SAUDI CONCERNS ABOUT ERITREA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000033 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2019 TAGS: PREL ER SA IR YM SUBJECT: SAUDI CONCERNS ABOUT ERITREA Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Saudi ambassador to Eritrea is concerned about Iranian influence, says Iran has supplied materiel to the Eritrean navy, and recently ran into an Iranian delegation visiting Asmara. He claims Yemeni Houthi rebels were present in Eritrea in 2009 (but is not sure if they still are),and reported that the Isaias regime this week arrested six Eritrean employees of the Saudi embassy. End Summary. ¶2. (C) WARY OF IRAN -------------- Saudi Ambassador Nasir Bin al-Hooti (protect) told the ambassador February 11 that he was concerned about growing Iranian interest in Eritrea. He personally saw a delegation of five or six Iranian visitors being escorted by the MFA's Director of Protocol this week in Asmara. He claims Iran has provided equipment and weapons to the Eritrean navy. "Iran plans to encircle us like a moon," he mused. ¶3. (C) HOUTHIS -------------- Ambassador al-Hooti said he was "sure" that Houthi rebels were in Eritrea in 2009, but he said he was not certain if they are still here. He said the Isaias regime supports opposition groups of neighboring countries to increase Asmara's influence, and speculated that Isaias still harbors ill-will toward Yemen over the Hanish Islands War. Al-Hooti acknowledged that the Yemeni ambassador is skeptical of reports of Eritrean support for the Houthis. The Saudi ambassador opined that because of trouble with the Houthis, southern secessionists, and al-Qaida, Sana'a is purposefully downplaying Eritrea's destabilizing role so as not to provoke Isaias at this time. When asked if he thought Iran was training Houthi rebels in Eritrea, al-Hooti said he didn't know. ¶4. (C) SAUDI EMBASSY CONCERNS -------------- The government of Eritrea recently arrested six local employees of the Saudi Embassy, al-Hooti complained. "They have not charged them with anything or taken them to a court, they are just gone," he said. The ambassador commiserated, explaining that we have had 46 local employees arrested since ¶2001. When the ambassador asked why the six were arrested, the Saudi ambassador said he didn't know, but speculated that it might be related to the Saudi refusal to host a visit of the Eritrean Foreign Minister to Riyadh in January. McMullen