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http://blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/7823/2011-12-05.html
Claims Ethiopia Manipulates U.N. Against Eritrea*
* By Sophia Tesfamariam *
12-05-11
[Global: Africa]
How ironic that the very organization that is celebrating the 25th
Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development is the same
Organization that is being asked to stop Eritrea’s development.
Ethiopia and its allies are once again at the UN Security Council,
attempting to get another illegal, unfair and unjust resolution adopted by
the Security Council. Emboldened by the diplomatic, financial, political
and military shield and support it receives from its handlers, it is now
seeking complete strangulation of the Eritrean economy and sanctions
against the Eritrean people, including the Eritrean Diaspora. Ethiopia and
the US are using Gabon and Nigeria, the two African states on the Council
to sponsor the resolution against Eritrea on their behalf.
The Ethiopia led Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD) is
proposing sanctions against the State of Eritrea and its people; again.
After telling Eritreans that the “smart sanctions” were not against the
people and the country and that they were “targeted” against certain
individuals, the truth behind the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions
Resolution 1907 have been exposed.
Ethiopia manipulated IGAD and the African Union (AU) and with the help of
Susan E. Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN and her contemptuous team at the
UN Mission, Security Council members were hoodwinked into believing that
the call for sanctions were made by all Africans. It has since become
evident that the calls for sanctions were orchestrated by Ethiopia and its
handlers.
Here is an excerpt from the draft resolution that was being circulated at
the UN Security Council. The draft proposes all countries:
“…prohibit their nationals or any person and entities within their
territories from making any funds, financial assets or economic resources
or financial or other related services available including taxes, directly
or indirectly, to the Eritrean government or its officials, the People’s
Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), or any individuals or entities
acting on their behalf or at their direction…all states shall prohibit
investment by their nationals, persons subject to their jurisdiction and
firms incorporated in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction in
their extractive industries and mining sectors in Eritrea…”
The draft also proposed a ban on the importation of gold and other raw
materials from Eritrea to any UN member country. This is meant to deprive
Eritrea of markets to send the minerals to and prevent investors from
investing in Eritrea’s mining sector. If that is not a gross and wanton
violation of Eritrea’s right to development, what is? Obviously, this has
nothing to do with bringing peace and stability to Somalia. It is meant to
punish the people of Eritrea. It is a shameful act and the UN should not be
party to such crimes against Eritrea and its people.
Susan Rice claims to have the support of the Intergovernmental Agency for
Development (IGAD), but IGAD does not represent Africa and it only
represents the ill wishes of the leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and
Somalia, who are parties to the conflict in Somalia and can hardly be
considered to be impartial. Rubber stamping the minority regime in
Ethiopia’s evil intentions against the State of Eritrea and its people will
cripple and undermine the integrity of IGAD even further.
Neither Gabon nor Nigeria is part of IGAD, and there is no African Union
call for further sanctions against the State of Eritrea. Ethiopia and its
handlers were unable to secure such a resolution in Maputo as they did in
Libya in 2009. It should be recalled that it was in violation of the
African Union’s own rules that in a meeting chaired by Ethiopia that the
cal for sanctions against Eritrea were made. 28-member CENSAD rejected the
sanctions against Eritrea and most importantly, the people of Eirtrea have
rejected the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions and have been calling for
their annulment and repeal as they violate Eritrea’s rights as well the AU
and UN Charters.
Today, Gabon and Nigeria are being called to become tools for oppression,
suppression and crimes against one of their own, an African state, instead
of becoming the voice for Africans on the Council? It is also surprising
that Nigeria, the country that was calling on the African Diaspora to play
its due role in the development of Africa would be the country that would
sponsor a resolution to stifle and strangulate the development of Eritrea,
a member state. Would Gabon and Nigeria allow the same racist process to be
used against their own people?
