EGS Letter to UN

August 11, 2009

EGS-UN 0010809

Sir John Sawers,

UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York

And

President of the Security Council of the United Nations:

Your Excellency,

We members of the Eritrean Global Solidarity for Justice, Human Rights and Democracy write this brief letter to your Excellency to extend our understanding and support to the UN Security Council’s recent decision to publicly demand the Eritrean government stop its interference in the internal affair of Somalia.

We firmly believe the unwarranted interference of the Eritrean government in Somalia does not represent the genuine interest of the people of Eritrea. The people of Somalia are the second victims of the Eritrean government’s undemocratic character and well ingrained destructive behavior. The first and direct victims are the people of Eritrea.

Eighteen years after independence from Ethiopia the Eritrean people are forced to flee in droves out of their country from the draconian internal policies of the government. The absence of rudimentary rule of law, wide spread arbitrary arrest and torture has made Eritrea prison nations whereby thousands have been thrown in to containers and underground jails never to be seen or heard from. Add to this massive internal repression and persecution of the people of Eritrea the flagrant interference of the Eritrean government in the affairs of the nations of Horn of Africa and especially in Somalia underscores the fact that for us the external behavior of the government cannot be seen separate from the internal suffering of the people of Eritrea.

In its present and future deliberation we hope the Security Council will be able to make the unavoidable linkage between the suffering of the people of Eritrea and Somalia due to the wanton behavior of the unelected Eritrean government.

We like to convey our hope and sincere wish that the UN security council, African Union and IGAD through their joint effort will find the means to convince the Eritrean government to come to its senses and accept and behave according to the established international standards in its relation with the nations of the Horn of Africa in general and the people of Somalia in particular. Unlike the present government, the Eritrean people respect the core values of the United Nations and what it stands for.

We like to assure you that the behaviors and actions of the present Eritrean government do not represent or reflect the genuine desire of the people of Eritrea to live in peace, get along with mutual respect and non-interference with its neighbors. This is an aberration created by a regime that is focused on maintaining power at all costs.

Sincerely,

Teklai Abraha

Secretary

Eritrean Global Solidarity

CC: His Excellency Ban Ki- Moon

     Secretary General of the United Nations