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Eritrea’s Military Got Help From U.A.E., Foreign Firms, UN Says

Eritrea’s military received help from the United Arab Emirates and possibly Russian, Czech and Italian companies in the past year, assistance that would violate a United Nations arms embargo on the Horn of Africa country,

Eritrea’s military received help from the United Arab Emirates and possibly Russian, Czech and Italian companies in the past year, assistance that would violate a United Nations arms embargo on the Horn of Africa country, the organization’s investigators said.

Thirteen Eritrean air force and navy cadets received training at U.A.E. military colleges and seven at Emirati engineering institutions between 2012 and 2015, the investigators said in a Nov. 8 report to the UN Security Council, citing testimony from five cadets who defected. The U.A.E. has been building a military base in Eritrea, whose port facilities two months ago appeared to be “almost complete with multiple vessels docked,” the investigators said, citing satellite imagery.

U.A.E. tanks and artillery have been present between the port facilities and an airport that is also being developed, the investigators said. A U.A.E. Foreign Ministry official didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel didn’t comment directly on the allegations.

Eritrea, a one-party state that sits on a key shipping strait linking the Red Sea and Suez Canal, has been under UN sanctions since 2009, following allegations President Isaias Afwerki’s government supports Al-Qaeda-linked rebels in Somalia. UN monitors said two years ago that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen may have been offering Eritrea monetary compensation for the use of its land, airspace and territorial waters.

‘Unwarranted Sanctions’

In an emailed response to Bloomberg’s questions, Information Minister Gebremeskel criticized “unwarranted sanctions” based on “false allegations” it supported the al-Shabaab militant group. UN investigators said they found no conclusive evidence of support given to the fighters nor of large shipments of weapons and ammunition between the two countries.

The investigators also said Russia’s permanent mission to the UN told them the St. Petersburg Aviation Repair Co. overhauled a Mi-17 helicopter that was transported from St. Petersburg to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. Satellite imagery later appeared to show the aircraft at various military sites in the country, the UN experts said.

Defectors told them all helicopters operated by Eritrea’s government are used by the national air force, although not necessarily exclusively. The repair company didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Two Eritrean Augusta Bell AB 412 EP helicopters were overhauled over the past two years by Italian helicopter service company Airgreen S.R.L., the experts said. Airgreen, which didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, told the UN it was given documentation indicating the helicopters’ registration was issued by the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority. Satellite imagery later showed the two helicopters parked on a military apron adjacent to an Eritrean airport base, according to the report.

Czech Republic-based Zlin Avion Service s.r.o. supplied parts and training to members of the Eritrean air force, which has at least four Zlin aircraft, the experts said, citing certificates bearing the Zlin Avion logo and the signature of a flight instructor who was in Asmara in May 2016, as well as eyewitnesses.

The company didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. It told the UN investigators it hadn’t entered into any contractual agreement with Eritrea’s government and that its employees hadn’t been present in the country.

— With assistance by Claudia Maedler

Bloomberg.com

aseye.asena@gmail.com

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15 COMMENTS
  • alem November 12, 2017

    The sunction targeted military equipment only.can some one from hgdf supporter explain to me why eritrea is poorer after 26 years of independece without economic embargo?

    • tesmin November 12, 2017

      Alem, your question to hgdf supporters” why the ruined economy ” ? Is not supported because they have no idea intentionally, the worst thing that Eritrea inheriting the total social destruction , bad sence, constructing almost 360 prison sites .no doctor, architects, preachers of religion and teachers. All in that prison. The rest here we are welfare aspirants.

      • Z. Hagos November 12, 2017

        Hi alem and tesmin,
        The earthquake of 1960 in Chile was the worst earthquake of 9.5 magnitudes that destroyed about 5% of the affected area. And, the deadliest hurricane ever was the 1900 on Sept 8 of Galveston, Texas that killed 12,000 people.
        .
        The ongoing Isayas’s Highdef exterminating force is equated to a combined earthquake-hurricane with the worst and most violent destructive and annihilating force that is wiping out every Eritrean person and the whole country. The UN should declare an urgent human disaster that requires urgent preparation to save the endangered people by any possible means.

