Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASMARA389
2008-08-08 10:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:  

GSE SUPPLIES FOREIGN ERITREANS WITH INCREASED

Tags:  ECON PGOV SOCI ER 
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RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHAE #0389 2211005
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 081005Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9828
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000389 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018
TAGS: ECON PGOV SOCI ER
SUBJECT: GSE SUPPLIES FOREIGN ERITREANS WITH INCREASED
RATIONS

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000389

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018
TAGS: ECON PGOV SOCI ER
SUBJECT: GSE SUPPLIES FOREIGN ERITREANS WITH INCREASED
RATIONS

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE)
rations basic commodities through government-owned stores.
Though the majority of Eritreans complain that the rations
allowed are not enough to sustain the average family,
so-called Beles (Eritreans living abroad who return to
Eritrea for the summer months) have reportedly found that
their ration limits are greater than those of their resident
compatriots. End Summary.

IMPRESSING THE BELES
--------------


2. (C) Every summer, hundreds of expatriates--nicknamed Beles
after the cactus fruit in season at the same time--return to
Eritrea to visit family and friends, smuggle foreign goods in
their luggage, and to deliver much needed foreign currency to
their relatives. In an attempt to assure the Beles
population that Eritrea is truly a land of milk and honey,
the GSE has reportedly authorized additional items on ration
cards issued to Beles.


3. (C) Ordinarily, ration cards allow Eritreans to purchase
commodities such as sugar, coffee, and soybean oil at reduced
prices from government-owned grocery stores known as Hidri
stores. For instance, a typical ration card allows for sugar
to be purchased at 11 nakfas per kilo ($.33 per pound) rather
than 25 nakfas per kilo ($.75 per pound) from a non-Hidri
store. The catch, however, is that non-Hidri stores are not
authorized to sell such commodities and often will only sell
to individuals that they know (usually friends or family that
are looking to purchase beyond what their ration cards
provide). Individuals are also limited as to how much of an
item they can purchase based on size of household.

TAKE FROM THE LOCALS, GIVE TO THE BELES
--------------


4. (C) In his infamous &``aQbQKVQN,]ZKQQTL/H.\YY,QKQPresident
Isaias encouraged the Eritrean pop5Iace to show solidarity
and not eat bread or pasta. Beles ration cards have an
expanded shopping list which includes rice and pasta, items
either too expensive or too rare for local Eritreans to
procure. Reportedly, Beles form long queues in the morning
to purchase their regular alottments of rice and pasta from
designated Hidri stores. There are even reports that
President Isaias' maid purchases an allotment of four pieces
of bread each morning from one of the local Hidri stores.


5. (C) Beles ration cards also allow for larger purchases of
kerosene. Local Eritrean families are limited to four litres
of kerosene per month, while Beles are allowed up to 20
litres per month. The Acting Director General of Energy, Mr.
Teklehaimanot, recently informed PolOff that Eritrea
currently has such a surplus of kerosene that it can give it
to the Beles in Asmara who are not staying with family or
friends. Contrarily, local Eritreans report that kerosene
and cooking gas (propane) are still hard to come by. One
Eritrean also reports that GSE survey workers are now giving
households the choice of either a ration of kerosene or a
ration of propane rather than the option to purchase both.


6. (C) COMMENT: Sporadic reports continue to filter in about
Eritreans not being able to sustain their livelihoods given
the current levels of food supplies. Nonetheless, the GSE
continues to hide behind its veil of "self-reliance" by
providing expatriates the commodities its local populace
cannot afford and attempting to paint Asmara as an oasis of
success. Post believes very few, if any, Beles are fooled by
this ruse, and dissatisfaction will only increase as
conditions worsen. End Comment.
MCMULLEN