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10 Multiple choice question on Eritrean history
Eritrean History Quiz
Question 1:
Which ancient kingdom had a significant influence on early Eritrean history?
- Aksumite Kingdom
- Kush Kingdom
- Egyptian Kingdom
Question 2:
What was the primary religion of Eritrea during the Aksumite period?
- Christianity
- Islam
- Judaism
Question 3:
Which European power colonized Eritrea in the late 19th century?
- Britain
- Italy
- France
Question 4:
When did Eritrea gain independence from Ethiopia?
- 1941
- 1961
- 1991
Question 5:
Which of the following is a major ethnic group in Eritrea?
- Tigrinya
- Zulu
- Maasai
Question 6:
What is the capital of Eritrea?
- Addis Ababa
- Asmara
- Djibouti
Question 7:
The Eritrean War of Independence was fought against which country?
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
- Somalia
Question 8:
Which of the following industries is important to the Eritrean economy?
- Mining
- Tourism
- All of the above
Question 9:
What is the official language of Eritrea?
- Tigrinya
- Arabic
- English
Question 10:
Eritrea has a unique and significant archaeological site known as:
- Yeha
- Luxor
- Giza
Saturday, September 04, 2021
10 Countries Hosting the Most Refugees
Friday, February 28, 2014
Le Tour de Langkawi 2014 - Stage 2 Result
Theo Bos (Belkin) won a crash marred stage two of the Tour de Langkawi, ahead of his teammate and lead-out man Greame Brown.
Bos managed to avoid the chaos going on around him to take his first win of the season. Brown stayed in front of the remaining pack to snatch second with Marco Haller (Katusha) finishing in third.
Astana’s Andrea Guardini has had some big successes at the race, but couldn’t contest the sprint after being caught up in the incident. The Italian rider was seen in the back of an ambulance after the finish with a puncture wound in his foot. He is now a doubt to start stage three on Saturday.
Despite the joy at his victory, Bos gave little celebration in respect to his fellow competitors. “I don’t want to salute and be so much happy (because of the crash), some see it the other way,” he said at the finish. “There was many crashes. I hear on the corner to the left with 500 meters to go, no before, there was a crash and also in the last corner, behind me.”
Like a number of other sprinters Bos has come here to try and build up his win tally before returning to Europe saying that it is good for morale despite the level being higher at other races. “There are a lot of sprints and it’s not a super high level. Also for my team it’s important to get the number of victories up,” he explained. “I’d rather ride here than do Paris-Nice where you might be satisfied with a third spot. I’d rather win here. Paris-Nice is a very hard race for me.”
Race leader Carlos Quintero finished safely within the bunch to keep hold of his leader's jersey with Jonathan Clarke and Matt Brammeier sitting just behind him.
It was a relatively straight stage forward for the peloton, with two fourth category climbs to contend with. With no breeze to cool the air, the riders were in for a sweltering say. Five riders shot up the road, with the peloton happy to leave them go. They were Ho Junrong (Ocbc Singapore), Behnam Khalikhosroshahi (Tabriz Petro Chemical), Elchin Asadov and Tural Isgandarov ( Both Synergy Baku), Jiang Zhi Hui (Giant-Champion) and Rashid Ibrahim (Malaysia). They were caught within the final 10km, leaving the sprinters teams to do their work.
The tight windy finish caught many out, with more than 20 riders being involved in the crash.
Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/le-tour-de-langkawi-2014/stage-2/results
RESULT
1 BOS Theo Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
2 BROWN Graeme Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
3 HALLER Marco Team Katusha
4 KRUOPIS Aidis Orica GreenEDGE
5 KOLAR Michael Tinkoff-Saxo
6 ROGERS Rico OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team
7 REGUIGUI Youcef MTN - Qhubeka 4 2 ,,
8 BRAMMEIER Matthew Synergy Baku Cycling Project
9 NISHITANI Taiji Aisan Racing Team
10 KOCHETKOV Pavel Team Katusha
2 BROWN Graeme Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
3 HALLER Marco Team Katusha
4 KRUOPIS Aidis Orica GreenEDGE
5 KOLAR Michael Tinkoff-Saxo
6 ROGERS Rico OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team
7 REGUIGUI Youcef MTN - Qhubeka 4 2 ,,
8 BRAMMEIER Matthew Synergy Baku Cycling Project
9 NISHITANI Taiji Aisan Racing Team
10 KOCHETKOV Pavel Team Katusha
58 KUDUS Merhawi MTN - Qhubeka
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Eritreans in Britain forced by embassy to pay 2% diaspora tax
On the morning of the 18 December last year Sam* walked up the narrow steps of a nondescript building in the back streets of Islington, north London. He was visiting the Eritrean embassy to inquire about his "clearance". This is the process every Eritrean in the diaspora must undergo if they want to have any dealings with their home country.
However, being cleared entails paying a 2% tax on all UK earnings to the Eritrean authorities. Without clearance Sam could not have his passport renewed, apply for a business permit in his home country, or even send a parcel of secondhand clothes to his family.
The diaspora tax was banned by the UN security council in 2011 (pdf). Resolution 2023, supported by the UK, condemned the tax because it was being used to fund "arms and related material" for rebel groups across the Horn of Africa.
These included the Somali militant group al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida affiliate. Eritrea supported al-Shabaab as an indirect means of attacking Ethiopia, its long-standing enemy.
In May 2011 the Foreign Office notified the Eritrean authorities that "aspects of the collection of a tax levied by the Eritrean government on Eritreans living in the UK may be unlawful and in breach of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations. The ambassador was told that until it was demonstrated otherwise the embassy should suspend, immediately and in full, all activities relating to the collection of the tax."
Despite this warning, the Foreign Office is aware that pressure on British Eritreans to pay the tax has continued. Lady Warsi, the senior minister of state at the Foreign Office, confirmed in a written reply to Lady Kinnockthat the Eritrean ambassador had been warned he must comply with the resolution to desist from illicit means of collecting revenue from members of the Eritrean diaspora in the UK. "On 20 December 2012, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials raised these concerns with the Eritrean ambassador and reminded him of UN SCR 2023," Warsi wrote.
Yet a year later, when Sam arrived at the embassy, he was informed he had no option but to pay the illegal tax. "If you have anything to do or there is any query," an embassy staff member told him. "You will have to pay it all and get clearance. You will not be able to do anything without clearance."
"We are aware of allegations over the use of harassment to collect revenue from members of the Eritrean diaspora in the UK," Warsi wrote. "On 20 December 2012, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials raised these concerns with the Eritrean ambassador and reminded him of UN SCR 2023."
The sums involved can be substantial. Tax is claimed when an Eritrean turns 18 – even students are expected to contribute £50 a year. Upon reaching adulthood, Sam was told he had to pay the full tax. "However, after [reaching 18] and until 2013 you need to bring a payslip, a P60 or anything that indicates your income. When you come with all these documents, then you can pay the 2% tax."
Backpaying 17 years of taxes would have been a huge burden for Sam, who has a young family to support. "I need to get a mortgage to pay all this," he joked with the embassy staff as he turned to leave. Having no intention of paying the tax, he had secretly recorded the entire exchange on video.
The allegation that staff continue to demand payment of the 2% is supported by receipts obtained from other Eritreans, dated after May 2011, when the practice was outlawed by the UN.
The taxation of the Eritrean diaspora, many of whom live just above the breadline, has been challenged by a group of Eritrean women. Team Eritrea, as they are known, are requesting that the British government ends its toleration of the illegal tax. "It is extortion from some of the poorest people in our community, who just want to help their families back home," says Feruz Werede, who is leading the campaign.
But the campaigners want the Foreign Office to go further. They are calling on the British government to follow the Canadian example and expel the Eritrean ambassador. In May 2013, fed up with repeated – and false – assurances from the Eritrean authorities, Canada's foreign affairs minister, John Baird, expelled the Eritrean consul in Toronto, Semere Ghebremariam O Micael, declaring: "Today's actions speak for themselves."
