Uganda: Eritrea key to regional stability, invites leader for visit

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

August 13, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – Uganda has invited Eritrea’s leader, Issaias Afewerki, for an official state visit although a UN monitoring group late in July cautioned that the Red Sea nation has an active intelligence officers presence in Uganda that pose threats to regional peace and security.

The invitation will make Uganda the first IGAD member state to officially invite the leader of diplomatically isolated Eritrea since the Red Sea nation rejoined the East Africa bloc, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.

According to Uganda’s State House, the Eritrean President is due to arrive in Uganda on August 16 for a three-day visit.

Eritrea has long been under fire for allegedly fueling Somalia’s Islamist rebellion, for interference in the internal affairs of other neighboring countries and sponsoring terrorist activities in the Horn of Africa at large.

Asmara denies the allegation instead says the accusations are anti-Eritrea campaigns spearhead by arc foe Ethiopia.

Earlier last month, IGAD leaders who met in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, made fresh calls on AU and UN to impose additional sanctions against Eritrea mainly on the country’s economic and mining sector and other foreign financial sources to cripple the regime’s negative activities mainly in Somalia.

Recently a UN report held the Eritrea responsible for planning to carryout coordinated terrorist attacks on its neighbouring countries including at an Africa Union leaders Summit held in Addis Ababa earlier this year.

The UN Monitoring Group report on Somalia and Eritrea also accused Asmara of using its embassy in Kenya to bankroll the al-Qaeda-linked Somali rebels who were behind a twin suicide bomb attack on the Ugandan capital, Kampala, last year.

The UN investigative report further said that the Red Sea states intelligence officers are active in Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia, and posed a threat to regional peace and security.

However a statement released by Uganda’s presidency this week recognised Eritrea as a crucial element to maintain stability in the volatile horn of Africa region.

“Eritrea is one of the strategically vital countries to the stability of the region especially in the Horn of Africa and the wider global agenda,” said the statement.

Four years after suspending, Eritrea reactivated IGAD membership to what it said was mainly due the current developments in the east African region including the independence of South Sudan and humanitarian crisis at the Horn of Africa.

Eritrea is facing UN imposed arms embargo, as well as a travel ban and an assets freeze on its leaders alleged to be breaking an arms blockade on Somalia.

Uganda has deployed thousands of troops in Somalia under the African Union Mission for Somalia as part of the international efforts to secure lasting solution to the political instability in the country.

(ST)