Rome | Wednesday
ITALY on Tuesday gave the Eritrean ambassador to Rome 72 hours to leave the country following the expulsion of his Italian counterpart from Asmara, as the EU threatened to re-examine trade and aid links with the Horn of Africa nation.
The move to expel Tseggai Mogos was announced by the Italian foreign ministry, and came a day after Italy’s ambassador to Asmara, Antonio Bandini, left Eritrea after being expelled for what Eritrean officials called activities “not compatible with his diplomatic functions.”
The events come amid a heightened clampdown in Eritrea on political dissidents and the independent press.
Bandini, who was also the European Union’s representative to Eritrea, had received a 72-hour expulsion notice last Friday.
The Italian diplomat had earlier that day submitted a statement on the EU’s behalf protesting the recent political arrests and the shutdown of private newspapers.
Rome said that before his expulsion, Bandini had underlined the “contradiction” between events in Eritrea and the government’s promises to respect democracy, a law-abiding state and human rights.
The ministerial statement also said the EU would revise its trade and development agreements with Eritrea, under the Cotonou agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
“The European Union emphasises that the expulsion of the EU representative seriously comprises relations with Eritrea and necessitates a revision of the Cotonou agreement,” the statement said.
Brussels, where the EU has its headquarters, echoed the Italian statement.
The expulsion “will lead to an re-examination of relations under the Cotonou accords.”
Bandini was expelled after all ambassadors in Eritrea from all the EU states expressed their concern over the “detention of known individuals” and “the muzzling of the independent press,” the Brussels statement said.
Meanwhile, the Eritrean foreign ministry issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the expulsion of Bandini was “in response to the activities of the ambassador that were not compatible with his diplomatic functions.”
It did not elaborate on these activities.
The ministry “would like to reaffirm that this regrettable measure is directed towards the diplomat alone and should not otherwise have a bearing on the close and historical ties of partnership with Italy and other EU member states,” the Eritrean statement added.
Later Tuesday, a senior official in Asmara said Bandini had been warned.
“He was warned for the first time about three months ago that he should refrain from such activities, but he did not stop,” Semere Russom, the foreign ministry’s Director of Euro-American Affairs, told AFP, without elaborating.
Two weeks ago, the Eritrean government arrested 11 opposition figures called Group 15 (G15) and suspended publication of private newspapers.
The G15, comprising former senior government officials and top-ranking members of the ruling party, had since May been openly critical of President Isaias Afeworki, accusing him of being autocratic and calling for democratic reforms.
The Eritrean government accused the dissidents of committing crimes against national security and sovereignty.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said last Wednesday that at least nine journalists were being detained by Eritrean authorities. – AFP