The UK diaspora fears the extortion will continue unless decisive action is taken. Eritrea is among the most repressive countries in the world, and the funds sent from Britain through this tax assist the regime in maintaining its hold over the beleaguered population.
*Sam's name has been withheld to protect his identity
Israel Begins Deporting Sudanese, Eritrean Asylum Seekers
Israel has begun deporting African asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea to Uganda, according to reports by an Israeli news outlet. Quoting senior government officials, Haaretz reported that over the past months dozens asylum seekers had either left or agreed to leave Israel for Uganda.
The state does not forcefully deport citizens of Eritrea due to the danger they face in their repressive home country known as the North Korea of Africa, and in the absence of diplomatic relations with Sudan the country is also unable to facilitate deportations of Sudanese nationals there.
However, the government has upped its monetary incentive to Africans to leave under its "voluntary departure" scheme from $1,500 to $3,500.
Eritreans Sudanese are among the largest migrant group, accounting for 80% of the 53,646 asylum seekers from Africa in Israel.
Last June, it emerged Israel's High Court of Justice had reached an arrangement with an unnamed third country that would agree to accept asylum seekers from Africa.
At the time, the state refused to discuss the arrangement, while the Ugandan government denied the existence of such an agreement.
The UK's Guardian newspaper said Uganda agreed to the deal in exchange for agricultural technology and arms.
HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS
Israel has been reluctant to grant asylum-seekers legal standing within its borders amid fears it would spark a fresh exodus of migrants. The government continues to exert strong pressure on migrants to leave voluntarily by either stalling their claims or keeping them in indefinite detention.
Human rights and advocacy groups say Israel's actions represent a clear violation of international refugee conventions.
The director of the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, Reut Michaeli, told Haartz last week that as far as her organisation is aware, asylum seekers sent to Uganda will not receive legal status or be issued with documents allowing them to leave if they want to.
However, ongoing uncertainty about their future and the hard conditions at Saharonim and the Holot detention facility, where many asylum seekers are incarcerated means many are electing to leave.
According to government figures, 2,612 migrants from Africa left Israel in 2013 as part of its voluntary departure process. Of those, 1,955 were from Eritrea and Sudan.
MASS PROTESTS
There is growing disquiet among asylum seekers themselves in Israel. Earlier this year, hundreds of asylum seekers began a protest march from the Holot detention centre in the desert to Tel Aviv, calling for the release of all the detainees and asking that their asylum applications be processed.
That was followed by a mass rallies in Tel Aviv, in which tens of thousands of African asylum seekers went on strike in protest against Israel's migration policies, causing widespread disruption to businesses.
In a rare public statement issued during the protests, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) criticised Israel's policy on African migrants, calling on the government to seek alternatives to its current system of "warehousing" asylum seekers in detention facilities.
The agency also singled out the partial, temporary protection orders granted to asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea for particular criticism, saying the refugee recognition rates of nationals from both countries stood at 70% in other countries.
Israel has granted refugee status to just over 200 applicants since the country was founded in 1948. From 2009 and 2012, when the government took over the assessment of asylum claims from the UN, only 20 claims were approved from the 10,800 submitted. In 2013, Israel examined just 250 out of 1,800 asylum requests and approved none, according to Haaretz.
Meanwhile, Israel's interior ministry announcedin January that dozens of asylum-seekers, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, had been voluntarily transferred to Sweden, although it later emerged the arrangement was in fact struck following a special request by the UNHCR.
NO REFUGE
Over the years thousands of African migrants have arrived in Israel on foot after fleeing persecution and oppression in their homeland. Many Eritrean asylum seekers are victims of rape and torture and have survived harrowing ordeals having been trafficked from Sudan to Egypt before escaping to Israel across the Sinai desert.
However, the influx of African migrants has sparked tensions in Israel, with locals blaming them for rising crime levels and altering the Jewish identity of some areas.
A five-metre-high fence constructed by Israel to curb the flow of African migrants was completed in December and has reduced the number of people crossing illegally from 10,000 in 2012 to fewer than 45 last year.
