We exiled journalists can’t miss the symbolism of the prestigious Tucholsky Award. We acknowledge that this award not only highlights the persecution of Mr. Dawit Isaak and his fellow colleagues but it also recognizes the struggle of Eritreans for democracy and justice.
BRUSSELS – An international conference, held November 9 – 10, 2009 in Brussels, Belgium on the promotion of democracy and human rights in the Horn of Africa called on the European Union and the USA to strengthen civil society actors, including political parties, as a way to end the regional humanitarian crisis and to foster a transition towards democracy.
High-level representatives of the Eritrean civil society, the European Commission, EU member states, the US Department of State, academia and African and Northern NGOs as well as African ambassadors attended the two-day conference, organized by Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA).
“To find a sustainable way to put an end to the appalling human suffering and ongoing political crisis in the Horn, the region needs a cohesive and comprehensive approach by the international community”, said Mirjam van Reisen, Director EEPA. “A state-by- state strategy is doomed to fail when problems are as intertwined as in the Horn” “One precondition for peace and stability would be the unconditional implementation of the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission”, she added.
The need for EU and US to hold a badly needed conversation on Eritrea is obvious enough that we are in favor of it but the question should focus on why it took so long to undertake this kind of initiative and what foundation will be formatted to continue the conversation moving forward.
The state of media in Eritrea is not at all comparable to any Sub-Saharan African country. One panelist wrote that it can only be put on par with North Korea. There is not a semblance of an independent media. Media in Eritrea have become a tool for government propaganda. In short, journalists—even those working for government media—are a liability and potential threat to “national security.”
Indeed, last year Eritrea scored the lowest of all countries studied by the MSI, not only in Africa but when compared to the countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe studies as well. One panelist wrote, “…the first MSI Eritrea report of last year was an eye opener for Eritreans. A lot of people didn’t know or didn’t want to admit it was that bad. Everyone understands the importance of strong media sector to support governance and development—particularly in Africa.” Eritrea again scored the lowest of all countries studied in 2008.
Eighteen years after independence from Ethiopia the Eritrean people are forced to flee in droves out of their country from the draconian internal policies of the government. The absence of rudimentary rule of law, wide spread arbitrary arrest and torture has made Eritrea prison nations whereby thousands have been thrown in to containers and underground jails never to be seen or heard from. Add to this massive internal repression and persecution of the people of Eritrea the flagrant interference of the Eritrean government in the affairs of the nations of Horn of Africa and especially in Somalia underscores the fact that for us the external behavior of the government cannot be seen separate from the internal suffering of the people of Eritrea.
In its present and future deliberation we hope the Security Council will be able to make the unavoidable linkage between the suffering of the people of Eritrea and Somalia due to the wanton behavior of the unelected Eritrean government.
Eight years ago, on 18 September 2001, a group of eleven prominent members of Parliament and of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the only political party in Eritrea, were arrested. Five days later, on 23 September 2001, ten independent journalists were also arrested. Since then, other individuals have been arrested and detained incommunicado, with their rights to a due process suspended.
Despite repeated appeals by the international community, including the EU, and severalgovernmental and non-governmental human rights bodies, these prisoners remain in detention. None of them has ever been formally charged in court, as required by Eritrean law, and the fate of the prisoners remains unknown. Families, legal representatives and medical doctors have been denied access to the prisoners.
This conduct is in clear violation of obligations established in the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Eritrea, such as the prohibition against arbitrary detention and the right of anyone deprived of his or her liberty to be treated with humanity and dignity.
Eight years ago, on September 18, 2001, the Eritrean government closed the private newspapers and started to hunt down the journalists. It arrested most of them and few fled the country. Though we have no up to date figures, five of them have been confirmed died in jail. Eritrean government is currently known as the biggest jailor of journalists in the world with more than 25 journalists languishing in jails for years.
On this day, the Association of Eritrean journalists in Exile (AEJE) would like to introduce itself to the Eritrean public and to the world. This Association boasts membership of more than 30 Eritrean journalists. The exiled journalists may have worked in the private press or governmental papers. Some were contributors, and some are still working in opposition websites and Radios.
In an effort to address the aforementioned challenges, particularly of organizing youths to stand for their rights and that of their people, an organization named Eritrean Global Youth Movement came into being on the 20th of June, 2009. Through such initiative Eritrean youths will be able identify their challenges and priorities. Such initiatives would also enable them to establish a country with democracy and respect for basic human rights of individuals without any distinction. Needless to say, initiative of this nature cannot be a reality without the participation of each and every one of us. With the participation of all, the initiative intends to restore the faith and hopes of all Eritreans.
The Eritrean Global Youth Movement cordially extends its invitation to all youths wherever they are to be part of the change the Eritrean people desperately need. It is up to the youth to get rid of tyranny once and for all.
This is the third report issued by the Suwera Centre for Human Rights (SCHR). The first report was published in 2005 reviewing developments in the implementation of human rights in Eritrea since its liberation. The second report, covering the situation of human rights in Eritrea during 2006, was issued in April 2007. The third report for the year 2007 could not appear in 2008 due to reasons beyond the capacity of the Centre to be resolved. Nevertheless, this report, which monitors the situation of human rights in the 2008, includes also the most important human rights developments and events of the year 2007.
