ERITREA- Ask the President: Why Human Trafficking?
As we all have witnessed recently, hostilities towards the people and government of Eritrea are escalating by the day with persistent campaign to demonize the image of Eritrea. Also coincident was the psychological warfare on Eritrean youth. There have also been suggestions accusing Eritrea of “human trafficking” while Eritrea has been itself a victim of human trafficking.Why all these hostilities? What is the intended aim in the end? What do we do on the public and diplomatic fronts to overcome these challenges? The following was what President Isaias replied for that same question last month during his annual new year interview with the national television. We found it very important and timely to revisit his response as to give a better picture on the subject matter.President Isaias: […] If we ask why human trafficking was introduced into Eritrea, the answer is simple.It was introduced to sabotage the National Service programs by targeting the youth, the workingpower. In their view, in order to create opposition abroad the youth should flee the country first. To do that, pictures were created, pictures that suggest that there are economic and political woes in Eritrea but there are ample opportunities abroad.[[[[[[[Smuggling the youth was an organized trafficking. The United Nations, the International Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations are involved in it.]]]]]][[[[[[[ They operated openly by stationing their camps in Ethiopia, Sudan and other neighboring countries. Papers were facilitated to send Eritreans abroad; this was never done for other people.]]]]]]][[[[[The aim at the end of this human trafficking is to weaken Eritrea by filtering the youth out of the country and organizing it abroad as opposition.]]]]]]] All the existing intelligence agencies operating under the cover of the UN and other non-governmental organizations did a lot of damage backed up by the current technology. The head of these operations is in Sudan, as it is easier to smuggle the youth into Sudan. One can go to Ethiopia, Djibouti or even the sea but Sudan is the easiest. And these organized operations have been there for over a decade.The good thing is that, in spite of all the hardships and challenges they face, the people that have been smuggled across the border remained loyal to their people and country, which is a big blow to the criminals. When looking back at history, the fact that a small country should be made to face endless challenges for generations is not a coincidence. This people will never fall victim to their devious schemes.The traits of the subservient regimes and those of their sponsors pose two threats: a people and nation that grows stronger on the one hand and regimes that grow weaker and plummeting towards crises. And it is in an attempt to change all this that we are being victimized. So where do we stand? What lies ahead of us? We need to not only assess the years that have passed but work harder knowing that all issues will have to be dealt with critically in 2013 and the years beyond.
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