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Sanction Watch: Not a Penny for PFDJ

The Legal Struggle against PFDJ-Part One By Seyoum Tesfaye The UNSC has imposed two sanctions: Resolution 1907 (December 2009) and Resolution 2023 (on December 2011) on the Eritrean regime. It more likely, come next December, the

The Legal Struggle against PFDJ-Part One

By Seyoum Tesfaye

The UNSC has imposed two sanctions: Resolution 1907 (December 2009) and Resolution 2023 (on December 2011) on the Eritrean regime. It more likely, come next December, the UNSC will have to impose a much stringent comprehensive sanction than the one passed in December 2011.

As a rule UN member nations have the responsibility of implementing these resolutions and all other relevant resolutions-i.e. previous resolutions concerning the situation in Somalia and the border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea, in particular resolutions 751 (1992), 1844 (2008), 1862 (2009), 1916 (2009), 1998 (2011), and 2002 (2011), and the statements of 18 May 2009 (S/PRST/2009/15),9 July 2009 (S/PRST/2009/19),12 June 2008 (S/PRST/2008/20)- within their national jurisdiction.

Contrary to the regime’s smoke and mirror public relations gimmick all these resolution have to be adhered and implemented. There is not too much manoeuvring space. The futile strategy of the regime will only give false comfort and empty hope to his diminishing support base. As it has been repeatedly stated the only way out is for the regime to fully comply with the requirements of the resolutions. But that will mean taking a rational approach to diplomacy and doing the right thing. Unfortunatelyit is not in the nature of the present leadership controlling state power in Eritrea to do what is right, legal and rational. The effort to continuously blame the rest of the world and cover up its true nature and behaviour will continue unabated.

Fortunately the world now has a better grasp of the diabolical nature of the regime and its propensity for illegal actions. No doubt even within the ruling party and within the Eritrean democratic elites inside the country, an avoidable consensus must be emerging as to the fact that the president and his small hand-picked collaborators are playing fast and loss with the very future of the young nation. The deeply felt but unexpressed resentment hopefully will manifest itself in some corrective form in the near future to help salvage Eritrea from this dangerous trajectory.

The world will not keep tolerating further the intransigence and arrogance of Isaias and his clique for too long. The choice is either Isaias and his clique or the survival of Eritrea. There is no space for ambiguity or equivocation. Those of us living in Diaspora have now an opportunity to find ways on how to assist, cooperate and facilitate the implementation of the critical aspects of Resolution 1907 and 2023 in the countries where we live.

Our struggle in the Diaspora now has reached a different phase: the legal phase. We have to deploy all legal instruments to destroy, expose, checkmate and minimize the widespread illegal activities of the regime and its surrogatesin each country, states, and counties where we reside. We have to identify and understand the exact role of the specific institutions and departments that have been set up or are designated to implement all UNSC resolutions on a national level. This potent approach is at our disposal. Peaceful struggle includes this kind of proactive deployment of mind, intelligence and heart.

How do we interpret and help turn these three critical parts of Resolution 2023 intoan actionable policy in each country where we are citizens or residents under the protection of the constitutional law that we have sworn to uphold?

As posted on the Australian Government department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, the three key resolutions are as follows:

  • Eritrea to cease using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and illicit means to collect taxes outside of Eritrea from its nationals or individuals of Eritrean descent;
  • States to undertake appropriate measures to hold accountable, consistent with international law, those individuals on their territory who are acting, officially or unofficially, on behalf of the Eritrean government or the PFDJ contrary to the above requirement;
  • States to prevent funds derived from the mining sector of Eritrea contributing to violations of resolutions 1844 (2008), 1862 (2009), 1907 (2009) or this resolution, by undertaking appropriate measures to promote the exercise of vigilance by their nationals, persons subject to their jurisdiction and firms incorporated in their territory or subject to their jurisdiction that are doing business in this sector in Eritrea including through the issuance of due diligence guidelines.

