Chege Mbitiru
11 December 2011
opinion
Small and one of the poorest nations in the world, Eritrea got a reward last week from the United Nations for being, of all things, troublesomely uppity.
Last week, the Security Council merely mildly criticised the Red Sea nation in a resolution. Somehow, the media, Eritrea’s foreign ministry, and the UN News Centre discovered “sanctions.”
According to the ordinary meaning of the word “sanction” there was none. The Council only resorted to its hackneyed phraseology.
It “expressed grave concern” Eritrea continues to “provide political, financial, training and logistical support to armed opposition groups, including Al-Shabaab” (sic) in Somalia.
Undermining peace
Why? Al-Shabaab is “engaged in undermining peace, security and stability in Somalia and the region.” Some semblance of these might exist in the region. When they last did in Somalia beats memory.
Additionally, the Council “condemned the planned terrorist attack in January to disrupt the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.”
The Eritrean government, the Council noted, “planned, organised, and directed…” the foiled plot. One of the targets, the prime minister’s office, was close to the hotel where the heads of state stayed.
Potentially, the damage would have amounted to more than a “disruption.” Two of the 15 Council members, China and Russia, abstained in the vote, presumably just in case their turn might come.
Potentially lucrative
Charges against Eritrea are contained in a report a Security Council-appointed Somalia/Eritrea Monitoring Group released in July.
The Council sidestepped matters of consequence. It didn’t penalise Eritrea for violations of sanctions imposed two years ago.
Additionally, it didn’t hit Eritrea where it would matter most — its potentially lucrative mining industry.
An earlier draft of the resolution, prepared by Nigeria and Gabon, called for a foreign investment ban in the industry.
The Council only asked UN members to ensure Eritrea doesn’t use money accrued to destabilise the Horn of Africa.
Guidelines would follow. They would be optional, zero effectiveness. The detailed Monitoring Group report doesn’t rate high in readability.
Nonetheless, it’s as exciting as any spy novel. Eritrea, the report says, is “the most highly centralised and authoritarian system of government on the African continent.”
Illicit mechanisms
Governing is by “…a relatively small number of political, military and intelligence officials, who instead choose to conduct the affairs of state via informal and often illicit mechanisms, including people smuggling, arms trafficking, money-laundering and extortion.”
Eritrea’s relationship with Al-Shabaab “appears designed to legitimise and embolden the group rather than to curb its extremist orientation or encourage its participation in a political process.”
Moreover, “…since the Eritrean intelligence apparatus responsible for the African Union summit plot is also active in Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda, the level of threat it poses to these other countries must be re-evaluated.”
Eritrea reacted to the resolution with pious fury and blamed the United States. Hold it! Since hard-fought for independence in 1993, Eritrea has fired the first shot in three wars, against Yemen, Djibouti, and Ethiopia.
A truism exists — not immediately stopped, roguish behaviour by any nation spreads conflict viruses. Ethiopia still gives Eritrea a rationale for post battle morale — occupation of Eritrean territory.
It also deserved censure, not a Council audience to denounce Eritrea. The Council this time merely wasted international time.
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