Visit the new AsenaTv Website

https://asenatv.com

Eritrean consulate in Toronto defied UN arms embargo with ‘illicit revenue collection’ for military: report

TORONTO — An investigation by United Nations monitors has found that the Eritrean consulate in Toronto was collecting money for the African country’s military as recently as January in violation of an arms embargo. The consulate

TORONTO — An investigation by United Nations monitors has found that the Eritrean consulate in Toronto was collecting money for the African country’s military as recently as January in violation of an arms embargo.

The consulate was part of an “international system of illicit revenue collection” run by Eritrea, ranked one of the world’s least developed and most repressive states, the UN monitors wrote in a recently-released report.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird expelled the Eritrean consul in May after a government investigation found he had been running a taxation scheme that coerced money for the country’s armed forces.

At the time, Eritrea denied any wrongdoing but UN investigators have now reached the same conclusion: that the consulate was part of a military fundraising scheme that used “coercive measures” against Eritreans living in Canada.

“We have seen the report of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group,” Mr. Baird’s press secretary, Rick Roth, said Friday. “There have been allegations that extortion, threats of violence and fraud are being used to collect the tax in some cases. … Canada has repeatedly made clear to Eritrea to respect international sanctions and Canadian law.”

The arms control monitors called on Canada and other countries with sizeable Eritrean populations to submit reports by the end of December detailing what they had done to stop Eritrea’s efforts to impose a 2% income tax and $300 “defence fee” on members of the diaspora.

Among the evidence cited in the report was a receipt issued by the consulate in Canada indicating that a Toronto man was required to make a $300 donation to the Eritrean military. Other documents show how money was wired from Canadian banks through Germany to the Eritrean ruling party.

The investigators also said they had obtained an audio recording of a speech by Consul General Semere Ghebremariam Micael at Centre St-Louis in Winnipeg a month before he was expelled from Canada.

In the April 21 recording, he “mentioned the appointment of assistants and representatives of the consulate in Winnipeg for the express purpose of collecting taxation from Eritrean citizens in that city. Ghebremariam also informed the gathering that Eritrean citizens would be precluded from investing in Eritrea unless they paid the 2% tax.”

The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Eritrea in 2009 because of its destabilizing role in the Somali conflict. The Eritrean military has provided training, weapons and money to armed factions such as Al-Shabab. The monitors said Eritrea continued to have “close links” to two leaders of Al Shabab.

The report recommended the adoption of a “due diligence framework” to prevent Eritrea’s mining revenues from being used to violate UN sanctions. A Vancouver company, Nevsun Resources Ltd., operates a gold and copper mine in Eritrea.

Ghezae Hagos, spokesman for the Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba, urged Ottawa to adopt the report’s mining recommendations, which call for a system similar to one set up in Liberia following concerns over conflict diamonds.

With little in the way of an economy, Eritrea is largely dependent on mining revenues and diaspora taxes. “Agents of the government have also raised significant revenues from the trafficking and abduction of refugees fleeing Eritrea,” the UN monitors wrote.

Source: National Post

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
8 COMMENTS
  • Genet August 11, 2013

    “Other documents show how money was wired from Canadian banks through Germany to the Eritrean ruling party” hmmm.. Why is the money collected, in the name of any things going to the ruling party of PFDJ? What ever happen to the Eritrean’s people bank? Do we have one?
    Genet

  • Yerhiwo August 11, 2013

    It is time to charge the Mafia boss (Dictator Isaias Afwerki) crime against humanity!! The same charge applies to crooks Monkey (foreign agent) and Kisha (treasurer). These three people are not eritreans!!! They all belong to Tembien (Tigray).

    It is clear that these people are there to wipe out pure eritreans (dekibat) and drain Eritrean resources.

    Wake up Eritrean….clean them up!

    • fithawi August 12, 2013

      Yerhiwo,
      concentrate on the main issue rather than dealing with nonsense staff of identity and origin. We are tired off the tags who label with the names Agame, weyane, USA, etc.
      It is a shame to cry using same words for a decade.

  • Asmert August 11, 2013

    This should take them to court, other countries should follow the foot step

  • Selam August 11, 2013

    In reality there is no such as PFDJ wodeb or political party, this name was born in 1996 after that this party have never had a congress, no election, no check and balance, and all of its leaders are in unknown prisons. So PFDJ is just a name that Isaias is using it to confuse and divide Eritreans, and kill the very essence of being Eritrean. WAKE UP !! WE, THE DIASPORA SHOULD OCCUPAY THE ERITREAN EMBASSY OFFICES, AND THE SMALL OFFICES THAT WORKS UNDER THE PRETEXT OF COMMUNITY CENTERS, THAT ARE ISAIAS AFEWORK’S PROPAGANDA OFFICES….

  • ahmed saleh August 11, 2013

    For those blinded followers useful reminder if they miss
    the point to understand this conflicted activities .
    1) It is illegal to force to pay taxeson non residents except if the person have a will voluntarily.
    2) WE Eritrean’s in diaspora proved practically our love,
    sincerity ,obedience and dedication to our country’s cause in the past. The huge financial contibutions defines
    our patriotism which is our pride.
    3) Even now if they have the will to share the political and
    social aspects obligation with the people’s approval

  • ahmed saleh August 11, 2013

    Sorry !
    continue; ……… , we are available to lend our hand to make a difference to our people life condition anytime.
    4) last, we as free minded human beings resist from
    kneeling down to anyone except to Almighty God b’cause
    it’s is our God’s given right to seek the path of truth in our
    life.

  • TheTruth August 13, 2013

    Can we stop with the lies? No one forces Eritrean to pay taxes by way of threats or coercions. Wouldn’t be surprised if 85% of Eritreans, supporters included don’t pay it. By pushing these lies, the opposition is doing itself a disservice if they want the Eritrean people to join them. And anyone who pushes for external parties to oversee Eritrean money is merely a traitor/sell-out. Ghezae, this is directly pointed at you. You will be judged by the people for your deceit.

POST A COMMENT