Vol 22. No. 58 Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015 Pages 8, Price 2.00 NFA

EritrEa’s statEmEnt on thE 30th hrC sEssion

Thank you Mr. President

My delegation would like to thank the High Commissioner for his update. Eritrea aligns itself with the statements delivered by the African Group, NAM and LMG but would also like to add the following observations and comments on its national capacity.

Mr. Vice President,

My delegation shares the concern raised by the NAM and other delegates who took the floor before me on the need to circulate the statement of the High Commissioner well in advance so as to enable discussions among delegates and with their respective capitals.

Besides, my delegation strongly stresses that states are the main actors to promote and protect human rights and it is from this perspective that we have always stood against country specific mandates. Eritrea thus shares the concern raised by some delegates on the need to put humanity and human security in the context, needs and human betterment ideals of the societies along with other human rights issues.

Mr. Vice President,

My delegation once again categorically rejects the report of the so called Commission of Enquiry on Eritrea and any statement that resonates it. The Report is highly politicized, reflects the usual patterns of double standards, undermines the basic institutional principles of the HRC and negates the reality in Eritrea. Moreover, it is a disgrace that it is full of cut and paste from prior unaccounted and unrealistic reports that lack credibility due to their bankruptcy of substance. A vivid example in this regard is its total failure to acknowledge the effects and impact of the Occupation of our Territories and unjust UN sanctions on human rights.

On the issue of reprisals against Civil Society representatives and their accreditation to this council; we agree on the concern raised on reprisals if any. However, we are concerned that the council on the other end is also getting dumped with criminals including human traffickers who get opportunities to shed crocodile tears only because the space is abused and misused by some Civil Societies with ECOSOC consultative status. In this regards, we call upon the Secretariat, Civil Societies and states to remain vigilant to uphold the integrity of the accreditation that is in line with the lofty objectives.

I thank you Mr. Vice President

President Isaias Afwerki yester-day 18th of September received a letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi invit-ing him to participate at the India-Africa Summit scheduled to take place from 26 to 30 October next month.

The formal letter of invitation was delivered to President Isaias yesterday by Dr. V.K Singh, Min-ister of State for External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs. Min-ister Singh underlined that India was earnestly working to cultivate ties of cooperation and partnership with Africa. This was predicated in a proper appraisal of its potential on the one hand, and, the prospects and opportunities that Africa offers

The Central Council of the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers (NCEW) held its 5th regular meeting from 16th to 17th September.

Mr. Tekeste Baire, the Secretary General of the Confederation, underlined the central purpose and expected outcome of the meeting.

These included thorough appraisal of performance of the organizations in view of what was

Olympian Athlete Zeresnay Tadese clinched a gold medal in the

PrEsidEnt rECEivEs mEssagE from indian PrimE ministEron the other.

President Isaias Afwerki noted that Eritrea endorses the cultiva-tion of warm India-Africa ties that are hinged on symmetric relation-ships and mutual respect. Within this framework, Eritrea is keen in fostering partnership with India in the sectors of human resources development, transport and com-munication services, as well as, ag-riculture and food processing.

In the press statement to ERINA News, Dr. Singh emphasized that India is prepared to cooperate with Eritrea in various sectors. The Minister underlined that sustain-able progress cannot be guaranteed without nurturing extensive web of

ties of cooperation with partners. In this regard, the Summit is ex-

pected to create a vital platform for African countries to chart out plans

of action that promote their devel-opment agendas.

charted out as well as projection and articulation of realistic plans for the period ahead.

The participants of the meeting conducted in-depth discussions on the agenda items as well as on the tri-partite relations between workers, employers and the Government.

Meanwhile, in the press release issued at the conclusion of 5th regular meeting of its Council, the

Confederation underscored that real economic development must be intertwined with social justice in order to bring about qualitative change in the livelihood of the workers.

The two-day meeting of the Council also adopted recommendations on strengt-hening cooperation with regional and international workers’ confederations to promote shared ideals and values.

nCEW CEntral CounCil holds mEEting

gold and BronzE mEdals

Half Marathon race in the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville on the 17th of

September while Hizkiel Tewolde came out third to win the Bronze medal. Another Eritrean athlete, Samson Gebreyohannes, ranked 4th in the contest.