There are reports that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) cross into the Sinai to deteralso potential asylum seekers before they even reach the border.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201402261122.html?viewall=1
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Receives Ambassador of Eritrea
Muscat, Feb 27 (ONA)
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud al-Busaidi, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry met here today with Mohammed Omar Mahmoud, non – resident ambassador of Eritrea to the Sultanate, to bid him farewell at the end of his tour of duty.
During the meeting, cordial conversations were exchanged and affirmed on the existing good relations between the Sultanate and Eritrea, as well as keenness of both sides in promoting them.
Foreign Ministry Secretary General expressed his sincere wishes to the ambassador to carry out his new duties.
The credentials presentation ceremony was attended by Ali bin Abdullah al-Mahrouqi, acting Head of the West Africa Department.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Lampedusa Boat Tragedy a Crime Against Eritrea, Says Official
Authorities say about 155 survived the accident which occurred about half a mile off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.
Presidential adviser Yemane Ghebreab called the incident “a crime against Eritreans, especially Eritrean youth.”
“This is the work of human traffickers who benefit from this, and there are powerful forces behind them,” said Ghebreab. “It’s an ongoing war which is being waged against Eritrea as part of the sanctions that have been imposed on [us]. It’s part of the continued illegal occupation of Eritrean territory. We look into the root causes and what lies behind this tragedy.”
Ghebreab’s comments came after the government in Asmara welcomed the idea of bringing the victims home, an idea that emerged from a meeting between the Italian ambassador to Eritrea and his counterpart in Asmara.
“As far as the burial of Eritreans who are victims of this crime are concerned, Eritrea will like to see them buried at home. This is not just the wish of the Eritrean government, it is also the wish of the families of the victims, so we are working on that,” said Ghebreab.
Critics say official government pronouncements prove the administration is using the boat tragedy as a propaganda tool against its critics. Ghebreab disagreed.
“There is a whole network of human traffickers, of criminals, who have the support of officials in a number of countries and agencies of organizations which are part of this,” said Ghebreab. “No attempt is made [by the media] to look at what is really behind what is happening. This is not the first incident, and unless this war is stopped, unless the criminals who do this and organize this are brought to justice, there will be many victims.”
Observers say the decision by young people to go abroad is due to the failure of the government to create jobs for them. They said Asmara is wrong to accuse alleged enemies rather than creating work.
But, Ghebreab disagreed, saying the government has implemented measures to meet the UN’s efforts to improve living standards and alleviating poverty. This, he says, in spite of sanctions imposed on the country.
“Eritrea has made huge strides over the past two decades. We are on track in meeting most of the UN Millennium Development Goals. The Eritrean government takes care of its youth and creates opportunities for them,” said Ghebreab. “It’s just not Eritreans, its Africans in general that are trying to migrate to Europe and other places.”
Ghebreab blames external forces for luring young people to leave home.
“For Eritrea, the defining reason for this is that Eritreans are given preferential treatment and are treated not as economic migrants, but as political asylum seekers. This is a deliberate policy that has been well documented,” said Ghebreab.
Tiny coffin of Lampedusa boat tragedy victim with a teddy on the lid among dozens buried in anonymous vaults despite Italian Prime Minister’s promise of a state funeral
- Unknown child was among over 300 asylum-seekers who drowned when their boat caught fire and sank
- Dozens of coffins buried in vaults in Sicily despite Italian Prime Minister's promise to hold a state funeral for the victims
The unknown child was among more than 300 Eritrean and Somali asylum-seekers who drowned when their fishing boat caught fire and sank last just half a mile from the island of Lampedusa on October 3.
The coffin was one of dozens buried in vaults in the small cemetery of Piano Gatta near the city of Agrigento in Sicily despite Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta's promise to hold a state funeral for the victims.
Read More Mail Online:
Sunday, June 09, 2013
'No Nile, no Egypt', Cairo warns over Ethiopia dam
By Shadia Nasralla
(Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister, vowing not to give up "a single drop of water from the Nile", said on Sunday he would go to Addis Ababa to discuss a giant dam that Ethiopia has begun building in defiance of Cairo's objections.