The first two are the two sides of one legal coin. The later one needs an extensive political campaign and a legal strategy. Let us for just now focus on the first two parts of the resolution:

Reading them for temporary politicalconsumption and to merely enhance and jazz up our expanding Paltalk conversation is one thing but studying and grasping the far-reaching implications of the resolutions with the intention of how to practically facilitate implementationis a different kind of responsibility and assignment. Between now and next December we have no other paramount responsibility than legally shutting down the vast PFDJ subterranean financial mafia network in Australia, Europe, Canada and USA as well as some parts of Africa. All agents of the Eritrea government/PFDJ in the Diaspora have to be exposed and held accountable under the national law of the country they live in, without mercy or trepidation, on the basis of the UNSC Resolution 2023 that explicitly declares: (reiterated for emphasis)

“States to undertake appropriate measures to hold accountable, consistent with international law, those individuals on their territory who are acting, officially or unofficially, on behalf of the Eritrean government or the PFDJ contrary to the above requirement;”

Nations like Australia have already started implementing the sanction. More will follow. Those of in Diaspora have to work hard to help the leadership of the nations where we reside to follow the Australian example and fully implement the consecutive UNSC resolutions in their totality. It takes a different kind of struggle and tact to do this. We cannot seat with our hands folded and expect the governments in Africa, Asia, Europe, USA and Canada to stop whatever their own national agenda aside (given the current global economic challenges) and put our agenda at the top. We have to work smarter and harder and more intelligently to bring our issues (sanction as well as other issues) to their attention.

We must methodically push for the implantation of the sanctions that are already on the book and start preparing the ground work for a more comprehensive sanction at the end of 2012. Take it as a given: as long as Isaias is heading the Asmara regime the Eritrean government will not comply with UNSC resolutions, thanks  for his help our work to squeeze the finical oxygen out of it will be a bit easier.Not a Penny for the Eritrean Regime! shouldbe our campaign’s slogan as we mobilize and push for the implementation of  the details of the sanctions.

We are at a crossroad both as people and individuals. Future generation will evaluate us on what we do and what we do not do in the face of the most concentrated draconian assault on the people Eritrea and everything they stand for by a minuscule clique. To hesitate or fumble at this stage in the struggle will be a dereliction of a solemn duty. For the sake of the people of Eritrea, the neighbouring people and the international community at large everything must be done to economically and politically suffocate and dispose of this regime.

I thank the government of Australia for implementing the UNSC resolutions. I hope Eritreans in Australia will find ways to engage expose and publicize the gold-mining company or companies’ use of “slave labour” in Eritrea to enrich the pockets of their stockholders.

We can do it- If we dare to rise to the challenge.

The Opinion and perspective presented in this posting reflects my point of view (POV) and only my POV.

I have attached the Australian government posting in the interest of enhancing our discussion: http://www.dfat.gov.au/un/unsc_sanctions/eritrea.html

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Eritrea

On 23 December 2009 the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolution 1907, imposing sanctions against Eritrea in response to the ongoing border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea, as well as Eritrea’s support to armed groups destabilising and undermining peace and reconciliation in Somalia, which the UNSC determined constituted a threat to international peace and security.

On 5 December 2011 the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolution 2023 imposing additional sanctions in relation to Eritrea. Resolution 2023 requires:

  • Eritrea to cease using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and illicit means to collect taxes outside of Eritrea from its nationals or individuals of Eritrean descent;

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52 COMMENTS
  • Zebib January 27, 2012

    Tesfaldet

    sunction mey jast sayed night mear cant froze ather beging EROPE COUNTRYS & ATHERES

    These are common words that you have seen and read perhaps a million times. Yet, you feel no shame in exposing your messiness and incapacity of grasping simple phenomena as spelling correctly. In addition, instead of respectfully expressing your beliefs and opinions saying I think or I believe, you give a huge insult to someone you never even met and compared to who, intellectually speaking, you are just a pigmy! Shame on you.

    • gedemb@gmail.com January 29, 2012

      Hi
      Tesfaledet
      from your comment what I understand how you are stupid and ignorant .you don’t know any thing about the situation of eritrea and swear,blame individuals nationalist eritrean.why dont go to primery school to lern because , liar like esayas aforki.

  • seb haki January 27, 2012

    we are onto it no penny for the dictatorial regime it is our duty to do what ever we can to squeez the criminal dictator in all directions to leave the power. TYou are briliant brother we will follow your elequently stated recomendations.

