From Tesfahannes Beyene
London 28/07/2012
In 2009, the UN passed Resolution 1907 against Eritrea which imposes an arms embargo. The resolution was passed as the UN wrongly believed that Eritrea is aiding Al Shebaab. Again a Second UN Resolution (2023) was passed in December 2011 because the Monitoring Group recommended further sanction to be taken against Eritrea. The main objectives of the Two Resolution was to weaken Eritrea economically and politically at the behest of Ethiopia. This is despite Ethiopia's relentless attempt in using UN Institutions to destabilise Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's violation of international Law in continuously occupying sovereign Eritrean territory, and despite EthiopiaÕ provocative act in violating Eritrea territory twice this year at the watchful eye of the UN Security Council and the Monitoring Group. Frankly the action taken by the UN Security Council and the Monitoring Group is very biased against Eritrea. They will not achieve their goals because Eritreans all over the world are going to rally behind their government and people to defend Ethiopia's evil intentions to disrupt Eritrea's development programme and stability using the first and Second UN resolutions.
There is no doubt, the Second UN resolution against Eritrea was exacerbated by the Somali Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) who created perfect storm by deliberately leaking their speculative report in advance before the actual release date. Their report was collated from fallible source and discontented people whose aim is to drag Eritrea into the cycle of poverty. To the Monitoring Group the garbled information they gathered from unreliable sources helped them to boost their performance - without any credible evidence provided to the out side World. To Ethiopia and the rest of IGAD members (Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, the Transitional Government of Somalia) the USA, the SEMG advance report gave them the perfect opportunity to launch their assault on Eritrea. It was like their dream came true as it helped them to sway the Security CouncilÕ position to inflict more sanctions on Eritrea. It gave them the perfect momentum they were looking for. Even for the hungry mass media there was something to say about the Monitoring Groups Report. For instance one of Al-Jazeera news readers commented by saying "that there is an explosive situation looming in the Horn of Africa as Eritrea has been alleged to have been involved in supporting Al Shebaab with military hard ware that could worsen the fragile situation in the Horn of Africa" To me it was not an explosive situation, there will never be an explosive situation, it was simply a false allegation caused by total dramatization or misrepresentation of facts on the ground.
In other wards the repeated false allegation, the total dramatization of events, the diplomatic bulling that Eritrea is facing from the UN Monitoring Group and the UN Security Council Resolutions are purely to provide a perfect diversion or diplomatic cover for Ethiopia's undeclared war against Eritrea.
It is not only that the Somali Eritrea Monitoring Group was heavily influenced by Ethiopia and the USA as they had to spice up their report in a sensational way digging for negative news to frame Eritrea as a source of destabilization in the Horn of Africa. In addition the Monitoring group did not approached the Horn of Africa issue from an objective point of view, Instead from a narrow point of emotion and hysteria to keep the Eritrea issue alive to satisfy Eritrea's enemies in newspapers headline. Thus they were not impartial as they did not plan the issue with due care and attention, their analysis was vague and speculative, their eagerly awaited report lacked credibility, further more they were suppose to establish the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, with great vigour, accuracy and forward looking Ðbut they failed miserably as their report was short-sighted.
In addition they could have planned their work in a constructive way rather than in a vulgar and destructive mode. It looked as though they were so eager to keep their job alive by exaggerating their report in order to impress the Security Council to enforce more sanction on the people and government of Eritrea. The idea behind all the rhetoric for anti Eritrean sanction was for the enemies of Eritrea to built up pressure after pressure, case after case, and then to call upon their masters to pass a resolution at the Security Council for some kind of intervention. If this was their motives then - they have clearly failed. To me the Monitoring Group had its hidden agenda to bash Eritrea at every corner of of the UN Institutions by providing false image on Eritrea. Another example is that, Babatunde Taiwo (Nigerian) an arms group expert with the Monitoring Group can write good stores as he has good command of English, but not impartial enough for the role he was given. The reason I say this is prior to his post as a UN Monitoring Group Expert, I worked with him in London with Refugee Children. His personal view of the outside world is simply black and white, nothing in the middle. His views are that of an extreme right wing - a Reganite, who would advocate with out any hesitation "lets bomb Russia" kind off attitude, without taking into consideration or evaluation of any situation on the consequence that may ensue from such action. He worships politicians like the former Secretary of State during the Bush administration (Condeelizza Rice) who once suggested Palestinians can go and live in Argentina/Chile in order to leave their land for the Israeli establishment. In few words he is not a pragmatist who would advocate caution. Honestly, myself and many other colleagues were perplexed to learn when he told us he was appointed as a member of the Monitoring Group for Eritrea and Somalia.