Speaking to Egypt's state news agency MENA two days after the Ethiopian government flatly rejected a request from Cairo to halt the project, Mohamed Kamel Amr said Egyptians view any obstacle to the river's flow as a threat to national survival.
"No Nile - no Egypt," he said, highlighting the pressure on the Egyptian government, whose popularity is wilting in the face of economic troubles, to prevent the hydro power plant cutting already stretched water supplies for its 84 million people.
Last week, Ethiopia summoned the Egyptian ambassador after politicians in Cairo were shown on television suggesting military action or supporting Ethiopian rebels - a mark of the threat felt in Cairo from the plan to dam the Blue Nile, the tributary that supplies the bulk of water downstream in Egypt.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Ethiopia dam is 'declaration of war': Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya
 |
| Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya mufti, Abdel-Akher Hammad (Photo: Al-Ahram Arabic) |
Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam and the diversion of the Blue Nile is a declaration of war on Egypt, Sheikh Abdel-Akher Hammad of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Ethiopia began diverting the course of the Blue Nile, one of the Nile River’s two major tributaries, as part of its project to build a dam for electricity production.
Speaking on Al-Arabiya satellite channel, Hammad claimed the move would reduce Egypt's water supply and damage national security.
"If such a war is forged against us, we are ready to fight and we will embark on it with all our strength to defend our honour," asserted Hammad.
Diplomatic negotiations should be the first step, he added.
Hammad went on to say the crisis should have been dealt with by the Mubarak regime.
The Blue Nile provides Egypt with the lion's share of its annual 55 billion cubic metres of river water.
According to the state-run National Planning Institute, Egypt will need an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050 – on top of its current quota of 55 billion metres – to meet the needs of a projected population of 150 million.
Will Canada’s hard line on Eritrea’s ‘diaspora’ tax apply to the U.S.?
How to explain, then, that while we send the Eritrean consul packing and threaten to shut down the consulate, we let U.S. Ambassador David Jacobsen stay put in Ottawa with nary a word of protest over America’s “diaspora” tax?
There are only two countries in the world that levy income tax based on citizenship rather than residence; one is Eritrea and the other is the United States. But while Canada fulminates and threatens mayhem against Eritrea, it says nothing about the U.S.
Even worse, it is actively negotiating with the U.S. to implement an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that would have Canada Revenue Agency help the U.S. IRS track down its citizens in Canada and bring them into the U.S. tax fold.
Could it be the power gap?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Eritrea condemns Canada's expulsion of Eritrean Consul General
Eritrea condemns in the strongest terms the Canadian Government's expulsion of the Eritrean Consul General in Toronto.
Eritrea states categorically that the services it renders through its Consulate General are fully consistent with the Vienna Conventions on Consular Relations and do not violate international or Canadian laws. It considers the expulsion as an unwarranted escalation of the Canadian administration's hostility to Eritrea and its harassment of the Eritrean Diaspora community. It is the act of a bully against a small and proud nation and its people and is aimed at denying the Eritrean Community the services that they need from their government.
The Eritrean government is confident that the community which has faced increasing harassment, including intimidation and severe restriction on their peaceful activities will not be bullied and that their resolve will remain unshaken.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara
29 May 2013
Canada expelling Eritrean diplomat for using consulate to shake down citizens for ‘national defence’
As recently as Monday, the head of the mission, Consul Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael, denied that. “I was collecting before and I stopped collecting,” he insisted in a telephone interview. “It’s not a problem.”
But the evidence showed otherwise and on Wednesday the Canadian government ordered Mr. Micael’s expulsion over his persistent efforts to use the consulate to violate a United Nations military embargo.
The expulsion order followed a government investigation that found the consulate was acting as a fundraising front by soliciting a 2% income tax and a $300 to $500 “ministry of defence” fee from expatriates in Canada.
