PRESS RELEASE

TIKEN JAH FAKOLY IN ERITREA
A world star in Asmara to sing against FGM
6 & 7 February 2012

Eritrea is proud to welcome the world famous reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly who will be joining anti-Female Genital Mutilation activists for International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, the 6th of February.

Alliance Française d’Asmara and National Union of Eritrean Youth & Students (NUEYS) in partnership with PFDJ Cultural Affairs will present the world renowned artists in Asmara.

The charismatic singer and his band will be performing on Monday 6th of February at Cinema Roma and on Tuesday, 7th of February, a free concert on the outdoor stage at Bahti Meskerem.

Tiken Jah Fakoly is a Pan-African artists who evokes the socio-politics of his country, Ivory Coast and of Africa in his songs and sings mostly in his own language, French and sometimes in English.

Tiken Jah has established himself as one of the figureheads of the reggae scene in the world. Fusing his infectious reggae beat with hard-hitting lyrics, Tiken Jah has become a spokesperson for an entire generation of music fans, speaking out on political and social issues through his music. He uses his Ivorian experience to call for unity within diversity in Africa and denounces artificial division between ethnicities, groups and areas in Africa.

Facebook event for concert

NUEYS’ page on Facebook

NUEYS participates in 3rd PYU Congress

The Pan-African Youth Union (PYU) convened its 3rd Congress in Khartoum, Sudan from 2-5 December 2011 where the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) was elected as the vice-president of the sub-region East Africa/Indian Ocean.

Organized under the theme “Youth Action for Economic Freedom Now”, member organizations of PYU discussed the status of youth in Africa, including the role of governments in ensuring the unity and meaningful transformation of the continent. Delegates of the congress deplored ongoing poverty and unemployment being witnessed all over the continent despite the fact that Africa is the richest continent when it comes to natural and human resources. Calling for economic freedom for all countries in Africa, delegates of the congress made recommendations for possible mechanisms to ensure youth participation in Africa’s mainstream economy, possible accountability mechanisms at regional and national levels that can be used to ensure the safeguarding of the economic interests of Africa and its youth, as well as making a practical link between the Africa Youth Charter and youth economic participation.

One of the major tasks that will confront the new leadership of the PYU is ensuring that the AU, governments and Heads of States in the continent go beyond making commitments on youth development, to effectively ensuring that meaningful change is effected in the lives of young people.

During the Congress, South Africa was elected as PYU President while Mali was elected into the position of Secretary General. The Vice-presidents and deputy secretary generals elected for each sub-region of the PYU were as follows:

• Southern Africa Sub-Region: Namibia for Vice-President, Zimbabwe for Deputy Secretary General
• West Africa Sub-Region: Senegal for Vice-President, Nigeria for Deputy Secretary General
• East Africa Sub Region: Eritrea for Vice president, South Sudan for Deputy Secretary General
• North Africa Sub Region: Egypt for Vice President , Libya for Deputy Secretary General
• Central Africa Sub Region: Gabon for Vice President , Congo for Deputy Secretary General

The final declaration of the 3rd PYU congress clearly states its displeasure on the baseless sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the UN Security Council because they negatively affect the living conditions of the populace and further undermine development efforts.

PYU is a continental platform for youth and serves as a conduit for fostering unity of purpose among young people in Africa. PYU plays the role of a specialized agency of the African Union in the field of youth for which it enjoys consultative status. Moreover, PYU works to support and reinforce the values and ideals of the African Union mainly in fostering unity, peace, democracy, sustained development and African integration.

It should be recalled that in November 2011, NUEYS had been elected into the General Council and as the Africa regional coordinator for the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY). Regional coordinators have the status of vice-president and work from the region as liaison officers between the Coordinating Council and member organizations in their respective region.

The National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) is staging a 7.2 Km.-long painting on canvas that conveys a single message at an international competition… “A Pollution Free World!” The painting depicts the image of the past world and the destruction of natural resources in relation to human development, as well as the efforts being made to restore its potentials.

Click on picture to see the full article about this event on NUEYS’ website!

