P 291224Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0271
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BERN 
CIA WASHDC
USMISSION GENEVA 
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
COMUSNAVCENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000138 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/EX AND AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREF PHUM PBTS ICRC ER
SUBJECT: ICRC UNDER NEW PRESSURE FROM ISAIAS REGIME 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d) 
 
 ¶1. (C) NO FUEL, NO TRAVEL PERMITS 
----------------------------------- 
 
ICRC, which has a relatively large and active program in 
Eritrea, has long been seen as unusually favored by the 
Isaias regime, which dislikes NGOs and is contemptuous of UN 
agencies.  For no apparent reason, ICRC is now being 
pressured and restricted by the authorities.  Having not 
received government of Eritrea permission to buy diesel fuel 
for over a year, the ICRC started to import gasoline-powered 
SUVs.  One of these new vehicles has been confiscated over a 
licensing spat.  More ominously, ICRC international staff 
have recently seen most of their requests for travel permits 
denied by Eritrean authorities.  Heretofore ICRC staff 
enjoyed almost unfettered access to the countryside, but now 
are finding it difficult to travel to project sites and 
conduct visits and routine ICRC activities. 
 
¶2. (C) NO MORE REPATRIATIONS 
---------------------------- 
 
Due to Ethiopian administrative glitches and subsequent 
Eritrean political pique, ICRC has had to halt its 
repatriation program that has sent thousands of stranded 
Ethiopian and Eritrean citizens back home across the border. 
This ends perhaps the last cooperative activity between 
Eritrea and Ethiopia.  The Asmara-based ICRC director (please 
protect) told the ambassador April 28 that due to a number of 
Ethiopian-requested postponements of scheduled repatriations, 
Eritrea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed ICRC last 
month that the long-established program would be ended.  The 
ICRC director said Eritrea felt it was being jerked around by 
Ethiopia, its pride was injured, and it therefore reacted by 
terminating the successful program. 
 
¶3. (C) WHY?  "ETHIOPIA HAS NOT GIVEN BACK BADME" 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
The exasperated ICRC director was assured by senior Eritrean 
authorities that "it's nothing personal."  He was told ICRC 
has done nothing wrong, it was only that, according to one 
supposedly sympathetic official, "Ethiopia has not given back 
Badme, so pressure on the international community will have 
to be increased." 
 
MCMULLEN