South Boulder up on Eritrean talks

Shares in South Boulder Mines jumped more than 16 per cent yesterday after the company appointed corporate advisors to help handle negotiations with the Eritrean Government over the sale of a 30 per cent stake in its potash project in the African nation.

The WA-based company said on Monday that Eritrean state-owned miner ENAMCO had elected to take up its option to up its stake in the Colluli potash project to 30 per cent, and yesterday South Boulder appointed Azure Capital to help value the project ahead of the formal start of negotiations. While the 15.5¢ jump to $1.12 will be welcomed by investors, the former market darling has a long way to go before it reaches the $6 mark its shares commanded this time last year.

There's little doubt the company's potash project is big and potentially lucrative but Eritrea has become an increasingly uncertain investment destination over the past year. The small nation has been threatened with UN sanctions after being accused of sponsoring al-Qaida-linked terrorist group Al Shabaab, which operates in Somalia. Tensions with neighbouring Ethiopia have also risen in recent weeks, after Ethiopian troops mounted attacks on Eritrean-based guerilla groups accused of mounting cross-border raids.

South Boulder's experience with ENAMCO mirrors that of Chalice Gold Mines, which agreed to sell an extra 30 per cent stake in its Eritrean gold project last June to boost the state-backed miner to a 40 per cent holding. The WA gold company won't see the bulk of the $US34 million agreed price until the end of June, and elected to quit the project late last year, allowing China's SFECO to conduct due diligence on a sale of the remaining 60 per cent for up to $US100 million.

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The UN confirms that Eritrea violated the arms embargo imposed by Security Council

The Security Council today received confirmation UN that Eritrea

repeatedly violated the arms embargo that body included in the sanctions regime that applies to the African country and Somalia.

The sanctions committee informed the Security Council violations by the Eritrean government in a closed session in which their cases were fifteen members of which there is evidence, told reporters deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom to UN, Philip Parham.

"The panel has ruled that Eritrea has been violating the arms embargo," Parham said upon leaving a meeting in India's ambassador to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, presented his last report as chairman of the committee sanctions on Eritrea and Somalia.

Parham avoided giving details about the violations, but said that all members of the Security Council consider that it is "a very serious matter" that should raise Puri now the Eritrean authorities, who must ask for explanations.

The international community considers that Eritrea is the main source of support to Somali militias, although the Eritrean government denies providing military support, weapons or financial support to armed opposition groups Somali Islamic fundamentalist militia and Al Shabaab, linked to Al Qaeda.

Eritrea itself has recognized that maintains relations with Somali armed groups, but argues that their connections are limited to matters of a political or even humanitarian.

The Security Council of the UN approved a resolution last December which toughened the penalties imposed in 2009 against Eritrea for its efforts to destabilize the states of the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, by funding terrorist groups.

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Eritrean leader says U.S. behind Ethiopia raids

Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki accused the United States of plotting cross-border raids by Ethiopian troops, saying the two allies were out to divert attention from a festering border spat in the volatile Horn of Africa.

Addis Ababa, Washington's main ally in the region, said it attacked military bases used by rebels inside Eritrea e arlier this month.

The incursion followed a raid by an Eritrea-based rebel group into Ethiopia's remote Afar region in January in which five foreign tourists were killed and two kidnapped.

Last week's attacks were the first on Eritrean soil that Ethiopia has admitted to since the end of a 1998-2000 war that claimed 70,000 lives and left a border dispute unresolved.

Eritrea says there have been others.

"We have seen several attacks, not just one. We prefer not to talk about it and don't intend to be involved in provocations," Isaias told Eritrean state TV in an interview late on Sunday that was later broadcast on the Internet.

"The military incursions were plotted by Washington with the aim of diverting attention from implementing the boundary commission's decision," he said.

The U.S. embassy in the Eritrean capital of Asmara denied it had been involved in the attacks.

"The United States was not involved in the March 15 attack by Ethiopian forces inside Eritrea, contrary to media reports that have circulated in and outside of Eritrea," the embassy said in a statement.

"The United States categorically rejects any allegations that it planned, participated in, or supported the attack."

Ethiopian officials could not be reached for comment.

The Hague-based boundary commission awarded the border village of Badme to Eritrea in 2002, but Ethiopia has yet to conform with the ruling, insisting on further negotiations on its implementation.

The United Nations has called for restraint between the two neighbours, saying bilateral tensions risked undermining efforts to foster security and stability in the region.

MISSILES AND SANCTIONS

In Sunday's interview, Isaias said the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency had "fanned up" Ethiopia's incursion to divert global attention from the 10th anniversary of the border ruling and its implementation.

