Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASMARA705
2007-08-28 14:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:  

GSE INTERFERENCE WITH OPERATIONS AT OTHER

Tags:  PREL KREC ASEC ER 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281423Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9063
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1427
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1604
RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000705 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: PREL KREC ASEC ER
SUBJECT: GSE INTERFERENCE WITH OPERATIONS AT OTHER
DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ASMARA

Classified By: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000705

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: PREL KREC ASEC ER
SUBJECT: GSE INTERFERENCE WITH OPERATIONS AT OTHER
DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ASMARA

Classified By: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE)
continues to selectively tweak diplomatic missions in Asmara
on operational issues. After fifteen months of renovating a
new Embassy building, the South Africans were informed they
could not move into the building. The British, Norwegians,
and Germans have yet to resolve their months-old impasse over
their diplomatic pouches. Many Missions have not been
granted courtesy calls with the new Foreign Minister yet, who
assumed his position in June. While the U.S. still gets top
billing as the Mission targeted with the most restrictions,
other diplomatic Missions also face operational difficulties
created by the GSE. End Summary.

--------------
GSE TELLS SOUTH AFRICANS THEY CAN'T MOVE IN
--------------


2. (C) Fifteen months after signing a lease agreement and
paying rent and renovation costs in order to move the Embassy
to a larger facility, the GSE told the South African Embassy
that they would not be able to occupy the building. The
building, formerly occupied by USAID, is located across the
street from the wall of the Presidential compound. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head of Protocol Fesseha
Ghebrehiwet informed South African First Secretary Cynthia
Daniels on June 6, "there is a problem with the building.
You can't have it." He pointed out that a gate to the
Presidential compound was located across the street from the
building. When Ms. Daniels replied that the South African
Embassy had been renting the building with the full knowledge
of the GSE for over one year, Fesseha professed he had no
idea that this was the building they were renting. Ms.
Daniels informed Fesseha she would have to speak with the
Ambassador about the issue and requested the Eritreans
provide an explanation for their disapproval in writing.


3. (C) The following week, the South Africans received a note
verbale from the GSE informing them they could not occupy the
building. The South Africans contacted the building
landlord, an Eritrean citizen, who was shocked by the GSE's

decision. A few days later, the landlord met with Fesseha
and presented his legal lease documents. Fesseha disregarded
the documents, repeating that the South Africans would not be
able to occupy by building and added that the GSE was
considering seizing the building for its own use. The
landlord requested that the GSE provide him a written
document indicating the government's intention to take the
building from him and/or that he is prohibited from leasing
the building to the South Africans. To date, the landlord
has not received anything in writing from the GSE.


4. (C) The MFA then offered to help the South Africans find
another building. Using a South African embassy vehicle and
GSE-provided local agent, Ms. Daniels spent an entire day
looking at vacant buildings in Asmara. All were buildings
she had already seen, and deemed unsuitable, nearly 17 months
ago when she first identified the former USAID building for
the new Embassy facility. At one point, the GSE offered to
move out of a government office and provide the South
Africans with that building. The building offered was
completely run-down and insufficient to the South Africans'
space needs.


5. (C) During the week of August 6, the South Africans
received a second note verbale from the GSE. In this note,
the GSE claimed that the South Africans could not use the
former USAID building due to security concerns and because
the Asmara municipality had re-zoned the entire area. (Note:
The Yemeni Embassy recently moved into the former Libyan
Embassy which is only one block from the Presidential
Compound. End Note.) The South Africans continue to be
extremely frustrated by the GSE actions. In addition to
losing a building after fifteen months of rental payments and
renovation costs (and for a building which they have never
even occupied),the South African Embassy must now manage the
storing of supplies and furniture, recently arrived, which
was ordered specifically to fit their new space. They
anticipate that within the next two weeks two more containers
of buildings supplies will arrive in Eritrea.

ASMARA 00000705 002 OF 002



-------------- --------------
OTHER MISSIONS WRESTLE WITH UNRESOLVED POUCH PROBLEMS
-------------- --------------


6. (C) The saga continues of the detained diplomatic pouches
of the Germans, Norwegians, British, and Netherlands. Thus
far, all Missions but the Netherlands, have stood fast to the
principle of the inviolability of the pouch. In July, the
Germans decided to return their pouches unopened after the
GSE refused to let them take possession without inspection or
provide a listing of the items enclosed. The Germans have
told us that they plan to wait a while and then quietly try
to send in another pouch. The British pouches, detained
nearly five months ago, remain at the airport. The British
have refused to allow inspection or to provide the GSE with
an itemized listing. The British have also (unsuccessfully)
insisted that if the GSE will not allow the British Embassy
to take possession of the bags unhindered, then the GSE
should pay to return the bags to London. The Norwegians'
diplomatic pouches also continue to languish in the airport.
The Norwegian Ambassador informed post, prior to his
departure several weeks ago for annual leave, that the
Norwegian MFA planned to call in the Eritrean Charge during
the week of August 1 to demand an explanation. Post will not
learn the outcome of this meeting until the return of the
Ambassador at the end of this week; however, the Norwegian
Charge noted that the GSE has taken no action to release
their pouches to date. The Netherlands Embassy, whose
pouches were detained for several weeks in the spring,
acceded to the GSE's request for an itemized inventory. Upon
provided this listing, the GSE released the items without
inspecting them. Post has heard rumors that other Missions
in town may be allowing inspection or providing itemized
inventories, allowing them to bring in their diplomatic
pouches.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) The GSE continues to stonewall all diplomatic Missions
on discussing resolutions to the continuing detention of
pouches and other violations of the Vienna Convention. The
MFA has consistently responded to the Missions' formal
protests by stating that the GSE's "internal regulations"
allow inspection of diplomatic bags, while refusing to
acknowledge that their "internal regulations" violate their
treaty obligations. Nor do GSE actions indicate that the
government plans to address these issues anytime soon. In an
August 24 meeting with the MFA's Americas Division (to be
reported septel),Charge raised the issue of the diplomatic
pouch again, with no response. Post notes that many of the
Missions (including ours and the UK) have not been granted
even formal courtesy calls with the new Foreign Minister, who
assumed his duties in June. End Comment.
MCINTYRE