On-The-Record Briefing On U.S.-Eritrea Relations
Jendayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
Washington, DC
August 17, 2007
(9:00 a.m. EST)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, essentially, I think the purpose of this
is to address: U.S.-Eritrea relations and, especially in light of certain
reports that have come out recently, to include our closure of the consulate in
Oakland; Somalia's activities, as indicated by the UN Monitoring Group on
supplying arms and fighters into Somalia; the outstanding and continuing issues
on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, and the way ahead for resolving that; and
then, of course, the domestic human rights concerns that we have, as indicated
in
our Human Rights Report, our annual Human Rights Report on Eritrea.
On the first issue of the consulate closing in
a reciprocal action because of
Convention and the continued restrictions on the U.S. Embassy personnel in
including support for American citizens throughout
QUESTION: Could you spell the town where the consulate is?
QUESTION:
QUESTION: Like
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER:
QUESTION: Yeah, they also closed the one in
QUESTION: Oh, I'm sorry, okay. Oh, I'm sorry, I gotcha, okay.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: On the Vienna Convention, essentially,
continues to use -- to illegally detain Embassy diplomatic pouch bags and
refuse to provide visas to temporary duty diplomatic support personnel for the
last two years. We've consistently protested these restrictions to the Eritrean
Government and requested that they be lifted, but the government has refused
to address our concerns. And so we're taking this action as reciprocal
action. It does not mean that we are, in any way, PNGing Eritrean diplomats.
They
can, in fact, relocate to Washington, D.C. to the Eritrean Embassy in
Washington, D.C.
But I thought it was especially important to say clearly the purpose of our
action, especially for the more than -- or, approximately 200,000 Eritreans
who are living in the United States, so that they could understand that this is
not a signal, in any way, that the United States has problems with Eritreans
living in our country. And, in fact, they can continue to get services from
their embassy here in
acknowledge that
reciprocally.
QUESTION: Do you want to go through the whole thing, or should we just do --
ask questions about each one and then as --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: If you want to ask questions, that's fine. I was
going to go through the whole thing, but I know that the time is short. So
if you want to ask questions on --
QUESTION: Why don't we just go through the whole thing?
QUESTION: Okay.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Okay. So that's on the first issue. On the --
Eritrea's activities in Somalia, the UN Monitoring Group report clearly
indicates that Eritrea has played a key role in financing, funding and arming
the
terror and insurgency activities which are taking place in Somalia, and is the
primary source of support for that insurgency and terror activities. And
this, of course, is -- completely undermines the work that the international
community is doing to try to facilitate the National Reconciliation Congress;
try
to facilitate dialogue, both social and political, so that we can move
forward on the processes set out by the Transitional Federal Charter, that
would
result in elections in 2009.
So it disrupts the political process, which is a solution to the problem in
bombings, with the political assassinations of more moderate elements within
this fundamentally undermines American policy, especially as
supporting the Al-Shabab militia, which used to be with the defunct Council
of Islamic Courts, which has terror elements within it.
So that's on their activity. So we welcome the UN Monitoring Group report.
And, of course, we'll continue to work with neighboring countries, the
international countries, to try to convince
and is actually destabilizing not only
whole; the Horn of Africa.
On the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary issue, we are pleased that both countries
have agreed to meet again under the auspices of the EEBC, under the Boundary
Commission. And they're working very closely with
the UN to play a role also in this next meeting.
So we think that the process perhaps will move forward on there, but both
countries,
solving the Boundary Commission, the boundary dispute. And it continues to be a
source of tension that is undermining not only the two countries, but, again,
the region as a whole.
And then finally on the human rights report, I especially point out our
concern with the Eritrean Government’s kidnapping essentially and holding in
detention the family members of those who refuse national service in
are also, of course, quite concerned that the country has never had an
election. It had its referendum and never went to election. It's basically a
one-party authoritarian state. And we would hope that the Eritrean diaspora
would be
able to influence that government because it is the source of significant
remittances. In fact, there's a two percent tax on the income of Eritreans
living abroad to try to influence that government to open up to end the human
rights violations and to move towards a more democratic governing, you know,
through elections and other means. And so that's essentially the points.