In the meantime while he was working in London he was receiving faxes from his contacts containing about his new work with the UN. From that point in time we were convinced that the guy was gathering information for his superiors. In addition, before his departure to New York, Nairobi, Somalia he called me to say that he wanted to interview me about Eritrea. My answer to him was, he is welcome. Soon afterwards he informed me that, he is going to America within days- so I suggested to him to get in touch with an Eritrean colleague and expert on Eritrean issues whose name is Sophia Tesfamariam. Without any hesitation he said to me "I know that woman". His personal views and reaction was a clear indication that he was not interested in any positive news about Eritrea. All of this were happening by the end of 2010 and Mr Taiwo officially left working with Refugee children in London in order to work for the UN in New York. After arriving in New York as an expert on Arms Monitoring he sent me several emails detailing his desire to come back to London for a short period to meet Eritreans and his emails were as follows - to find out how the Eritrean Government work at home and abroad? Information on reports of strong link with Iran, links with Eastern European countries, Eritrean officials doing business in Italy and an insight into Eritrean diaspora. Ask your self why do this member of the Monitoring Group want to know what Eritrea does with Iran, Italy,or its diaspora? This is purely Eritrean affair and it concerns the government of Eritrea and its people alone and no one else. Eritrea is an independent sovereign country and she can do what she wants to do with other countries.
What is more intriguing was that, he even asked me about two Eritrean individuals, whose names are Col Teame Goitom (AKA. Mekele) and Col Fitsum Issak (AKA. Lenin) who must have arrived in the UK London to apply for human protection. It is not surprising therefore the Monitoring Group was particularly interested for belligerent information about Eritrea in order to strengthen its argument for more sanction to be taken against her. At this stage I told him that he needed to approach the Eritrean Ambassador in London. Thus after short stay in America Mr Taiwo came back to London briefly to meet obviously ÐEritreans or enemies of Eritrea, but did not want to meet me. Instead it looks like he probably met some Eritreans who would have given him the information that he wanted to hear.
Far away from Eritrea, Mr B Taiwao has also made false allegation against a Kenyan Member of Parliament (MP) called Amina Abdullah in which he alleged that she helped funding Al Shebaab Terrorists when the MP genuinely made financial contribution to the construction of her mosque. She was aghast to learn that Mr Taiwo has published a story that he gathered through a person of questionable character to blackmail her. She added his report was completely misleading. In fact we have seen the shameful report that he wrote about the Kenyan MP and on Eritrea. Therefore one can easily establish that the Monitoring Group were eager to sex up their report than establish facts on the ground. For these reasons their report at the time was not impartial, they exaggerated their report to please Ethiopia and its allies. As far as I am concerned the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group have not done their job thoroughly hence they are not fit for a purpose, and their findings are more of a fiction than facts - therefore good for nothing, no wonder the Eritrean government called for its disbandment. Their report was compiled for the pleasure of Ethiopia and contained nothing more of substance than invented scenarios to black mail Eritrea. Such unrepresented report of the, Group can only increase unnecessary frictions in the Horn of African countries while at the same time undermine the Monitoring Group research for its anti Eritrean campaign to frame Eritrea for more sanction at the UN.