H.E. Prof. U Joy, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations, delivered a
speech on the 31 May 2011 as the UN celebrated Africa Day, held in
commemoration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (now
African Union) on 25 May 1963. This year’s Africa Day theme was “Africa and
the Diaspora”. In her speech, “Forging closer ties with Africans in the
Diaspora”, Ambassador Joy said the following:
“…the journey to the construction of the ‘Great Africa Architecture’ cannot
be complete without building bridges the vital bridges to connect Africa’s
sprawling Diaspora to its aspirations of maintaining the continent as a
home-base. The years of lamentations about the negative consequences of
Africa’s brain drain are over. We now know that those who left the shores
of the continent did not turn their backs on us. Indeed, they have
maintained and strengthened their familial, political and economic ties
with the continent….Therefore, as we strive to build the new Africa, the
first imperative must be to include our sisters, brothers, and children
overseas in our common development agenda. In order to profit from the
human capital of our global family, it is imperative that the African
identity reflects the strength of those of us who have settled elsewhere…”
The Nigerian Ambassador outlined “specific areas where their contribution
is critical to Africa’s renewal”. The 4 areas mentioned in her speech were:
1. “…resource mobilization; a potent instrument in addressing the
continent’s resource gaps, including those arising from the economic
meltdown which Africa had limited capacity to cope with. The new Diaspora,
with relations in their countries of origin, is indispensable in this
respect. Through remittances, the African Diaspora has supported education,
health and welfare programmes in their home countries… We must build on
this like a scaffold…”
2. “…There is a pressing need for advocacy for Africa which continues
to suffer from a negative portrayal outside our borders. Along with African
Missions, Africans in Diaspora can assist the continent in mitigating
Africa’s image problem in their continents of domicile. Closely related to
this, is the need for the Diaspora to be the instrument in building
international support for Africa…”
3. “…no society can attain development without the accumulation of a
scientific and technological body of knowledge. Africa would rely on the
Diaspora for technological research and development…”
4. “…with the transformation of Africa’s democratic institutions, and
with improved transparency and economic productivity, Africa is becoming a
major investment destination. Indeed, the ground is fertile, Africans in
the Diaspora, no doubt, will be key in instilling best business practices
in all of our burgeoning economies…”
5. “…Building a nation or a continent is a challenging and time
consuming task. Yet, it can be done through the cumulative, consistent
efforts of all stakeholders. We must begin by building bridges to Africans
wherever they may be in order to foster our bond of unity and complement
domestic efforts…”
So why is the Eritrean Diaspora being targeted by the UN for doing exactly
what the Nigerian Ambassador called for just a few months ago? Why is the
UN being used to violate the rights of the Eritrean people to development
their country, to fulfill their dreams and aspirations? Why are the rights
of the Eritrean people being subordinated in order to appease a war
mongering belligerent minority regime in Ethiopia who has already
destabilized each and every nation in the Horn? When is the UN Security
Council going to shoulder its moral and legal obligations under the UN
Charter and stop becoming a tool for the suppression of the rights of the
Eritrean people in Eritrea and in the Diaspora?
As for IGAD, it has been manipulated by the region in Ethiopia and no
longer functions as an independent entity. It has, unfortunately become an
extension of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and has greatly undermined its
credibility and integrity. As a regional organization, it has failed to
stand up to the guiding principles and goals, which were to:
[] “…Promote joint development strategies and gradually harmonize
macro-economic policies and programmes in the social, technological and
scientific fields…”
[] “…Harmonize policies with regard to trade, customs, transport,
communications, agriculture, and natural resources, and promote free
movement of goods, services, and people within the region…”
[] “…Create an enabling environment for foreign, cross-border and
domestic trade and investment…”
[] “…Achieve regional food security and encourage and assist
efforts of Member States to collectively combat drought and other natural
and man-made disasters and their natural consequences…”
[] “…Initiate and promote programmes and projects to achieve
regional food security and sustainable development of natural resources and
environment protection, and encourage and assist efforts of Member States
to collectively combat drought and other natural and man-made disasters and
their consequences…”
So how can an organization that purports to support the development of its
member states and one that calls for cooperation between them call for
sanctions and strangulation of Eritrea’s economy? Instead of promoting
trade, it is working to stifle it. Instead of enabling foreign investment,
it is calling for a ban on investment in Eritrea, instead of achieving food
security, it is attempting to starve the Eritrean people, instead of
promoting sustainable development, and it is promoting war, invasions and
occupations of sovereign states.
Sadly, IGAD has been reduced to an instrument of war and destruction. It
has been used by Ethiopia and its handlers as a tool to suppress the rights
of the people in the region and to advance illegal, illicit and down right
criminal adventures in the Horn region. It does not represent the dreams
and aspirations of the people of the region and has instead being used to
kill, the people and their dreams to live in peace and security within
their own internationally recognized borders.
The UN Security Council must reject Ethiopia’s manipulation of IGAD and the
African Union, the regional African organizations, and call for respect for
international law and the UN Charter. It must investigate the erroneous
fabrications and allegations that have been presented by Ethiopia and its
handlers and reject any calls for further injustices against the State of
Eritrea and its people. Crimes against the State of Eritrea using the
Security Council as a cover should not be allowed.
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Received on Mon Dec 05 2011 - 10:24:10 EST