AN OPEN LETTER TO THE U.S. SENATE IN REGARD TO ERITREA

Dr. Samuel G. Mahaffy

Facilitator & Consultant

www.samuelmahaffy.com

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE U.S. SENATE IN REGARD TO ERITREA

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
& Members of the United States Senate
423 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Dear Chairman Bob Corker and Ranking Member Ben Cardin:

I address U.S. Senators and the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the occasion of the 24^th
Anniversary celebration of Independence Day for the Country of Eritrea.

Respectfully, I submit that U.S. foreign policy has ignored or undermined the Country of Eritrea to the
detriment of the interests of peace and security in the Horn of Africa. The mythology that Eritrea is a
supporter of extremist groups in the Horn of Africa has long been debunked. In fact, Eritrea has been a
bulwark against extremism in the region. In Eritrea, major religions co-exist peacefully. Extremism in the
name of religion has not gained a foothold. Instead of lending moral support to this country which has
shunned fundamentalist religious extremism, we have chosen to give tacit support instead to neighboring
countries that do not respect the rights of their own citizens or the sovereign borders of their neighbors.

Eritreans around the world are celebrating the 24^th Anniversary of Independence Day. Eritrea deserves to
celebrate. The Eritrean people won their Independence at great cost and sacrifice. Unjust economic
sanctions, invasion of Eritrea’s borders, and a calculated campaign of media misinformation have been
used in an effort to undermine the aspirations of the Eritrean people for self-determination. Despite this,
the Eritrean path to self-determination is yielding promising outcomes in education, health care and governance. Just this week, Eritrea is publishing civil and criminal codes reflecting the rule of law structured in a way to reflect the cultural and historical values of its people.

The world is taking notice. Embassies and diplomatic missions from other nations are opening in
Asmara, Eritrea. Former detractors of Eritrea in the West and especially the European Union are coming
to recognize that the cause of Eritrea is just. Eritrean Independence Day 2015 would be a good time for
the United States to join the global community that is forging respectful relationships with Eritrea.
Herman Cohen, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs stated in 2013 that it
is “time to bring Eritrea in from the cold.” It is in fact, the United States that will be ‘left out in the cold’
if it fails to move away from supporting dictatorial regimes in the Horn of Africa while ignoring the
emergence of Eritrea as a signpost of hope for an Africa that must chart its own post-colonial course.

I am a U.S. citizen born and raised in the Country of Eritrea and an advocate for peace. I work closely
with Eritrean communities across the United States. I can testify that the predominant national agenda
that defines Eritrea is concern for the well-being of its people along with defense of its Independence.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I thank you in advance for your response.

Respectfully submitted,
Samuel Mahaffy, Ph.D.

cc: Mr. Berhane Gebrehiwet. Charge` d'Affaires - Embassy of Eritrea, Washington, D.C

Member, Academy of Management                             Founding Partner, CNPS, LLC

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