concErt By gErMan syMphony orchEstra Bank of EritrEa...

Vol 24. No.69 Saturday, October 28, 2017 Pages 8, Price 2.00 NFA

Lip and Oral Cleft surgery has been conducted on 35 children and 6 adults at the Orotta National Referral Hospital in cooperation with Eritrean and Foreign surgeons.

The coordinator of the surgery, Dr. Edward Zebovic, American Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, noted that the reception and cooperation accorded to them by Eritrean experts was vital in the success of the program.

Dr. Lainesh Gebrehiwet, Oral and Facial specialist, said that the surgery will have a significant contribution in the exchange of experiences in addition to providing treatment to Eritrean Lip and Oral Cleft patients.

Dr. Lainesh reiterated that the program has enabled many Eritrean patients become beneficiaries and called on parents to bring their children with Lip and Oral problems to health facilities for early treatment.

Eritrean nationals in Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Sweden conducted different activities aimed at reinforcing contribution of the youth in national development endeavors.

According to reports, Eritrean youths in various German cities known as “Tsineat Group” held meeting in Frankfurt. The youths are active social media users and the objective of the meeting was to share experience among themselves and to portray the true image of Eritrea.

Similarly, PFDJ members in Germany held annual meeting on 22 October in Düsseldorf. Following a briefing on the objective situation in the homeland, the Charge d’Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy,

EritrEan nationals in thE Diaspora holD MorE activitiEs

lip anD oral clEft surgEry

Bank of Eritrea has issued Legal Notice No. 129/2017 to limit the amount of Nakfa holdings for travelers exiting Eritrea.

The Legal Notice that was issued at the Gazette of Eritrean Laws on 25 October, indicated that the maximum amount, conditions and purpose for which travelers exiting Eritrea may be allowed to hold has not so far been legally fixed and that has become necessary to set the maximum amount in order to ensure the proper use of the National Currency within the country.

According to the Legal Notice, the Nakfa holding limit for travelers exiting Eritrea shall be a maximum of Nakfa 1000 (One thousand) and travelers below age 18 are not entitled to hold any amount of Nakfa.

The Legal Notice also elucidates that Nakfa held by any traveler in excess of the 1000 (one thousand) maximum limit shall be confiscated and where the amount of Nakfa exceeds 5000 (five thousand) the traveler commits an offence and shall be liable in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Penal Code.

Bank of Eritrea further states that the Regulations have been entered into force immediately after it was published in the Gazette of Eritrean Laws on 25 October.

Bank of EritrEa issuEs lEgal noticE

A German Symphony Orchestra conducted a concert at Cinema Asmara, here in the Capital. The musical concert was organized by the Eritrean Commission of Culture Sports in collaboration with the German Embassy in Eritrea.

Speaking at the event in which Ministers, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and a number of artists participated, Commissioner of Culture and Sports,

concErt By gErMan syMphony orchEstra

Ambassador Zemede Tekle, said that the concert will significantly contribute in the advancement of relations between the two countries, particularly exchange of cultural experiences.

Mr. Andreas Zimmer, Ambassador of Germany in Eritrea, on his part said that the orchestra is performing for the third time in Eritrea and it attests to the growing relations between the two countries. The Ambassador also commended all

who contributed to the success of the program.

It is to be recalled that the German Symphony Leipzig musical troupe staged music performance during the Independence Day Silver Jubilee celebrations.

Mr. Yohannes Woldu, said that the public diplomacy activities national organizations in the Diaspora are conducting is not to be overlooked.

The Head of the Public and Community Affairs, Mr. Kahsai Tewolde, on his part underlined the need for strengthened participation of nationals to the success of national development endeavors.

Like wise, Ms. Hanna Simon, Eritrean Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative to the EU, conducted a seminar to Eritrean nationals in Paris and its environs on the advantages of putting Asmara in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the role of Eritrean nationals in development programs.

In other public diplomacy activities, the Eritrean community in

Milano also conducted its Congress. A two-year activity report of the community was presented and a five-member Executive Committee was elected for two years term.

Moreover, Eritrean women residing in Perth, Australia, have held founding Congress of the National Union of Eritrean Women branch. At the event, the Eritrean General Consul in Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Mehari Tekeste, gave briefing on the history of Eritrean women during the armed struggle for independence, safeguarding national sovereignty and nation building process.

Meanwhile, the Swedish branch of the NUEW also conducted an activity assessment meeting in Uppsala.

2

Published Every Saturday & Wednesday

Acting EditorAmanuel [email protected]

P.O.Box: 247Tel: 11-41-14Fax: 12-77-49

E-mail:profile@ zena.gov.er

Advertisement: 12-50-13

Layout

Azmera BerhaneAida Johar

Vol 24 . No 69 2Eritrea Profile, Saturday, October 28, 2017

Semhar Mebrahtu

When we talk about agriculture the first thing that pops up in our mind is a seed! It is true because seeds are the basis for human sustenance. They are the repository of the genetic potential of crop species and their varieties resulting from the continuous improvement and selection over time. Besides a seed is a decisive factor to ensure food security in a nation.

A seed of low-yielding variety is usually results in low productivity. Therefore, seeds of superior varieties must be developed or identified, demonstrated, produced and multiplied, and released to farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has been playing a big role in the development and production of the basic seeds. Private farms and small scale farmers are involved in the multiplication of seeds and their distribution.

