Eritrean troops control ministry information in the capital Asmara

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Eritrean troops control ministry information in the capital Asmara

Tigrai Online Jan. 21, 2013

Dissident Eritrean soldiers with tanks laid siege to the information ministry on Monday and forced state media to call for political prisoners to be freed, a senior intelligence official said.

Dissident Eritrean soldiers with tanks laid siege to the information ministry on Monday and forced state media to call for political prisoners to be freed, a senior intelligence official said.

The renegade soldiers have not gone as far as to demand the overthrow of the government of one of Africa's most secretive states, long at odds with the United States and accused of human rights abuses.

Eritrea has been led by Isaias Afewerki, 66, for some two decades since it broke from bigger neighbour Ethiopia. The fledging gold producer on the Red Sea coast has become increasingly isolated, resisting foreign pressure to open up.

Soldiers forced the director general of state television "to say the Eritrean government should release all political prisoners," the Eritrean intelligence source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate statement from the Asmara government.

Between 5,000 and 10,000 political prisoners are being held in the country of about 6 million people, the United Nations human rights chief said last year, accusing Eritrea of torture and summary executions.

State media went off air after the call for prisoners to be freed. The mutineers were low- to mid-ranking soldiers who sought a change in the constitution rather than a coup, said one regional expert with close connections in Asmara.

About 200 soldiers were involved, diplomats in the region said. It was unclear whether loyalist troops were moving against them.

On a strategic strip of mountainous land, Eritrea is a tightly controlled one-party state. It has more soldiers per person than any country except North Korea.

Eritrean opposition activists exiled in neighbouring Ethiopia said there was growing dissent within the army, Africa's second biggest, especially over economic hardship.

"Economic issues have worsened and have worsened relations between the government and soldiers in the past few weeks and months," one activist told Reuters.

A senior European diplomat said there were clear differences between elements of the military and Isaias' administration.

"It is a question of time before the full price of isolation is paid by the government in Asmara. Incidents such as this are mounting," the diplomat said, referring also to economic hardship for most Eritreans.

Despite expectations for a gold mining boom that helped fuel economic growth of nearly 8 percent last year, per capita gross domestic product is less than $550 a year.

Shares in gold companies with mines or projects in the country fell sharply on Monday. Toronto-listed Nevsun Resources Ltd was down 9 percent. Those in smaller explorer Sunridge Gold Corp were down over 26 percent.

Source: The Daily Star

Update from AL JAZEERA Video

Update II - Reports from Asmara say attempted coup in Eritrea didn’t succeed

Opposition website Asmarino said “According to several people with close contacts inside Eritrea, the coup attempt failed, with government troops quelling the would-be rebellion and no one rising up in the streets. But many analysts said it was only a matter of time before President Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s brash and steely leader for the past 20 years, is overthrown — and most likely from within”

“There’s a lot of dissatisfaction within the armed forces, If this is suppressed, it won’t be the end.”said Dan Connell, a professor at Simmons College in Boston and the author of several books on Eritrea.

According to Awate.com the leader of the uprising has been identified as Saleh Osman an EPLF veteran stationed in the Assab front.

Some reports say the road from Asmara to Massawa is closed and the Asmara airport is surrounded with tanks and heavily armed soldiers no one know if thy pro government or part of the uprising.

Overnight there has been shots heard in the city but it seems government soldiers took back the Ministry of Information from the anti government officers. The fate of the 200 coup participants is unknown for now.

Update III-Voice of Assenna: Change is Coming to Eritrea!

The situation in Eritrea is becoming complicated by the hour we don't know what is true and what is not true, but here is all of it for you to judge.

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