From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed Dec 16 2009 - 10:09:59 EST
*http://www.xpats.com/news/talking-points/alone-against-the-world*
**
*In the preceding Think Tank article, we reported on a conference promoting
human rights that focused on the situation in Eritrea and in the Horn of
Africa. This week, Derek Blyth invited the Ambassador of Eritrea to the
European Union, Girma Asmerom, to respond to the allegations.
**Derek Blyth: You were not present at the conference on human rights in
Eritrea organized by Europe External Policy Advisors? Can you explain why?*
Girma Asmerom: That is a very good question. I did not attend for two
reasons. The first is that I requested a meeting with the Head of EEPA about
eight months ago to discuss the issue of Peace, Security and Development in
the Horn of Africa and she refused to meet me. So I started looking into
their activities and realized that they had compromised their neutrality by
advocating the misinformation agenda of some individuals who don’t have the
support of the Eritrean people, be it inside or outside the country. These
individuals who have established two- or three-man NGOs and civil societies
are mostly financed and handled by the regime in Ethiopia, which is today
occupying sovereign Eritrean territory in spite of the UN Security Council
endorsed Final and Binding Demarcation decision of the Eritrean Ethiopian
Border Commission (EEBC). So I didn’t want to dignify this event with my
presence. And, secondly, there are hundreds of NGOs in Brussels that hold
meetings. I can’t go to every one of them.
*DB: Present at the conference was a woman called Tsedal Yohannes, who
claimed that she hasn’t heard from her sister, Aster, since she was detained
by the police at the Asmara Airport in 2003. This looks like a serious
breach of human rights. Why can Tsedal Yohannes not see her sister?*
GA: This is a matter of national security. Every Country has its own
methodology of handling national security issues.
*DB: Will Tsedal ever see her sister?*
GA: Definitely. As soon as the legal process and investigation is completed.
*DB: The article states that you guaranteed Aster Yohannes safe passage
while you were ambassador in the US. Is that the case?*
GA: First it is absolutely pure fabrication. I never promised or gave a
guarantee of safe passage. Second no Ambassador in this world have the right
or the legal mandate to give a guarantee of safe passage to any of its
citizens to prevent them from being detained by their respective security
organs upon arrival at the port of entry. What I did was facilitate the
replacement of her revoked Eritrean Diplomatic Passport with regular
Eritrean Passport so that she can travel to any where she wants including
Eritrea. Moreover, nobody is detained in Eritrea for expressing his or her
opinion or for being related to individuals who are detained for security
reasons.
*DB: In the article, Eritrea is said to use forced labour. Can you comment
on this?*
GA: There is no way that Eritrean people are forced to work. There is a
system of national service in Eritrea, modeled on Switzerland, Israel and
other countries. The purpose is simple and straightforward. First, it is
meant to consolidate and develop social harmony and cohesion among the nine
ethnic groups. Eritrea is a nation with a population made up of 50% Muslims
and 50% Christians. Second, it is meant to maintain a small professional
army so that every able-bodied person is ready to defend the sovereignty of
the country. We should not forget Eritrea is located in a strategic and
volatile region. Last but not least, as a new emerging nation it is very
important for young people to fully participate in the nation-building
process, in particular in the area of infrastructure development. They are
actively engaged in road, dam, airport and seaport construction. This
investment that is taking place will benefit generations to come and is
essential to raise Eritrea out of poverty. Eritrea is endowed with different
mineral resources and agricultural products. This activity must be commended
and appreciated. It has nothing to do with forced labour. I don’t understand
why it is called forced labour. Aren’t the Americans and NATO soldiers
involved in infrastructural development activities in Iraq and Afghanistan?
What’s wrong with that?
*DB: The European Union is about to give €120 million in aid to Eritrea.
Some critics are concerned that this money will end up in the hands of
corrupt government officials.*
GA: It’s right and legitimate for the Europeans to ask where their money is
going. We are committed to using resources properly for the benefit of our
people. None of our leadership has a Swiss or New York bank account or
mansions in Paris, London and Brussels. The people of Europe can rest
assured that their money is spent wisely for the benefit of the Eritrean
people. The European Commission is also monitoring it properly.
*DB: There is also a growing concern among Europeans that we have spent
billions on aid over the past 60 years while the situation in Africa has
barely improved. What has gone wrong?
*
GA: You have raised a very good question. We believe that aid dependency has
to be cut. We in Eritrea have been arguing this long before it became
fashionable to do so. We believe in an internally-driven economic
development agenda. This effort and vision is already bearing fruit. Eritrea
is on track in six of the Millennium Development Goals. It will be
self-sufficient in food security within two years. We also realise that food
security is an issue of sovereignty. That’s why you will never see an
emaciated poster child in Eritrea.
*DB: Can you really break the culture of aid dependency?*
GA: There is a paradigm shift taking place in the world today. We have
investigated the food aid system to find out why it didn’t work. It makes
people lazy and demonises them. Therefore dependency on food aid has to
stop. Even development aid has to be used as a transitional process. That’s
why Eritrea is using the EU fund for Food security and Infrastructure
Development Projects.
*DB: Do you think your critics are wrong to condemn the regime?*
GA: People are starting to think the same way like us. When in 1993 our
president said that we want trade not aid, everyone was puzzled. Now
everyone is saying that. We are a new nation that is challenging the
traditional methodology of development and foreign aid. We are thinking out
of the box. We should be commended for thinking out of the box rather than
condemned. I hope everyone will visit Eritrea and make up their minds for
themselves.
*In our January 7 issue, Derek Blyth will interview Mirjam van Reisen,
director of EEPA, on the Eritrean situation.*
Source: The Bulletin
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