A RARE, CIVIL CT RESPONSE FROM ERITREA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000348 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018 TAGS: PTER PREL ER SUBJECT: A RARE, CIVIL CT RESPONSE FROM ERITREA REF: SECSTATE 65133 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (SBU) Like NASA firing blind probes into Deep Space, Embassy Asmara dutifully transmits counter-terrorism designations and related demarches to the government of Eritrea. It has been several years since Post has received even acknowledgement, let alone a response, from our non-communicative host government on any counter-terrorism demarche. Thus, we were surprised when we received the following written reply July 9 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the demarche request contained reftel regarding the designation of the Philippines-based Rajah Solaiman Movement. Substantive excerpts follow. "In fact, since the unanimous adoption of UNSC resolutions, 1267 and 1373 against terrorists and their entities freezing assets and travel ban and arms embargo, we acknowledged receiving similar but frequently alerting letters listing a number of terrorist groups with detailed descriptions from the U.S. Embassy in Asmara. Accordingly, the Ministry would like to inform the esteemed Embassy that this and all previous Diplomatic Notes have been transmitted to the relevant authorities for action." ¶2. (C) Even more surprising, this unusual display of cooperative civility occurred amid a blizzard of anti-American propaganda emanating from Ali Abdu, Minister of Information, Isaias' hard-line mouthpiece, and father of two AmCit children. Post suspects the demarche response was drafted by relatively cosmopolitan diplomats in the Foreign Ministry, a number of whom have served in Western capitals and are at times reasonably helpful. MCMULLEN