Day: January 28, 2023

NAIROBI — A senior U.S. official said Saturday that Eritrean troops are still in Ethiopia although they have moved back the border, contradicting Ethiopian authorities who say the Eritreans have already left.

Eritrean troops fought alongside the Ethiopian military and allied militias in the two-year conflict that pitted the Ethiopian government against rebellious forces in the northern region of Tigray.

In November, however, the Ethiopia government and the Tigray forces signed an agreement to end the hostilities. That agreement mandated the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Tigray.

“With respect to Eritreans we understand they have moved back to the border, and they have been asked to leave,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a news conference during a visit to the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

She did not provide any evidence or source for this assessment. Eritrea’s information minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

The Tigray war, which begun in November 2020, resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced millions to flee their homes. The possible continuing presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray thus has been seen as a key obstacle to effective implementation of the deal.

A senior Ethiopia military officer briefing foreign officials on Saturday denied there were any Eritrean troops in the country.

“There is no other security force in the Tigray region except the FDRE Defense Forces,” Major General Teshome Gemechu said, using an acronym for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

A spokesperson for the Tigrayan forces, Getachew Reda, dismissed claims that the Eritrean troops had left Tigray and said “thousands” were still there.

Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu, Redwan Hussein, national security advisor to the prime minister, and Colonel Getnet Adane, spokesperson to Ethiopian Army also did not respond to requests for comment on claims by Thomas-Greenfield and Getachew.

Source: Voice of America

Journalists who have visited Eritrea give their eyewitness account that the gap between Eritrea’s representation on mainstream western media and Eritrea’s objective reality on the ground is beyond human imagination. Last Wednesday, I got a bunch of newly downloaded videos, magazines and articles from Rora Digital Library. In between the lectures, debates and documentary films I was looking at, I was attracted by the title “Getty Images Photojournalist Jemal Countess- Eritrea Trip Photos”, a 36-minute video, an exclusive interview done by Hello Ethiopia TV show. In the interview, Jemal Countess, who has recently visited Eritrea, expresses his amusement, admiration, and feeling about the reality of Eritrea. I have felt the honest, confident and responsible journalist’s interview would be interesting for all truth loving and seeking people to see and have transcribed some of the contents of the interview for readers.

At ‘Hello Ethiopia’ TV show, the renowned Jemal Countess shared his recent and very poignant visit to Eritrea and exceptional photography and history from his trip. Here is the excerpt.

Salome: Hi Jemal, welcome back to our show. How was your trip to Eritrea?

Jemal: Eritrea was amazing, completely not what people hear; something diametrically opposite to all the opinions, “facts and propaganda” that I have heard about Eritrea. I have already known and felt in my heart that you need a kind of ‘take everything you hear from western media with a grain of salt.’ What I saw, what I experience personally was revealed through my travel and documentation. They have just shown me that we all need to take a step back and really assess what we have heard by western media not just about Eritrea but Africa in general.

I walked into probably one of the most beautiful countries that I have never seen and I walked into an environment where my protocol basically changed. I changed my personal protection protocol because just from experience in other places, I never carry my cell phone in my pence pocket, never carry my wallet in my pence pocket and never really walk with my camera out in my shoulder or around my neck. In the course of hours and few days every thing changed because I realized that I didn’t have to worry about these issues. I quite literally walked with my phone and wallet in my pence pocket in three different cities –Asmara, Keren and Massawa. I never felt any safety issue. The people are serious, focused and devoted. I think anybody who is serious about understanding the country that has stood its ground and refused to be swallowed up by western intimidation tactics should really visit the country. Seriously!

Salome: Why did you go to Eritrea?

Jemal: I wanted to look at Eritrea in terms of how it was affected by the war. I know there are stories that were not being told. So I needed to see Eritrea. The other aspect is the research that I did years ago on Christianity and Judaism and how they arrived in Africa. I’ve always heard the key to understanding these subjects deeply is Eritrea. Certain sites in Eritrea reveal very much about the natural transition from Judaism to Hebraic community in east Africa. That was the motivation for me going.

Salome: How did you find the locals, the people there?

Jemal: The people were incredible. I just saw a reverence and respect to elders. The social interaction between the elders, community and different people was totally different. I was not from there but at the same time they were treating me like I was from there. People judge you by your physical appearance that you are a foreigner. But at the same time if you walk in the environment with a matter of respect, a sincere respect for the environment and people, then things go well. I really want to see and know Eritrea from the realistic and human perspective, and that is exactly what I did.