The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and researchers in other institutions have the primary responsibility to develop new varieties based on the strategic needs of the country and problems of farmers. To ensure the strategic need of food security the country focuses on growing strategic crops such as Sorghum, Pearl millet, Sesame, Wheat, Barley and Chickpea. Farmers in the different agro-ecological regions of Eritrea also need early maturing, high yielding, disease and pest-resistant crop varieties with acceptable processing quality. Researchers develop and submit

Qualified Seed Variety: Qualified Yield Productionthe varietal seed for evaluation, release and registration.

Mrs. Rishan Ghebrekidan, head of safety and quality of seed varieties, said that, in agriculture seed is the basic factor; No seed, no productivity which means no food. Ensuring quality seed is very essential in ensuring agricultural yields. As a result the MoA has been making efforts to attain quality seed varieties. To enhance the program the NVRC which comprises team members from different institutions with diverse profession, collaborates with Zoba and sub Zoba extension workers. It organized field visit and did a variety performance and evaluation twice. Fields planted with improved varieties were visited and evaluated in Zobas Maekel, Debub, Anseba and Gash Barka. During 2015-16 data was collected, analyzed and a report was compiled and submitted.

Seed certification and documentation is carried out by plant resources regulatory division of the department (RSD). The purpose of seed certification is to preserve the genetic identity and purity of field crop seed varieties and ensure the provision of quality seed to the growers. To be selected by the RSD the seed must first be one of the national strategic crops. Second, the seed must be inspected by a qualified inspector who makes sure that the crop has met the standards. Then a sample is taken from the seed group by the inspector and tested in a seed laboratory. Finally, an official report is issued stating whether the seed has met

the prescribed standards or not. Furthermore, RSD is responsible to coordinate and monitor the multiplication activities of the seed, and the documentation and timely reporting of its performance on the ground.

There were accepted and unaccepted seed varieties collected between 1998 and 2016. These seed varieties were examined by NARI, and so far 47 varieties of seeds have been listed in the national varieties list. Among those listed are barley, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet. Some of these varieties were banned from being distributed due to their decreasing in fertility.

Mrs. Rishan said that, the quality of these seed varieties underwent inspections. The plants date of maturity, plant height, panicle size and their pest, disease and drought resistance/tolerance were checked. Interviews and focus group discussions were held with farmers and extension workers to find out their opinion with respect to the performance and socio-economic aspects of the varieties distributed in their areas.

Farmers’ awareness of the relative importance of quality seed has been becoming evident in the recent years. Due to low supply and high price of these varieties, however, the application is limited mainly to some commercial farmers. Most farmers prefer to retain seed from their own harvest, because they lack confidence of what is available at the market. One of the main reasons of the

direct involvement of the MoA is to build confidence on farmers by enhancing breeder and foundation seed on the Ministry’s research centers. NARI, in collaboration with Hamelmalo Agricultural College (HAC), is responsible for the development of the quality seed varieties in Eritrea.

Seed distribution is equally as important as its production. Since producing improved seed demands high cost and long time, managing the improved seed requires skill, facilities and proper mechanism. Therefore, identifying model farmers (commercial and traditional farmers) is a very crucial step in the development cycle of improved seed chain. To coordinate the process (improved seed chain), the MoA has established seed unit within the Agricultural Extension Department (AED).

Mrs. Rishan also explained that, the farmers’ awareness about quality seeds is increasing, after they tried it and had a successful result. The farmers started to tell others and they asked them to save some of the seeds for the coming

year. Besides in “Farmers’ Field Day” there is an opportunity to gather the farmers and give them practical awareness raising in seed multiplication. This helps them to see how productive the seeds are and encourages them to use the improved seed varieties.

The Ministry framed a “Seed Policy”, an important step in laying out a comprehensive framework for seed development strategy. It covers most of the relevant topics in considerable details. The document states that the private sector’s involvement is considered as having the potential to play an important role in the development of commercial seed industry in the long-run. The policy maintains that for the medium term, the government must bear the responsibility of initiating and promoting the development of the seed industry. The document also foresees contracting with the private sector for seed multiplication, which signifies government encouragement of the private sector to participate actively in seed marketing, probably well before their involvement in production activities. This is because the private sector’s capacity for managing seeds needs to be developed. The policy document highlights that the government acknowledges that the outputs of research is fundamental to the seed industry. With this regard, the government encourages the private sector’s involvement that supports national priorities. Owing to the high cost of basic research, the national agricultural research program will continue to encourage collaboration with relevant international, regional and private institutions.

In the recent years the ministry has strengthened its partnership with VITA, the Irish NGO, to enhance the programme. The ministry has conducted research over the past three years in collaboration with VITA which has enabled the development disease- resistant, high nutrient potato seeds. In three villages it has been possible to produce 400-600 quintals potato and that the select potato seeds have already been distributed to 10 exemplary farmers.

All in all, the ultimate goal of the ministry is 0to produce high amount of yields with high quality of nutrients.

