Author: eradmin

The Eritrean Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa and Southern African countries, Mr. Saleh Omar conducted seminar to nationals residing in Johannesburg and its environs.

At the seminar, Ambassador Saleh gave extensive briefing on the objective situation in the homeland and the region.

Indicating that the Eritrean Government is tirelessly working for mutual peace, cooperation and development in the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Saleh said that despite all the challenges Eritrea will emerge victorious in all its efforts.

Ambassador Saleh went on to say that the colorful celebrations the Eritrean people all over the world conducted in connection with the 30th Independence Day anniversary attest to their unity and love of country and called for its sustainability.

The celebrations have also significant contribution in portraying the true image of Eritrea and in exposing the lies and defamations being perpetrated against Eritrea, Ambassador Saleh added.

Ambassador Saleh Omar also gave answers to questions raised by the participants.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

The U.S. has condemned Nigeria’s continuing ban of Twitter in the country, saying the action “has no place in a democracy.”

“Freedom of expression and access to information both online and offline are foundational to prosperous and secure democratic societies,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday in a statement calling for the African nation to reverse its Twitter suspension.

He said the U.S. “condemns the ongoing suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government and subsequent threats to arrest and prosecute Nigerians who use Twitter. The United States is likewise concerned that the Nigerian National Broadcasting Commission ordered all television and radio broadcasters to cease using Twitter.”

The U.S. had joined the European Union, Britain, Ireland and Canada last weekend in criticizing the Nigerian action. The Abuja government indefinitely banned Twitter after the U.S. social media company deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari’s account for violating its rules.

Tweet about unrest

Buhari’s tweet referred to the country’s civil war four decades ago in a warning about recent unrest, referring to “those misbehaving” in violence in the southeastern part of the country. Officials there blame the prohibited separatist group IPOB for attacks on police and election offices.

“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” the president had posted on Twitter.

Buhari’s office denied the Twitter suspension was a response to the removal of that post.

“There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real-world violent consequences,” presidency spokesperson Garba Shehu said in a statement.

Shehu said the removal of Buhari’s tweet was “disappointing” and that “major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities.”

Twitter said it was working to restore the social media network in Nigeria, but government officials warned they would prosecute violators.

Source: Voice of America

Sudanese protesters burned tires in part of the capital, Khartoum, Wednesday night, after the government lifted all subsidies on gasoline and diesel.

Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim announced Tuesday that prices will be determined by the cost of importing and transporting gas and diesel, along with taxes and profit margins.

The new fuel prices are in line with import costs, said a Finance Ministry statement.

Under the new pricing system, fuel will increase from about 35 cents to nearly 70 cents per liter, while the price of diesel will more than double.

Sudan has been moving to implement financial reforms monitored by the International Monetary Fund in hopes of turning around its economy and attracting foreign financing.

Freelance reporter Amira Saleh said the higher prices will negatively affect her work and family.

“The salary of an ordinary Sudanese employee is not enough to cover all the needs and therefore, with this increase on fuel, the situation is going to be worse,” Saleh told VOA’s “South Sudan in Focus” show.

Amu Adil, who works as an electronic technician in Khartoum’s Jabra neighborhood, said the fuel price hike will lead to higher prices for other basic commodities, which will make life difficult for ordinary citizens.

“Fuel is connected to all sorts of lives. Traders will charge any single cost of transportation they paid during the process of transporting goods. They will be forced to put that cost on the commodities and ordinary [citizens] will be the ones paying for the cost,” Adil told “South Sudan in Focus.”

Hajir al-Sir al-Awad, a third-year business administration student at the International University of Africa in Khartoum, said that lifting fuel subsidies at a time when the country faces serious economic challenges is a bad decision.

“Whenever there is an increase on the fuel, the public transport fees will be increased as well. Not only this, but I expect everything to increase. The decision will definitely affect me as a student and my family. They will be forced to look for other sources of income to allow me go to college,” he said.

The government will continue to subsidize cooking gas or furnace oil, and wheat this year, although there are frequent shortages of those commodities.

Source: Voice of America

Somalia’s Ministry of Information has denied reports that Somali troops were trained in Eritrea and fought in Ethiopia’s war in Tigray. The rejection came as parents of allegedly missing troops held another protest demanding to know their whereabouts.

The federal government of Somalia has strongly rejected a report by the U.N. Human Rights Council this week that said thousands of Somali troops have taken part in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict.

Speaking at a news briefing Thursday, Minister for Information Osman Dubbe said there are no Somali troops inside the troubled region.

He said there are no Somali troops fighting in Ethiopia nor in the northern region of Tigray or in the ancient city of Axum.

Some parents of soldiers in the Somali army say their sons are missing, and have demonstrated in Mogadishu, demanding answers and vowing they will continue to protest until the president speaks up.

One parent of a soldier said the government took their children to Eritrea to take part in the fighting in the Tigray region. He said if the government does not bring them back home, parents will continue their demonstrations in the city and close down major roads.

According to political analyst Mohamed Dahir, the government and opposition are trying to divert the public’s attention from key issues ahead of upcoming elections.

“All these circumstances of claims and counterclaims, it is important to mention that important service delivery to the Somali population are being missed. It is just a way of creating confusion, also the government not substantiating its claims about the troops and not providing either independent media or the Somali media with spaces,” he said.

Somalia is scheduled to hold its already-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections before August.

Source: Voice of America