Security Council expands sanctions on Eritrea over support for armed groups
5 December 2011 -
The Security Council today placed additional sanctions on Eritrea for
continuing to provide support to armed groups seeking to destabilize Somalia
and other parts of the Horn of Africa, building on the arms and travel
embargoes it imposed exactly two years ago.
The new measures are contained in a resolution which received the support of
13 of the Council's 15 members. China and Russia abstained. It follows an
earlier meeting today at which the Council heard a briefing from the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The Council expressed its grave concern in the text that "Eritrea has
continued to provide political, financial, training and logistical support
to armed opposition groups, including Al-Shabaab, engaged in undermining
peace, security and stability in Somalia and the region."It also condemned
the planned terrorist attack of January 2011 to disrupt the African Union
summit in Addis Ababa, as expressed by the findings of the Somalia/Eritrea
Monitoring Group in July.
It also condemned the planned terrorist attack of January 2011 to disrupt
the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, as expressed by the findings of the
Somalia/Eritrea Monitoring Group in July.
The group found that the Eritrean Government "conceived, planned, organized
and directed a failed plot" to disrupt the summit by bombing a series of
civilian and governmental targets.
In December 2009, the Council adopted a resolution which imposed sanctions
on Eritrea for supporting insurgents trying to topple the government in
nearby Somalia. The measures included an arms embargo on Eritrea, travel
bans on the country's top political and military officials, and the freezing
of assets of some of its senior political and military officials.
By today's text, which was sponsored by Gabon and Nigeria, the Council
condemned Eritrea's violations of earlier resolutions.
It demanded that it "cease all direct or indirect efforts to destabilize
States," including through financial, military, intelligence and
non-military assistance, such as the provision of training centres and camps
for armed groups, passports, living expenses, or travel facilitation.
The Council also voiced concern at the potential use of the Eritrean mining
sector as a source of finance to destabilize the Horn of Africa. It decided
that States should take measures to ensure that their companies involved in
mining in Eritrea exercise "due diligence" so that funds derived from the
sector are not used to destabilize the region.
In addition, the Council called on Eritrea to engage constructively with
Djibouti to resolve their border dispute.
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Received on Mon Dec 05 2011 - 20:08:34 EST