Mrs. Rishan Ghebrekidan

3Vol 24 . No 69Eritrea Profile, Saturday, October 28, 2017

Mela Ghebremedhin

Nowadays the issue of migration has captured the eyes and ears of European countries. It has been the main topic in every electoral debate; it has also forced a shift in their foreign policies. Voices echoed calling for a new strategy aiming at Africa’s economic development. On this issue, the German Ambassador, Andreas Zimmer, stated in his speech on Germany’s Reunification Day held in Asmara on October 24th that the year 2017 is Africa’s year by making the continent a priority. At the end of 2016, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, called for the “Marshall Plan with Africa”. An interesting approach that Germany is pushing forward aiming at bringing to an end the exploitation of the continent’s rich potential. The plan, initiated by Germany implies more investment rather than official development assistance. Creating a Marshall Plan with the continent for the purpose of stopping the ongoing exploitation of the continent is a matter of debate. As this topic intrigued me, let’s see today if such an approach is in any way different and possible in shifting the actual “perplexing situation” of the continent, as put by President Isaias Afwerki in his recent interview regarding the African continent.

To start with, what is a Marshall Plan? Looking back into history, Marshall Plan for European economic recovery was implemented in rebuilding a war-torn Europe after World War II at Bretton Woods, United States, in addition to finding a strategy to ensure that the Great Depression of the 1930s wouldn’t be repeated. Under the lead of the US, three Bretton Woods’ financial institutions were created. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for

Is “Marshall Plan for Africa” a Solution?Reconstruction and Development - the actual World Bank- and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) were signed in Bretton Woods. In line with it, Europe came at the centre of the US attention not only to rebuild the war-torn continent but to also curb the Soviet’s threat of spreading communism. The Marshall Plan came into play in 1947. Massive financial aid was injected into Europe allowing the US to set conditions, i.e. gold standard replaced by dollar standard. Europe, and especially Germany, was able to rebuild the country quickly and reenergize the economy while the US hegemony was at its peak.

Starting in 1950’s many African countries started to gain their independence. A period filled with euphoria, hope and political activism calling for Pan-African unity ensued. Lumumba, Sankara, Nkrumah are among the forefathers of Pan-Africanism. They called for an African path towards development designed by Africans with a strong focus on ensuring social services including education and health. Exporting goods, trading with other continents reflected the first few years of independence. According to Jonathan Glennie (2008), in his book entitled, The Trouble with Aid: Why Less could Mean More for Africa, newly independent African states had a per capita income growing at 36% during the period of 1960-1980. “Between 1960 and 1975 nine of the world’s fifty best-performing countries were in Africa” (Glennie 2008:10).

However, by the late 1970s, situation started to change with the end to convertibility of dollar to gold at $35 per ounce (Woods 2006:328). Currencies started to float, economic recession started to hit and it was

the beginning of the end of the Bretton Woods system. Western countries signed trading agreement calling for more protectionism on agricultural products among others commodities. Africa, on its side, was the primary victim of such changes with less favourable agreement of trade; many were pushed towards borrowing money from financial institutions. Africa didn’t enjoy a Marshall Plan type of economic recovery as Europe but instead harsh conditionality imposed by the IMF and the World Bank as a result of which the continent continues to suffer today. Forcing newly independent countries to open up to international trade, cutting expenses on social services, depending on heavy imports of goods have led to conflicts and deepened crisis, and poverty. African states were heavily dependent on those institutions supposedly there to help but instead created neo-colonial relations.

The policies imposed on the continent in the 1970s and the 1980s continue to impact on today’s state of affairs. In the 1990s, many called for more aid to help “poor Africa”. Sending more money and more money was the motto. Charity groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) started to rise dramatically. Building schools or helping an orphanage was the trend. According to a research by Mark Curtis et al. (2017:2), Honest Accounts 2017: How the World Profits from Africa’s Wealth, the continent received $161.1 billion in 2015 in the form of loans, remittances and aid whereas about $203 billion was taken away from the continent mainly by corporations, illegal movement of money or expenses imposed by international agreement such as climate change. In addition to these alarming figures, Honest Accounts 2017 shows that “about $29 billion a year is being stolen from Africa in illegal logging, fishing and trade in wildlife/plants”. With a net annual deficit of $41.3 billion a year, it is time to rethink the terms of trade and how to drastically shift the ongoing theft of Africans’ wealth. Many voices in Africa are calling for reform and changes in economic relations between Africa and the rest of the world. Would a Marshall Plan with Africa be a solution to this ongoing exploitation?

The idea is quite interesting and intriguing at the same time. Is it really about boosting development

efforts of the continent? Or is it more about curbing the current issue of migration? In fact, Ambassador Andreas said, in his speech last Tuesday, that there are about 20 million youth entering Africa’s labour market each year and face unemployment. Probably the current security concerns are also pushing Europe to find solution through cooperation. But Europe should look at African states as partners and understand the characteristics and contextual framework of each African state rather than treating the continent as if it was one country.

Further, globalization has created a system of interconnectedness where movement of people and information are eased. Media outlets are selling the living dream in Europe or elsewhere while showing hungry African children to the others. Globalization has also impacted security; terrorism and civil unrest are not now confined to the poor but are at the doorsteps of OECD countries combined with high influx of migration, creating sentiments of protectionism, extremist ideas and xenophobia. Therefore, is the concern more about curbing those problems? Or about finding a solution to the current issue of the continent’s 793 million people who live in poverty (AfDB 2003)? As Andrew Green (2017) also wrote in his article Germany’s Marshall Plan with Africa, the plan comes at a critical juncture as the African continent is expected to increase dramatically its population by 2050.

The fact that Eritrea’s independence, which was fought for and won, came way after the independence of most African countries. It allowed Eritrea to analyse and shape its policies by learning from its African counterparts on do’s and don’ts. As a result, the country focuses on

internal development by respecting the phases of modernization, i.e. engaging the people, providing health and education services nationwide, prioritizing agriculture and food security among others. These were barely existent in many African policies due to the conditions of lending imposed on them which included liberalizing the economy and privatising social services.

