Network of Eritreans for Constitutional Governance (NECG)

Eritrea Ruler Under Fire At African Union Ministerial Session

29 January 2010, Addis Ababa (PANA via Afrique en ligne)--The preparatory papers for the ministerial conference of the African Union (AU) which opened Thursday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, ahead of the summit of heads of state from 31 January to 2 February, have put UN-sanctioned Eritrea ruler Isias Afewarki under fire for his negative roles in Somalia and strained relations with neighbours Djibouti and Ethiopia.

In the paper, the AU Peace and Security Department said Asmara was the supplier of arms and ammunition to Somali armed groups which perpetrated deadly attacks against the African peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM).

The AU agreed the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council on Eritrea, through resolution 1907, adopted on 23 December, and expects the list of Eritrean officials affected by the sanctions to be made public, the document highlighted.

According to the paper, the AU peace and security council has also called on the Security Council to ensure that its request that some air, sea and land blockade be imposed on Eritrea be implemented to prevent the entry into Somalia of foreign elements and the provision of insurgents with means to continue their activities, the paper reads.

The AU had said that Eritrea displayed very bad faith in the quest for a negotiated settlement to the border dispute between it and Djibouti.

Eritrea did not positively react to repeated requests to withdraw its troops from Djibouti territory, the AU said, adding that the stand was illegal and endangered the overall stability of the region.

The Pan African organization also highlighted that Asmara refused to engage in direct dialogue with Djibouti, refusing to respond positively to efforts by sub-regional or regional organisations to ensure peace in the area.

While relative peace seemed to be in place with Ethiopia where massive troops have been deployed, Eritrea recently fell out with Sudan.

According to the paper, requests by the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the UN mediation committee to Eritrea to give peace a chance were rebuffed.

መርበብ ኤርትርያውያን ንቅዋማዊ መንግስቲ (ኤንቅመ)