QUESTION: So you got a lot of problems with them.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: We have a lot of problems with them.
QUESTION: What are you going to do to --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: And they have a lot of -- they're creating a lot
of problems in
QUESTION: Are you considering any kind of action beyond the closure of the
consulate; any kind of action vis-Ă -vis
unhappiness at all of these -- on the border dispute with the others, anyway?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, we've tried our best to act with restraint
with
before this administration. So it goes back before 2001. We've watched them
throw out USAID. We've watched them take the food out of the warehouses of UN
organizations. They've been carrying out these types of disruptive
activities for some time. And we've actually tried our best through diplomatic
means
-- talking to their ambassador here and our ambassador talking to the
government officials in
escalating in a negative direction. We think it's a fairly significant action
to
close the consulate in
steps, if necessary, to try to prevent their activity, especially
vis-Ă -vis
QUESTION: Such as?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, we'll -- I mean, we're very much working
with the regional countries. You know, the UN Monitoring Group is obviously
bringing to light their activities. We're urging
that continue to have regular contact with the Eritrean Government, to speak to
the senior officials, including the President. And so right now it's through
persuasion.
QUESTION: Are you considering additional bilateral steps?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Or through the UN?
QUESTION: Yeah.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, we're certainly going to consider
additional bilateral steps. We're not trying to move towards a fundamental
break in
our relationship, and we do believe that the activity of closing their
consulate is a major signal to the government of our seriousness in terms of
the
activities that they're carrying out in
QUESTION: I have to ask a couple of questions on each one. First, why
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, this is where they do their consular
services. And to the degree that they're preventing us from doing our consular
act
ivities in
action.
QUESTION: Do they have another?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Not that I know of --
QUESTION: Okay.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: --
QUESTION: But you never -- it --
basically, and there are quite a few Eritreans living in
is an inconvenience to these people. There's also -- was any part of it the
financial aspect of it, the two percent that they pay can't be collected there
now. So is that part of -- did that go into your thinking when you were
closing it?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, we were thinking, as I said, that our
American citizens are significantly impacted by the lack of our ability to
provide them consular services as well, so it was absolutely a reciprocal
action.
And it certainly does -- I believe it certainly will impact their ability to
collect money from the Eritrean community and the United States which, after
all, that money is being used to, as a UN monitoring report has indicated, to
get weapons and to train fighters to go into Somalia.
QUESTION: And how many Americans are there in
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: I'm not sure of it. What's --
PARTICIPANT: Seven?
MR. MCMULLEN: Four hundred.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Four hundred.
QUESTION: Four hundred? And most of them are aid workers?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Yeah, go ahead.
MR. MCMULLEN: Eritrean Americans.
QUESTION: That's our Ambassador.
QUESTION: Eritrean Americans?
MR. MCMULLEN: Eritrean Americans.
QUESTION: On
them on the State Sponsors list?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: We're looking into it.
QUESTION: And how advanced --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: What you have to do to put a country on the
State Sponsor list is to have the -- to put together the dossier, the case
against them. And so, certainly, that information is being collected right now.
It
will be evaluated through an interagency process and then decisions will be
taken. But it's not based on political -- a political decision, it's not --
it's purely based on an assessment, a true evaluation of the data. And so we
are certainly collecting that data and this human monitoring report will
certainly be part of that. But, you know, we have to do our independent
verification. I mean, we do have intelligence that affirms what's in the
monitoring
report, but we are still in the process of collecting that data. And, you know,
it's an opportunity before they are put on the State Sponsor list for them to
change their behavior.
QUESTION: Well, I mean, you -- as you know, putting a country on a State
Sponsors list brings along a whole set of sanctions. If they don't -- obviously
you're trying to make the case so that you can put them on, but if they don't
kind of make the cut, so to speak, are you considering sanctions along the
lines without the kind of formal, legal designation?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Frankly, the information so far that we've
collected is fairly convincing about their activities, in terms of State
Sponsor,
in
that designation and what would come with it.