Hence, the continent, despite its sufficient resources to feed its own population, continues to be a continent in despair. Calling for cooperation in developing job opportunities, vocational training and social services are on the agenda of policy makers. Injecting money for economic development under a Marshall Plan is probably the continuity of previous policies, creating further dependency as, to some extent, Europe still remains to be towards the US. The Marshall Plan with Africa may look partnering rather than assisting the continent, but it is most likely that it will serve the interests of the developed world.

Cooperation through know-how, technology and investment are the best approach while putting a strong focus on youth development. However, all the goodwill of cooperation would need to be reformed by starting from an inter-state approach. African states should own their destiny rather than waiting on external forces to teach them on best practices. Africa has the potential of becoming the greatest continent, but the key instrument towards it is political will and shifting the mentality of “gaining power at all cost” towards “partnering for development”. It is only then that relations with Europe and other parts of the world would become beneficial to African states and dismantle the enduring system of exploitation.


Natnael Yebio W.

It is probably a déjà vu. A surge of global consciousness similar to the one that transpired in the 1960s when in every corner of the world the cry of freedom and independence was heard. Then we had a Kennedy in America, and from 2009 to 2016 we had Obama presiding over the oval office, both known for their think-globally-and-act-locally type of outlook.

And now the Internet is completing the global neuron network in the same way that the brain had done millions of years ago to complete its neuron integrated circuit to wake mankind and bring about human consciousness. It was then that man, as opposed to animals, came to be.

Why Obama? I don’t mean he has anything to do, at least directly, with what is going on in this world at present, but the mere fact that Americans elected a world-friendly and inspiring Obama goes on a long way to show that the people on the other side of the Atlantic had, more or less, become global-oriented, that was at least for eight years. And this had, at least, an indirect influence on the world political, economic and social development.

Of course the basic cause for such an upheaval that shook North Africa and the Middle East in the past is none else than economic injustice, but rising up in such an unprecedented number and in a united front can be attributed to some sort of global consciousness that mankind had been going through.

The world has now become, whether we like it or not, one country, and its peoples will soon become world citizens. Mankind is now inclined to think in a global manner and perspective, taking the world as its homeland and wary that it is neither oppressed by economic or social injustices nor destroyed by reckless environmental contamination and pollution. Everybody now seems to be conscious that the entire human race is, in fact, on a sailing boat, and feels that as species we will either proceed together in peace, or we will sink into oblivion separately.

Evolution of Human Consciousness The goal of human evolution

that was to distinguish man from the apes was the waking up of man from his animalistic slumber and his transformation to become a rational animal. In other words, man had developed enough neurons in his brain and had made so much of those necessary connections that he began to contemplate and became aware of his being. This differentiated him from the animals that never made it to complete the consciousness loop and thereby contemplate

themselves.

Thus, the first stage in the journey towards perfection that was destined to pass through never-ending levels of consciousness began when man became self-conscious and asked himself ‘Who am I?’ Or may be ate of the forbidden fruit and knew what was good and bad, becoming more or less like God, thereby extricating himself from the animal kingdom.

The second stage in this evolution of human consciousness seems to be in the process of being achieved in our times as the world is shrinking so fast that the Seven and a half billion human brains now inhabiting this world are developing global consciousness thanks to the Internet and its components.

The third stage will be what

may be aptly called a universal consciousness, a consciousness that will help us to think universally, in unity with our interstellar brothers and sisters. And this journey along the path of consciousness will go on and on to make us finally achieve a supper consciousness that will merge us with, to use Teilhard de Chardin’s terminology, the Omega Point, a sort of

unity with the absolute, which can never be achieved in full as the absolute is unreachable.

Now, the peoples of the earth seem to have reached the second stage as is witnessed by the universal thirst for justice in the form of democracy, economic equality and the like. Everywhere people are clamoring for social justice, for fair share of the earth’s natural wealth and resources (think of the Nile waters, etc.), the desire to be able to lead one’s national destiny by oneself (Southern Sudan, etc.), the cry for secession and self-autonomy (the Kurds, etc.).

Such clamors had of course been

heard before, during the Age of Reason followed by the American and French Revolutions. But this is the first time that such uprising could be made through the Internet unifying a large number of this world’s people to think as one person.

Mankind as a whole and as one species seems to have become self-conscious of his rightful place on

this planet, and no tyrants or multinationals

or oppressive systems in

w h a t e v e r form or

guise, a r e

going to take

that global consciousness

away from him.

Look at Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan (secession), Libya, etc. Power had to go to where it had inherently belonged… to the people!

Until now power had been given to the people in few countries only, those who call themselves democracies. In the past, the Greek aristocrats were careful not to relinquish power to the mobs, for mob-power is misguided and destructive, they said. The communists pretended to hand over power to the masses but kept it confined within their politburos and national security apparatus.

Islam, as a theocratic religion, can be accredited with handing social and political power over

to the people, or Uma, creating thus equality between slave and prince under one God, including the dispensing of economic, social and political justices. One God, One Book, One people!

It was the first social system that came closer to the stage of introducing global consciousness into the mind of mankind as it considered all believers as one, and all the land inhabited by believers as one land! A great human or spiritual achievement by the standard of the times! Alas, it seems that at present members of its clergy along with fulltime fanatics have finally retaken that power illegally from the people and are playing havoc with the religion of God!

