From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Dec 25 2009 - 07:01:37 EST
Eritrea describes UN sanctions as shameful
Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:01:06 GMT
Eritrea's ambassador to the UK has described UN imposed sanctions against
his country as "shameful", rejecting the allegations that Asmara aids
opposition forces in Somalia.
"Originally it was said we had soldiers and then later came military support
and now all of a sudden after certain discussions and opposition they
started to talk about political, military and logistical support,"
Tesfamichael Gerahtu told BBC.
"Now we are 100% sure that we have never, never, never supplied military
equipment or otherwise to the extremists in Somalia," said Gerahtu.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution on Wednesday imposing an
arms embargo, freezing assets belonging to Eritrea's political and military
leadership as well as implementing a travel ban on individuals in the
country.
Of the 15 member body of the UNSC, Libya voted against the resolution and
China refrained from voting.
"Eritrea's actions undermining peace and reconciliation in Somalia as well
as the dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea constitute a threat to peace and
international security," alleges the Ugandan-draft resolution obtained by
Reuters.
The resolution further demands that Eritrea resolve a border dispute with
Djibouti and "cease arming, training, and equipping armed groups and their
members including al-Shabab, that aim to destabilize the region. cease all
efforts to destabilize or overthrow, directly or indirectly" the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Somalia.
Eritrea blames the United States of instigating UNSC's sanctions.
In a recent correspondence sent this month to UNSC's chair, Eritrea's UN
ambassador Araya Desta charged the US of being "the main architect of this
resolution," which he said, "has no factual or legal justifications.
"The UN Security Council cannot penalize Eritrea for its views simply
because (Asmara) does not toe or conform to Washington's policy choices and
preferences," Desta wrote in the letter.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia with US tactical support in 2006, toppling the
ruling Islamic party and establishing the TFG. Violence has surged since the
invasion.
http://www.presstv.ir/photo/20091224/sadri20091224163856812.JPG
Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki
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