Yemane Gebreab (Photo: vg.no)
ESAT News (June 10, 2016)
Eritrea said on Thursday that the United States and the Ethiopian regime were behind the damning report on human rights by the UN Commission of Inquiry which the east African country strongly believe was politically motivated.
In an exclusive interview with Sisay Agena of ESAT, presidential advisor and head of political affairs, Yemane Gebreab said there is no legal basis to the accusations of crimes against humanity and that the report was purely a political plot to undermine the State of Eritrea.
The UNCOI said in a report on Wednesday that it “has reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Eritrea since 1991.” The COI said in its report that crimes against humanity, enslavement, torture, rape and other inhuman act were committed in Eritrea.
“The COI report describes the national service by Eritreans to their country as slavery. According to the report, all Eritreans are slaves,” said Mr. Gebreab.
Mr. Gebreab further said that UN agencies, diplomats and others who are on the ground in Eritrea reject COI claims of crimes against humanity and other accusations in the report. The report was aimed at coercing Eritrea to change its stance on matters of regional and international political dynamics, he said.
Mr. Gebreab said the UN has never made any report when the minority regime in Ethiopian perpetrated crimes against humanity in the Ogaden, Oromo, Gambella and other regions in the country. “The COI report would be more appropriate to the minority regime in Ethiopia,” Gebreab said.
Mr. Gebreab went on to say that the COI report is also aimed at undermining Ethiopian opposition groups that are supported by Eritrea in their struggle to free their country from tyranny. He called on those who struggle for Ethiopia’s freedom to join hands with Eritrea to fend off the politically motivated campaign.
Regarding US policy in the region, Mr. Gebreab said the problem in the horn of Africa is a result of America’s erroneous policy as well as the shortsightedness of the minority regime in Ethiopia.