In the past, man lived in complete liberty hunting and gathering fruits. Then came the clan, the tribe etc. that made life much more safe for him. He sold, as it were, some of his liberties to the community in return for social and economic protection and security. The ruler was thus created to dispense justice and see to it that everyone in the community was within the reach of the law. That’s how individual power dissolved into the common interest of all.

But then the ruler became a monster subjugating the people to his personal wishes and madness.

The monster appeared in different forms and sizes. Imperialism, followed by capitalism and communism, not to mention fascism and Nazism, enslaved the masses, and multinationals robbed the earth of its riches for their own interest leaving two-third of the peoples of the world destitute.

The world has now become like a small village and everything has become too visible and too audible to miss or to ignore.

With the Internet and the democratization of war (suicide bombing, the crafting of lethal weapons in one’s own garage, the taking of hostages, sea piracy, etc.), the perpetrators of injustices, wherever they are, should think twice before making their next move.


Simon weldemichaelAdi Keih College of Arts and

Social Sciences

After the culmination of the Second World War, the right to self-determination was recognized as a universal principle, to become a rule in the new world order. The UN Charter proclaims that one of the aims of the United Nations is “to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights of self determination of peoples and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”. However, the reality did not correspond to the declaration. Regarding Eritrea, UN dishonorably violated its own affirmed principle when it decided to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia without consulting the Eritrean people. Ensnared between collapsing European colonialism and Ethiopian expansion, on the one hand, and UN negligence, on the other, Eritrea experienced a secondary colonialism. Secondary colonialism (third world colonialism) is not the outcome of imperialism powered by capitalism (Awet 2013, 5). Jordan Gebremedhin in his book “Peasant and Nationalism in Eritrea” tells us the paradoxical nature of Ethiopian colonization: “Only imperialist nations can have colonies… colonialism demands industrial production and capital. Feudal Ethiopia did not posses any of this” (Jordan 1989, 24). The nature of colonialism is, however, the same for the colonized whether it’s black or white, capitalist or feudalist. Alain Fenet said that the “Eritrean people, a people subjected to foreign domination: thus we see that in 1950 such can still be done - deny a colonial people the right to self-determination and transfer it to the sovereignty of another”. Ever since its establishment, UN has persistently victimized the people of Eritrea. When former colonial possessions were granted independence, Eritreans were denied their right of self-determination and an imposed federation gave Ethiopia an opportunity to buy time and make arrangements for annexation.

The same year (1950) the General Assembly passed a federal resolution 390 A (V) which in effect deprived the Eritrean people of the right to self-determination, UNGA

Eritrea: a country Singled out before universal Principlesconfirmed self-determination as a fundamental human right. The resolution was adopted despite the warning of Ibrahim Sultan, one of the Eritrean representatives at the UN who cautioned that: “The people of Eritrea do not accept any type of colonialism: black or white. If the decision you make is to force us to struggle for the protection of our identity and the establishment of our freedom, you the members of the UN shall be held responsible for the war that will rage in East Africa.” The following words by John Foster Dulles pronounced before the UN demonstrates the manner in which Eritrea became part of Ethiopia. “From the point of view of justice, the opinion of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interest of the US in the Red Sea basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country be linked with our ally Ethiopia.” The federal resolution was, thus, contrary to the principle of the right of self-determination of the Eritrean people and principally planned to satisfy the geo-strategic interests of super powers. Additional ironic historical coincidence was that the federation was put in force on September 11, 1952, the same year that the UNGA adopted a resolution recognizing the right of peoples and nations to self-determination as a pre-requisite to the full enjoyment of all fundamental human rights and that every United Nations member shall respect that right (The case of Eritrea, 116). Extra additional sarcastic historical coincidences of the UN bodies also happened during the final abrogation of the federation and the annexation of Eritrea in 1962.

The Atlantic charter, the UN charter, international law, declaration of human rights and various conventions related to human rights and self-determination of people were not applied to the Eritrean people. The injustices to which our people have been subjected before and after Eritrea’s independence by the established institutions contributed a lot to the general erosion of confidence and trust on such institutions. The reason for international conspiracy and deplorable apathy on every case of Eritrea was hard to discern. Eritrea has been repeatedly victimized and denied the same right which the United Nations

affirmed as a universal principle for no reason but for narrow and short term interests.

The Holy Scripture has a narration that goes, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and said, ‘Give me justice against my adversary’. For a while he refused…” (Luke 18; 2-3). Eritrea, like the widow in the story has persistently appealed for justice. Unfortunately, like the judge in the story, the UN stubbornly turned a deaf ear to the legitimate complaint. When ignored, the people of Eritrea resorted to taking up arms (1st Sep 1961) to free themselves from Ethiopian domination and gain their own independence and, thereby, provided the best possible proof of their existence as a people. The only time that Eritrea became part of Ethiopia was solely when the UN imposed federation and satisfied the interests of superpowers spellbound by Eritrea’s strategic importance during the cold war rivalry.