Nonetheless the Security Council believing the unbelievable report compiled by the UN investigator (Matt Bryden) and his group Ðinvited IGAD countries to give evidence against Eritrea at the UN in New York in December 2011. Meanwhile the Government of Eritrea was denied its right to defend itself by the American administration. But after so much pressure from the Security Council members the US representative at the UN said she would give the Eritrea government few days to come to New York to defend itself. In any case few days were not enough for the Eritrea president to come all the way from Eritrea to New York. It looked pretty obvious or a forgone conclusion that the sanction plotted against Eritrea were to be passed. After all Susan Rice the American Ambassador at the UN was not keen for Eritrea to give its account of the accusation in the first place. So the fire starters in the Horn, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda led mainly by Ethiopia were given the platform to raise more allegation on Eritrea. The first to speak at the UN was the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ethiopia who advocated for more severe sanction on Eritrea.
The Ethiopian Deputy Foreign Minister's dream was to cripple Eritrea economically and politically by introducing draconian, inhumane, reckless UN Security Council resolutions. He recommended to the Security Council to stop the 2% diaspora tax from being sent to Eritrea, to stop revenue from mining and extraction industries to be subject to sanction etc. Ethiopia's intentions were obvious - to deprive or prevent Eritrean Government from having access to these funds. It was an outrageous proposal planned by Ethiopia and its sympathizer to deliberately strangle Eritrea's economy. Even some Ethiopians were appalled to learn Melese's reckless aims was to bring EritreaÕ fast development programmes to a halt. It was a desperate attempt, by a desperate Government, to slow down Eritrea's economy at any cost by associating Eritrea with terrorism in the Horn of Africa. To Eritreans this is not new, Ethiopia the gang leader of the anti Eritrea sanction has been plotting the sanction issue for years. So for the second round of Sanction on Eritrea - Ethiopia has asked Nigeria the most corrupted country in Africa and Gabon another Banana republic in West Africa, who had no knowledge of the region, no understanding of the intrigues of politics - volunteered to sponsor resolution 2023 against Eritrea. Not surprisingly it was passed. What need to be realized here is that, like the Iranian nuclear programme any plot against Eritrea will not succeed and its development programs are unstoppable.
What is even more astonishing is, the Diaspora Tax raised by Ethiopia at the Security Council was also raised by Dr/Professor Gaim Kibrab in An Upper Tribunal in London. Dr G. Kibrab presented himself as an Expert witness on Eritrea against the Government of Eritrea in defending failed Eritrean Asylum seeker in British court, which was heard at Field House on 25 February 2011. Professor G Kibrab said Eritreans face Diaspora tax here in the UK by the Eritrean government plus his argument was that, failed Eritrean asylum seekers should not be returned to Eritrea as their lives would be in danger. Well what need to be recollected hear is that, the UN, other governments or individual Eritreans do not have the ability to tell Eritreans what they should and should not do to support their country - be it financially in the form of development programmes/ politically, or the the collection of the so called diaspora tax. Practically I can not see how any other Governments can enforce it. The government of Eritrea and its diaspora alone can enforce, modify, simplify any law concerning Eritreans inside or outside the country when they ask for councillor services at Eritrean Embassies around the World. The writer will give his personal view on the diaspora tax in his future essays taking into consideration how Eritreans in the UK mange their life styles? and how the diaspora Tax should be reformed in a simplistic way?
So due to the Eritrea Somalia Monitoring Groups and Ethiopia ultimate objective to destroy Eritrea by all means, the 2% diaspora tax has been raised in Addis, New York, London by Dr/Professor Gaim and in other countries by opponents of the Eritrean Government. However, to the disappointment of Ethiopia and its sympathizers, common sense prevailed - as the Security Council ignored the campaign brought by IGAD countries to stop the diaspora tax reaching Eritrea. Hence the original proposal proposed by Ethiopia and its allies failed to materialize and sent shock wave of desperation among the enemies of Eritrea, that their dreams were shattered, their expectation was crushed, their future plot was given a decisive blow, and their blood pressure must have gone up. Simply because their argument was based on fabrication of lies. Faced with the unsubstantiated report of the Monitoring group, IGAD countries fantasy politics led by Ethiopia- dismally failed to achieve its objectives. The end result was that, the enemies of Eritrea must have spat lava and ash in anger, like a ferocious volcano as a sign of their failure to impose harsher sanctions on Eritrea.
