Network of Eritreans for Constitutional Governance (NECG)

ERITREA Is Suffering and EU Is Perpetuating It

Commentary
Berhane M Tekeste
24 April 2009

EU overtly perpetuating the suffering of the people of Eritrea by standing by the tyrannical perpetrator of the suffering: Tyrant Isias Afewarki.

The people and country of Eritrea didn't get what they unconditionally fought for but what they dreaded most: Arrant and barefaced tyrannical oppression.

Indeed, the sovereign nation of Eritrea is suffering and the EU (European Union) is overtly perpetuating it by standing by the perpetrator of Eritrea's suffering, tyrant Isias Afewarki, as expressed by EU's most recent decision, 1 April 2009, to perpetuate Eritrea's suffering with yet another series of millions of Euros (122 million) unqualified grant under the pretext of 'development aid'.

First up and by way of a humble pointer, allow me to submit that unlike Humanitarian aid which is an emergency assistance designed to alleviate suffering in the short term, Development aid (the issue at hand) is assistance aimed at alleviating poverty in the long term. EU development aid to Eritrea , therefore, is not a make-or-break or a now-or-never deal. So, what is the rush? Why the urgency? If the EU were sincere about "gravely deploring The continued detention without trial or visitation rights of prisoners of conscience, the absence of a free press, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and violations of religious freedoms and the non-implementation of key provisions of the Eritrean Constitution..and believes that Eritrea will only make significant strides towards economic and social development when there is improvement in this situation.", then why not take care of this situation first or make the aid contingent on expressed assurances towards change for the better? Development aid could be withheld for a limited period of time without any immediate adverse effects and can also be used effectively as leverage to call tyranny to order? But the EU is not about calling tyranny to order but making tyranny bearable by blunting its cruel effects, hence perpetuating it.

Continuing on the above, pressured by loud and mounting criticism of its 122 million decision, the EU last week shifted its political gear to the 'defensive position' by issuing a totally defensive manifesto in a Q&A format, EU relations with Eritrea - FAQ (April 2009), not to score points but to prevent critics from gaining an advantage. However, the manifesto, as we shall see below, raised more questions than answers.

The unwritten theme of the manifesto is 'EU is doing it for you the people of Eritrea'! Nothing wrong with that except the EU is doing it for tyranny too! Such unqualified development aid neither ends nor even threatens the tyrannical oppression in Eritrea. To the contrary, such aid bolsters the authority of the perpetrator of the tyranny for it bestows upon it the appearance of legitimacy and makes its life easier, for, the eventual outcome of such development aid not only blunts its cruel effects but also inevitably guts any resistance and opposition to tyranny!

In the prelude section of the manifesto, the EU points at the 2001 as the year “The government launched a post-war recovery programme”. That might serve EU's purpose, but we Eritreans remember the year 2001 for being the year when Democracy and Human Rights were killed and buried then and there and when tyranny officially befell our country. 2001 was the year when planned elections were militarily aborted, when justice, civil liberties, free press, freedom of religion, were negated, and when parliamentarians and journalist were detained without trial.

In the manifesto, what is interesting is that the EU bemoans, among other things, “the non-implementation of key provisions of the Eritrean Constitution”. How does one invoke articles of a constitution that is not in effect, has long been officially dismissed into oblivion as a 'piece of paper' and a constitution that is not and has never been the law of the land ever? Bizarre? Who is kidding whom here?

Further, in the manifesto, the EU treats Eritrea as if it were a no man's land where the EU can march in loaded with 122 million Euors does what it wants under its own control because the EU never mentions the involvement and the requisite expressed consent and approval of the tyrannical authority of the land for every thing the EU undertakes in Eritrea? Again, who is kidding whom here?

In the manifesto, the EU would also like the world to believe that it can sweet-talk tyranny into committing political suicide on a broad daylight via sheer inconsequential dialogue hence the need for the development aid as a door opener? One last time, who is kidding whom here?

Is the EU granting 122 million Euros to Eritrea out of altruism or charitable act? What does the EU get out of it? The answer is obvious, but I am going to let you guess. Well, may be not. By its own admission, EU needs tyrant Afewarki's assistance in realizing its so-important strategic interests in the Horn of Africa!

For the love of humanity, EU do the right thing. Putting the people of Eritrea into a situation where they have to continue suffering under tyrannical oppression for fear of loosing advantageous development aid is the wrong way, indeed the very wrong way to go, for, regret to say this again, its smacks of return to fascistic policy. EU, use your money as leverage to end Eritrea's suffering; there's no reason why your strategic interest should be fazed by this the right action. Tyranny is crime against humanity that shouldn't let stand even for one day.

Every day the EU helps tyranny to persist is one more day of suffering for Eritrea and yet another day of reckoning with history.

መርበብ ኤርትርያውያን ንቅዋማዊ መንግስቲ (ኤንቅመ)