ERITREA WILL VOTE AGAINST IRAN'S UN HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000384 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2016 TAGS: KUNR PREL PHUM UNHRC ER SUBJECT: ERITREA WILL VOTE AGAINST IRAN'S UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL BID Ref: SECSTATE 66050 CLASSIFIED BY: AMB Scott H. DeLisi, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 1.(C) Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to MFA Director General for UN Affairs Ghirmai Ghebremariam on May 2, 2006. Building on the GSE's concerns over Iran's nuclear build-up, Ambassador reminded Ghirmai that voting them onto the Council would send a message that such irresponsible acts and disregard for the will of the international community carried with it no costs. Ghirmai stated that Eritrea would not support Iran's candidacy and had already provided those instructions to the Eritrean Ambassador to the UN. He agreed that electing Iran to the Human Rights Council would be inappropriate at this time, risk the credibility of the council and send the wrong message to Iran. With more candidates than positions, Ghirmai felt that Iran's candidacy could be defeated. ¶2. (C) Ghirmai discussed at length the "lack of love" between Iran and Eritrea. Noting that the Iranian position of regional Islamization garnered no support in Eritrea, Ghirmai voiced concern that in the past Eritrea was a target for Iran's efforts and that they could be again in the future. He forcefully articulated that Iran and Eritrea maintained no relationship and that in discussions with senior political leaders here all had agree that at this time "such a relationship would not be to the advantage of Eritrea politically, strategically or ideologically". DeLisi