    Zebib may be you are some one pathethic full of prejudice and supporter of #1 dic tator of our time. shame on you. You are not Zebib but Andel soma and you will be done with the dictator.

    • Zebib January 27, 2012

      Seb Haki

      You are dead wrong my friend. I cannot fathom why you thought I would be in favour of the criminal Isayas from reading my post! I guess you too have limitations in reading and understanding things. I was offended by Tesfaldet insulting Seyoum Tesfaye calling him a ‘meat head’ although he is unable to spell the most common words correctly and by implication unable to read and grasp an article such as Seyoum has written. You should not rush to insult before you understand issues! There is nothing more I want than to see the last of Isayas and Hgdef. It is Tesfaldet who believes that they are gods.

      • Tedros Kahsay January 28, 2012

        This is the problem with the opposition.Just becouse some indivisual acts like as opposition it don’t mean he she is member of opposition.
        Did you even know seyum Tesfaye is blood cousin of the dictator isayas .first cousin by blood.don’t be fooled by this double faced traitor seyum just like his cousin tigaraway isayas aforki.before you follow try to investigate their back grounds.Who knows there maybe more agents of isayas in the opposition the same as this jasus seyum tesfaye.

  • Hasab Rebi January 27, 2012

    The writer has shown his betrayal and consistency hatred on the eritrean paople and leadership, for the reasons he knows. I am doubtful of his nationality and and origin and his evil hatered.

    • weldu January 27, 2012

      Mish Do? mendaa yiblaka? you need to reread it again and again until you get it right. Riesi HamHam. you need to check your master`s identity first and may be yours too.

      • Hasab Rebi January 28, 2012

        May be he he is your uncle, for sure he is not an eritrean, Aite Syuom Tsehaye, Prove me wrong he is Agame of Tigray.

        • john January 28, 2012

          Hasab Rebi do elka? Rebis yahaasib nifelit natka rebiss kemgelee eyuo zahawey….HshuK yibelaKa enten deki Htrdna…nay SheK jemil….

    • Zebib January 28, 2012

      Hasab Rebi

      You are mistaking Isaias and Hgdef to mean the Eritrean people. Just what DIA himself believes. He thinks he is the people. But so did Gaddafi! Just before his ugly end, we heard him say on TV “my bible love me”. There were some in Libya, who like you, mistook the dictator for the people. I can only guess that you are either a Hgdefite and part of the system or you are a parasite who feeds his selfish needs through the system. I doubt that you are protecting Isayas and Hgdef because of principles: freedom and justice and development. People like you are just as responsible for making a whole nation bleed like Eritrea is doing now. Shame!

  • tess January 27, 2012

    The writer sowndes loner no friends, and family, if this guy is Seyume Tesfai from Atlanta he never been in Eritrea even he does know Eritrean culture he thinks diferent he is disorganzed

    • Alem January 28, 2012

      Then you dont know him. better shut up.

  • Zeray January 27, 2012

    Ladies and gentlemen,
    If you have to give please give to the many needy people in Eritrea directly. Start with your relatives and friends. Identify needy mothers with young children who have difficulty knowing whether they will feed their children the next meal. There are many physically challenged who are not able to work. Trust me PFDJ won’t care about these individuals even if you double your giving.

    • Ahmed saleh January 28, 2012

      It is possible at this time and age te deep insights in to those peoples’s true intentions.
      This is troubling tendency as an Eritrean if you are for real Eritrean to look the other way to neglect with deaf ears your own people’s plight for help just to give them a little decency in their daily life. Hopefully they might one day move beyond all these non-senses by growing up positively and realistic humanitarian people. Like Zeray said it is more worthy, noble and rewarding from GOD to help relatives and other families who are neediest at this hard times of their life. Satisfy yourself in good deeds not the opposite trying to satisfy someone else. Thanks Zeray.

  • tesfaldet January 31, 2012

    hi zebib is seyuom tesfay the dam ass your husband or wishuma isayed meybe he was asleep when there was an article in WWW. MESKEREM .COM that sayed like this THE UN SAYES ERITREA IS NOT ARMING ALSHEBAB so did you know what that mean so where did he get the aidia that eritrea is going to get sunctioned next year

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