MINISTER OF EDUCATION SAYS LOCAL STAFF SPIES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000046 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/IP/SPC/SO, DS/IP/OPO/FPD, INR, AF/E, LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2030 TAGS: ASEC PGOV PHUM PREL PINS ER SUBJECT: MINISTER OF EDUCATION SAYS LOCAL STAFF SPIES FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for Reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) All public school teachers in Asmara were summoned on February 19 for a briefing on the recently passed UNSCR 1907, according to two reliable embassy sources. During the briefing, Minister of Education Semere Russom stated that Eritrea's chief enemy is the United States, and that the U.S. orchestrated the sanctionsm which is further evidence of continued U.S. hostility towards Eritrea. Semere further said our FSN staff are also enemies of Eritrea because they provide information to the USG, making up lies "to feed their American masters." Semere told the audience that the FSNs had recently received a large raise and that was a reward for all of the FSNs who spy for the U.S. government. Semere further accused the embassy of hiring people to act as beggars to perpetuate the myth that Eritreans are hungry. He even claimed one woman came to his office crying and "admitted" we had hired her as a street beggar. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: FSNs have long been an easy target for the Eritrean government (GSE),with over 40 FSNs arrested since ¶2001. The GSE continues its anti-American rhetoric with daily barrages on Eri-tv and in the GSE media outlets. FSNs were given an annual raise for 2010 due to the increase increased cost of living. Tabler-Stone