TALK TO AL JAZEERA: President Isaias Afwerki

Saturday, 20 February 2010 23:13 administrator

Twenty years after the liberation from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Africa's youngest nation, has emerged as strategically vital to the stability of the region and the wider global agenda.

Eritrea is struggling to balance the needs of its people with the perceived threats to the nation.

Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton conducts a rare interview with Isaisas Afwerki, the president of Eritrea.

Al Jazeera confronted him with the allegations about Eritrea's ties with Iran, Hamas, al Shabab in Somalia and rebel groups in Sudan and Houthis in Yemen.

"This is a deliberate distortion of facts, where is the evidence, these are fabrications, where is your evidence?", he said.

"How possibly could one blame Eritrea for sympathising or supporting one group over another in Somalia we have never done that." he said.

When asked about Eritrea's relation with Ethiopia today and the border dispute he said: "This border issue war was a senseless conflict instigated by the US.

"It is a cover up for the failures of the misguided policies of the United States in the horn of Africa for the last 20 years.

"It is not a problem with Ethiopia we have worked with these people for almost two decades to remove a government in Ethiopia, and we want to see a relationship between Eritrea and Ethiopia based on mutual respect and common interest," he said.

"There is no presence for Iran in this region, Eritrea is not for sale, not for Iran, Israel, the United States or anybody," he said.

Comments

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0 #157 alona 2010-03-28 15:47

just pray hard for this man ,what goes around come around.

-1 #156 918273 2010-03-27 00:38

Must read articles on the historical aspect of Eritrea's past.

Biher-Tigrinya and Tigray people: The war of identities

http://www.madote.com/2010/02/biher-tigrinya-and-tigray-people-war-of.html

Eritrea and Ethiopia: Debunking the Myths
http://www.madote.com/2010/03/eritrea-and-ethiopia-historical-view.html

0 #155 senait t. 2010-03-20 17:29

He's the STUPIDEST president ive seen in my LIFE. I swear him and george bush MUST be realted! All the money eritrean-americans are giving to the eritrean gov't is going straight to him.He kills everyone who TRYS to over rule him.

+1 #154 israel 2010-03-07 22:55

This man is called DIA...dictator Isayas Afowerki.
Unelected stupid man..thinking that he is in 1935 ec
Unfair man whodoesn´t care about Eritreans,,ver arogant.
Until he died all his life wants to be in power to kill inoccent citzens.by force violens..militarty with out constitution.
Therfore he don´t want opposition..very greedy in power..and he is illitrate person with holligans who support terroists and islamists..we do not want DIA stupidites in our homelamd Eritrea..we need him to the ICC as soon as possible.
teclu jacksson..clintton

+3 #153 Bado 7 2010-03-01 04:01

This is the best qoute ever from ayte Isaias Afewerki while he denied everything as "lies ... !"

Shamelessly he said: we are number one in Africa!

Eritrea is not only at the bottom of Africa but also the poorest in governance, human right, press freedom and democracy.

Bado 7

+1 #152 hagerawi 2010-02-25 19:25

The man is insane!... leave him talk, lie, whatever, that is his nature, what? do u expect more?, one of the most 10 dictatorship cruelty, brutality in the world,
Oh! poor Eritrea!
Just am asking: is he drunkard during the interview?

+2 #151 rahel 2010-02-25 01:06

all i can say to those people who still supported this crazy government i fill sorry for u gays as well. because i can see what he did to you all, you can not use your own brain to thinking what is going on or to see what is happing. i love my country v much but i wouldn't agree with few people to make me stupid, thousand people died for eritrea to have freedom, democracey, freespech, etc,,, not only for for those governments. that is the reason they died not for esays and his friends to controlled freedom of people or ordering to killed inocent young people.

+2 #150 Solomondawit 2010-02-24 20:58

The way I saw President. Issayas during the interview it looks he has lost the little sense he have had before. He looks he is spending most of the time on alcohol. he is mentally unstable and stressed out. For a man who claims to be commander of over 300,000 armed force to be in such mental state is serious matter to be warried about. I'm partly ashemed to see such man with little ability leading Eritreans which normally have the affinity to look better than his status.

0 #149 manchex 2010-02-24 08:34

What the hell is doing this crazy dictator, He is nervos like he is interviewing for a job, what a lie, any one can leave the country, we know all how many friends we lost to seek freedom, how many friends do we lost locked up in prison, evidence, evidence, evidence, we are the evidence bullshit, he never hear about the football team seeking asylem but he knew whats going on in haiti and katrina. Please He is done ...... i hope we will see educated people lead our country

0 #148 Senkim 2010-02-23 21:51

Whether we admit it or not, DIA is Eritrea biggest liability.

