Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASMARA159
2009-05-15 08:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:  

LATE NIGHT SEARCH OF ASMARA HOTEL FOR SUSPICIOUS

Tags:  ASEC PGOV ER 
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R 150840Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0294
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 
AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
CIA WASHDC
CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
COMUSNAVCENT
DIA WASHDC
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000159 


DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/IP/SPC/SO, AF/E,
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2029
TAGS: ASEC PGOV ER
SUBJECT: LATE NIGHT SEARCH OF ASMARA HOTEL FOR SUSPICIOUS
PERSONS

REF: ASMARA 156


Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for Reason 1.4 (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000159


DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/IP/SPC/SO, AF/E,
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2029
TAGS: ASEC PGOV ER
SUBJECT: LATE NIGHT SEARCH OF ASMARA HOTEL FOR SUSPICIOUS
PERSONS

REF: ASMARA 156


Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for Reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C) Eritrean soldiers and police raided the Nyala Hotel
from 0100-0400 hrs on 05/13/09. An embassy source told RSO
she and the rest of the guests of the 50-room hotel were
woken up by soldiers as they went room to room. The soldiers
searched the each room, under the beds and in the closets.
The source complained to a police colleague, thinking this
search was related to the increased military presence in
Asmara as the May 24th Independence Day approaches (Reftel).
The police contact said he was ordered to immediately search
the Nyala Hotel in response to a possible threat, NFI, and
that the search was unrelated to the existing military
presence in Asmara. The patrons in the bar were not
searched, presumably because they were members of the
Eritrean National Security Organization (ENSO) who monitor
the hotel and its occupants. NOTE: The Nyala Hotel is an
Eritrean government (GSE) owned/operated hotel. The GSE
closely monitors all guests who stay at hotels in Asmara and
RSO has received information of other expat guests who have
had their rooms searched in the past. END NOTE.


2. (C) Post Comments: Post is not sure what type of threat,
if any, prompted this search. RSO has not received any
information of similar types of incidents at other Asmara
hotels. This is the first instance in recent history of the
GSE searching a hotel in this fashion.


TABLER-STONE