Published in today. 06:53
Anyone who thinks that Eritrea, which Dawit Isaak and countless other opponents foretaste in prison, would be an isolated dictatorship mistaken. Fixed combination of its trade and military partner is far from obvious. Perhaps most remarkable is that Israel from the Eritrean independence in 1993 has had a significant presence in the country.
When the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki same year as independence flew to Israel for advanced medical treatment seems to have tied ties with the Jewish state, which possibly could be linked to the Eritrean government is secular Christian, that is not Muslim and Israel Hosting. 1995 concluded a formal agreement between the two countries.
Over many years, Israel has had two military installations in Eritrea, one of the signals, and the other underhållsbas for Israel's German-built submarines that are likely to be equipped with nuclear weapons.
In addition, states from different, albeit unconfirmed, sources that Israel store nuclear waste from its Dimon reactor on two islands outside the Eritrean coast.
According to mass media in Yemen on the other side of Gulf of Aden utilized Israeli warships from their Eritrean bases to support its military operations during the war against Lebanon in summer 2006.
However, this Eritrean-Israeli alliance half now be entitled stretched. Among other things, the British newspaper Sunday Times (19 / 4) reports that Israel has begun to draw the attention of the ears after Eritrea and President Afwerki lately has deepened its cooperation with one of Israel's enemies: Islamic Republic of Iran.
Eritrea and Iran have had decent, if not dynamic relationships with each other in many years. But it was after a visit by Afwerki in Tehran in May last year that cooperation took real momentum.
- For Iran and Eritrea is no limit to how much we can extend our mutual cooperation. Our countries have similar views on regional and global issues and how to resist the hegemonic major powers intrusion, "said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after his meetings with Afwerki.
Most concrete and well known is that Iran has refurbished an oil refinery and established some sort of base in the port city of Assab in the Arabian Sea. According to frequent, though controversial, information to the media and on the Internet, Iran has also stationed troops in Assab and warships, helicopters, and aircraft missiles.
Even between Eritrea and China have relations DENSE in recent years. Chinese enterprises have made relatively large investments in Eritrea, partly foreign-funded aid projects, but also pure Chinese business projects. Each year, several one hundred Chinese businessmen to Eritrea, and about as many Eritrean teachers and researchers are trained each year at the Chinese University.
As a form of payment for this Chinese rundhänthet has Afwerkiregimen acceded to China's position on Tibet. For example, issuing the ruling party the People's Front for Democracy and Justice is generally condemnations of the Dalai Lama and his attempt to lead the Tibetan past "feudal ruling class" to revolt against Chinese rule.
An obvious question is: Where do Eritrea arms to its relatively heavy-equipped armed forces.
Under the meticulous and constantly updated reports from the Peace Research Institute SIPRI in Stockholm will weapons primarily from four sources, all in the former Soviet bloc: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Bulgaria.
From here, the Eritrea during the last ten years had, or had to buy, hundreds of tanks and artillery, at least a dozen modern fighter aircraft and several hundred anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
This weapon power has gone after Eritrea fought an extremely bloody border war with Ethiopia in 1998-2000. It of course raises a new question: Afwerkiregimen preparing for new war adventure, with the support of a refilled arsenal and Eritreas odd allies?
Per Jönsson
No comments:
Post a Comment