Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASMARA935
2007-12-12 04:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:
GSE BLAMES U.S. FOR FOOD AND FUEL SHORTAGES
how-toVZCZCXRO9495 PP RUEHROV DE RUEHAE #0935 3460419 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 120419Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9312 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1540 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1718 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000935
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON ET ER
SUBJECT: GSE BLAMES U.S. FOR FOOD AND FUEL SHORTAGES
REF: ASMARA 918
Classified By: AMB Ron K. McMullen, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000935
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON ET ER
SUBJECT: GSE BLAMES U.S. FOR FOOD AND FUEL SHORTAGES
REF: ASMARA 918
Classified By: AMB Ron K. McMullen, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) The Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) through
its sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy
and Justice (PFDJ),continues to conduct community meetings
to explain to the Eritrean people the reasons for the
shortages of basic food items, such as sugar and flour, as
well as cooking gas and diesel (reftel). In addition to the
community meetings, the GSE has required each Ministry to
conduct sessions with its own civil service, primarily
national service assignees. The ideas presented in these
meetings are becoming increasingly odd, as the GSE maintains
its course in blaming the United States Government for every
difficulty in Eritrea. Given the extremely limited
information available to the general populace, some Eritreans
may fall prey to believing the GSE's propaganda.
2. (C) In one community meeting, PFDJ Head of Economic
Affairs Hagos Ghebrehiwet claimed that the GSE "knows for
sure" that the USG neither likes Eritrea nor wants it to be
self-sufficient. He described U.S. food aid as
"insect-infected grain that their (U.S.) pigs refused to
eat," and stated that the United States did not want Eritrea
to build a successful economy. If America wanted to help, he
commented, it could have provided the GSE with tractors.
Now, he went on, the USG is preventing Eritrea from buying
food supplies, such as sugar and flour. He also alleged the
Americans are trying to stop the GSE from using its own
resources to buy weapons.
3. (C) When meeting with his employees, Minister of Education
Semere Russom offered his theory for the increase in the
numbers of indigent on the streets of Asmara, including
children and the mentally ill. (Comment: While there is no
hard data to show that poverty is increasing, Emboffs have
observed a significant increase in the number of beggars,
mentally ill, and street children in Asmara over the past 18
months. End Comment.) According to Russom, the U.S. Embassy
in Asmara is providing each indigent with 4,000 nakfa (USD
266.67) a month, more than three times the monthly income of
the average national service employee. Russom told his
audience that the GSE has seen lines of individuals in front
of the Embassy waiting to collect their monthly payments. In
addition, Russom claimed that the U.S. Embassy is telling
these individuals to stand in front of the Ministry of
Tourism office on Asmara's main street downtown, in order to
create an image of poverty for tourists. Curiously, Russom
also told his audience that the food shortages were a thing
of the past, that the harvest of the upcoming year would be
bountiful and that Eritrea would become a food exporter.
4. (C) Comment: The PFDJ's continuing public propaganda
campaign appears to be reaching new, bizarre extremes. While
post believes that most educated Eritreans will see through
the GSE's unconvincing lies, given the lack of other sources
of information and increasing frustration over shortages and
restrictions, others may take the GSE's explanations as the
truth. End Comment.
MCMULLEN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON ET ER
SUBJECT: GSE BLAMES U.S. FOR FOOD AND FUEL SHORTAGES
REF: ASMARA 918
Classified By: AMB Ron K. McMullen, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) The Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) through
its sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy
and Justice (PFDJ),continues to conduct community meetings
to explain to the Eritrean people the reasons for the
shortages of basic food items, such as sugar and flour, as
well as cooking gas and diesel (reftel). In addition to the
community meetings, the GSE has required each Ministry to
conduct sessions with its own civil service, primarily
national service assignees. The ideas presented in these
meetings are becoming increasingly odd, as the GSE maintains
its course in blaming the United States Government for every
difficulty in Eritrea. Given the extremely limited
information available to the general populace, some Eritreans
may fall prey to believing the GSE's propaganda.
2. (C) In one community meeting, PFDJ Head of Economic
Affairs Hagos Ghebrehiwet claimed that the GSE "knows for
sure" that the USG neither likes Eritrea nor wants it to be
self-sufficient. He described U.S. food aid as
"insect-infected grain that their (U.S.) pigs refused to
eat," and stated that the United States did not want Eritrea
to build a successful economy. If America wanted to help, he
commented, it could have provided the GSE with tractors.
Now, he went on, the USG is preventing Eritrea from buying
food supplies, such as sugar and flour. He also alleged the
Americans are trying to stop the GSE from using its own
resources to buy weapons.
3. (C) When meeting with his employees, Minister of Education
Semere Russom offered his theory for the increase in the
numbers of indigent on the streets of Asmara, including
children and the mentally ill. (Comment: While there is no
hard data to show that poverty is increasing, Emboffs have
observed a significant increase in the number of beggars,
mentally ill, and street children in Asmara over the past 18
months. End Comment.) According to Russom, the U.S. Embassy
in Asmara is providing each indigent with 4,000 nakfa (USD
266.67) a month, more than three times the monthly income of
the average national service employee. Russom told his
audience that the GSE has seen lines of individuals in front
of the Embassy waiting to collect their monthly payments. In
addition, Russom claimed that the U.S. Embassy is telling
these individuals to stand in front of the Ministry of
Tourism office on Asmara's main street downtown, in order to
create an image of poverty for tourists. Curiously, Russom
also told his audience that the food shortages were a thing
of the past, that the harvest of the upcoming year would be
bountiful and that Eritrea would become a food exporter.
4. (C) Comment: The PFDJ's continuing public propaganda
campaign appears to be reaching new, bizarre extremes. While
post believes that most educated Eritreans will see through
the GSE's unconvincing lies, given the lack of other sources
of information and increasing frustration over shortages and
restrictions, others may take the GSE's explanations as the
truth. End Comment.
MCMULLEN