PRESS STATEMENT

On Jun 16, 2011

19 months have already elapsed since the United States imposed the unjust and illegal sanctions resolution 1907/2009 against Eritrea in the name of the Security Council. The resolution clearly demonstrated the Council’s resort to the policy of hegemony instead of justice and legality, thus vividly illustrating the gross violation of justice and the danger that the uni-polar economic world order entails.

As the resolution imposed against Eritrea on the basis of slander and utter lie is being laid bare with each passing day amid growing frustration of its authors, the same quarters are seen as of late concocting discredited stories. The purpose of such campaign is intended to prepare the groundwork for ‘strengthening sanctions’, accompanied with fabricated minutes by so-called ‘study groups’. One of those employed to mastermind such a scheme which calls itself “monitoring group” is trying to compile trash data with a view to providing a mantle of ‘accuracy’ to the unjust anti-Eritrea resolution on the one hand, and ‘strengthen’ the sanctions resolution through getting engaged in illegal activities, campaigns and sojourns on the other.

In view of the fact that the decision to form such a group totally lacks logic and justification, it is unacceptable as a legal entity. Accordingly, any party, be it international or regional, that entertains nonsense from such a group can by no international standard assume any legality.

In any case, considering the fact that the actions of such “monitoring group” reveal its real character as a political tool, it is worthwhile citing a few instances.

This illegal group is witnessed raising unwarranted questions namely:
How much gold production does the Nevsun Company in Eritrea secure monthly? What is the amount the company pays to the Eritrean Government in tax and as stakeholder? What about the future work program and projected output of the Bisha mining project? What is the output estimation of the project to the investment community?

What’s more, the group’s hectic resort to these and related bizarre questions, particularly attempting to obtain information about agreements concluded between the Eritrean Government and companies of certain countries pertaining to the repair of aircrafts, as well as the number of war planes and capacity it possesses, in addition to soliciting a detailed list thereof fully attests to its illegal mission of transgressing the sovereign right of nations.

The actions of this group that is engaged in numerous meddlesome excesses beyond any justification no doubt raises innumerable legal questions. In any case, what is the reason prompting the Security Council, which after all is instituted to oversee respect of international law and order, to deploy an illegal group of this sort? If at all the Council claims to imply that any monitoring group is vested with legal status, under what law of jurisdiction and under what Article? And what mandate in essence does it possess? Has the intention anything to do with the Security Council’s maneuvers of looking for cover-ups and trying to ‘assemble information’ on the subject of its frantic adoption of an illegal sanctions resolution? If indeed that is the case, under what legality and logic of trying to put the horse before the cart? Is the Council’s objective to compile information on weapons’ shipment to Somalia? If by all means that is the case, what connection is there between Bisha and Somalia?

Under what logic does the Security Council’s mission relate with mining activities in Eritrea or other trade and economic agreements for that matter? Is the monitoring group an entity mandated with a defined responsibility? Under what document? Or is it a group operating under the umbrella of the United Nations vested with yet another undefined mission? If so, what exactly is the mission? A mission authorized by whom? Under what legality? For what purpose? What is the type of information sought through such an illegal practice? What about the conspiracies intended to be concocted through such a ploy?

The questions that could be raised are endless. Needless to say, however, in the final analysis an indisputable answer could no doubt be discerned. It is crystal clear that the accuser, witness, judge and prosecutor is but one, while at the same time posing as four.

The Government of Eritrea challenges these discrediting quarters that are posing as accusers, witnesses, judges and prosecutors all at the same time, and engaged in fabricating lies in a bid to cover up their bankruptcy, to abandon their futile ruses and thus put an end to their shameless practice of adopting so-called ‘resolutions’. Above all, the Eritrean government challenges them to present concrete evidences and muster the courage to listen to Eritrea’s argument in a free and open forum.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 16 June 2011