QUESTION: Is there a second one, though? It sounds like you're expecting --
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Now that's -- what I'm saying is that if they
stop their behavior, we're not looking to go down this route. But if they
continue their behavior and we put together the file that's necessary, I think
it
would be fairly convincing.
QUESTION: Are you doing anything to disrupt the flow of arms?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: We haven't done anything other than our
intelligence assistance with neighboring countries, diplomatically working with
neighboring countries, trying to stop that flow and as well as communicating
with
the Eritrean Government that they -- you know, it's an unacceptable practice
and behavior. But we haven't tried to intercept any ships that are coming in
or anything like that.
QUESTION: So I'm just slightly confused. So you say you don't want to go
down this route, but you are looking at it? So it's right to say you are
considering putting
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: It is right to say that we are considering that
if they continue their behavior and if we get the file that -- you know,
through the evidence, that -- you know, we can go through our interagency
process
and make that determination. That determination hasn't been made at this
point, but it is absolutely part of the consideration. And the primary reason
is
not because of
in
QUESTION: What about their support -- continued support for JEM and the
other
role in the west -- in eastern
host, at least, the peace talks with the eastern front. So is it all bad?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: It's not all bad. It is bad, but it's not all
bad.
because they're sponsoring and supporting the rebel groups.
QUESTION: So they're a major player, but for the wrong reasons?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Yes. And we, of course, want those rebel groups
to come to the negotiating table. As we have said many times, the Government
of Sudan is primarily responsible for what's going on in Darfur, but the
rebels themselves are also attacking civilians and are a part of the problem in
table, that's a good thing and we want to work with
by effectively destabilizing
are part of the process of destabilizing that country.
QUESTION: But once the --
QUESTION: Is it -- do you think that your support -- well, you want to
finish
QUESTION: Mine's a simple thing: Are they actually trying to get the rebels
to the table?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: They have.
QUESTION: Have the Eritreans been told that you're looking at State Sponsor
designation, or is this how they're going to find out?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: They've been told through private channels.
QUESTION: Private, non-official channels?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Yes.
QUESTION: The other thing is that I noticed on my favorite website,
Shabeh.com, that Isaias is supposed to be speaking to the -- going to give a --
basically what you're doing today -- today. And I -- just before I came out
here,
I looked to see that it hadn't come -- it hadn't been posted yet. Do you have
any idea what he's going to -- what he might be saying?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: No idea. I hope that what he would say is that
improve it and will also stop any activities that are destabilizing
what I would hope he would say, but I have no idea what he will say.
QUESTION: Do you think --
QUESTION: Right. And the -- just one last thing, have you sought, since your
attempt to visit -- when was that, two -- almost two years ago, or a year
and a half ago, have you sought and been denied a visa?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: No, I wasn't denied a visa then either. What the
Eritrean Government said was that they did not want me to go to the border.
My plan was to go to the border through
The Eritreans gave me a visa and said, you're welcome to come to the country,
but do not go to the border. I said, the only purpose of coming is to go to
the border. And so I went through
sought a visa since that time.
QUESTION: Okay. And my last question is that Eritrea was -- when they
expelled the -- certain people of certain nationalities from UNMEE from
Eritrea,
has that ever been adequately addressed and is the -- is there still concern
that this is going to lead to a precedent, that they might be telling the
Sudanese, hey, look, this is a way that you can affect the hybrid force, we did
it, they couldn't -- the UN was toothless, they couldn't do anything?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, that's another issue. When I say that
we've tried to act with restraint because at the time that they rejected the
UNMEE, pushed out the UNMEE officials from -- I think it was non-African UNMEE
officials, we were asked to come in by Kofi Annan before sanctions would be
placed on Eritrea and Ethiopia to try to mediate between them, to try to make
--
get forward motion on the boundary commission. We did get forward motion
because we brought
commission before. We brought them back to the table. We got Meles to say
that he would accept a delimitation decision without conditions. But we lost
they're coming back together.
