By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

ASMARA, Eritrea -In light of sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the United Nations Security Council, much blame is being put on the United States government for influencing the Council to push their own agenda. Eritrean media outlets are claiming that the sanctions that came in December after the U.N. Security Council Accused Eritrea of providing funds and weapons to Islamist insurgents in Somalia where violence has killed 21,000 people since 2007. The decision was supported by 13 of 15 council members and was designed to target Eritrea’s leadership, imposing an arms embargo as well as asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and firms to be designated by an existing sanctions committee.

These sanctions are believed to have been a part of a conspiracy “masterminded by United States intelligence agencies, especially the CIA,” said President Isaias Afwerki.  Protests  against the recent sanctions are being planned by the Eritrean Diaspora in the U.S.  to take place in Washington D.C.  at the White House.  The Eritrean government has responded to these protests by saying that they are not involved in any way with the planning or execution of the protest. “to the contrary, it is the people who arose spontaneously when they heard about this unjust sanction. Actually, young women, men, elders, and even children were very angry because they’ve been victimized for the second time. So, it was absolutely popular appraisal against the unjust resolution. This resolution is not only targeting Eritreans, it is targeting the Horn of Africa entirely,” said an Eritrean official.

The official also went on to explain the sanctions were not justified because the Council had no way of proving Ertitrea’s complicitiy in the ongoing security instability in Somalia. The official further said, “United Nations had nothing to do when member states were asking about the evidence. Some of them were blackmailed and some of them were silenced. Until today, there has been no proof that has come out from the U.N. and people are asking where is the proof? Where is the beef? Because no proof was submitted against Eritrea.”

For more information please see:

Reuters – Eritrean Media Blames US For UN Sanctions – 17 February 2010

Reuters – Eritrean Rebels Say Killed 17 Intelligence Agents – 18 February 2010

VOA – Eritrea Official Denies Asmara’s Involvement in Organizing Protest Against UN – 17 February 2010