+4 #147 Senkim 2010-02-23 21:28

As an Eritrean, I feel ashamed to be represented by the stupid and unworthy DIA. How shameless the mad man can be trying to deny the undeniable? Doesn't Eritrea has a better represent to offer than this high-school-drop-out and fake-wedini? He doesn't even have the class and sophistication of the real wedinis when it comes to lying. How low does this country has to fall to save the corrupt and ego-centric dictator. Even the Mugabes and Musevinis of this world have more sensible things to say than this second-rate tyrant. The more I dig and learn about DIA, the more I realize how wicked and to the core he has been all the way from the outset of his poisonous manifesto : anen Alamayn! This country is going to hell if its people expect any good from the malaria infested dictator.

-3 #146 UNjust 2010-02-23 20:04

THIS IS STUPID OBVIOUSLY THE MAN KNOWS WOT HE IS DOING, AND FOR THOSE OF U WHO ARE SAYING THAT HE IS A DICTATOR , ND HE IS THE REASON WHY THE HORN OF AFRICA IS NOT AT PEACE, THEN I DNT KNOW WOT IS WRONG WITH U......CUS AS FAR AS I CAN SEE HE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT TRIED TO KEEP THE PEACE IN SUDAN, SOMALIA BY SAYING TO THEM TO STICK TOGETHER ND NOT FIGHT EACH OTHER ND THE LAST MAJOR WAR IN THE HORN OF AFRICA WAS BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND SOMALIA OH YH HE'S THE REASON WHY "HORN OF AFRICA IS NOT AT PEACE"

+2 #145 Higdef Ytsdef 2010-02-23 18:12

To whomever asked the following question:

WHAT LIES HA HE TOLD.......TELL US...........LISTEN TO THE I NTERVIEW AND TELL US WHERE HE LIED??

As long as I am concerned DIA is [abitized by water of deception.

0 #144 hEY fULLS 2010-02-23 07:00

Quoting ghebreab sweden:

ASMARINO
Please why do not you start filtering comments which are meant to disturb field of discussion if you do have the tools to do it.

BRER BRER ghebreab sweden we live in a free country

-3 #143 hEY fULLS 2010-02-23 06:49

Hey look.... if you do not see the sign of what is going on, nothing can wake you up. I am not proud of the Prsident's interview or i am not one of his ardent supporters. But remember this guy will be history one day but Eritrea will live forever. Get out of the box and start thinking deeply. Those you have a dream of power grab or personal hatred toward Pres. Issayas for what ever reason I want you to remember you are not doing service to my country. What you are realy doing is "Temeitella Dander Aitbkolla" True democracy, peace, and stabilty is going to come from within Eritrea. Not From you, enjoy your "SIDET" and live alone my country.

0 #142 SHAME TOOOOOO 2010-02-23 05:51

SHAME TOOOO 2010-02-23 05:46
""A jack of all trades is the master of none.""This crazy man never bothers about the peace in the horn of Africa and for the betterment of the lives of poor Eritreans. He is just the 21st century HITLER OR MUSOLINI OR STALIN.
I admire the aljazeera journalist for her critical questions to challenge this insane President.

+2 #141 Biniboy 2010-02-23 00:25

Any sane person can tell now that Iseyas has gone wild. I am sick to know that I belong to a country ruled by such pathetic person.
May God forgive me for disliking him so much!!

0 #140 Betri Aron 2010-02-22 15:53

Heir is the mission, which Issayas recieved from the Lord of this world.
...Then i heard the Lord said, "Whom shall i send? Who will be our messenger?" I answered,
" I will go!send me! So he told me to go and give people to give this message: " No matter how much
you listen,you will not understand. No matter how much yo look,you will not know what is happening"
Then he said to me, "MAKE THE MINDS OF THIS PEOPLE DULL, THEIR EARS DEAF, AND THEIR EYES BLIND, SO
THAT THEY CAN NOT SEE OR HERE OR UNDERSTAND." IF THEY DID, THEY MIGHT TURN TO ME AND BE HEALED."
I asked, "How long will it be like this, Lord?" He answered,"UNTILL THE CITIES ARE RUINED AND EMPTY
UNTIL THE HOUSES ARE UNINHABITED- UNTILL THE LAND ITSELF IS A DESOLATE WASTELAND. I WILL SEND THE
PEOPLE FAR AWAY AND MAKE THE WHOLE LAND DESOLATE. Even if one person of ten remains in the land,
he too will be destroyed; he will be like the stump of an oak tree that has been cut down."
(THE STUMP REPRESENTS A NEW BEGGINNING FOR gOD´S PEOPLE.) so far the God`s word from the scripture
(Bible) from the book of prophet Isaiah ( capital 6 number 8-10) That is exactly is what happning
in Eritrea! So my people let`s pray to God Almighty to give us mercy and to prevent us for the
posible continious disaster! Please my pepople let us open our eyes to see and our ears to hear!