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Asmarino Staff
The conditions in Wi’a concentration/training camp in the past 7- 9 months have worsened more than any other time. Food rations were reduced further to 3 pieces of sorghum bread per person per day without any supplements such as sauce except limited ration of tea. The shortage of food is compounded by the closure of the camp for family visits which used to facilitate the supply of food from families and relatives to the prisoners/trainees. The shortage of food combined with the very poor sanitation conditions, harsh environmental conditions, fatigue resulting from training exercises and almost non-existent health facilities and health care services in the camp has lead to sustained outbreaks of meningitis, typhoid and scabies resulting in alarming mass deaths. 
Eight years is a long time for me. It is considerably longer for Dawit. In those eight years that they took away from my brother, I have got so many new friends. I got myself a wonderful and caring girlfriend, with whom I am happily living now. And now, to top it all, I have got a lovely daughter. And what is more, these last eight years I have been moving and speaking freely – something that I don’t take for granted any more. And yet, I can equally say they have been the most painful years of my life; that is because I could not be with my beloved older brother. It pains me so much not having him by my side. If I am this much in pain, imagine what my brother Dawit must be feeling; this must be a complete nightmare for him.
In one of the articles that Dawit wrote in 2001, he asked, “Why does the PFDJ prefer silence?” Now I am asking the PFDJ not to be silent, and imploring it to give us a sign of hope.
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European and American officials are joining hands with Diaspora Eritrean politicians and activists aimed at ending relentless human rights abuses under a ruthless dictatorship in Eritrea. The two-day conference underway in Brussels is discussing, among other things, the urgent need to coordinate EU and US policies on Eritrea and the Horn Region. The meeting is being closely watched by many governments and the world media especially because of Eritrea’s alleged involvement in terror and piracy ridden Somalia. Michael Abraha had a phone interview Saturday with Abdurahman Sayed, Executive member of Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea (CDRiE) and spokesman for the Eritrean group at the Brussels event. Michael first asked him what the criteria were to choose panelists for the conference:
The Association of Eritrean Journalists in Exile (AEJE) would like show its gratitude to the Swedish PEN for presenting the Tucholsky Award to our compatriot, Mr. Dawit Isaak who has been in Eritrean jail since September 23, 2001. This award is another remarkable addition to the serious of tireless efforts and achievements of Swedish human right groups and NGOs to take up the cause of freedom of expression in Eritrea in general and the case of Dawit Isaak in particular. It can be recalled that last month, Dawit Isaak had been honoured to be a finalist for European Union’s Sakharov Prize. We exiled journalists can’t miss the symbolism of the prestigious Tucholsky Award. We acknowledge that this award not only highlights the persecution of Mr. Dawit Isaak and his fellow colleagues but it also recognizes the struggle of Eritreans for democracy and justice.
Read more...
A draft resolution, seen by AFP, was circulated on Wednesday by Uganda, part of a six-nation east African regional bloc that has been calling for months for sanctions to be imposed.
There will be no vote on the proposal before December to give time for experts and ambassadors from the 15 members of the UN Security Council to debate the move, diplomats said on Thursday.
The draft foresees a ban on weapons sales both into and out of Eritrea as well as freezing the funds of the "Eritrean political and military leadership" and restricting its foreign travel.
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Eritrea’s Lingering Malnutrition
Awate.com’s Divisive Publications
The only leader who thinks it is o.k. to preside over a nation with the worst record in press freedom is Eritrea’s strongman Isayas Afewerki. He argues there is no such thing as “free press”. Of course there isn’t. But the rest of humanity agrees it is vital to have systems which enable people to freely express ideas and exchange information. “Free press” is not an absolute standard but is meant to serve as a guideline in the establishment of free and united communities. Even Denmark at the top of the list of 175 countries does not have a perfect “free press”. But it is striving towards that goal. And it is never too late for Eritrea to join the civilized world in the fight against darkness. Repression and ruthless censorship create intellectual retardation and hinder progress.
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(Reuters) Eritrea's most advanced project is Bisha, run by Canada's Nevsun Resources Ltd (NSU.TO: ??). Its 27 million tonnes of ore are believed to contain 1 million ounces of gold, 700-800 million pounds of copper and 1 billion pounds of zinc.
The momentum towards imposing sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged role in war-torn Somalia has grown in recent months. It remains unclear how they may effect foreign companies, but according to one analyst, any disruption to the burgeoning mining industry would put pressure on Asmara.
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We are glad to inform our Arabic-speaking audience that, finally, Asmarino.com is ready to start its Arabic Pages section no later than next week.
As you might have noticed the sign “Arabic Pages – Coming Soon” has been in Asmarino.com’s front page for quite some time. We understand that “coming soon” has not been soon enough. Hopefully, you will forgive us for holding you in suspense for such a long time.
Given that our staff works on voluntary basis, it is only understandable that it took some time to find dedicated and competent individuals who will soon be entirely at your service.
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