The scheme was considered illegal because the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the Eritrean military four years ago over its ties to armed groups in the Horn of Africa, notably Al-Shabab, a regional affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Mr. Micael had been declared persona non grata and gave him a week to leave the country. “Canada has repeatedly made clear to Eritrea to respect international sanctions and Canadian law,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
‘We don’t force them’: Eritrean diplomat insists consulate is not extorting money from citizens in Canada
The diplomat who represents Eritrea in Canada insisted Monday his office was not extorting money from expatriates but merely providing “information” to those who want to donate to the African regime.
“I am not violating the law,” Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael, the Eritrean consul, told the National Post in an interview, his first since the Canadian government began probing the activities of his office in Toronto.
The dispute revolves around Eritrea’s efforts to impose a 2% “diaspora tax” and “national defence” fee on Eritreans living abroad — a practice critics call extortion and that has been denounced by the United Nations.The consulate headed by Mr. Micael, Eritrea’s only accredited diplomat in Canada, is under investigation over its alleged role in financing the repressive regime and its military in violation of international sanctions.
Although Ottawa warned Eritrea in a diplomatic note last September to stop its “tax solicitation and tax collection activities,” documents and interviews indicate the consulate has continued as recently as two weeks ago.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is weighing how to respond to the apparent defiance, and the TD Bank, which is being used to wire the money to Eritrea’s central bank, said Monday it was investigating.
I think it is our duty to give an information
“TD is committed to complying with all applicable laws and we are currently investigating claims,” a TD spokeswoman said, adding the bank had “rigorous controls to ensure that we comply with Canadian economic sanctions regulations.”
With no measurable economy, Eritrea, one of the world’s least developed and most repressive states, is dependent on money collected from the many Eritreans who have left the country for the West, including thousands in Canada.
Asked about forms the consulate had sent to Eritrean-Canadians in November and January, demanding 2% of their wages and a $300 “donation for national defence against Ethiopian invasion,” he said that was “information,” not solicitation.Mr. Micael said the 2% tax was Eritrean law. But he said the consulate in Toronto was no longer collecting the levy or the defence fee. He said those who pay do so voluntarily. “We don’t force them at all,” the consul said.
“Now look, we can give information, you know. We are not collecting it, but for those they are asking information for me, I am answering, you know. I am trying to give you an information, for those who ask the information I think it is our duty to give an information,” he said.
The fundraising scheme would be illegal because the UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on the Eritrean military due to its destabilizing influence in the Horn of Africa, where it has supplied weapons, money and training to a variety of armed groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab.
In addition, the RCMP and UN have reported that those who refused to pay have been subjected to threats, intimidation and coercion. Eritrean-Canadian refugees also complain they should not have to pay taxes to a regime they fled.
Eritrea promised in writing to stop last September, after Canada threatened not to renew Mr. Micael’s diplomatic accreditation. But documents suggest the consulate has been instructing expatriates to transfer the payments from the TD Bank, through Germany’s Deutshe Zentral Consossenshaft Bank to the Housing and Commerce Bank of Eritrea.
The Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group provided the documents to the Post as well as to Foreign Affairs, which was already conducting its own investigation into the consulate together with the RCMP.
Mr. Micael said he had an “understanding with the Canadian government, so there is nothing wrong.” He said he had spoken to Foreign Affairs about the dispute since the issue arose last week. “I answered the questions they asked me,” he said.
“We are not insisting to create conflict. We are trying to rebuild, you know, our relations. And things are going on. The Canadian companies are investing there. This is a minor thing what you are asking me.”
National Post
Monday, May 27, 2013
TD Bank urged to exit Eritrea collection scheme, Bank says it's complying with all applicable laws and is investigating claims
A Canadian chartered bank being used in Eritrea's controversial tax collection scheme is being urged to get out of it, CBC world affairs correspondent Rick MacInnes-Rae reports today from Winnipeg.
The UN says Eritrea relies on threats and coercion to extract two per cent of the income from Eritrean citizens in Canada. In Winnipeg, the money is then funnelled to the East-African dictatorship via Toronto-Dominion Bank, documents obtained by CBC News show.