  • Kalighe November 12, 2017

    Higdef has methodically reduced Eritrea to one of the poorest countries on planet.
    Potentially, Eritrea’s natural resources are more than enough to give it’s people a decent life.
    The country’s mineral and marine resources are huge, mostly exploited, by foreign companies, while the revenues, are kept in Hagos Kishas’ secret foreign bank accounts.
    The poverty level in Eritrea is unprecedented. We are going through one of the worst times in living memory.
    The worst part in all these is that, Higdef is not going to change this situation. On the contrary, they are gradually tightening the noose to cause mass starvation, consequently, mass death.
    And yet some still think this is not an enemy !!!

    • shilan November 13, 2017

      Kalighe aka Abu Ahmad, Mohammed, Duri Mohammed, Hamid Ibrahim, comedian Iraqi Ali, Somali warlord, Abdurobo, Wedi Halima savage Arab slave dog, stinking Saho whore snake, andom, amanuel, Almaz/almaz, Sol, Nahon, Abu thimmer, Keshi Mars, Wedi Hagher/Yemeni…. In short, a rootless mushmush saHsaH muslim nefaHito. You are our only savage muslim enemy.

      • Fried lies November 14, 2017

        Shilan
        Although what you said is 100% true, it is not nice to say it, .
        P.s You forgot jeberti Arabs’ underwear.

  • k.tewolde November 12, 2017

    In this world of weapons proliferation where money and greed dominates,forget a military dictatorship in Eritrea,a neighborhood drug dealer can acquire WMD.As a matter of fact,the U.A.E. is short changing the bafoons, they should be flying harriers,warthogs,Apache attack helicopters,F-16s and rolling with Abram 1 Bradley tanks by now for the prime territory they gave away.However,the big boys know what kind of a customer they dealing with.So they settle for a chunk of change in the bank and a protective presence.In the mean time the masses continue to live in destitution.Therefore sanction is an empty diplomatic tool and it has nothing to do with the dire situation the Eritrean people are in.

  • TesfaldetAbraha November 13, 2017

    እሞ ናይ መን ጉድለት እዩ ዩኤን ንሱዕዲን ነተን ካልኦት ሕጊ ዝጣሐሳን ክትኽስስ አለዋ እምበር ኤርትራ ድአ ንምንታይ ትኽሰስ

    • amanuel November 13, 2017

      Tesfit
      Why does ur government need more munition? Does’t it have enough to shoot each protester in asmara, keren, afabet, asseb, adikeih, adihalo etc.? I do not think u need more than 12 million bullets, 2 for each one of us.

      • shilan November 13, 2017

        Rootless mushmush saHsaH savage evil muslim nefaHito, ROT in your evil Islam HELL where you come from and where you truly belong. Your days in Eritrea are numbered.

  • HANOY November 13, 2017

    OUR CHILDREN ARE SHOUTING AND CRYING

    THEIR YOUNG AGE IS BEING WADTED IN DESERTS AND MOUNTAINS FOR NO CAUSE .
    WOMEN SERVE AS SEX SLAVES AND BOYS AS KONTAKINTE (MALE SLAVES )

    RELEASE OUR KIDS !

  • HANOY November 13, 2017

    OUR CHILDREN ARE SHOUTING AND CRYING

    THEIR YOUNG AGE IS BEING WASTED IN DESERTS AND MOUNTAINS FOR NO CAUSE .
    WOMEN SERVE AS SEX SLAVES AND BOYS AS KONTAKINTE (MALE SLAVES )

    RELEASE OUR KIDS !

  • AHMED SALEH !!! November 13, 2017

    NO WAR NO PEACE of two antagonistic ruling parties
    pile weapons of destruction . To spend big portion of
    their annual budget on military equipments hurts both
    countries economy . Westerners took opportunity to
    benefit on stupidity of failed countries in third world .
    Losers with empty pride are good for nothing except to destroy their future .
    In our case only stone headed think they won the game but in reality everyone involved feel the pain .

  • HANOY November 15, 2017

    OUT DATED , UNCIVILIZED , UN DEMOCRATIC , ILLITRATE ONE MAN RULE

    ONE MAN RULE MUST END .

    DO NOT WE HAVE ONE BRAVE SOULE TO STAND AGAINST THIS ALL MISERY ????

    GOD SEND YOUR MAN AND EMANCIPATE US FROM INTERNAL SLAVERY

  • TesfaldetAbraha November 15, 2017

    እሞ እንታይ ጸገም አለዎ ወያነ ካብ አመሪካ ካብ ሳውዝኮርያ ካብ ካልኦት ሀገራትን እንዶ ሐገዝ ትረክብ አይነበረትን ከመይ ገሩ ናይ ኤርትራ ዓቢ ወረ ይኸውን

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