
By TesfaNews,
South African ambassador to Eritrea, Ambassador Iqbal Jhazbhay, yesterday dismissed reports of Al-Jazeera satellite television ban in Eritrea as a “pure lie“.
On a short message he posted on his Facebook page, the Ambassador simply described the recent report from the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) as “a deliberate campaign of defamation” on Eritrea.
In its subsequent anti-Eritrea report, the Paris-based RWB this week released its toxic tipped report under the title ”Eritrea slammed over Al Jazeera ban” without even labor to check the veracity of its source behind it.
Ambassador Jhazbhay, after reading the said report, expressed his amusement in a way of questioning the credibility and tenacity of the cheap report and its authors.
“Seems a deliberate campaign of defamation on Eritrea is unfolding. I just read the story below: ”Eritrea slammed over Al Jazeera ban”. I was today at the Asmara Central Post Office. Al Jazeera English TV was on for customers to view, while awaiting to be served. So, who is punting such lies?,” asked Ambassador Jhazbhay.
Unlike some yellow journalists, a reporter for the German based Deutsche Welle radio (DW) rather called to Eritrea to verify the fact before churning the report from RWB as fact. He called to the President’s office to confirm the report.
Yemane Gebrmeskel, Director of the President’s office, twitted the following in response to the DW reporter.
“Watched Al-Jezeera Tv news, as I usually do, during z lunch break today. Yet, Deutch Welle radio station asked me now why it is banned!”
Eritreans describe the recent situation as history repeating itself. In its twilight years, the notorious Derg regime used to spread lies and falsify documents to implicate freedom fighters in egregious acts.
Borrowing a leaf from that chapter, Eritrea’s new enemies have started to spread lies and forge documents to only display their utter frustration and bankruptcy to the open.