Ambassador Girma Asmerom's interview with Bloomberg Reporter
16 January 2013
Summary
Ambassador Girma Asmerom, Eritrea's Permanent Representative to the
African Union and ECA gave an hour long interview to Mr. William
Davidson, Bloomberg Correspondent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the
latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report concerning the Eritrean Mining
Sector and the National Service programme.
Below is excerpt from the interview that was held on 16 January 2013.
* The recent HRW report on the Eritrean Mining Sector and National
Service programme is financially and politically motivated cheap
shot, and is replete with distortions and lies.
* The report defied elementary methodology of research. No wonder after
compiling their baseless and criminal, cut-and-paste 29-page report
the originators of this document have no option but to conclude their
hollow report by saying that "they are not sure whether Nevsun has
used or not used national service conscripts for its mining activity
in Eritrea".
* It is full of sound-bites that have been spined by different quarters
for the last ten years to create confusion and wrong perception about
Eritrea. It contains no new or substantial information.
* It is a criminal report that is meant to interrupt and derail
Eritrea's economic development activities. It targets the basic
interest and welfare of the Eritrean people, not of the Government.
* It is meant to intimidate and scare-away potential foreign investors.
It is also meant to deprive the country its sources of hard currency
which is crucial to import necessary materials and products which are
essential for agricultural and industrial development of Eritrea.
* The main sources of foreign exchange for all countries that are at a
developmental stage are their raw materials and natural resources.
There is no way that the Eritrean Government which is not dependent
on foreign aid can undertake programmes aimed at the eradication of
poverty and diseases; expansion of schools, hospitals, electricity,
and telecommunications services; building of roads, dams etc... without
utilizing its human and God/Allah given natural resources.
* Eritrea's vision and the objectives of its national service program
is almost similar to that of the Turkish, Swiss, Israeli, Egyptian,
Brazilian, South Korean, Singaporean... etc national service programmes.
Manifesting the highest form of hypocrisy and deliberate ignorance
the report has the audacity to call the agricultural and
infrastructural projects - such as road and dam building activities -
carried out by the national service participants "forced labour", and
the miliary deployment at the border with Ethiopia as "indefinite".
* According to the Eritrean National Service Proclamation, all Eritrean
men and women above the age of 18 have to take part in the national
service programme. The programme is designed to protect the nation's
security and sovereignty, consolidate ethnic and religious harmony,
and enhance economic development.
* During peace time, the length of the national service programme is
only one year and half. The graduates automatically become part of
the reserve army.
* As is the case in all the countries that have national service or
reserve army programmes, at the time of war or threat of war or
natural disasters all able bodied national service participants -
active and graduates- as members of the reserve army, are obliged by
law to be mobilized to defend the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of their country. That is what Eritrea did when war broke-
out between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1998, and when a volcanic
eruption took place in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea in 2011.
* Today, due to Ethiopia's continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean
territory including the town of Badme, the Eritrean people and
Government have no other option but to be vigilant and maintain a
strong and disciplined army. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with
Eritrea mobilizing its entire human and natural resources for its
national development activity and the protection of its sovereignty.
Surrender is not an option!
* Military institutions all over the world have their own rules and
regulations and modus operandi. The Eritrean army can not be an
exception when it deals with military discipline and engagement.
* During the 30-years struggle for independence as well as today the
guiding principle, motto and slogan of the Eritrean people has been
perseverance and determination. We believed in ourselves and the
justness of our cause. We fought and succeeded against all odds. We
had and still have confidence in what we do and what we want to
achieve. This is clearly reflected in the music and songs of our nine
ethnic groups. Popular Tigrigna songs such as 'Ykealo' and 'Kekewn
Eyu' which literally mean 'Yes We Can;' and 'Nikid Teray Brhan Eyu
Kedmena' which also means 'Forward!' can be cited as examples. These
songs and the confident attitudes are internalized in the psyche of
almost every Eritrean wherever he/she might be, and whatever he/she
is doing. It is then appropriate for Eritreans to rightly brand their
country as "ERITREA: THE LAND OF THE CAN-DO PEOPLE".
* For the record, I want to say that every Eritrean was surprised when
President Obama used "Yes We Can" and "Forward" slogans and sound
bites in his first and second presidential campaign, respectively.
Today, it is President Obama who has used the Eritrean motto,
tomorrow we don't know who will follow. Therefore, it is about time
for the Eritrean People and Government to assume exclusive ownership
of their thirty-year old motto, "ERITREA: THE LAND OF THE CAN-DO
PEOPLE," as their national motto.
* Today National service participants in Eritrea whether they are
engineers, doctors, construction workers, farmers or pastoralists are
diligently, confidently and equally contributing for the realization
of Eritrea's self-reliant model of economic development.
* All national service participants, whether they are deployed at the
border in the trenches or in sectoral Ministries and Departments, or
construction companies, have equal rights and get equal stipend.
* As is the case in every country, companies who invest and operate in
Eritrea, including mining companies, are required to abide by the
domestic investment code, and other relevant rules and regulations.
* The officials of HRW and other similar organizations and the
architects of this report who earn six-digit salaries have to produce
monthly, quarterly and annual reports to satisfy and impress their
funders and handlers. That is their main job and the reports are
considered their outputs. They have to compile this kind of reports
about different countries and governments for a living and to secure
additional funding. Their motivation has never been and will never be
the protection of human rights. If they get a better salary offer
from another organization which has nothing to do with human rights
advocacy, they have no qualm to immediately submit their resignation
to their current employer and to accept the new offer.
19 January 2012
Press Section
Eritrean Permanent Mission to AU and UNECA
Received on Sun Jan 20 2013 - 22:47:54 EST
