Category: Politics

GENEVA — The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that the whereabouts of thousands of Eritrean refugees remained unknown two weeks after their camp came under attack in Ethiopia’s northern Afar region.

Armed men entered the Barahle refugee camp on February 3, prompting 21,000 Eritrean inhabitants to flee for their lives. More than 4,000 trekked the long distance to Afar’s regional capital, Semera.

Upon arrival, the refugees told the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, that the armed intruders had stolen their belongings and occupied their homes. They reported at least five refugees had been killed and several women kidnapped.

UNHCR spokesman Boris Cheshirkov said family members lost one another in the chaos of fleeing the camp. He said thousands of Eritrean refugees were staying with host families but nothing was known about thousands of others who remained missing.

“Since mid-September when violence started to intensify in the area of the camp, we lost access and our staff had to pull back, which means we have not had precise information, including on these attacks … ,” Cheshirkov said. “We are extremely worried about those that are cut off from aid and have not been accounted for so far.”

Campsite being prepared

Cheshirkov said agencies were providing the refugees in Semera with shelter, relief items, food and clean water. He said protection desks had been set up to identify and assist the most vulnerable refugees, separated children and others with specific needs.

He said the government had identified a temporary campsite and preparations were being made to quickly relocate the refugees there.

“UNHCR remains extremely worried about the safety and well-being of thousands of Eritrean refugees caught up in the conflict,” Cheshirkov said. “We condemn the attack on the refugee camp and reiterate the call for cessation of hostilities to avoid further destruction and potential loss of life for refugees and Ethiopians alike.”

Ethiopian government forces invaded the northern province of Tigray to fight rebels in November 2020. The conflict has since spread to the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, wreaking havoc in those areas as well.

The UNHCR said there are also large numbers of internally displaced Ethiopians in the Afar region, including 300,000 uprooted by the recent fighting.

Source: Voice of America

At a congress conducted on 12 February, Eritrean youth residing in France expressed resolve to strengthen organizational capacity and participation in national affairs.

At the congress in which over 100 Eritrean youth representatives from the French cities of Paris, Nantes, Angers, Rennes, and Marseille took part the participants established ‘Warsay Youth’ organization”.

Explaining the role of the Eritrean youth in the armed struggle for independence and in safeguarding the national sovereignty as well as in the nation-building process, Mr. Bereket Paulos, Charge d’Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy, said the newly established ‘Warsay Youth’ organization is part of the endeavor to strengthen the organizational capacity of Eritrean Diaspora youth.

The head of Public and Community Affairs, Mr. Sileshi Idris gave briefing on the objective of the organization and its relationship with the Eritrean Embassy in France and with other national associations.

The participants on their part expressed readiness to strengthen capacity and participation in national affairs. They also elected a provisional executive committee.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Eritrean nationals in Khartoum and its environs as well as in Riyadh and its environs commemorated the 32nd anniversary of Operation Fenkil with patriotic zeal.

As part of the commemorative event, a football competition between various Eritrean community teams was organized by the Eritrean Embassy in the Republic of Sudan in cooperation with the Eritrean community in Khartoum.

Commending the youth for the competitiveness and discipline they demonstrated during the competition, Mr. Isa Ahmed Isa, Eritrean Ambassador to Sudan, expressed readiness for creating a conducive atmosphere for enabling the youth to develop their sports capacity.

Indicating that 392 sportsmen, coaches, and coordinators have been involved in the program, Mr. Yakob Tesfay, chairman of the ‘Eri-League’ Khartoum Federation, expressed appreciation to those that contributed to the success of the program.

Likewise, at a meeting the Eritrean nationals conducted in Khartoum, they expressed conviction to strengthen organization and participation in national affairs.

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Isa Ahmed Isa said that the secret for the success of Eritrea is the unity and strong organization of its people inside the country and abroad and called for reinforced effort for a better outcome.

In the same vein, Eritrean nationals in Riyadh and its environment commemorated the 32nd anniversary of Operation Fenkil under the theme “FENKIL: Embodiment of Heroism of Generations”.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

President Isaias Afwerki in the morning hours of today, 12 February laid wreath at the Twalet Martyrs Cemetery in tribute to the Eritrean heroes and heroines who paid ultimate price for the Eritrean Independence.

The event was attended by Ministers, Army Commanders, PFDJ officials as well as Massawa residents and other guests.

Meanwhile, the official ceremony of the commemoration of the 32nd anniversary commemoration of Operation Fenkil was conducted today 12 February under the theme “FENKIL: Embodiment of Heroism of Generations” in the presence of limited audience respecting the guidelines issued to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Asmeret Abraha, Governor of the Northern Red Sea Region, said that Operation Fenkil has been game changer in the Eritrean people’s struggle for the total liberation of the country.