- NUEYS Art Clubs going for Guinness World Records
- NUEYS Central Council holds 11th regular meeting
- WFDY 18th General Assembly Concludes Successfully
- Aim, Courage and Martyrdom: The hallmark of Eritrean Youth
- GeezIME Launched to the Public
- NUEYS Dubai holds important meeting on how to strengthen branch
- Dates for the 5th Eri-Youth Festival Announced

All feedback is welcome!
http://www.nueys.org
Email. Nueyspub2001@yahoo.com

We’re on Facebook! NUEYS

It is well known that the Eritrean people has been celebrating national Independence Day anniversaries over the past 19 years with evermore increasing enthusiasm and patriotic zeal. And here again, it is decided that 2011 would constitute Commemoration of 20 years Journey: Pride of Independence, in which special programs are arranged throughout the entire year so as to colorfully celebrate such a great event.

Two decades may amount to considerable years in the life cycle of certain individual, but is a transient period for any given nation. Eritrea is still a young nation. Thanks to its praise-meriting culture of hard work and self-reliance, however, the people of independent Eritrea has the past two decades employed every opportunity to advantage with added commitment. As was the case during the commencement of armed struggle, the people of independent Eritrea, merely armed with high hopes for prosperity and progress, embarked on development undertakings, thereby making a start from below zero in the course of the transitional stage. Based on the lessons drawn from the days of armed struggle, the Eritrean people had strong conviction that limitation of resources would not hamper from performing miracles. As our independence is not a grant but attained with tremendous sacrifice, it was not difficult for the Eritrean people to realize the key to development and prosperity provided that economic progress could only be achieved through dedicated endeavors.

Momentary challenges and pressures notwithstanding, the Eritrean people has for the past two decades toiled and moiled in harness in the face of all futile attempts to disown its independent political line and choice with a view to independently bringing about radical change. As a result, impressive development accomplishments that amplify the real meaning of independence have been scored. Having resolved the major bottlenecks, the Eritrean people, with promising prospects ahead, is now on the verge of vibrant celebrations of the 20th Independence Day anniversary.

Congratulations to the peace-loving Eritrean compatriots inside and abroad, as well as the Eritrean Defense Force!

http://www.shabait.com/section-blog/40-editorial/4360-2011-a-year-of-grand-national-celebrations

The Eritrean American community is shocked and saddened by the senseless 8 January 2011 shootings in Tuscon, Arizona. Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head when a gunman opened fire outside a grocery store where the US Representative was conducting a meeting with her constituents. The shooting rampage claimed the lives of 6 people including 9-year old Christina Taylor Green, born on 11 September 2001 and 30-year old Gabe Zimmermann, an aide to the Congresswoman and injured several people.

The Eritrean American delegation included organization representatives from the Eritrean American Community (EAC), the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS), Organization of Eritrean Americans (OEA), Eritrean Community in Boston, and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW). They met and spoke with Representative Giffords’ staff and joined well wishers to sign the book at Giffords’ congressional office in the Longworth House Office Building.

The Eritrean Community extends its sympathy to the families of all those who lost their lives and were injured in that senseless mass killing, and pray for Congresswoman Gifford’s full and speedy recovery.

You may send your well wishes to:

giffordswellwishes@gmail.com

At the 17th World Festival for Youth in Students, held in South Africa from 13-21 December 2010, the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) condemned the UNjust sanctions against Eritrea. The National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) participated in this historic festival, which was held under the theme “Let’s defeat imperialism for world peace, solidarity and social transformation!”

17th WFYS Final Declaration

http://www.wfdy.org/2011/01/07/17th-wfys-final-declaration/

For this reason, the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) would like to remind Eritrean youth in the Diaspora of its volunteer program. As NUEYS’ members in all parts of Eritrea contribute to the development of their country and communities through volunteerism, NUEYS has also opened this opportunity for youth in the Diaspora.

FAQs of the NUEYS Volunteer Program

The mission of NUEYS’ Volunteer Program aims to strengthen the skills and development of young Eritreans through the facilitation of internships, volunteer work, community service, and national service for Eritreans from the Diaspora and through the support of community based projects in their country of residence upon completion of their internship/volunteer assignment in Eritrea.

For more information about the NUEYS Volunteer Program, check out the frequently asked questions about the program.  You may also contact the NUEYS Foreign Affairs Department

Foreign Affairs Department

NUEYS Central Office

P.O. Box 1042 Asmara, Eritrea

Email. nueyspub2001@yahoo.com

Tel. +291-1-122118 Fax. +291-1-125981

The National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS) along with partners is making preparations to colorfully hold a concert on New Year’s Eve at the Bahti-Meskerem Square, here in the capital Asmara, according to the preparatory committee.

The performance stage is going to be placed in the middle of the Bahti- Meskerem Square facing the Harnet Avenue. Service rendering institutes including cafes, fast foods restaurants as well as transportation, will be open for the event, the report from the preparatory committee added.