As an alternative to the harsher sanctions, the Security Council passed watered down resolution of 2023 and did not impose the ban of 2% diaspora tax. Instead it simply said "Eritrea shall cease using extortion threats or violence, fraud and other illicit means to collect taxes outside Eritrea from its nationals or other individuals of Eritrean descent". As for the mining Industries, they were told to be vigil that, the money Eritrean government is receiving from its Gold Mines is used for development purposes only. Naturally the resolution against Eritrea is unsatisfying, but harmless. Though the sanctions are lenient this does not mean Eritreans should feel tranquil when Eritrea is under attack diplomatically and the psychological war that are directed against her on a daily basis. Eritreans all over the world will work day and night to clear Eritrea's name until the illegal and unjust resolutions are annulled. At the same time a lot of efforts will be done to expose the continuous accusation that IGAD (Inter Governmental agency For Development) countries lead by Ethiopia are presenting against the government of Eritrea.
One may ask why are IGAD countries supported by the Monitoring Group so eager to take on Eritrea to be punished by the UN Security council? Or why are they plotting against fellow African nation so viscously? The answer is simple, IGAD countries are subservient to other powers than to the people of Africa, they are doing it purely for political posturing to appease to their superiors to let them know that they will be available at a short notice to do business with them. Even, if it means at the expense of any African country - so long as their political manoeuvrings, is given diplomatic cover at the UN Security Council. Thus the politics of IGAD countries is very clear to any one, that they are willing to intervene in other African countries to please their foreign masters. .
That is why the Kenyan Government using false information from Ethiopia and from the Monitoring Group's anti Eritrean report, jumped on the band wagon to use the Eritrean card as pretext to invade Somali towns to achieve their objectives. To do this the Kenyan Government came up with an elaborate invention of breath taking story. Unashamedly the Kenyan government said Eritrea has landed three plane loads of ammunition at the Somali town of Baidowa. Such a false claim was so scandalous that it could not be proven in the eyes of the law. The Monitoring Group knows that, the UN Security Council Knows that it was not true, and one wonders why the Kenyan government came up with such unbelievable story. Do we take it then that the Kenyan Minster who manufactured such a sensational story, knew the geography in which he is living? Or is he implying that any country can cross the frontiers of other countries without prior arranged agreement? or was he nave or politically ignorant to invent such a story and make a fool of himself? Whichever way you look at it the false information administered by Kenya, that Eritrea landed its planes loaded with weapons for Al shebaab in the Somali town of Baidowa was complete fabrication, beyond any one's belief - the Kenyan minister must be living in a cloud cuckoo Land.
As you can see from the Horn of Africa map above, how is it possible that Eritrean Planes can violate the Air Space of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, while the American and French radar are stationed in Djibouti? Or could it be that the Kenyan government may have thought Eritrea have use Egypt Air to smuggle weapons to Somalia, or do the Kenyan government believe that the Eritrean Air force have air to air fuelling stealth planes that can reach Somalia. By what ever angles you look at it, it was an utter lie, it was purely political misinformation at its highest level. Or could it be the Kenyan Ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa suddenly waken up from his dreams to invent such a stunning news flash, or may be he may have mistaken Ethiopian war planes in Baidowa for Eritrean planes. It was quite an astonishing story that cannot hold any water. The Kenyan government made fundamental political blunder to accuse Eritrea in order to attack Somalia and to satisfy Ethiopia.
