http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Eritrea-Denies-It-Supports-Militants-Demands-Independent-Inquiry--134705338.html
November 29, 2011
Eritrea Denies It Supports Militants, Demands Independent Inquiry
Peter Clottey
Eritrea’s permanent representative to the United Nations has petitioned the
U.N. Security Council to expedite an independent investigation into Kenyan
allegations that Asmara is supporting the Somali militant group al-Shabab.
Ambassador Araya Desta sharply denies the latest accusations, saying,
“Eritrea has never supported al-Shabab or any other group in Somalia.”
Asmara also asked the U.N. to reprimand Nairobi over the allegations.
He said Eritrea welcomes an independent inquiry into Kenya’s latest
accusation.
“Definitely that is what we have requested the Security Council [to do]. We
want them to send an independent body to verify and investigate these
allegations and come up with the result. So that the truth will come out
because Eritrea has not participated in anything like that,” said Desta.
“We don’t have planes to go to Baidoa and there is no reason why we should
send arms to al-Shabab.”
Earlier this year, the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia and Eritrea said
Asmara was financing the Somali rebels.
Desta says the Eritrean government is seeking peace and stability in the
region.
“Eritrea wants Somalia to be peaceful, stable, and we want to see a
government in Somalia,” said Desta. The only possible way to see this is
that the military [intervention] should stop because militarily, there
would not be any solution.
Desta’s comments came after Kenya formally asked the Security Council to
investigate Eritrea, after accusing Asmara of supporting the Somali
militant group. Kenya alleges that Eritrea recently supplied planeloads of
arms to al Shabab militants inside Somalia. But Ambassador Desta sharply
rejects the allegation as an insult to the intelligence of the
international community.
“This is totally a fabricated lie. There is no evidence at all for things
like that and there is no reason why Eritrea should send arms to
al-Shabab,” said Desta. “We have drones in Ethiopia flying daily in
Somalia.…They have several radars checking every flight going in that
region, so how is it that Eritrea can go undetected to Baidoa?”
Desta called for an enabling environment, which he said would encourage
discussions among Somalis to come up with solutions to resolve their
challenges.
“This is what Eritrea believes and has been fighting for.”
Analysts say the accusation and counter accusation between Eritrea and
Asmara could complicate or thaw diplomatic relations between the two East
African countries.
Asked why Eritrea is often accused of financially and logistically
supporting the Somali militants, Ambassador Desta said a border dispute
with neighboring Ethiopia as the reason behind the negative campaign
against his country.
“Because of this, Ethiopia is fabricating lies to accuse Eritrea, to defame
Eritrea and these are the issues which have been coming to the Security
Council, as well as other parties,” said Desta. “So the solution has to be
finalized in order to get peace in the whole region of Horn of Africa.”
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Received on Wed Nov 30 2011 - 07:48:03 EST