources, to lift its people from
the repeated rape, abuse, and subjugation of colonial administrations, and
the looting of its meager resources. Since its independence in 1991, it has
made some modest and positive strides.
The British and US Administrations should have known more about the nature
of the Eritreans, because they were there to maintain their hegemonic
interests in the Red Sea area, especially during World War II, and during
the decades of the Cold War.
Unashamedly, the imposed sanctions are designed to slow down the progress
made by the Eritreans and to reverse Eritrean independence. Unfortunately,
the arrogant administrations in Washington, DC, Whitehall, and the Elyce
Palace are the architects of the current situation! Their national interests
and hegemonic control could not be served or maintained by a country that
fosters self-sufficiency, self-reliance, independence, and “can do it”
attitude. Eritrea is charting its own way. It does not want to depend on
foreign aid that creates dependency. What is wrong with choosing a different
way? Does not Eritrea have a sovereign right to conduct its own national,
cultural, social, and economic transformation the way it wants to do it? Why
do people need to consider that it is only the French, British, or American
way to be “the best way” to bring any so-called democratic progress or
change? Who has determined that only the Super Powers have the monopoly? Who
gave them the moral superiority or responsibility to lead the world? Does
not the earth belong to all people?
Why has a UN body designed to foster peace and security in our world
rubber-stamped an ill-conceived plan to sanction instead of engagement, why
use threats instead of reconciliation, and why try to impose punishments
instead of partnerships? The UNSC must be a place where there is equal
opportunity to participate. Unfortunately, the Five Permanent members are
abusing it. They have maintained a veto power for more than 60 years to
advance their own national interests. The veto power must be abolished! It
is time to change!
The author of this article hopes that the actions of the UNSC do not bear
any fruits or results! The member states that voted to impose the sanctions
on Eritrea will be seized by the matter and their shameful act, and will
bear the responsibilities for any negative consequences of any miss-steps
taken or any negative actions that might happen in the Horn of Africa. The
conscience of those who voted to impose the sanctions must be pricked, and
they must not have any rest in their minds, and must work quickly to reverse
their shameful sanctions. The history of infamy must end soon!
Eritrea should not be presented as a sacrificial lamb at the altar of the
failures and weaknesses of others. The member countries of IGAD have
miserably failed to resolve the Somali problem. It is shameful that they
could not resolve a small regional problem, and yet they referred it to
another body that does not have any stake in the outcomes. The African
Union, and its backers, mainly the US, British, and the French have failed
to resolve the intractable problems. Instead of becoming instruments of
peace, they have become the merchants of war, misery, and chaos. Above all,
Ethiopia's invasion, where it was blessed and encouraged by the three main
powers, has not paid any dividend. In fact, Ethiopia has absolutely
complicated the situation in Somalia. As a result, it is reaping the
whirlwind of its invasion and interference! Its supporters and masters are
becoming frustrated on a daily basis, and are looking for some exit
strategies. Thus, they are making Eritrea the escape goat.
Eritrea should not be punished for such miserable failures! It does not
deserve any sanctions! In fact, it must be praised for proposing that the
Somalis must be left alone to resolve their own problems, without the
interference of others. The Somalis have a tradition of resolving their
differences. After all, they are one ethnic group, have one religion, and
have one language that would help them transcend all kinds of contradictions
that the other countries in Africa have and face. In this case, the Somalis
do not need interpreters, translators, interlopers, and interlocutors!
The UN Security Council must exercise a fair and just practice in evaluating
all of the facts and evidence to find a lasting peaceful solution to the
problems in the Horn of Africa, and should not be swayed by those who have
an axe to grind against Eritrea. Eritrea has repeatedly told the UNSC that
it has not supplied any weapons to the Somalis. In fact, it has suggested
some positive steps to resolve the Somali problem. However, the so-called
western experts have not paid any attention, and did not ant to consider
other options.
Eritrea does not have weapons of Mass Destruction to put the area aflame!
