Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASMARA430
2008-08-28 08:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:
GSE CLAMPS DOWN ON VOA
VZCZCXRO0363 RR RUEHROV DE RUEHAE #0430 2410802 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 280802Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9872 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIE/EIA WASHDC RQEQDIA/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 000430
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PROP PGOV ER
SUBJECT: GSE CLAMPS DOWN ON VOA
Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for reason 1.4(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000430
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PROP PGOV ER
SUBJECT: GSE CLAMPS DOWN ON VOA
Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for reason 1.4(d).
1. (C) The international supervisor for Voice of America's
(VOA) Horn of Africa broadcasting, confided that the Asmara
stringer, Ms. Senait Habtu (protect),has been forced to
discontinue reporting. According to VOA, Minister of
Information Ali Abdu warned her to stop reporting for VOA.
The government arrested VOA's previous stringer, Aklilu
Solomon, in 2003 after VOA aired a report on the suffering of
families affected by the war with Ethiopia. When PolOff and
PAO delivered a laptop and camera to Senait in May 2008,
Senait, visibly timid, chose to sit partially hidden in a
corner of the hotel lobby. Senait said she was only
conducting interviews with government officials and writing
human interest stories.
2. (C) Eritrea's foreign journalist community is limited to a
single reporter from Reuters (the Eritrean government
expelled BBC correspondent Peter Martell in 2008 for refusing
to name critics of the government in his articles). The
country's media is limited to a single government-owned
televised news source (Eri-TV),two government-owned
newspapers (Haddas Ertra and the Eritrean Profile),and three
government-owned radio stations (Radio Bana, Radio Zara, and
Dimitsi Hafash). National Public Radio (NPR) can be heard,
though transmission is imperfect, on the radio (104.1 FM).
TABLER-STONE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PROP PGOV ER
SUBJECT: GSE CLAMPS DOWN ON VOA
Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for reason 1.4(d).
1. (C) The international supervisor for Voice of America's
(VOA) Horn of Africa broadcasting, confided that the Asmara
stringer, Ms. Senait Habtu (protect),has been forced to
discontinue reporting. According to VOA, Minister of
Information Ali Abdu warned her to stop reporting for VOA.
The government arrested VOA's previous stringer, Aklilu
Solomon, in 2003 after VOA aired a report on the suffering of
families affected by the war with Ethiopia. When PolOff and
PAO delivered a laptop and camera to Senait in May 2008,
Senait, visibly timid, chose to sit partially hidden in a
corner of the hotel lobby. Senait said she was only
conducting interviews with government officials and writing
human interest stories.
2. (C) Eritrea's foreign journalist community is limited to a
single reporter from Reuters (the Eritrean government
expelled BBC correspondent Peter Martell in 2008 for refusing
to name critics of the government in his articles). The
country's media is limited to a single government-owned
televised news source (Eri-TV),two government-owned
newspapers (Haddas Ertra and the Eritrean Profile),and three
government-owned radio stations (Radio Bana, Radio Zara, and
Dimitsi Hafash). National Public Radio (NPR) can be heard,
though transmission is imperfect, on the radio (104.1 FM).
TABLER-STONE