The concert which is outlined to be held on the eve of this New Year is expected to be different given that a large number of people and artists that are going to participate.

Artists, singers, dancers, as well as comedians, who have been selected from different cultural groups to form one big cultural group, are enthusiastically preparing for the event. Modern and traditional songs have been chosen and the artists have been practicing for almost two months, the preparatory committee added.

Regarding the participants of the occasion, individuals above the age of 18 along with their families are invited to participate in the concert. Moreover, the event is going to be broadcasted live via Eri-TV for Eritreans living in the remote areas of the country and the Diaspora to enjoy. The preparatory committee calls on the artists to continue in their training so as to give the concert more color.

It is to be recalled that artists organized under numerous cultural troops have been entertaining the public and members of the defense force through organizing concerts in different parts of the country.

The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions against Eritrea that include an arms embargo, asset freezes and a travel ban, all based on an unfounded allegation that Eritrea is supporting extremists in Somalia. Eritrea’s consistent stand is against all forms of extremism in the region. This is a reckless move without any foundation. Eritrea, itself a victim of Terrorism and at the forefront in fighting international terrorism, surely doesn’t deserve this sanctions. Even the thought of it is offensive! Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the unjust and reckless UN sanctions that we hope will clear the fog.

Q: Why are these UN sanctions unjust and reckless?

A: They are unjust because they were based on charges long proven to be untrue; they are unfounded allegations fabricated, orchestrated, and pushed by Ethiopia. The root of the charge is fabricated by the so-called U.N. Somalia Monitoring Group going to 2006 when, in an attempt to provide cover for Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia, tried to place 2000 phantom Eritrean troops in Somalia. This turned out to be pure fabrication. Furthermore, the plane that Eritrea was supposed to have used to transport weapons and fighters to Somalia turned out to be another fabrication; the plane was found crashed in

Uganda while being used by DynCorp, a contractor for the US military and Intelligence service. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has also publicly admitted that there is no evidence linking Eritrea to the Monitoring Group’s charges.

Q: What could be the consequences of these sanctions?

A: Plenty! (1) These sanctions will be seen as a green light for Ethiopia to attack Eritrea; Ethiopia has yet to implement the final and binding EEBC Demarcation ruling. The sanctions are designed to weaken Eritrea and prop up the regime in Ethiopia. (2) These sanctions will also accelerate the spread of terrorism in the region; the sanctions are targeting the only credible force, Eritrea, that has checked terrorism for more than two decades. This together with the deteriorating situations in Yemen and

Somalia will plunge the Horn into more instability threatening the vital shipping lanes along the Red Sea, a lifeline to all the oil supply to economies of the West.

Q: Aren’t these sanctions an African Initiative?

A: No! This is a bold lie. The regional organizations that were claimed to be the source for this initiative IGAD and the Africa Peace and Security Committee called for this action under the chairmanship of Ethiopia when the meetings were held inside Ethiopia. That is why 1) the current chair of the African Union opposed the sanctions at the UN Security Council, 2) The fact that the twenty-eight member regional organization, CENSAD, with members like Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria, has condemned the unjust sanctions.

Q: Is this the first time the UN is victimizing Eritrea?

A: No! This is the latest in a series of UN injustices against Eritrea starting from the 1950 unjust UN decision that federated Eritrea with Ethiopia. For nearly sixty years Eritrea didn’t see a single day of peace and as a consequence it was forced to sacrifice too many of its bright sons and daughters. Eritrea also faces a continuous threat from terrorist organizations, like the Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement based in, trained and armed by Ethiopia.

Q: Does Eritrea support extremists in Somalia?

A: No! There is absolutely no basis for this. Accusing Eritrea of arming extremists in Somalia is irresponsible and completely far from the truth. Such lies are orchestrated by enemies of Eritrea, Ethiopia being a prime one. Eritrea has never supported terrorists and will never support any organization that has links with terrorism anywhere in the world.

Q: Who is arming extremists in Somalia then?

A: Ethiopia, the TFG and AMISOM are among the suspects! According to the U.N. Security Council’s Somalia sanctions committee, “elements of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia known as AMISOM, and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG)” are involved in arms trafficking activities.” Furthermore, “eighty percent of ammunition available at the Somali arms markets was supplied by the TFG and Ethiopian troops.” The Committee also reported of getting “details of some 25 military flights by Ethiopia into Somalia and knew that Ethiopian troops had brought military equipment into the country to arm friendly clans.”