For this reason I would like to remind the Monitoring Group, the Ethiopian regime, the Kenyan governments what Joseph Goebbels a German politician and Reich minister of propaganda in Nazi Germany said "if you tell a lie big enough and keep on repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." For Ethiopia and Kenya and the Monitoring Group, the lie they preached against Eritrea worked for them for the first and second sanction, but it will not work for the third time.
Simply because the mortal enemy of a lie is the truth and the truth is slowly coming out in the open as the UN can not find any smoking gun against Eritrea. I hope they will come into their sense, that Eritrea was not involved in supporting or financing Al Shabaab - because there is no any shred of evidence to prove it. In fact Eritrea has now been vindicated by the UN and the Monitoring Group has reluctantly admitted that Eritrea did not support Alshebab and it is hoped the matter will now be closed once and for all to clear Eritrea of any wrong doing in the Horn of Africa. All the same, the Monitoring Group, IGAD countries led by Ethiopia will not sleep as they are capable of inventing more anti Eritrean rhetoric so long as they get green light from their masters. As for Goebbels, and his heinous propaganda tactics imploded on him and he was forced into hiding which lead him to commit suicide with the rest of his family. Sooner or later those governments who are trying to misrepresent Eritrea's work in the Horn by trying to associate her with terrorism and instability in the Horn of Africa will meet the same faith as Goebbels Ðthat sooner or later they will face mass political suicide for their evil intention to harm the people of the area especially Eritrea.
It is pretty obvious the Kenyan government made false allegation against Eritrea and yet the Security Council and the Monitoring Group gave them tacit agreement to do what ever they want to do in Somalia. Immediately afterwords they swiftly moved to invade Somalia. Kenya has now occupied parts of Somalia along its eastern border into towns like Ras Kamboni, Liboi, Dohbley, Afmadow (Horn of Africa map the Independent Newspaper, Thursday 15th December 2011). Its ultimate objectives was to occupy Kismayo by depriving Al shabaab of their main base.
Ethiopia on the other hand jealous by Kenya's move into Somalia has for the second time intruded into Somali territory with its huge arsenal by occupying, Beled, Hawo/Baidoa. The Two armies have now encircled the Islamic fighters from the North and the transitional government supported by British troops from around Mogadishu have now- denied Alshebab the oxygen of publicity from the towns they had under their control. Thus when Kenya unilaterally invaded Somalia, the UN Security Council passed a resolution allowing Kenyan troops to be considered part of the African Union. This means Al Shebaab will be weaken in the short term, but in the long term, they may employ effective guerilla warfare tactics to attack Ethiopian and Kenyan or British soldiers in order to bog them down for years to come. Moreover, Al Shabaab can potentially attract Al-QaÕda fighters from around the Horn plus world wide worriers of radical Islam who would be willing to sacrifice themselves to prove their point against any occupiers in Somalia.
As a result of foreign intervention in Somalia, the daily attack by American drones flying from their basis in Ethiopia, killing innocent Somalis- could in the end galvanise the divided clans against their common enemy. This was precisely what happened when Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006. Ethiopia and Kenya need to live in peace with their neighbours and Al Shebab should cease kidnapping innocent tourists and hijacking ships for ransom. That being the case, the invasion of the two countries against Somalia will have serious consequences for the economy and tourist industry of Ethiopia and Kenya. Al Shebaab will harass and eventually frustrate the invading armies using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
Such a device has now become so effective in Afghanistan that Americans and their allies will be pulling out of Afghanistan in December 2014 as their defeat appears to be imminent. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has so bankrupted America and its allies that they are pulling out, masquerading under the pretext of "gradual withdrawal" after the death of Bin Laden. This retreat will surely be deemed as a failure and it is likely that the Taliban will either take over Afghanistan or join the corrupt government of Karzai. The same may happen in Somalia as an Al Shebab spokesman has recently said that he will increase his guerilla warfare; attacking against the invading Ethiopian and Kenyan army in Baidowa. Therefore the Monitoring Group instead of harassing Eritrea on a daily basis, they should open their eyes and try to bring the Horn of Africa nations including Alshbab to play positive role to rebuild their shattered nations. If this did not happen the instability in the Horn of Africa will continue for many years to come.