Ms. Asmeret went on to say that the fact that the Operation Fenkil is commemorated every year with patriotic zeal attest to its deep meaning in the history of Eritrea.

Ms. Zeineb Omar, Chairperson of the Holidays Coordinating Committee in the region, on her part expressed appreciation to all that contributed to the colorful commemoration event.

The official ceremony staring from 4 PM was highlighted by naval parade as well as cultural and artistic performances depicting Operation Fenkil and was broadcast live through ERI-TV and Dimtsi Hafash.

The anniversary commemoration of Operation Fenkil will continue until tomorrow 13 February.

In the same vein, photo exhibition in connection with the 32nd anniversary commemoration of Operation Fenkil was opened by Gen. Flipos Woldeyohannes, Chief of Staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces.

The exhibition included the heroic feat the Eritrean liberation fighters demonstrated during the Operation Fenkil, life style of the people of the Northern Red Sea Region, agricultural activities as well as the rich marine and tourism resources.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

The National Council of Eritrean Americans (NCEA) strongly deplores the House Foreign Affairs Committee bill introduced by Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Young Kim (R-CA) concerning the war in Ethiopia.

The bill, “The Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace, and Democracy Act,” instead of bringing peace and stability, will only encourage the party that has been obstructing peace in the Horn of Africa for three decades to continue with its reckless and destructive adventures. It rewards the belligerent group, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, for dragging the region into mayhem.

The TPLF, designated a terrorist group by the Ethiopian Parliament, has time and again made its intentions for Eritrea very clear. It was harboring and training Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist elements to destabilize Eritrea. In fact, the late TPLF leader, Meles, openly told Karl Wycoff, President Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, that the TPLF had intentions of sending terrorist units into Eritrea, groups “that you [USA] don’t like.”

TPLF military as well as civilian leaders are also on the record stating that they don’t accept Eritrea’s internationally recognized borders and they want to build their Greater Republic of Tigray at the expense of the Red Sea territory. To this extent, TPLF had Illegally occupied sovereign Eritrean territory for nearly two decades.

When the TPLF attacked the Ethiopian Northern Command early in November 2020, Eritrea was on the receiving end of numerous missile attack launched by the group in what was widely condemned, including the previous US administration as an act of aggression designed to internationalize the conflict.

Eritrea, according to Article 51 of the UN Charter, is within its rights to defend itself. However, the Malinowski-Kim bill intends to deny the young African nation its fundamental right to self-defense. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Ethiopia made it clear on November 13, 2021, when it denounced the Biden Administration’s actions as interference in its internal affairs and amounted to infringing on its sovereign rights and had “never lodged any grievances to the international community regarding the initial presence of Eritrean forces on its soil in defense of their territorial integrity,” and “the Government of Ethiopia doesn’t believe that the State of Eritrea is an impediment to sustainable peace in Ethiopia.”

At the same time the Heads of State and Government of the African Union that were assembled on 6 February 2022 for their 35th Ordinary Session passed this resolution:

• “Reaffirming the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, which states, inter alia, that no State may use or encourage the use of unilateral economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights;

• “Stressing that unilateral coercive measures and legislation are contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States;

• “Expressing our grave concern at the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to development, international relations, trade, investment, cooperation, and peace and stability;

• “Urges the European Union and the United States of America to lift the unilateral coercive sanctions imposed on the State of Eritrea.”

Again, we strongly condemn this unjust, malicious bill designed to harm Eritrea’s promising economy to the extent that it will compound the existing pull factors on migration, compromise Eritrea’s ability to address social and humanitarian needs of its population. These punitive actions undermine all the efforts being made by all the peoples and nations of the Horn of Africa to ensure peace and stability in their region and beyond.

We express our profound disappointment with the House Foreign Affairs committee for adopting a resolution pertinent to the Horn of Africa in general and the State of Eritrea in particular lacking in basic facts and on the basis of distorted ones. As a legislative body, we expect committee to scrutinize rather than accept blindly what the executive units have been reporting. Moreover, we hope to see a hearing in which the views and testimonies of all stakeholders, including civic organizations such as ours, would and should be featured.

We thus call upon all the members of the US House of Representatives concerned about peace and stability to reject this malicious, coercive bill pushed by the TPLF lobby and its enablers within the Biden Administration.