In other related news, Eritrean cyclists who competed at the All African Games in Brazzaville arrived home in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 16th.

Ambassador Zemede Tekle, Commissioner of Culture and Sports, and other officials of the Commission welcomed the cyclist at Asmara International Airport. Meron Teshome and Mosana Debesay were stage winners in the tournament while Wehazit Kidane won a bronze medal.

Photo: Taezaz Abrha

photo: hanok Mokonen

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Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015 2

G. Damr

The Eritrean Telecommunica-tion Corporation (Eri-Tel) is a share company that has been pro-viding communication services throughout Eritrea since indepen-dence, at a price and standard that could be rated fairly well. So far, Eri-Tel’s main focus has been on providing telephone and internet services.

Eri-Tel provides two types of telephone services, fixed and mo-bile. If we look in to the opera-tions of the corporation, we find that it has been employing tools and techniques that meet not only the needs of the Eritrean customer, but also the standards of a modern communications system.

The fixed communication ser-vices the company provides in-clude voice call phones, public pay phones, fax and directory services (including international call ser-vices). The wired system provides data and internet services aided by the ADSL system, while the fixed phone service is provided via both a wireless and wired system.

Eri-Tel has developed the entire necessary infrastructure to run its system and operations efficiently. According to information given to Hadas Ertra by two engineers in charge of the fixed and mo-bile communication services of Eri-Tel, the company has put one “exchange,” a system needed to run fixed phone services, in all

the major cities of Eritrea, except Asmara and Massawa, which each have two (in accordance to their demand).

The second, supporting feature of the fixed phone service is the CDMA, which is locally called 08 (after the entry numbers of the service). To facilitate this service, Eri-Tel has built forty stations across the country.

Although the majority of these stations are located in and around Asmara, the capital city, the ser-vice is also provided in all the big cities including remote areas as in the Assab – Asmara line, Asmara – Keren, Asmara –Barentu and Barentu Tesseney.

The Eritrean Telecommunica-tion system is also equipped with two extension satellite stations that are used to communicate with the international community. One of the fundamental issues in run-ning any communications system is that of a constant supply of en-ergy and power. The corporation has been striving to optimize its supply by focusing on indepen-dent sources, rather than the pub-lic grid.

Hence, it has always had stand-by generators in all the towns and

cities (to be used during power outages). In the remote stations however, Eri-Tel has relied on solar energy and coolers, which are generally more reliable and friendly sources.

Notably, mobile phone ser-vices were introduced in Eritrea in 2005. Early on, these services relied on the same infrastructure used to operate the fixed phone service. However, mobile services now are equipped with the latest and most sophisticated tools and equipment, as well as an increas-ing number of stations located across the country.

Engineer Tekle Weldeslasie, director of the company’s mobile phone services, has pointed out how this department of the corpo-ration has two switches operating simultaneously.

To maintain the efficiency of these switches and to provide 24-hour, nonstop service, the corpo-ration utilizes a commercial power supply, a standby generator, and a backup battery.

The corporation also utilizes highly sophisticated technologi-cal equipment, such as a highly efficient large microwave pipe, a super-link PDH microwave link, and a SDH microwave link. The

PDH microwave relays signals from the central station in Asmara to the 115 stations throughout the country.

According to information ob-tained from the senior manage-ment of the corporation, the guid-ing principle behind the company’s determination to build stations all around the country is based upon its motto that “it is not the pub-lic that should reach out to us but the other way round.” While this seems to encapsulate the natural pursuit of profit by a business or corporation, closer inspection re-veals that it should be understood differently.

Erecting towers on top of the treacherous peaks of Eritrea’s rough topography is a simple or attractive task, even by a hungry investor. Furthermore, recall that as a share company, Eri-Tel’s deci-sions are influenced, if not guided by, by the diversity of its constitu-ency. Eri-Tel seems to embody the Eritrean government’s social jus-tice program as part of its princi-ples, not because it distributes its service altruistically but because it prioritizes equitable access and distribution.

