Eritrea asks USAID to cease operationsEritrea asks USAID to cease operations
25 Aug 2005 19:28:40 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Ed Harris
ASMARA, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Eritrea has asked the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to stop work in the Horn of Africa state where it donates millions of dollars annually, the U.S. ambassador said on Thursday.
"Yes, they have asked us to cease operations," U.S. Ambassador Scott DeLisi told about 100 Eritreans at an open meeting in the Eritrean capital of Asmara.
"The government has told us that they are uncomfortable with the activities of USAID. I cannot answer the question for you ... as to why."
Diplomats in Asmara speculated it may be linked to the central role the U.S. government agency has assumed within the non-governmental organisation (NGO) community, or that it upset Eritrea by making a June aid announcement unilaterally.
The Eritrean government's ties with the aid community have been strained in recent months by the impounding of project vehicles and the implications of a new proclamation to regulate the activities of NGOs in Eritrea.
The May 11 proclamation requires international NGOs to register on an annual basis, have a minimum $2 million at their disposal in Eritrea, and to pay tax on imports of items for relief aid, including food.
Government statements say the proclamation guarantees the rights and transparency of NGOs, noting their commendable role in Eritrea's 30-year struggle for independence and since.
But it has caused disquiet among the aid groups.
HISTORIC SENSITIVITIES
The Red Sea state has a history of sensitive relations with the aid community apparently due to its desire for self-reliance and resentment at the international community's perceived favouritism for neighbouring Ethiopia.
U.S. and Eritrean government officials had been unwilling until now to confirm or deny the rumours circulating since July that USAID would be asked to stop work.
"Part of the reason that we have not been saying much publicly -- and I won't go into much detail -- is that we are trying to avoid any precipitous actions on our part that could lead to misunderstandings about our relationship," he said, hinting that a last-minute solution might be found.
The envoy did not say when USAID might pack up in Eritrea, one of the world's poorest countries.
"We'll be here as long as the government of Eritrea wants us here. If the government of Eritrea does not want us here, we will respect your government's wishes. We have no choices, what else are we going to do?" he said.
"I absolutely respect the right of this government to make its choices. It's a sovereign state," he added. "Am I disappointed? Yes, I'm disappointed."
DeLisi refused to speculate on some of the developmental implications of USAID's likely departure.
"These are questions that your government I am sure has looked at, has assessed. The responsibility for the welfare of the people of this country rests with your government, and I am sure it takes those responsibilities seriously," he said.
In the fiscal year 2004, the U.S. spent more than $75 million on programmes addressing Eritrea's needs in many sectors including health, security, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria, education, and others, according to a document distributed at the meeting.
The United States has also been the largest donor of food aid to Eritrea over the last five years, providing a total of 774,679 metric tonnes of food, the document said.
Eritrea is one of the most food aid dependent countries in the world, with some two thirds of its 3.6 million population requiring food aid this year.
In June, the U.S. government announced it would provide food aid to cover more than 100 percent of Eritrea's estimated cereal food aid needs this year.