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S E C R E T ASMARA 000371 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR AF/E DRL AND AF/EX 
LONDON AND PAARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y  (ADDED ADDRESSEES) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV APER KSOCI KIRF ASEC ER
SUBJECT: THE SAD STORY OF FORMER EMBASSY ASMARA LES DANIEL 
HAILE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: In May, the People's Front for Democracy and 
Justice (PFDJ, the ruling political party of Eritrea) called 
the Embassy to request the dismissal of its employee, Daniel 
Haile.  The Embassy refused to accede to the request and 
protested the action to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(MFA).  The MFA intervened with the party and asked why this 
action had been taken.  The PFDJ claims that Daniel was 
required to work for the party and was collecting paychecks 
from the Eritrean government while working for the U.S. 
government.  The MFA told the Management Officer (MO) that 
Daniel would be arrested and prosecuted.  Daniel chose to 
flee the country rather than face Eritrean justice. End 
Summary 
 
¶2.  (C) On May 7, two members of the PFDJ named Demotros and 
Fessehasion went to the home of Daniel Haile and told him 
that he must resign his position at the U.S. Embassy because 
"the U.S. Government is the enemy of Eritrea and we don't 
want Eritreans working for the U.S. Embassy."   The two 
officials stated that if Daniel did not resign his position 
in three days, he and his family would be arrested.  They 
further stated that they would be calling the Embassy to say 
that he was no longer eligible to work here.  Demotros 
Afwerki of the PFDJ called the Embassy Human Resources 
section the following day.  He told the HR Specialist that if 
Daniel Haile is working for the Embassy he must be fired 
immediately.  When the HR staff member asked why, he was told 
"because he has not completed his national service." 
 
¶3.  (C) The Management Officer (MO) promptly called the MFA 
to protest this action to the Protocol Chief, Fesseha 
Ghebrehiwet.  MFA agreed that it is not permissible for party 
officials to get directly involved in Embassy matters.  Only 
the MFA is permitted to make demands of foreign missions 
here, Fesseha stated.   MO said the Embassy would take no 
action against Daniel Haile until the matter was fully 
clarified.  Daniel was advised to take leave, which he did. 
Fesseha contacted Demotros Afewerki directly and asked him 
why he contacted the Embassy.   Demotros explained that he 
was merely "verifying Daniel's employment with the Embassy." 
Demotros claims that Daniel works for the party and has been 
drawing two paychecks without showing up for work at the 
PFDJ, which is against the law. 
 
¶4.  (S) As a result of MFA's conversation with Demotros, 
Daniel received a beating consisting of at least two serious 
blows to the head with fists from Demotros and Fessehasion 
and was again told that he had to quit.  The Management 
Officer went to the MFA on July 9th to receive the results of 
the MFA's investigation into the matter.  Fesseha stated that 
PFDJ will refrain from ever contacting the Embassy directly 
in the future.  However, he said it was clear to him that 
Daniel Haile violated the law.  MO demonstrated to Fesseha 
that Daniel was legally hired in 1999 and had a full waiver 
from National Service obligations at that time.  Fesseha 
accepted this waiver as proof that the Embassy did not act in 
a manner contrary to Eritrean law, but he said that Daniel 
knew that he had duties with the PFDJ that required him to 
resign his position at the Embassy.  He added that Daniel's 
offense was serious and he would be arrested and subject to 
criminal proceedings.  He asked that Daniel be fired 
immediately.  MO responded that Daniel has served for ten 
years and cannot be instantly replaced.  A period of training 
of 1-2 months would be required.  Fesseha said that he would 
convince PFDJ that one week was needed to replace Daniel. 
 
¶5.  (S) Daniel was immediately informed of the discussion by 
the Ambassador, MO, and Regional Security Officer (RSO). 
Daniel decided to resign to protect his family from arrest. 
Two days later he fled Asmara.  He subsequently sent an 
e-mail to the RSO stating that he had successfully escaped to 
Sudan.  His current whereabouts, however, are unknown. 
 
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO DANIEL? 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  On February 22nd, the RSO fired Isaac Abraham, the 
Local Guard Force Commander.  The reason for the termination 
related to a failure to report five separate security 
incidents.  It was known to Embassy staff that Isaac reported 
regularly to the Eritrean National Security Agency (ENSA) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WHY WERE ISAAC ABRAHAM'S ACTIONS SO EFFECTIVE? 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Local law stipulates that Eritreans can be summoned 
to do National Service work until the age of 40.  In 
practice, however, men remain subject until age 54 and women 
are subject until age 47.  Medical waivers have been granted 
for many members of the United Nations (UN) and U.S. staff. 
It is assumed that these waivers are kept in force because UN 
and U.S. staff are actively reporting to the ENSA on thier 
activities, which is itself a form of unpaid National 
Service.  These waivers can be revoked at any time.   In 
2000, Daniel had his waiver from military service upheld, but 
his waiver from National Service was revoked.  He was then 
summoned to work by the PFDJ.  Several other members of the 
local guard force had the same experience around the same 
time.  They informed the RSO, and he agreed to adjust their 
shifts to permit them to keep their jobs at the Embassy. 
National Service pay averages $30 per month or less.  In 
2003, Daniel was promoted to the position of residential 
security technician.  This required that Daniel be on-duty 
during day time hours which directly conflicted with his 
position at the PFDJ.  However, the PFDJ supervisor at the 
time did not have a problem with Daniel's not coming to work 
and there were no difficulties until this May. 
 
¶8.  (C) Comment: The brutish and amateurish nature of the 
PFDJ's approach to this matter leads the Embassy to believe 
that the attack on Daniel Haile was an act of revenge carried 
out by friends of Isaac Abraham and not an effort on the part 
of the Eritrean Government to target local employees of the 
U.S. Embassy.  The incident is a clear demonstration of how 
vulnerable and without recourse the citizenry is in a society 
where security figures are at liberty to target individuals 
and families without the need for supervisory clearance or 
permission.  It also shows the MFA as a willing participant 
in random, extrajudiciary enforcement actions carried out 
against Eritrean citizens.  End Comment. 
MCMULLEN