As for the Second UN sanction against Eritrea where Kenya and Ethiopia has been involved directly or indirectly to enforce the sanction, it should now be declared null and void as Eritrea has been vindicated not to have being involved in Somalia and hope the illegal sanctions will be lifted. Nevertheless Ethiopia and its allies will not rest as they will cook up another story vilifying Eritrea, which I have no doubt will be supported and granted diplomatic cover in the interest of Ethiopia with the consent of the Monitoring Group. However, Eritrea will remain focused on its historic development programmes using its home grown technical skills to move forward. Of course, during its route to development Eritrea will face many obstacles fabricated by Ethiopia and its allies, as it faced during its fight to self-determination between 1961-1991, but in a free Eritrea in its beautiful naturally fortified mountains, determined population, correct foreign policy that benefits Eritrea, it will succeed as it has done so in the past. It should also be remember that the big beast of politics in the horn of Africa is Ethiopia, which has become an obstacle to peace in the region. Unsurprisingly, Ethiopia's resolute to inflict damage to Eritrea politically and diplomatically using the UN Security Council and the Monitoring Group will continue. To counter Ethiopia's diplomatic bullying, Eritrean diaspora are doubling their support financially and politically to their government and people. This is because the UN Security Council has unfairly passed two resolutions against Eritrea masterminded by the United States and Ethiopia. Nowadays the declining Superpower the USA seem to have little regard to countries like Eritrea. If the United States had some respect to the people of Eritrea they could have forced Ethiopia that survives on hand outs from the International community, to vacate sovereign Eritrean territory of Badme, but they are refusing to do so in violation of international Law. If this is the case, it is now up to us Eritreans to make the world aware of the unfairness of the UN resolution against Eritrea and Americas refusal to take any action for the belligerent attitude Ethiopia is taking against Eritrea.
There is no doubt Eritreans around the world are doing their level best to highlight the injustices of the Monitoring Group's biased report against Eritrea and the two UN resolutions imposed against Eritrea by demonstrating and protesting in America, Geneva, Brussels, London etc. As Eritreans, we are the ambassadors of our country and it is our moral duty to defend our country's interests at any time, place when Eritrea is under attack psychologically and diplomatically. Myself I have have now taken the initiative to expose the illegal and unjust sanctions by asking University of Oxford to invite President Isayas Afewerki of Eritrea to deliver a lecture on self-reliance, the geopolitical situation in the horn of Africa and the illegal and unjust sanctions against Eritrea. The answer from the University was swift and positive, they said that it would be a great honour to host the president of Eritrea, and any help I might give them to invite him would be deeply appreciated. His arrival in London would also be beneficial for the British public to hear the whole truth from the President himself. His speech would also facilitate in exposing the illegal and unjust sanctions toward Eritrea and the fiction Ethiopia is spreading against Eritrea.
Finally as can be seen from the above provided indelible evidence, the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group led by Matt Bryden seems determined to frame Eritrea at any cost with any subversive groups in the Horn of Africa. His last report failed to provide us with any meaningful evidence about Eritrea's involvement in helping Alshebab. Now the Alshebab issue has completely disappeared from the Ethiopian and American radar vis a vis Eritrea as their allegation was based on lies. So the Monitoring Group has to find an alternative sensational allegation against Eritrea to keep the momentum alive and to satisfy Ethiopia. This time with their forthcoming report the Monitoring Group has been very busy sensationalizing their story yet again to frame Eritrea by alleging that Eritrea did not comply with UN resolutions + their report will say that Eritrea is involved in supporting opposition groups in Ethiopia to destabilize the regime in Addis and providing military support to Bedouin gangs in the desert of Sinai and Palestinian militants in Gaza strip.