Salome: What about the standard of the country?

Jemal: That was refreshing. I actually walk through the streets and I can give a litmus test of urban environment. I walk through all day and all night and look at how the city feels and what it does and how it responds. I took some long walk through different parts of Asmara and Massawa. It is a clean urban environment; it is a clean country. I was happy to see that you do not have abundance of empty water bottles that trash the street, no issues of sewage and plumbing. It was not an issue at all. Everything worked out fine.

Salome: Why do you think there is such a huge negative narrative when it comes to Eritrea?

Jemal: I have seen a lot of arm twisting from the west with African countries. In a nut shell it is like if you don’t do what I say I am going to demonize you… no body challenges western perspective. No body says no to the west. So things are perfect in [Eritrea.] From my perspective, I felt at ease and peace traveling between three cities. It was really refreshing. In the numerous conversations with people in all cities there was something genuine that put me at ease spiritually.

Salome: Where did you go in Eritrea?

Jemal: I started in Asmara, then I went to Keren, then to Adulis and Massawa and many places in between. I focused on the people, the architecture and archeological and sociological history. It was a beautiful journey going between all these locations.

Salome: What about the communication… did you get a chance to take some pictures?

Jemal: Let me tell you honesty. I live in Addis and free photography, a kind of reportage, social reportage is pretty difficult. There is time even when officials may stop you from shooting in Addis or question you when you do photography in Addis Ababa, especially street photography. I shot street photography in Asmara, Keren and Massawa pretty freely. Of course, you get a permit as a journalist to work and if you have paperwork the people leave you alone. Outside of that, the way people respond to camera is that they are shy to camera. By and large, I have no difficulty shooting in Eritrea. Everything is fine.

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The integrity, professional ethics and bravery to speak out the truth demonstrated by Photojournalist Jemal Countess deserves appreciation. His testament is a plus to the ongoing demystification of the country. Eritrea has been selectively targeted by western media for decades. The objective of the relentless vilification campaign is to force the country to abandon its independence and confidence. However, no amount of disinformation can subdue the truth permanently. Once more, the irreducible fact is that Eritrea is a peaceful, serene and clean country.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Editor’s note: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a short press briefing to local and international media on 27 January 2023 after his meeting with President Isaias Afwerki. Brief excerpts of his comments follow.

On bilateral ties and cooperation

With President Isaias Afwerki, we analyzed the state of bilateral relations, they are developing very intensely on a mutually beneficial basis. Its economy, of course, mining, information communication technologies, agriculture, infrastructure, the possibilities of important airport of Massawa, the availability of the Russian proposals to develop industries in Eritrea. All this is going to be the subject for regular consultations between the ministries of economy which we agreed to launch very soon and to make this consultations regular feature of our relations. We are ready to increase the number of scholarships which Eritreans receive every year from the Russian government.

On regional issues

We discussed African issues, especially from the point of view of resolving several conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

On the international system

Our main discussion was devoted to the radical changes in the international situation. We have consolidated our position in the United Nations on all the issues related to the key problems of the world, especially to the problems created by the collective west as it were against the Russian Federation and against any country which does not accept the claim of the US and its satellites to have hegemony on international economy, on international politics and to dictate its will to everybody in line with the famous concept of the “end of history” whereby liberal democracy is imposed on everybody like the final truth.

Our common position is promoted in the United Nations within the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, with both Eritrea and Russia, together with 20 other countries participants of the group of which the membership is growing. We will insist on everybody to respect the key principle of the UN which is “sovereign equality of states”. This principle is being grossly violated and disregarded by the US, NATO and the EU and this principle must be respected by them and we will insist on this.

On the global shift to multipolarity

The multipolar world is a reality, new centers of economic development, new centers of financial might and political influences are growing objectively. This is an objective process and terms which are being undertaken to stop this objective cause of history are doomed to failing and, of course, we would like to launch a dialogue on the issues which will help unite countries which are law abiding, which respect the UN Charter, and should be mobilized to defend international law, to defend the value of the UN – not somebody’s invented values which the West tries to impose on everybody else.

One of the important steps in this direction will be the second summit between Russia and Africa which is scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg, at the end of July this year. We hope that President Isaias Afwerki will be personally present at this important event.

Later Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his delegation visit Pushkin monument in Asmara and laid wreath of flowers in honor of him.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea