News / Africa

Eritrea Urges UN to Drop Sanctions

TEXT SIZE - +
VOA News
Eritrea is urging the United Nations to lift sanctions against the country after a leaked U.N. report suggested Asmara no longer supports Somali al-Shabab insurgents.

The report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, obtained Monday by news agencies including VOA, found no evidence that Eritrea directly supported al-Shabab in the past year.

The U.N. Security Council tightened sanctions against the East African country last year due to concerns it was supporting Somali insurgents - a claim Eritrea denies.

Eritrea's U.N. envoy, Aray Desta, says the sanctions should be lifted because the latest findings of the monitoring group expose, what he says, were the "fabricated" accusations.

"We have been saying all this time that Eritrea has never given arms to al-Shabab.  And, even this time, they have to come to say that they have not received any evidence regarding this," he said.

The U.N. report says Eritrea's support for armed groups in Somalia has diminished, partly because of enhanced international monitoring, and partly because of al-Shabab's failures on the battlefield.

However, it says Eritrea has failed to comply with Security Council resolutions and remains a destabilizing influence across the region. The panel presented evidence that Eritrea has trained Ethiopian rebel groups and sold weapons to smuggling rings in Sudan.

Last year, the monitoring group accused Eritrea of a failed plot to bomb the African Union summit in Ethiopia.

You May Like

North Korea Launches Short-Range Missiles into Sea

South's Defense Ministry says it detected two launches Saturday morning, followed by another in afternoon More

Scientists Race to Contain Malaria: New Discoveries, More Resistance

World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia More

Photogallery US: Russian Missile Shipments to Syria 'Very Unfortunate'

Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, says missiles will embolden Assad and prolong suffering in Syria More

This forum has been closed.
Comment Sorting
Comments
     
by: Al from: U.S.
July 17, 2012 1:20 PM
okay, I find this report too contradictory with one another:

- "The report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, ...found no evidence that Eritrea directly supported al-Shabab in the past year"
- "The U.N. report says Eritrea's support for armed groups in Somalia has diminished..."

So, which one is it? ... is Eritreas' still supporting Al-Shabab but, its support is significantly "diminished" compare to last year?? ... OR, are you saying, Eritrea's support dropped to zero - from whatever support they're providing to Al-Shabab last year??

In Response

by: ayda from: uk
July 17, 2012 5:31 PM
responseto AI from US

Mr AI., from thestart there was no evidence nothing at all that eritrea supported alshebb. You have to understand there was no evidence presented to the UN security council. The only report they presented was llegations, and that allegaion was pursposely manufacturered by the US , CIA and Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the enemy of Eritrea and wanted Eritrea punished. In order to achieve that Ethiopia had to convince the hollow hearted diplomats of the US like Jendaye fraser , Miss rice in the previouse adminstration . They are easy to be taken for the ride, they believed Meles of Ethiopias fabricated allegation.

in 2006 Meles of Ethiopia said, there are 200 eritreantroops supporting the islamic courts. By the way Al shebeb never existed as an organizationor as a insrugent. They were they Ismalic courts, and the present prime minter of somalia, Shec Sherif was one of the leaders of the Islmaic courts. But because Ethiopia and the USA were working to persue their interests in somalia, the USA worked hand in gloves with ethiopia to invade somalia. but the dirt work of invading another african country had to be carried out by ethiopia as a servant of USA. the USA has to help ethiopia in its attack against Eritrea in order Ehiopia to send its troops to somalia to fight islamists ther. Therefore the USA and Ethiopia have some common benfit/interest to attack Eritrea. That is why USA passed 2 sactions against Eritreain order to help Ethiopia. Otherewise tere was no involement of Eritrea militarily or fiancially supporting islamis. jiahdists or ashabab. Eritrea has a stand for peace and stability in te HOrn as it is the benefit for the whole region.
2. the secnd allegation is eritrea supports alshebab because Eritrea refused to agree with igad in etiopian invasion of somalia. and this was taken as excuse to label eritrea as supporting al shabab financially.

3 accusation by ethiopia Eritrea plated bomb in addis abbaba to disrupt AU subit.
4rth accusation eitrea supported armed groups in ethiopia like the ormos, the ogadense and tha afar.and helped the kidnaping. these were mere allegation because etiopia has to blame eritrea for its internal problem.

for these allegations no proofe was presented todate. some of the accusatons are fabricated, some are disguised as if carried out by eritrea.
for all these no eveidence until now. But the US Veto power was used to attack ritrea in order to help ethiopia pay for its service of invading Somalia.

The lastaccusation last in 2011 fabricated by ethiopia and kenya in order to impress the USA and influence it attack eritrea. that three loads of planes of weapons delivered to al shebab in Baidoa by eritrea. Keny was the main accuser and ethiopia joined it to make the allegation. So far no prove.

so me AL do not be naive. everything is allegation. and when they have to defend themselves for their faillllure to present a shred of evidence, now they cover itup by saying eritrea stopped, reduced, diminished its support. They have to defend themselves. The could not ake the shame that they caused tothemselves they all along, the were fabricating false accusations. so they ave to put it in a smarter way " eritrea, stoped, reduced, diminished " its support.