For the Monitoring Group there seems to be endless allegation against Eritrea. In their latest report which was meant to be kept confidential until all concerned bodies are informed was deliberately leaked before Eritrea was given a copy, by the man who was suppose to be on top of his work. This means Mathew Bryden has shot himself in the foot more than once, blowing up his cover in providing his report to Ethiopia and Journalists in Tel Aviv Israel in order to cause maximum damage to the people and Government of Eritrea. The Coordinator of the Monitoring Group is utterly incompetent, biased and finally exposed himself and his team that they are not fit to do the job they are doing. Among the recipients of his leaked report was Phoebe Greenwood, from Tel Aviv (Israel) who wrote in the Guardian 18th July 2012 page 18 entitled "Backers of Eritrean regime kidnap refugees." From the leaked report she received from Matt Bryden, she tells us that the Somali Eritrea Monitoring Group has uncovered trafficking highway from the highlands of Eritrea, through the refugee camps in Sudan to the desert of Sinai. She carries on to say that the highway has been used to smuggle Kalashnikov pattern assault rifles and propelled grenades in order to be sold for Palestinian militants in the Gazza strip and Bedouin gangs using these weapons for torture and starvation in order to extract money fro Eritrean diaspora and the exodus of asylum seekers from Eritrea can not happen without the collusion of Eritrean officials.
One thing that need to be remembered here is that why would the Eritrean government be involved in racketing and smuggling of its own people? why would Palestinian militants who have more money than the Government of Eritrea spent their money to buy old rusting rifles from individual Eritreans who may have taken few rifles to Sudan. Why are the Governments of Sudan, and Egypt harbour the smugglers or the Kidnappers- if this is happening under their watchful eye? Or put it differently could this rifles and ammunitions have come from Ethiopia who is trying its level best to destabilize Eritrea using people Like Matt Bryden. Matthew Bryden's story is complete bogus. Even an Israeli Government official Avi Granot head of African division in Israeli Foreign Minister denies any Knowledge of Eritrean arms entering Gazza or Sinai and all the Kidnapping, smuggling that Matthew is alleging against Eritrea is grossly exaggerated. In addition he says that he served in Ethiopia as an ambassador for 17 years and one thing that he said he learned from the region is that lying is a justified means to achieve greater opportunities. So Matt Bryden lives in the region Nairobi, he is married to a Somali land woman from the region, his head office is in the region (Nairobi), he is interfering in Somalia by advocating for the recognition of Somali land, ignoring the wishes of the people of Somalia, he is interfering in Kenya, he is deliberately trying to hook Eritrea as a terrorist nation, he is using lies and fabrication borrowed from his friend Meles Zenawi as a justified means to achieve his objectives. Therefore Matt Bryden and his Monitoring Group are a threat to the whole region especially to Eritrea what ever reputation he may have left are in shreds all over the News Papers and internet in Horn of Africa, his ability to investigate as an independent expert or to act as fact finding expert is in tatters, the man has nothing to present the world as a peace maker as his report are complete shambles, his group has used the Eritrean card to create massive drama out of no crisis. In short the guy is an emperor with out any clothing, therefore the sooner he goes the better including the whole of the Monitoring Group because they are not fit for a purpose.
For its part Eritrea has cooperated fully with the Monitoring Group and will cooperate with any one who comes as a partner with good intentions and constructive views - as Eritrea has nothing to hide. That is why the Second UN Resolution 2023 against Eritrea was watered down to almost harmless as Eritrea would not associate itself with terrorist organizations. The same will happen with the forthcoming report of the Monitoring Group because the latter can not provide us with any tangible evidence that Eritrea is involved in any sinister activities in Horn of Africa or in the deserts of Sinai. Finally, for the above mentioned reasons and for the deliberate intention of the Group to black male Eritrea, the Monitoring Group is intentionally fuelling fire among the nations of the Horn of Africa, they are not presenting themselves as part of the solution but rather they have become part of the problem - there fore Matt Bryden and his team should be fired once and for all to preserve the integrity and dignity of the Horn of African nations.
Part Six to follow ÐIGAD Leaders have they got any credibility left?