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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0589

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000994 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
DEPT FOR AF/E, CA/VO, CA/EX, AND DS/OFM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016 
TAGS: PREL PINR KREC CVIS ER
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS HARSH RECIPROCAL MEASURES AND U.S. 
"DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN" 
 
REF: A. ASMARA 708 (NOTAL) 
     ¶B. ASMARA 963 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: AMB Scott H. DeLisi, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General 
for the Americas and International Affairs Girma Asmerom 
called in the Ambassador on November 24 to lodge two official 
protests.  The first complaint concerned the recent 
notification to the Eritrean Embassy in Washington extending 
travel restrictions to all official visitors from the 
Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) in addition to its 
permanently assigned personnel.  Girma also protested the 
USG's public "defamation campaign" about Eritrea's actions in 
Somalia.  In both cases, his message was that Eritrea has 
been unfairly singled out by the USG for harsh and 
inconsistent treatment.  The Ambassador noted that our 
actions in Washington merely match exactly what the GSE does 
to official Americans in Eritrea and, in regard to Somalia, 
the Ambassador let Girma know that so long as Eritrea 
continues to send weapons and/or fighters into Somalia, the 
USG will continue to speak out.  That the GSE felt strongly 
enough to lodge protests on these issues suggests that our 
actions and messages may be resonating.  Interestingly, Girma 
did not raise the issue of the Embassy's November 20 
notification that NIV operations would be temporarily 
suspended on December 4 due to post,s inability to get a 
visa for a TDY consular officer to cover the section.  The 
Ambassador also used the opportunity to ask for a response to 
post's request for consular access to a detained 
Eritrean-American dual national.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On November 24, Ambassador met with Director General 
Girma Asmerom at the MFA's request.  Girma began the meeting 
by noting that the GSE wanted to make two formal protests, 
"strongly and clearly."  First, Girma referenced the November 
14 diplomatic note sent to the Eritrean Embassy in Washington 
by the Department noting that travel restrictions would apply 
not only to permanently assigned Eritrean diplomats but also 
to official GSE visitors to their bilateral missions in the 
U.S.  Girma said that the GSE viewed the U.S. policy as 
"harsh and selective" against Eritrea.  He commented that the 
GSE's travel restrictions in Eritrea were not directed at the 
U.S. in particular, but applied to the entire international 
community, and had been issued as a result of national 
security considerations.  The U.S. was too sensitive about 
the travel restrictions, he asserted, and they should not be 
an issue for reciprocity.  Girma noted that Ethiopia and 
Pakistan both have policies that require foreign diplomats to 
apply in advance for permission to travel from their city of 
assignments.  Yet, neither have been subject to reciprocal 
treatment in the U.S. 
 
¶3. (C) Girma's second message was to protest the "defamation 
campaign" against Eritrea regarding its position on Somalia. 
He criticized the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya's November 18 
press statement, which categorized Eritrea as a 
"destabilizing" element in Somalia.  Girma said that such 
comments were "outside of Ambassador Ranneberger's mandate" 
and unwarranted.  Girma also complained about the November 15 
statement of Department Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos which 
singled out only Eritrea by name as negatively engaged in 
Somalia.  Girma reiterated the GSE's public position that the 
Eritreans have no agenda in Somalia and that the claims that 
Eritrea was using Somalia as a proxy battleground against 
Ethiopia were unfounded.  He added that Eritrea has 40 years 
of ties with Somalia and the GSE's end goal is a democratic 
and prosperous Somalia.  He asserted that accusations against 
the GSE had been generated by Somali elements supported by 
Ethiopia.  He concluded by noting that the GSE can play a 
productive role in Somalia and the U.S. should be able to 
engage his government to this end. (Comment: This was clearly 
a throw-away remark since the GSE has been pursuing a 
steadfast course of isolating itself from engagement with the 
U.S. and Western entities. End Comment.) 
 
¶4. (U) Ambassador said he would convey both messages to the 
Department.  In response to the charges of unfair reciprocal 
 
ASMARA 00000994  002 OF 002 
 
 
treatment, the Ambassador noted that the U.S. was aware that 
the restrictions applied across the board to all foreigners 
) and inappropriately so, as the GSE was in violation of the 
Vienna Convention.  He continued by noting that the GSE 
itself had been inconsistent in its granting of travel 
permissions to foreign diplomats in Eritrea.  He personally 
had been refused permission to travel to Senafe and Assab, 
whereas the French and German Ambassadors or their 
representatives had been allowed to travel to those 
locations.  Noting that our response was strictly reciprocal, 
the Ambassador left little doubt that it would continue, but 
did assure Girma the GSE's concerns would be fully conveyed 
to Washington. 
 
¶5. (C) As to Somalia, the Ambassador noted that the USG and 
GSE may not necessarily be in disagreement about the end 
goal, i.e. a united, prosperous Somalia.  However, Washington 
has grave concerns about the addition of troops and weapons 
into Somalia which add a destabilizing factor.  The 
Ambassador noted that he was fully aware of the GSE's 
assertions that it had not provided either to the Council of 
Islamic Courts.  The USG, he said, believes otherwise.  So 
long as the GSE actions continue, we will also continue to 
voice our concerns.  The Ambassador said we would welcome an 
open policy dialogue but noted that the constant attacks in 
the GSE-owned media avowing the "sinister schemes" and "evil 
plots" of the USG in the region did not help encourage such 
engagement. 
 
¶6. (SBU) While walking out of the meeting with Girma's Deputy 
Abraham Yohannes, the Ambassador inquired about the status of 
a diplomatic note sent to the MFA on November 20, requesting 
consular access to a U.S.-Eritrean dual national believed to 
have been detained earlier in the week in Dekemhare.  The 
Ambassador requested that the MFA respond to the diplomatic 
note and grant the Embassy access to the individual. 
Yohannes said he would look into the matter. (Note:  Post has 
followed several other cases this autumn concerning the 
detention of dual nationals.  As described in previous 
cables, the GSE does not recognize the American citizenship 
of dual nationals and has not responded to any of post's 
diplomatic notes nor granted access for visitation.  Post has 
repeatedly and unsuccessfully requested access to visit the 
baby of an American father who has been in detention with his 
Eritrean mother for over two months. Reftel A. End Note.) 
 
¶7. (C) Post Comment:  It is not unusual for the MFA to summon 
the Ambassador when it is particularly exercised over public 
comments by USG officials.  In that sense, we welcome the GSE 
protests as they suggest our reciprocal travel restrictions, 
as well as our public comments on Somalia, are at least 
resonating within the government.  Although we believe the 
GSE has a high threshold for diplomatic "pain" and is 
unlikely to reconsider its policies, clearly there is pique 
that the USG is pushing back and, given our access to the 
international media stage, our widely-covered comments on 
Eritrea's role in Somalia are particularly irritating.  Post 
was equally interested, however, in what was not raised by 
Girma during the meeting, i.e. the Embassy,s November 20 
diplomatic note informing the MFA that NIV operations would 
be suspended on December 4 until the GSE issues a visa to 
needed U.S. TDY consular help.  Since the GSE refused to 
issue the visa for a WAE TDYer to provide U.S. coverage of 
the consular section in December, post is proceeding with our 
plan for temporarily closing NIV operations (Reftel B).  Post 
hopes this action will prompt the issuance of a visa in Cairo 
for our second consular TDYer to provide coverage in January. 
 However, post is bracing for the greater likelihood that 
visas for TDY support personnel and permissions for 
in-country travel will become even scarcer while GSE rhetoric 
continues to spew anti-American vitriol in the months ahead. 
End Comment. 
DELISI