Finally, we would like to remind them that African problems cry for African solutions; not lobbyistdriven and misinformation-laden ones from Washington.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

Ukraine defiant in face of Russian threat

Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador in Geneva said Friday that her country will not bow to threats of military action from Russia and is prepared to fight to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ukraine Remains Defiant in Face of Russian Invasion Threat

Hunger spreading in Horn of Africa

UNICEF warned Wednesday that the Horn of Africa is facing a climate-induced emergency. As many as 20 million people in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia could need water and food assistance in the next six months due to severe recurring drought.

Horn of Africa Facing Climate-induced Emergency

Coups on the rise in Africa

Military coups have been on the rise in Africa over the last year-and-a-half, prompting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to declare that there is an “epidemic” of them. Burkina Faso is the latest, and Guinea-Bissau averted one on February 2. VOA takes a deeper look at the factors fueling these power grabs.

By the Numbers: Coups in Africa

In brief

— Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. On the sidelines, he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to a readout, they discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and world conflicts. The secretary-general also told the Chinese officials that he expects them to allow for a “credible visit” of his High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to China, including to Xinjiang, the province where the country’s oppressed Uyghur Muslim minority lives. China has been promising such a visit for several years, and recently said it is fine as long as Bachelet comes to have an exchange, not an investigation. Beijing denies it violates the rights of Uyghurs and says it is combating terrorism.

— Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed traveled to Addis Ababa for the African Union Summit last weekend. She then visited conflict zones in northern Ethiopia, going to Tigray where she met with the regional president, and to the neighboring provinces of Afar and Amhara, where fighting and its consequences have spilled over, as well as to the Somali region. The U.N. has been seeking a halt to the fighting in the north and expanded access for humanitarian workers.

— Tropical Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the east coast of Madagascar on Saturday night, local time. The intense storm killed at least 21 people, including several children, and displaced more than 62,000 people. The U.N. said this week that it is working with its humanitarian partners and coordinating with the government. Surge teams have been deployed and a humanitarian air bridge set up. By Friday, the WFP had distributed 10,000 hot meals at shelters and distributed other food aid to displaced persons.

— UNESCO expressed concern on Thursday about journalists working in Myanmar. The U.N.’s cultural organization said that in the past year since the military seized power, at least 146 journalists have been arrested, while some 52 journalists, including 12 women, remain under detention. At least three reporters are known to have died in detention.

Some good news

After a year-long absence, the iconic tapestry of Pablo Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece “Guernica,” was returned to its place of honor outside the U.N. Security Council on Saturday.

Iconic Tapestry of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ Back at UN

Quote of note

“What we’re appealing for as humanitarian organizations on the ground, is that this military, political strategic chess game, involving Moscow and Minsk and Brussels and Washington and other capitals, that it is concentrating on helping people survive on the ground, protecting them, and avoiding a senseless conflict. Everybody would lose from the conflict, but first and foremost the two million people who live within 20 kilometers from the frontline.”

— Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, telling VOA in an interview on Monday about his visit last week to eastern Ukraine.

What we are watching next week

On February 17, the U.N. Security Council will hold its annual meeting on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which lay out the path to a political settlement in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatists. In February 2015, the Security Council endorsed Minsk II in a resolution. This year’s discussion takes place against the backdrop of the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Did you know?

The U.N. corridors and grounds are full of art, sculptures and unique objects donated by governments, foundations and individual donors, many of which can be seen on public tours of the complex. The Guernica tapestry, mentioned above, is a gift of the American Rockefeller family. (They also donated the land the U.N. complex is built on in New York.) There is also a section of the Berlin Wall on the compound’s north lawn and a fountain paid for by U.S. schoolchildren at the southern entrance to the complex. Among the objects on display in the corridors is a model of the ornate Royal Thai Barge “Suphannahong” carved from teak wood, and a black pot from 300 B.C. from Sudan. On the first floor, there is a painting of a white dove of peace by Macedonian painter Vasko Taskovski.

Source: Voice of America

A seminar focusing on opportunities and challenges was organized in a virtual format for youth nationals in Germany on 5 February.

The seminar that was organized by the office of the Public and Community Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy was attended by over 500 youth from various cities of Germany.

Explaining the external conspiracies against Eritrea and its people in the past 80 years, Mr. Kahsay Tewolde, head of Public and Community Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy, said that all the external conspiracies and hostilities have been foiled through the strong unity and perseverance of the Eritrean people.

Mr. Kibreab Tekeste, Consul General of Eritrea, on his part gave an extensive briefing on the objective situation in the homeland and regional developments and called for reinforced participation in the national affairs for a better outcome.

Indicating that transferring the noble societal values to the young generation is the responsibility of every citizen, Mr. Kibreab said that strong effort will be exerted to strengthen the organizational capacity of nationals.

The participants on their part expressed conviction to strengthen participation in national affairs.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea