40th issue of Eri-News

The Press Section of the Permanent Mission of the State of Eritrea to the AU and UNECA has released its 40th newsletter.

Visit here to read the previous newsletter.

 Articles featured in this issue:

1. President Isaias Afwerki Conducted a Working Visit to Qatar
2. The 54th Anniversary of the Launching of the Eritrean People’s Armed Struggle for Independence Commemorated
3. Eritrean Economy Entering a New Phase of Growth: Mr. Yemane Gebreab
4. Eritrean Community Members in UK Call for the End of Occupation, Sanctions, and Politicization of Human Rights
5. Eritrean Teenager Ghirmay Ghebreslassie Made History at the World Championships in Beijing

Eritrean Economy Entering a New Phase of Growth: Mr. Yemane Gebreab

The Voice of America recently interviewed Mr. Yemane Gebreab, Head of Political Affairs of the PFDJ and Advisor to the President. The interview focused on migration, national service and the eco-nomic prospects of Eritrea. Here is excerpts from the interview.

Why are EU immigration officials visiting Asmara?

“Several European countries sent their immigration departments to come and look at the situation in Eri-trea for themselves. The British have been here, the Danes have been here, and the Norwegians have been here several times, the Dutch have been here, the Swedes are here right now, and officials from Swit-zerland have been here.”

“So, key European countries have sent their people to look at the situation on the ground. I think that they have come to the realization that what is being said about Eritrea is not true, that there is no political persecution in this country, that national service is not indefinite, that it does not constitute slave labor. Those who are traveling to Europe are traveling there essentially for economic reasons."

Are they all really Eritreans?

“People in this neighborhood - Ethiopians, Sudanese, Somalis and others have claimed they are Eritrean to expedite their asylum procedures.”

On National Service

“National service doesn’t mean only people serving in the military. It means people serving mainly in the civilian sectors. So as you go to our schools, our teachers – probably around 60 percent – are national service members. They fulfill their national service obligation in our educational system, teaching. If you go to our health system, our hospitals and clinics and health centers, again a significant percentage are na-tional service members. If you look at our agriculture, the people who are providing extension services to farmers and giving them advice are national service people.”

A new Phase of Economic Growth

“War and its pain are restrictions on the society and the economy because they, in a sense, take a priority at that time. Now, that phase is coming to an end. We are entering a new phase of growth and we believe that in the next three to five years the Eritrean econ-omy will see a significant transformation.”

“We believe that in three to five years we will be able to provide job opportunities for our young peo-ple. We are getting more and more confident in the development prospects in Eritrea and that is leading to this change.”

Eritrean Community Members in UK Call for the End of Occupation, Sanctions, and Politicization of Human Rights

Eritrean community members in UK held demonstra-tions in front of the Office of the UK Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street in London, from 26 June to 23 August 2015. The members of the Community also held three mass demonstrations on 03 July, 07 Au-gust and 4 September 2015.

During the demonstration which continued for 58 days, the demonstrators briefed UK government offi-cials, leaders of political parties, members of parlia-ment, members of the media and the general public on their demands. Representatives of the community also met with officials of the Foreign and Common-wealth Office and submitted a petition signed by thousands of Eritreans and friends of Eritrea.

The community members, in their demonstrations and through their briefings and petition, urged the UK Government to work towards the:

• implementation in full, and unconditionally, of the delimitation and demarcation decisions of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission, and the end of Ethiopia’s occupation of sover-eign Eritrean territories;
• annulment of the US driven unjust sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the UNSC; and
• total rejection of the fabricated report of the Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea. The demonstrators pledged to continue engaging the British Government for the fulfillment of their de-mands

Eri-News Issue 40 by EritreanMissionToAU

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