The unchanging behavior of UN allowed history to repeat itself. The deplorable dereliction on Ethiopia’s continued occupation of Eritrean sovereign territory and the current imposition of the unjust sanctions on Eritrea continue to embarrass and dishonor the institution and, more importantly, compelled Eritrea to go through challenging conditions. The Ethio-Eritrea federation that was effected on September 11, 1952 was systematically dissolved in 1962 and Eritrean was annexed by Ethiopia in front of the UN. Now, after 55 years of this dishonorable event, we see the final ruling of the Ethio-Eritrea boundary commission, which was made on April 2002, still unimplemented. Ethiopian tradition to let audience hear promises that they will never execute continue to this day. In the 1950s Ethiopia, tutored and guided by “others”, came up with a bunch of reasons and claims to federation and annexation of Eritrea. Now, with the support and advice of “others” it came up with deceptive alternatives, dishonest dialogues and promises accompanied by threat of force to thwart the final and binding nature of the EEBC verdict.

“Eritrea has never been

economically viable”, “Eritrea possesses neither religious nor linguistic unity” and other fraudulent reasons were used to impose federation. During that time capitalist Eritrea was much more developed than feudal Ethiopia. And if that was the case why were the former Italian colonies, Libya and Somalia, which were much poorer than Eritrea, granted independence? Regarding the diverse nature of Eritrea, which African country, with the exception of Somalia, has racial, religious and linguistic unison? After six decades, the institution’s hibernated emotion of harming Eritrea were awakened. Likewise, allegations of Eritrea’s connection with alshebab, which were later invalidated by the ESMG as fabricated and nonexistent were used to impose the unjust sanction. The accusations were crushed in the face of the noninterventionist nature of Eritrean foreign policy and in face of reality. The case can best be explained by the Eritrean saying: “kibeluwo zideleyu abagumbah zagra yibliwo”, meaning “if they want to eat a horn-bill, they call it guinea fowl”.

1st Sep 1961 was a daybreak we launched a unifying and emancipatory revolution to throw off Ethiopian colonial oppression. This momentous event came as a great beacon light of hope to oppressed and forgotten people who had been seared in the flames of injustice and prejudice. The 30-year-long Eritrean struggle for independence was the last resort measure taken in the face of UN failure to sanction Ethiopian violation of the UN Resolution and the failure to recognize the right of the Eritrean people to self-determination in the first place.

After independence the fixed hostility of super powers toward Eritrea, the negligence of UN to carry out its responsibility, the adventurous stance of the Weyane regime in Addis Ababa, the ineptness of AU and the laxity of the guarantors of the Algeris peace accord collectively endorsed affliction on Eritreans. In the 1950s Eritrea was singled out and deprived of its right to self-determination and independence and presently it has been subjected to unjust sanction and others. The continued discrimination and injustice of the UN and super powers pushed

Eritreans, although it did not frustrate them to look for their own remedies. In the past international and regional (Ethiopia) aggression left Eritreans with no choice but to fight and we did it. At present, too, our patience has reached its breaking point. The unreasonable delay of the implementation of the EEBC, the prolongation of the occupation of Eritrean territory by the Weyane regime, the continued unjust sanction and other diplomatic conspiracies and military provocations against on Eritrea may jeopardize, once again, world peace. The criminal and lukewarm of UN in the face of Ethiopia’s grave violation of international law and the hasty, unfair and baseless punishment of the victim must be over before it instigates retaliatory measures. We are the people who knew the science and path to acquiring freedom. Once again we remind the international community to work for the practicability of international law and agreed universal principles for the sake of international and regional peace and stability.

Great military thinker Karl Von Clausewitz wrote of war as “the continuation of policy by other means”. The “no war no peace” condition supported by collusion and machination of the architects of global strategy are part of the misguided policy of the riders of the international system to arrest Eritrea. As in the past federation and subsequent annexation were designed to grab Eritrea before it tasted the fruit of independence, now sanctions with hollow titles and continuous backing of Ethiopia to extend its illegal occupation of Eritrean territory have been carefully designed to grab Eritrea before it tasted the fruit of development. Although international conspiracy and treachery are sustained with regularity and potency they will be sacrificed on the altars of their own injustice and the Eritrean popular resistance. The arrogance of Ethiopia and the silence of the UN and other concerned bodies only hardened the will and determination of the Eritrean people and helped to develop their own survival skill. “Victory to the mass”, “self-reliance to progress” and “social justice for peace” are the slogans of the people and leadership of Eritrea.

Eritrea-Sichuan Mineral Construction Corp. Ltd invites Qualified Candidates for the following positions:-

CHIEF CIVIL ENGINEER1. Required: 1

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESDesigns construction projects by studying project concept, •architectural drawings, and models.Prepares engineering design by collecting and studying •reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photographs and tests on soil composition, terrain, hydrological characteristics, and related topographical and geologic data.Determines project costs by calculating labor, material, and •related costs.Prepares feasibility study by analyzing engineering design; •conducting environmental impact studies; assembling data.Prepares engineering documents by developing construction •specifications, plans, and schedules.

Confirms adherence to construction specifications and •safety standards by monitoring project progress; inspecting construction site; verifying calculations and placements.

Fulfills project requirements by training and guiding •operators.

Maintains operations by enforcing project and operational •policies and procedures.

Provides engineering information by answering questions •and requests.

Maintains project data base by writing computer programs; •entering data; completing backups.

Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as •needed.

Education: BA in civil engineering technology.

Work Experience: 5 years or more relevant experience in construction projects.

Other skills and abilities: Good knowledge of Chinese and English language.•Interacting with Computers (including hardware and •software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.•Scheduling Work and Activities.•Training and Teaching Others.•

Salary: Negotiable

CHIEF ACCOUNTANT2. Required: 1

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESProvide advice on the financial situation by examining data •

such as profit and loss statements, budgets and automated financial systems.