Those sanctions which were being considered were put on hold to give time for
a diplomatic effort. Our diplomatic effort stalled when we suggested that
there be technology, satellite technology, to look at how decisions on the
demarcation of that border would affect the local communities. Because we felt
that it was extremely important for Ethiopia and Eritrea to discuss how they
were going to manage the impact on communities on the border because some
territory that was previously Eritrea's would go to Ethiopia, some territory
that
was previously Ethiopia would go to Eritrea. So you had to address those
local issues. Some farms would be split from their wells.
might be trying to undo the delimitation decision.
And so, no, to answer your question, no sanctions were taken against them.
That's still an outstanding issue and we're still hoping that diplomacy will
work.
QUESTION: It's more than two years, though.
QUESTION: How much do you think that your growing ties with Ethiopia and
your support for Ethiopia and Somalia, the Ethiopian military in Somalia, is
kind of fueling the relationship?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Well, our ties aren't growing with Ethiopia.
We've always had very strong ties with Ethiopia. I mean, historically, we've
had
very strong ties with Ethiopia and we don't in any way financially support
the Ethiopian military in Somalia. In fact, I've said many times that we urged
the Ethiopian military not to go into Somalia. They did so because of their
own national interests, their own national security interests.
What we're trying to do is, in fact, help the Ethiopians to withdraw from
Somalia by working to get AMISOM forces into Somalia to replace the Ethiopians.
We think it's extremely important for them to draw down as quickly as
possible, and they think it's important for them to draw down as quickly as
possible, or at least that's what they tell us.
And so our relations with Ethiopia have always been strong. I think that, you
know, my own discussions with the previous ambassador to the United
States
is that, as I said, the U.S.-bilateral relationship with Eritrea was already
problematic before this administration came into office from, you know, before
2000 -- 1998, 1999. This the Eritreans took as a signal the national
security council strategy which said that the United States recognized certain
strategic countries -- we didn't say partners, but strategic countries -- based
on
their size, their, you know, use of peacekeeping forces. Those countries
were Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia.
And I think that from what the former ambassador told me, Eritrea took that
as a signal that perhaps we were favoring Ethiopia over Eritrea. It wasn't the
case, but Eritrea then quickly after, for independent reasons, kicked out
USAID and put us on a path that we have tolerated, including restricting our
mission personnel. But what we cannot tolerate is their support for terror
activity, particularly in Somalia.
QUESTION: Technically, when does the closure of the Oakland consulate take
effect?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: November 9th, 90 days. We gave them 90 --
November 8th. I'm sorry. We gave them 90 days.
QUESTION: Why did you decide to close the consulate and not to take what
might be seen as a more reciprocal action of acting against their embassy in
Washington? Was that a manifestation of your effort to exercise restraint?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: No, we've already done that. We've put -- we've
not tried to escalate this. We said, look, you're putting the restrictions on
our personnel. We put 25-kilometer restrictions on their personnel in
Washington as well and in Oakland. It didn't change their behavior, and so now
we're taking another step, which is you're also impacting our consular
services,
we will impact your consular services.
QUESTION: Can you explain to me the link between -- you said that they had
been detaining diplomatic pouches and they had been refusing to grant visas to
TDY personnel. That has interfered with your consular services in Eritrea
why? Because consular officials couldn't get in or because you couldn't
transfer passports or whatever --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: That's right. That's right. And they're not
detaining our pouches. They've insisted on inspecting them, which is against
the
Vienna Convention. And because they insisted on inspecting them, we can't
send them forward because we won't allow our material to be inspected in that
way which has obviously sensitive personnel information in them.
QUESTION: One more thing on the food you talked about. I was under the
impression, and I just got back in March from two years in Nairobi and I
covered
this pretty closely, that it wasn't that they were taking the food, it's that
they were locking it up and keeping it there and they weren't distributing it
to anyone.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: No, we've seen --
QUESTION: Has that changed?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Yeah. There's reports that they've not only --
they warehoused the food, but then they've -- we've seen that food come on to
the market.
QUESTION: Oh, so they're selling it?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER: Yes, now they're selling it.
QUESTION: I see.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
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