They show two branches of TD Bank are favoured by the man Eritrea designates to deal with the diaspora.
TD Bank is his vehicle for wiring money to the DZ Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, which routs it to a bank owned by the ruling party in Eritrea, a country under UN sanction for supporting armed insurgents in east Africa, MacInnes-Rae reports.
Ghazae Hagos, of the Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba, says Eritrea is moving the money through banks instead of its Toronto Consulate to sidestep Canada's recent ban on moving it through the consulate in Toronto.
Contacted by CBC News, the banks were terse.
TD issued a brief email saying it's complying with all applicable laws and is "investigating the claims addressed by the CBC."
The bank said it has "rigorous controls to ensure we comply with Canadian economic sanctions regulations."
That theme was echoed by the DZ Bank, the bigger link in the chain since it deals directly with Eritrea, even though the German government frowns on the tax collections, MacInnes-Rae reports.
"All the transactions we carried out" DZ says, "were in compliance with the provisions of the European Union and the embargo regulations."
One Million Years old new fossils of Homo found in Eritrea
The team Italo-Eritrean operating in the region of Buya, in the African country, led by paleoanthropologist prof. Alfredo Cup of the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University La Sapienza of Rome, led to the discovery of new fossils of Homo , dating back to about a million years ago, located at the site of Muhuli Amo, which means "sanctuary of the tonsils."
Italian scholars, along with fellow Eritreans, already work in the area, which has always been one of the most important places for the research and study of the remains of early hominids appeared on Earth.
At a depth slightly lower than that of artifacts unearthed in previous excavations, were found more fragments of the skull of an individual who is found to be the same as they belong to other remains recovered in the last two years of the mission.
In particular, a new fragment of parietal bone was found to be of great importance, since it has allowed the reconstruction of the entire skull wall left of Homo and to consider in a much more thorough the morphological peculiarities of the cranium of this individual.
It was thus clarified first of its resemblance to the skull, previously marked by paleoanthropologists with the initials UA31, contemporary and from the nearby site of Wadi Aaza, and second was confirmed the hypothesis that this morphology of the skull called UA31 is representative of a population, not an individual.
" These new findings – says Professor Cup – confirm that the area that we are investigating is one of the areas with the highest potential for research that deal with the origins of the species sapiens, whose direct ancestors appear in the region about four hundred years later » .
Friday, May 24, 2013
African Civil Society Calls for AU Action On Eritrea
OPINION
In a petition, the organisations say the ongoing widespread and systematic nature of human rights violations in Eritrea underlines the need for continued and urgent action by the African Union
To: Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Africa
CC: Permanent Representatives to the African Union;
Permanent Representatives of African States to the UN Human Rights Council
21st May 2013
RE: African Civil Society Call for Action on Human Rights Situation in Eritrea
EXCELLENCIES,
We, the undersigned representatives of African civil society, present our compliments and congratulations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the African Union and the Organisation of African Unity. Reflecting the overall theme of 2013 as the year of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance, we are writing to call on the African Union to take urgent action to respond to the appalling situation of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Eritrea, especially in light of the commemoration's sub-theme of promoting peace and security in Africa.
We note with appreciation the adoption by consensus of resolution A/HRC/RES/20/20 on the human rights situation in Eritrea at the 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council in July 2012, on the recommendation of Nigeria, Djibouti and Somalia. It is encouraging to see an important and positive step forward towards the protection and promotion of human rights for the Eritrean people emanating from members of the African Group. The UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, whose mandate was established by the July 2012 resolution, will present a report highlighting the human rights situation in Eritrea in June 2013.
As the report of the Special Rapporteur will no doubt demonstrate, the ongoing widespread and systematic nature of human rights violations in Eritrea underlines the need for continued and urgent action by the African Union. The government officials and independent journalists arbitrarily arrested in September 2001 remain either in incommunicado detention or have since died. Thousands of Eritreans have been arrested and imprisoned without charge or trial for years upon end merely for being critical of the government, belonging to what the government defines as a 'wrong' religious group, or refusing to comply with the indefinite national service imposed on all Eritreans over the age of 18 years. Torture, arrests, killings and forced labour are common. No independent civil society organizations have permission to operate inside Eritrea, and since 2001 there has been no independent domestic media.