Compute taxes owed, prepare tax returns, and ensure prompt •payment.

Inspect account books and accounting systems to keep up to •date.

Organize and maintain financial records•

Analyze the revenue and expenditure of the business. •

Conduct financial investigations and audits, and preparing •reports.

Provide advice on taxation, mergers, purchases, insolvency •and financing.

Develop budget and accounting policies. •

Liaise with external auditors. •

Resolve accounting discrepancies. •

Education: BA in Accounting and Diploma in Business Management preferable

Work Experience: Minimum 5 years’ experience..

Other skills and abilities: Knowledge of Chinese law and accounting system.•Computer literacy (MS office Intermediate, Accounting •software) and numeracy skills.Attention to detail, reporting skill, and reconciliation skills.•Accuracy, compliance to accounting standards.•Accounting skill and supervision skills.•Interpersonal skill, assertiveness, communication (English, •Chinese & local language) and confidentiality.Integrity and customer communication / service skills.•Ability to work toward strict deadlines.•

Salary: Negotiable

Additional requirement for nationals:Provide evidence of completion or exemption National -Service from Ministry of Defense.Present clearance paper from current or last employer-Interested candidates are requested to send a letter of -application, a current CV, documents and other particulars, work experience credentials.Every applicant is required also to send a copy of application -to The state of Eritrea Office National Security Aliens Employment Permit Affairs P.O. Box 7940 Asmara, Eritrea.All applications should be sent through post office.-

Closing Date: 7 days from the date of this announcement. Address: Eritrea-Sichuan Mineral Construction Corp. Ltd.

P.O. Box 4832, Asmara, Eritrea

Vacancy Announcement



Confucius Institute at National Commission for Higher Education in Eritrea (CI-NCHE) is inviting all Eritrean people to contribute original artworks with Chinese characteristics.

Type of the artworks: Original artworks with Chinese charac-teristics can be submitted. For example: Handicraft, Sculpture (25cm x 25cm x 25cm), Paste Pictures (Less than A1), Post-card, calendar, poster, etc.

Requirements: Participants must include relevant information about the artworks (name & c c introduction) and per-sonal information (name & phone number) on a piece of A4 c paper when submitting.

Confucius Institute Invites Original Artworks with Chinese Characteristics

Awards: Most Creative Award: 5,000 NKF, one winner Qualified Award: 2,000 NKF, five winners Participation Award: 200 NKF (the artworks that meets the requirements)

Ps: The most creative and the qualified artworks will be sent to Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, China for the final competition.

Deadline: November 25th, 2107 Please present your artworks to Asmara University Room 211, from Monday to Friday: 9:00-11:00a.m, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Confucius Institute at NCHE, Eritrea

Dear Customers

We are pleased to inform you that Turkish Airlines Winter Schedule (01NOV-25MAR/2018) will still remain DIRECT from ISTANBUL-ASMARA-ISTANBUL. There is slight ar-rival and departure time change as follows:

TK576 will arrive in Asmara at 00:50 local time

TK577 will depart at 01:50am

As usual, days of operation remain unchanged.

Check in time at Asmara International Airport will start on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10:30pm.

All passengers with connection flights to Europe destinations are kindly requested to report to our sales and reservation of-fice located at Saba Building or contact your Travel Agency.

For more information, please call our office with telephone No. 184949/184952.

Have a Pleasant Journey!!

undertakings of the Eritrean people is the highest form of diplomacy Eritrea is showing to the rest of the world. Since the end of the armed struggle and the new phase of your nation building, the government and people of Eritrea took on the heartfelt initiative to fight climate change by action like the abolition of plastic bags, reforestation activities, and settlement of national enclosures and protection of wild life in general. It is an admirable, and certainly effective, popular campaign strengthened by a conscious and active participation of the Eritrean people.

Prof. you are now about to go back to the States. Let me give you the chance to say

anything I might have forgotten to ask.

My successful research in Eritrea on all three of my visits was made possible due to the help of many people, both officials and local residents of all Regions and Sub-Zones that I have visited. Particularly the Minister of Agriculture Arefaine Berhe, the General Manager of the Forest and Wildlife Authority Abraha Garza, and Futsum Hagos, the Director of Wildlife for the State of Eritrea and their staffs. Their contacts throughout the country made my collaborative and successful research easy, it is my strong belief as I keep continuing working with wildlife conservation of Eritrea, we will make more interesting findings. All the best until I come back again!

“Eritrea, the Country . . .continued from page 8

Prof. Ted and his colleagues


This is your third visit to Eritrea and yet another busy one for you, Prof. Ted.

Oh yes. This time I went to all of the regions of Eritrea and it was an extremely successful trip.

For our readers’ sake… let us try to connect your three trips; for reminders and also to help our readers understand the link between your expeditions to the Eritrean wildlife.

I am sure you do remember the highlight of my first trip to Eritrea in February 2016. I brought up the issue of the Asmara Toad which until I came only few people in the world knew about. The number of toad specialists in the world is so little that almost nobody outside the people specializing in this field knew about it. And in Eritrea, literally no one knew about the species named after the capital! So when you and I talked, and you published your article “Do you know the Asmara Toad?” it went viral and both people from the country and outside started showing interest in the richness of Eritrean wildlife.