Q: What is Eritrea’s position on the Somali problem?

A: Eritrea’s stand on Somalia has been consistent for nearly two decades. It believes: (1) foreign involvement cannot solve but worsen the Somali predicament; (2) the Somali people should be encouraged to solve their problem on their own; (3) supporting or excluding one Somali party over another is not a solution; (4) external intervention designed to tip the delicate balance of power in favor of one faction at the expense of another only fuels the problem.

Q: Is Somalia a proxy battlefield for Eritrea and Ethiopia?

A: Absolutely not! This is purely an Ethiopian induced media fabrication. Eritrea has never taken Somalia as a proxy battlefield to settle a score with Ethiopia. Eritrea gains nothing by engaging Ethiopia in Somalia. As grave as Ethiopia’s refusal to implement the final and binding boundary decision is, it is a problem between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and the international community. It cannot be played out in Somalia at the expense of the Somali people. All Eritrea wants is for Ethiopia to vacate sovereign Eritrean territories.

Q: Has Eritrea been a victim of terrorism?

A: YES! Numerous times! In the first year of its independence, Bin Laden and his young organization (Al Qaeda) tried to infiltrate into and attack Eritrea from the Sudan. Terrorists from many countries were in the group and many were killed by Eritrean forces. In 1994, six Belgian tourists were killed, and in 2004 about eighty people, many among them school children, were attacked in western Eritrea during independence-day celebrations. One of the accomplices was captured and confessed to the details of how the group was directed and financed by an Ethiopian officer working with the Al Qaeda groups.

Q: Has Eritrea been fighting terrorism?

A: An Africa specialist for the Congressional Research Service has put it this way to the New York Times on Sept. 18, 2007: “If there is one country where the fighting of extremists and terrorists was a priority when it mattered, it was Eritrea.”

Q. Is Eritrea fighting against terrorism?

A: YES! Eritrea is still subjected to threats of attack from two Al Qaeda linked organizations: the Harakat Al Khalas al Islam (Eritrean Salvation Islamic Movement) and Eritrean Islamic Jihad and their umbrella organization the Eritrean Democratic Alliance. These groups are all based in Ethiopia and are armed and supported by the Ethiopian government. These groups a day after the UN sanctions were imposed announced they will use this to attack Eritrea. True to their threat they launched a foiled attack against Eritrea on January 1, 2010.

Q: Does Eritrea cooperate with other in fighting terrorism?

A: YES! Eritrea believes that international terrorism can only be defeated when countries cooperate and form a joint front against it. To this end, Eritrea was a leading member of the frontline countries against Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda group. President Isaias of Eritrea puts it this way: “We believe we have a stake in working together with our partners, and particularly the United States, to make this region peaceful and safe.” Eritrea has limited resources, but is “willing and prepared to use these limited resources in any way useful to fight terrorism.” Furthermore, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had this to say: “We have in Eritrea a country that is cooperating in the global war on terrorism and has offered a variety of areas of assistance, … a country that has been forthcoming.” According to Jim Garamone of the American Forces Press Service, “Eritrea has cooperated in the war of terror and has offered facilities, intelligence, and other help such as over-flight and mooring permissions to the United States.” Eritrea, according to Mr. Rumsfeld, “has considerably more experience than the U.S.” when it comes to fighting terrorism and the United States “can benefit from that knowledge and from that experience.”

Q: What are Ethiopia’s intentions in Somalia?

A: Ethiopia and Somalia had fought three major wars. The current state of disorder was brought by Ethiopia’s intervention is Somalia in 1990 as well as invasion and occupation in 2006. Ethiopia is making sure Somalia does not get reconstituted as a functioning state.

Q: What can you do to help?

A: As you know the real image of Eritrea is not like what its traditional enemy, Ethiopia, and its supporters would have many believe. Eritrea is a peaceful country that is only trying to survive. No nation in the Horn of Africa yearns and works for peace and respect for international law and treaties more than Eritrea. Write to your government representatives and urge them to push the UN Security Council (1) to immediately annul and repeal these unjust and reckless sanctions against Eritrea, (2) to shoulder its responsibility as a guarantor of the Algiers Agreement to do whatever it takes to make Ethiopia vacate sovereign Eritrean territories it is occupying illegally in breach of international law and its treaty obligation.

Furthermore, you can join the Eritrean-SMART (Eritrean Sanctions Must be Annulled and Repealed Today) Campaign by visiting and signing the petitions at www.eritrean-smart.org.