From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Thu May 06 2010 - 08:09:07 EDT
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2991334Ottawa OKs sanctions
against Eritrea over Somali militant support
*Stewart Bell, National Post *Published: Wednesday, May 05, 2010
The federal Cabinet has approved sanctions against Eritrea in response to
the African nation's support for a Somali militant group that has been
recruiting Canadian youths.
The sanctions include a ban on weapons sales, and Canadian banks have been
ordered to freeze any assets belonging to Eritrean political leaders and
military officials.
"Canada is concerned by Eritrea's support of armed opposition groups in
Somalia," said Dana Cryderman, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman.
She said the sanctions were targeted at senior government and military
officials. "They are intended to minimize adverse impacts on the general
population."
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions notified banks
about the sanctions this week, and the Canada Border Services Agency issued
a notice last Friday about import and export restrictions.
The United Nations Security Council called for the sanctions in December,
citing Eritrea's border dispute with Djibouti and its provision of arms and
training to the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab militant group in Somalia.
"We applaud the freezing of financial assets belonging to Eritrea's senior
political and military officials for their support of the Al-Shabab
terrorist group," said Ahmed Hussen, president of the Canadian Somali
Congress.
"These measures send a clear message to Somalia's neighbours that Canada
will not tolerate their financial and military support of insurgents and
armed groups inside Somalia."
The sanctions are the latest effort to isolate Al-Shabab, which has been
conducting suicide bombings and assassinations as part of its effort to
impose Taliban-like extremist rule on Somalis.
Canada outlawed Al-Shabab as a terrorist organization in March after at
least a half-dozen Somali-Canadian youths allegedly travelled to Somalia to
join Al-Shabab.
The RCMP says it is concerned such recruits might return to Canada and carry
out terrorist attacks. One of the suspected recruits, Mohamed Elmi Ibrahim,
has reportedly died.
Eritrea's neighbours have long accused the tiny nation of five million on
the Red Sea of destabilizing the region. Reporters Without Borders recently
ranked Eritrea, under President Isais Afwerki, the worst country in the
world for press freedoms.
The Eritrean Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to interview
requests.
Mr. Hussen said the Canadian government should also examine the roles that
Kenya and Ethiopia have played in supporting armed Somali groups such as
Ahlu Sunnah Wal-Jamaaca.
*National Post*
Read more:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2991334#ixzz0n9NrelAE
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----