At the regional level, the case of Eritrea has been raised repeatedly at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, which adopted a resolution in 2005 condemning human rights violations in Eritrea. In two separate decisions in 2003 and 2007, the Commission also found the government to be in violation of fundamental rights contained in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and requested the release of the government officials held incommunicado since September 2001 (250/02 Liesbeth Zegveld and Mussie Ephrem vs. Eritrea) and for at least 18 journalists also held incommunicado to be given access to their lawyers (275/03 Article 19 vs. Eritrea). Although these decisions have been adopted by the African Union, to date Eritrea has not provided any concrete response or acted to implement them.
In this year of golden jubilee commemorations, Eritrean people are not free to celebrate along with the rest of Africa. If the message "One Africa for Prosperity and Peace" is to have real meaning, we believe that now is the time for the African Union and all its member states to kick start sustained engagement on the human rights situation in Eritrea so that its people may benefit from the rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
During the AU Summit to be held in Addis Ababa on 19-27th May 2013, we therefore recommend that the African Union and its member states:
Encourage the Government of Eritrea to ensure the effective implementation of the ACHPR decisions on Eritrea, and to allow access to the country for the special mechanisms of the ACHPR and UN Human Rights Council;
Support the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea at the Human Rights Council in June 2013;
Ensure the protection of Eritrean refugees in their states in accordance with the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa.
Excellencies, we thank you for your attention to these concerns. We remain available to provide further information as may be useful.
Sincerely,
Organisations:
1. Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture (ACAT-Burundi)
2. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
3. African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS)
4. Arry Organisation for Human Rights and Development
5. ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa
6. Arusha NGOs Network (ANGONET), Tanzania
7. Association des femmes juristes du Burundi (AFJB)
8. Association Nationale pour l'Alphabétisation et la Formation des Adultes (ANAFA), Senegal
9. Base for Education Dissemination (BED), Tanzania
10. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
11. Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa
12. Centre Guinéen de Promotion et de Protection des Droits de l'Homme (CPDH) 13. Club Union Africaine Cote d'Ivoire
14. Coalition de la Société Civile pour le Monitoring Electoral (COSOME)
15. Coalition Ivoirienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CIDDH)
16. East African Civil Society Organizations Forum (EACSOF)
17. East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP)
18. Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights-UK (EHDR-UK)
19. Forum pour la Conscience et le développement (FOCODE)
20. Forum pour le Renforcement de la Societe Civile (FORSC)
21. Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI)
22. Freedom and Roam Uganda
23. Human Rights Concern - Eritrea
24. Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF)- Uganda
25. Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)
26. Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU)
27. Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)
28. Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya)
29. Ligue des Droits de la Personne dans la Région des Grands Lacs (LDGL)
30. Malawi Law Society
31. The Multi-Environmental Society (MESO)-Tanzania
32. Mzeituni Foundation-Tanzania 33. Nazra for Feminist Studies 34. Release Eritrea 35. Réseau des Défenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC)
36. Réseau de femmes défenseures des droits humains (Togo)
37. Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network)
38. Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)
39. West African Human Rights Defenders Network
40. Zimbabwe Exiles Forum
Individuals:
1. Augustin Kounkinè Somé, Burkina Faso
2. Lilian Chenwi, Cameroon
3. Polycarp Ngufor Forkum, Cameroon
4. Adiam Woldeyohannes, Eritrea
5. Marian Atta-Boahene, Ghana
6. Mandala D. Mambulasa, Malawi
7. Joao Nhampossa, Mozambique
8. Hilary Ogbonna, Nigeria
9. Dejo Olowu, Nigeria
10. Mohammed Farah, Somaliland
11. Freda Apio, Uganda
12. Kitui Barbara, Uganda
13. Moses Karatunga, Uganda 1
4. Salima Namusobya, Uganda