Originally my focus was on Sudan and my trip to Eritrea was planned to be a side trip. Contrary to what I had expected I ended up busy with much more to do than I anticipated. For my second trip, thanks to the experiences of the first one, I came back more focused. I shifted my full attention away from Sudan to Eritrea. For my

“Eritrea, the Country of Uncharted Biodiversity” Prof. TedBillion Temesghen

The title of today’s article was suggested to me by Prof. Ted himself upon our settlement for an interview. And I agreed for a special treat for one of Q&A’s favorite guests, who in two years, is now sitting with us to share experiences and ideas for the third time!

Prof Theodore J. Papenfuss is a research specialist, and a former professor at the University of California, who has been engaged in Eritrea. This is the chronicle of a scientist who has visited Eritrea three times, bringing new traits of the Eritrean biodiversity to the knowledge of Eritreans and the world!

He explains how his third scientific expedition to Eritrea was. On the way he links the previous two to make a global sense of his scientific excursion to the “land of uncharted biodiversity” as the Prof. himself asserts.

second trip my target was to look for species originally discovered and described in Eritrea going back to 1828 up to the 1970ies, which are abundant in number, and see if these unique species were still around despite the years of war, habitat destructions and climate change.

By the way, the key reason that made my scientific trips to Eritrea fascinating are the interestingly versatile geographical composition of Eritrea. Something else that encouraged me furthermore was the fact that people of all level of society are interested to know and learn about the animals they are familiar with but don’t know much about. They’d see the side neck turtle and smaller animals but really don’t know many scientific details about them. So one of our goals has been raising awareness through posters, discussions and lectures to make people realize that even the wild life is great part of the Eritrean heritage.

Which brings us to the third trip, from which you just came back… What can you tell me about it?

I came back from Gash Barka Region on the 12th of October and then soon after went to the Red Sea Region to continue my expedition to Green Island. As you know, the initial impression of the international community, based on what’s perpetuated on the internet, is that this is a very dangerous and closed country. And what I have been telling my friends

and colleagues, and also what on the way I would like to remind foreigners about, is not to believe what they see on the internet but to come and experience for themselves. There is little good information about the country. A young student from my university, for example, advised me not to go to Eritrea upon hearing that I had just come back from it!

Why am I saying this? It is because I want to express how grateful I feel, mostly, after my latest trip which was extremely successful and how glad I am that I just came in the first place.

You keep mentioning that your third trip, especially the one to Gash Barka, has been extremely successful. How effective was it?

For my latest and third trip I had a chance to travel through the 5 out of 6 regions of Eritrea. We had several targeted species. In every region we either found something new or reestablished something that was found long ago. For instance, starting from the Central Region the key feature was the Asmara Toad. Then we went to the Northern Red Sea Region where we found the Massawa Gecko, roughly described around 1820, and we also found the Eritrean Side Neck Turtle.

In South Region, in Segheneiti zone, we reached a location of archeological affluence where in 1904 the Eritrean Clawed Frog was first registered. A farmer working in

the Ministry of Agriculture branch in Segheneiti mentioned that the people around are well aware of the species. On the weekend he took us to his farm where in the nearby well we found many more. Moving on from there to the Anseba region, we came across a big lizard named Dori which lives in the rocky areas of Keren and it was discovered by an Italian explorer in 1884.

For the longer trip we went to Gash Barka. The reason of our extended stay in Gash Barka Region was because it was a historical site where the Italians had made some collections in 1930. Therefore, we went to Barentu and there we met the director of the ministry’s branch who showed great hospitality and assistance. I want to extend my gratitude to the people of Gash Barka as civilians, students, shop keepers and the military in the check points and enclosed natural habitats recognized me from a segment of Eritrea TV and encouraged me to do more. In Gash Barka I found a number of toads, lizards and snakes. But interestingly, when one day it rained unexpectedly in Barentu we visited one of the many tree farms and we saw a frog species that was seen only one time in 1930 by Italians in Agordat. It is called the Running Frog. Frogs normally jump but this one runs! I was so happy and surprised to see it. I have to identify it when I go back to the US. The same night I think we found a new species of lizard; we will confirm it soon.

This shows how your (the people of Eritrea) effort in preserving nature is rewarding us all greatly;

new species and some species seen rarely a long time ago are coming back abundantly and commonly in farm areas, walled natural enclosures and tree farms! It is impressive. My outing concluded with the last trip to Green Island in the Northern Red Sea region. And I see a great interest coming from the Ministry of Marine Resources. I certainly cannot wait to comeback and work further with people and young experts I just met in Massawa.

Why do you come to Eritrea as often as you do? Is it that interesting?

Yes it is very interesting. So much so every trip has been a delight. I feel great to be part of your culture and I appreciate the safety I feel in Eritrea. I took part at a friend’s wedding and I spent a whole morning in the Orthodox celebration of Meskel… I must say Eritrea is interesting in countless aspects.

I first came to Eritrea based on the invitation from the Forestry and Wild Life authorities. The overall aim is to venture in the country’s wild life and make the local people and the international community aware about it. What I immediately learned in the first trip is that, the emphasis of biodiversity and the protection of the environment and the need to contribute in the global campaign towards climate change through certain and remarkable

continued on page 7

Dori, the colorful lizard of the rocky areas of Keren

concErt By gErMan syMphony orchEstra Bank of EritrEa...

Documents

Transcript of concErt By gErMan syMphony orchEstra Bank of EritrEa...