He also accused Washington of masterminding the sanctions that the U.N. Security Council imposed on Eritrea in 2009 and 2011, alleging it had provided funds and weapons to Islamist insurgents in Somalia – charges that Eritrea flatly denies.

"Proxies implement the U.S.' misguided agenda in the region. These unjustified sanctions against Eritrea reflect this agenda," Isaias said.

Ethiopia, a key ally in the United States' global war on Islamist insurgents, has deployed troops inside Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked militants.

Isaias routinely claims Washington sided with Eritrea's arch-foe during the border war for "geo-strategic reasons".

In a leaked cable from the U.S. embassy in Asmara, former U.S. ambassador Ronald McMullen said Isaias feared the U.S. would try to kill him by firing a missile on his residence in the coastal city of Massawa.

The cable also showed that Isaias believes Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi tried to have him killed in 1996 when an aircraft that Meles offered for his travel caught fire during a flight.

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Eritrean Zersenay Tadese won the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon

There were high expectations from Tadese’s appearance, because the weather wasn’t as bad as predicted but still quite warm. At the race time, the temperature reach 23 ºC with moderate winds.

From the start Tadese ran in the front, with John Mwangangi (2nd in 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon and Valencia Half Marathon 2010 and 2011 winner), but always well off World record pace.

After the race, the five time IAAF World Half Marathon champion said, “I couldn’t run as fast as last year because I had a flu, and that affected me. I hope I can do better next year, if I can compete here, again.”

After Tadese and Mwangangi, another Kenyan, Lucas Rotich, finished the podium 1:40 ahead of Portuguese Rui Silva, who achieved a new personal best of 1:02:40. For Silva, “The most difficult thing was being alone almost from the beginning. Tadese and company soon went to the front, pacing the race to a level hard for my current shape. So I ran almost alone to finish with a personal best.”

The high temperature proved to be harder than expected and several athlets didn’t finish.

Among the first ten finishers, seven of them were born in Africa, two in Portugal (Silva and Manuel Damião, 2012 Portuguese road race and cross-country champion), and one Argentinean.

Confidence booster for Flanagan – women’s race

In the women’s race, Flanagan, the 2012 Houston Half Marathon winner, 2011 World Cross Country bronze medallist and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist, crossed the finish line 16 seconds ahead of Kenyan Diana Chepkemoi (7th in 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon, 2nd in 2012 Berlin 25 km), who lowered her personal best to 1:09:08.

Two more Kenyans followed in third and fourth: Margaret Muriuki (6th at the 2011 World Cross Country) and Peninah Arusei (2010 World Half Marathon bronze medallist clocked 1:09:21 and 1:10:24, respectively.

Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka, a Marathon standout who lives in the south of Portugal, finished fifth ahead of Kenyan Rita Jeptoo and the Portuguese Ana Dulce Felix, who crossed the line in 1:11:18. Last year she was second in 1:08:33.

“This was a great race,” said Flanagan. “I’m very pleased for this opportunity, hoping this can give me more confidence for this summer in London, in the Olympic Marathon.”

Felix wasn’t disappointed. “Last year at this time I was preparing for the Vienna Marathon, in another level of shape. This year, our work is focused on the Olympic marathon so I ran slower than 2011.”

Overall, it was a spectacular and well organised race with more than 38,000 runners crossing the bridge over the Tagus river.

Antonio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF

Leading Results:

Men -

1. Zersenay Tadese, ERI     59.34

2. John Mwangangi, KEN   1.00.44

3. Lucas Rotich, KEN     1.01.00

4. Rui Silva, POR         1.02.40

5. Gilbert Masai, KEN     1.02.40

6. Titus Masai, KEN       1.03.07

7. Dickson Marwa, TAN     1.03.09

8. Yared Asmeron, ERI     1.03.43

9. Manuel Damião, POR     1.03.56

10. Sammy Kigen, KEN       1.04.11

Women -

1. Shalane Flanagan, USA     1.08.52

2. Diana Chepkemoi, KEN     1.09.08

3. Margaret Muriuki, KEN     1.09.21

4. Peninah Arusei, KEN       1.10.24

5. Jelena Prokopcuka, LAT   1.10.37

6. Rita Jeptoo, KEN         1.10.50

7. Ana Dulce Felix, POR     1.11.18

8. Alice Mogire, KEN         1.11.24

9. Lornah Kiplagat, KEN     1.12.19

10. Nadia Ejjafini, ITA       1.12.41

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South African Cyclist won Tour of Morocco 2012

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Hadas Eritrea Today

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