-1 #139 Ibrahimo 2010-02-22 14:22

Quoting C C:

Quoting wedi asmara:
Quoting Abdallah Al-yamani:
The president gave good replies to the stupid questions prepared for the journalist by some stupid people at Aljazeera.

Indeed there is no any evidence that Eritrea supported the Huthis of Yemen. The same applies to Hamas and the Somalis.

The Huthis , Hamas and the Somalis have their own financial resources and means to get weapons. They do not need Eritrea. Besides it is geographically impossible for Eritrea to co-operate with the groups mentioned by Jane.

I

PLEASE TELL THESE PEOPLE WHO CANNOT SEE BEYOND THEIR NOSES......STUPID QUESTIONS THAT DIDNT EVEN DESERVE ANSWERS............BUT HE ANSWERED THEM WELL......HE TRIPPED HER UP AND MADE HER LOOK LIKE THE AMATEUR THAT SHE IS.

i think she made him look like an amateur. for a president he is one hell of a lair. we all eritrean know whats going on in adina, can't lie to us...........

Lier? You can't throw a word a run away.

+1 #138 C C 2010-02-22 12:56

Quoting Secrecy:

DIA is still living on those long years of Sahil where all his evils stayed undisclosed. he is stick on what he calles Political Culure of EPLF where you can do whatever evil you want and pass unaccounted.

I totally agree with what u r saying. this guy needs tounderstand that he is not in the battlle field anymore. for god sake u r the president. This jornalist was playing games with him. The whole world isagainst Mr PIA.

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መጸዋዕታ፡ ንኹለን ተቓወምቲ ውድባት ብፍላይ ንአብ ኢትዮጵያ ዝርከባ ዓለምለኸ ኮምሺን ንስደተኛታት ኤርትራ (ICER)
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Press Release

ICER Alert on Afar

There is human catastrophe unfolding in Yemen at this very minute. Two hundred and forty four Eritreans ninety five percent of whom are Afar citizens of Eritrea are in prison some for almost one year. Their crime is simply for entering Yemen without document. Their claim for political asylum until situation at home is improved was completely ignored by the Yemeni authorities and the UNHCR is on the sideline simply watching helpless.

As it is true with most Eritreans, this particular ethnic group is driven out of their traditional areas, prevented from leading their subsistence existence which is fishing on the Red Sea and forcibly conscripted in the open ended military National Service which has become scourge ....

Desperate Situation of Eritrean Afar Refugees in Yemeni City of Al-Hudeyda

Regrettably, the 300 Afar refugees are languishing in Al-Hudeyda prison where their lives are trapped in a serious threat. Apart from consistent warnings of forcible return to Eritrea, they are facing communicable diseases caused by contaminated food and water. Amongst them are around 50 Afar refugees are in a grave danger of losing their lives to this disease outbreak.

Unfortunately, the ongoing political uncertainty in Yemen exasperated the situation of Red Sea Afar refugees. Going on almost a year in captivity, they haven’t had any access to UNHCR and Human rights organizations, representatives of Yemeni government or any access to medications and basic needs, which is guaranteed to them under UN Geneva convention on rights of refugees.

Yosief Ghebrehiwet on Smerrr Paltalk on Saturday, May 12

On Saturday, May 12, at 12:00 PM (Los Angeles Time) or 21:00 (Berlin Time) Yosief Ghebrehiwet will give a presentation at Smerr Paltalk. The topic is "The Fallacies of the Democracy Project and Nationhood in the Eritrean Context" In this presentation, the following points will be discussed:

What is wrong with the Democracy Project as practiced by the Opposition? On this part, more than a dozen fallacies will be discussed.
After discussing the notion of "nationhood" in the Eritrean context, this question will be addressed: What is being done to hold Eritrea together as a nation?
After looking at the rationale of the past (the Eritrean revolution) and the present (the opposition) movements regarding (1) and (2), we will look at this question: Given the above fallacies and failings, how do we anchor the Eritrean nation in the future?

ICER APPEAL: Save Eritrean Refugees from Human Smugglers

The International Commission on Eritrean Refugees (ICER) would like to appeal to all the political groups in particular to those whose operational base is Ethiopia to give focus on the issues affecting refugees in particular to the shady operation going on in the refugee camps. Frankly, since their base of operation is located stone throw away from Eritrea where the bulk of the refugees originate from we believe they are better placed than most of us to influence events, at least in as far as regulating the flow of persons from the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the Sudan. ...

This being the case, therefore, why is it so difficult for the political parties and in particular those operating from Ethiopia where part of the illegal activities is occurring cannot act in earnest to stop it? Is it because they are too preoccupied dealing with the more burning issues, for example, the overthrow of the unrepresentative regime and replacing it with democratic one? ...

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