By TesfaNews,
There is nothing more revealing than witnessing the honour of the United Nations dragged into the mud for it conveniently allows itself to be seen as a tool for a club of big boys intent on bullying smaller countries through some ludicrous groups and individuals within the organisation.
The Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) was one of those discredited outfits of the United Nations designed for such purposes.
Last week, the group’s annual report to the Security Council’s sanctions committee on Eritrea and Somalia has got a fierce criticism from a number of Security Council members, notably Russia, for its “biased and groundless conclusions and recommendations.”
It even blocked the report from publication so that leaving the monitors with the option of going along with the Somalia report alone.
However, the U.S. and UK, the main proponents of the sanction regime against Eritrea, have continued to challenge Russia and other Security Member states for rejecting the report.
The Russian envoy finally has requested should the US want to publish this report and present it to the UN member states as is, then the U.S. must first and foremost call on a Press Release and state their opposition to this unfounded allegations against Eritrea and the inconclusive report contained within it from a number of UN member States.
The main issue here is the methodology used by the SEMG to collect information and the standards of procedures it follows in verifying the allegations. In multiple counts, the SEMG reached into hasty recommendations and conclusions without providing any credible material evidence.
Though the accused party, Eritrea has continuously been denied its inalienable rights to have full and timely access to any of the periodic reports that the group compiled against it. In complete disregard and breach to the legal principle of “equality of arms,” the group intentionally leak the reports to the main stream media to try to influence public opinion; presumably to bolster its recommendations vis-a-vis Eritrea before it is officially delivered.
Alas! The UN Security Council finally bowed to the heavy-handed U.S. pressure and allowed the publication of the group’s Eritrea report this morning.
Of all the countless errors, misrepresentations and outright lies found throughout the report, the anomalous precedence that amazed some Eritrean officials was the introduction of a statement on Paragraph 174.
This is how it reads:
“The contents of strictly confidential monthly progress reports…have been obtained by the Government of Eritrea and distributed through social media and press outlets. The Monitoring group considers those responsible for these acts to be in breach of the resolution”
That’s right! According to whomever owns these ridiculous report, Eritrea is guilty of possessing a copy of one of the monitoring reports that the group has gladly leaked to the media.
Yemane G/Meskel, head of Eritrea’s President Office, tweeted this evening with great amusement after reading the published report.
“I have never come across a more ludicrous statement. The SEMG wishes to peddle outrageous accusations against Eritrea and gag any response,” Said Yemane.
“If Eritrea distributes through media outlets SEMG reports that portray it as a villain, I find it mind boggling for the latter to threaten action!”
But, why is the SEMG willing to throw all sorts of lies and misrepresentations to demonize Eritrea? What are they trying to hide all the time?
“Unless, of course, the SEMG is keenly aware that its reports, culled from intelligence agencies and subversive groups, they cannot withstand neutral scrutiny and give full credence to their allegations,” concludes Yemane.
Basic attitudinal changes towards Eritrea are a much needed prerequisites for the SEMG before pointing fingers to or any member state for breach of “Resolution”.
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CLICK HERE to get a glimpse of the report that the SEMG believes Eritrea acquired it [through friendly means from some UNSC members] in breach of the “Resolution”.
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