U.S. condemns Eritrea for "destabilizing" role
Tigrai Online
Feb. 23 2010
The United States accused Eritrea on Monday of working to destabilise the Horn of Africa region and urged President Isaias Afwerki to bring a halt to what it called a threat to international peace.
The statement released to Reuters by the U.S. Embassy in the Eritrean capital came on the same day that Eritreans abroad protested against United Nations sanctions imposed on their country and that they say were organised by the United States.
The U.N. Security Council, which last December imposed the sanctions, accuses Asmara of providing funds and weapons to Islamist insurgents in Somalia where 21,000 people have been killed in violence since the beginning of 2007.
Aimed at the country's leaders, the sanctions include an arms embargo, a freeze on assets and travel bans on individuals and firms to be designated by a sanctions committee.
"The United States calls on President Isaias to immediately end Eritrea's destabilizing activities in the Horn of Africa," the U.S. Embassy said in its statement.
"Eritrea's actions in Somalia and Djibouti threaten international peace and security and contribute to a dire humanitarian crisis."
Relations between Eritrea and neighbouring Djibouti remain hostile. In June 2008 a dozen Djiboutian soldiers were killed in a clash, and last October Djibouti accused Eritrea of training militias to carry out sabotage in its territory.
In a different development the U.S. Emassy in Asmara Eritrea has closed its doors a few days ago. In a statment the embassy said "The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Eritrea, recommends that U.S. citizens defer travel at this time, and informs U.S. citizens that the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Asmara is currently closed for all public non-emergency services. The Consular Section will continue to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens." read more about this closure