SECURITY FORCES OPENLY HARASS GUESTS AT PD EVENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000245 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/PD, DS/IP/AF, AND DRL LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM PINS PGOV ASEC ER SUBJECT: SECURITY FORCES OPENLY HARASS GUESTS AT PD EVENT REF: A. ASMARA 239 ¶B. 08 ASMARA 591 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Eritrean National Security Forces openly harassed more than 200 guests at the embassy's monthly Public Diplomacy lecture series on July 30. Security forces posted themselves outside the event, coerced attendees into providing their national ID cards, and filmed guests in the lobby with a small camcorder. Although it is known that the Eritrean government (GSE) sends informants to PD outreach events and searches the embassy's American Corners, this is the first blatant attempt at intimidation during an outreach event. This event occurred just three weeks after an LES was arrested while delivering PD materials to schools outside Asmara. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The embassy hosts its monthly PD lecture series at an offsite auditorium near the embassy. We regularly rent this space for our lecture series, film nights, craft shows, and other outreach events. Half an hour prior to the start the lecture entitled Society, Culture, and Development in Eritrea, three national security agents stationed themselves in the lobby area. (Note: the embassy does not rent the lobby, but it serves as a waiting area for both the American Center and for events in the auditorium.) Two of the agents demanded ID cards from the queued guests wrote their information in notebooks. The third agent filmed everyone waiting in the lobby with a small camcorder. The agents even demanded that an embassy guard present his ID card. They did not allow anyone into the auditorium without presenting identification. Other LGFs also reported the head of the Police Support Unit, Colonel Afewerki Ghebreselassie, was near the event site inquiring about the purpose of the event. ¶4. (C) Guests were confused by the increased security. One attendee asked an embassy LES why the embassy had implemented the new security check, but was told it was not part of the embassy's procedures. The guest immediately understood and remarked out loud "we should fight against this." The security forces departed soon after American staff arrived. ¶5. (C) The July 30 incident is the GSE's most recent attempt to interfere with U.S. embassy outreach efforts. On July 16, Ministry of Information (MOI) reporters came to the American center with cameras wanting to take photographs of the school-age children attending our summer English language program. The LES told them to depart and alerted the PAO. The reporters returned a short while later and the PAO told them they were not permitted to enter embassy-held property. (Note: The information minister is virulently anti-American and has refused a courtesy call by the ambassador. We had no expectation that a story on our English program would shine a positive light on the embassy.) ¶6. (C) On July 14, security forces arrested an LES en route to deliver PD materials to schools and youth associations in Keren (Ref A). During her interrogation, the security guards showed specific interest in a recent IVLP representational event and in PD and consular joint outreach efforts to students (educational advising and presentations on student visas). A plainclothes security agent rifled through books at the Dekemhare and Keren American Corners in October and December 2008 during routine supply drop-offs (Ref B) and interrogated staff about the content of the books. Additionally, no American staff has received a permit to visit one of the three American Corners outside Asmara since January 2009. Most recently, the GSE denied a permit for the DCM's August 1 visit to the Corner in Dekemhare. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: The PD Monthly Lecture Series has been a staple embassy event for over a year. The lectures alternate between Eritrean and expat professionals and always draw a large crowd. It is one of the few opportunities where Eritreans can gather together, listen to timely but uncontroversial topics, and speak their minds freely afterwards. MCMULLEN