Others have amassed the arsenals of Mass Destruction and are threatening the
entire region with unrest, endless conflicts, and instability. Eritrea
abhors wars and the rumors of wars! It has lived and experienced 30 years of
hell and suffering!
Susan Rice, the current US ambassador at the UN, has shown the Eritreans her
true face and identity. She is a good example of human vanity. She has some
old wounds to lick and wants to score points against Eritrea, due to her
failure to broker an honest peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia in the
so-called “border war” of 1998-2000. Actually, it was not a border war. It
was a war similar to what the British tired to do in 1812 to the newly
independent 13 colonies of the United Sates of America.
During the so-called border war, Susan Rice tried to be an “Ethiopian
emissary”! She was the one who tried to dupe the Eritreans into accepting an
unacceptable and unworkable peace deal. Now, at the UN, Susan Rice cannot
wish “the best for the Eritreans” while she pushed hard to impose sanctions
against them! Here is the logic of illogical thinking and lack of critical
thinking!
As a spokesperson for the president of the US at the UN, she has shown the
Eritreans her arrogant attitude, and she cannot be a neutral arbiter. How
can an accuser be a judge? Where is the meaning of the message of “a change
can we believe in” that the president of the US, Barack Obama, was uttering
during his election campaign? Now, we know it was only a mere slogan!
Why did the State Department agree to such sanctions? Who is calling the
shots? It seems the three departments, The White House, The US Mission at
the UN, and the State Department have conspired to punish a new African
nation that has not committed any crime against the US! Hillary Clinton
threatened Eritrea last year, 2009, when she visited Kenya. What happened to
her past impressions about Eritrea? Was she not impressed by the Eritreans
when she visited the country when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president?
It must be noted that Ethiopia is the main source of the Somali problems.
Uganda has followed suit! Ugandan soldiers in Mogadishu have not maintained
any peace! Uganda has become the tool for the sanctions. The UNSC used
Uganda and drummed the resolution to be as one that was presented by an
African country to punish another African country. This is the way to make
the Africans act as the fools and buffoons! Here is another way to make
Africans play against each other!
The Ugandan UN ambassador was the president of the UNSC in December 2009.
Being encouraged by the British, as a member of the Commonwealth, and
encouraged by the US, as a recipient of USAID, the Ugandan ambassador pushed
for the sanctions against Eritrea. What a joke!
Overall, after the damage has been done, the shameful sanctions must be
repealed, reversed, and lifted very soon. It must be annulled now! Above
all, if the Security Council is concerned about world and regional peace,
and is interested in solving the problems in the Horn of Africa, it must
impose sanctions on Ethiopia for violating the “final and binding” decision
of the Border Commission, which has ruled in favor of Eritrea in April 2002,
and Ethiopia must be ordered immediately to vacate Eritrean sovereign lands,
including Badme, the area where the so-called border war started. Ethiopia
is in a material breach of an international law! What did the UNSC do about
this? Nada! This is the hypocrisy of the UNSC and its member states! This is
where failure has its highest point!
The countries in the Horn of Africa: The Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti,
Somalia, and Kenya need peace. There is no other alternative to their
economic development. The sale of arms, invasions, and sanctions are not
needed! Eritrea and the Eritrean people will continue to survive.
Nevertheless, their survival will not depend on the ill-will of enemies and
others who do not want to see anything good come out of Eritrea. Their
survival is dependent on their perseverance, resiliency, ingenuity,
patience, unity, and the call for justice! The Eritreans, their supporters,
friends, and all peace-loving citizens must not rest until this illegal,
shameful, and illogical sanction is lifted and annulled!
Let justice prevail! Let common sense work, and let the Five Permanent
members of the UNSC and the rotating 10 countries, including the ones to
join the club in January 2010 open their eyes to see the difference between
good and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong, life and death and work
to reverse and lift the shameful sanctions very soon!
The lives of innocent people are at stake! There is a difference between
living in rural Eritrea, and the skyscrapers of New York City!
It is time to repeal, reverse, annul, and lift the illegal and shameful
sanctions imposed on Eritrea!
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