For example, consider the cor-poration’s decision to switch to wireless fixed phones (CDMA) from wired ones. According to the

company, this was done for two reasons: to reach the most remote regions of the country and to en-sure affordability.

Compared to the wired phone service, the wireless phones are cheaper and easier to install. It is nearly impossible to effeciently and effectively distribute wires in highly crowded urban areas, whereas wireless fixed phones can be easily and quickly be dis-tributed.

However, the public have yet to be convinced to utilize this ef-ficient and cost-effective system. One reason is that, being used to the wired fixed system for an extended period, the public will require time to adjust to the changes. But more importantly, the CDMA wireless phones can’t operate without a constant supply of power. With frequent power outages, it is difficult to persuade customers to use this option re-gardless of how “good” it may be. Even with various challenges, Eri-Tel remains committed to making this system the only fixed system in operation in the future.

Importantly, this represents just one of several new changes planned by Eri-Tel. In the future, the company plans to introduce IP platform technology in its tele-phone services and to replace the aging dial-up system with ADSL in its Internet providing arm.

As well, the company plans to allow the purchase of services by expatriates and citizens who do not permanently residing in the country. This change will al-low anyone on a short visit to the country to obtain services, rather than borrowing a phone from friends or relatives

Eri-Tel’s has endeavored to provide customers throughout Eritrea with high-quality services and products. What it has accom-plished in a relatively short period of time is commendable. How-ever, moving forward, the com-pany will be faced with a range of growing demands and increased challenges. Eri-Tel’s proven re-cord of excellence suggests that it is fully capable of matching, and even exceeeding, expectations.

ERI TEL: Working up to the promises of the Information Technology

3Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015

Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion

While the issue of globalization has long received considerable at-tention, not enough work has been done on the social costs involved (in terms of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and exclusion) in the modern era of globaliza-tion, nor on the interrelationship between the information high-way, the process of globalization, and the growing marginalization of people (especially women) in poor, developing countries.

A young, low-income country, Eritrea is bound to encounter a variety of issues, and possibly challenges or problems, as it ex-periences the process of global-ization. This article raises some general points related to Eritrea and globalization based upon on-going “on the ground” observa-tions by the author.

Globalization is a complex, multidimensional, multifaceted, and contested concept that de-fies simple definition. Broadly, it can be described as the process of growing interdependence and interaction of cultures, peoples, organizations, and nation-states across borders.

In economic terms, it can be defined in terms of trade liber-alization, including the break-ing down of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and the free flow of capital, technology, goods and services, and finance across na-tional boundaries. Regardless of the particular definition utilized, it is increasingly becoming un-derstood that while globalization involves many positive aspects and benefits, it can also lead to a range of problems.

First, Eritrea’s path toward glo-balization will require address-ing the issue of inequality and potential destabilization. Eco-nomic inequality within societ-ies, especially when it appears to be connected to increasing globalization, frequently reduces social cohesion and can make it increasingly difficult for people to accept macroeconomic change without social tension.

As well, contemporary forces of social and economic transfor-mation associated with global-

ization have destabilized, and in many respects worsened, the lives of many – especially women and children. Many have been caught-up in the throes of social changes, such as structural adjustment, the extension of market capitalism to formerly socialist countries, and the resurgence of religious fundamentalism and extremism. In one regard, it augurs well that Eritrean society has tradition-ally been based on unity. Moving forward, it will be important to continue to promote equality and tolerance (e.g. through national or community-based social pro-grams) to sustain peace and en-sure that no one is left behind as the country globalizes.

In a previous article, I discussed Eritrea’s nascent mining and en-ergy sector; recent years have witnessed the country’s mining activities and energy potential receive considerable mainstream attention and coverage (with much of it misinformed and lack-ing context). Eritrea’s mining sector has played a positive role in the country’s economic growth and broad national development efforts.

Recently, Nevsun Resources also announced impressive ex-ploration drilling results from near the successful Bisha mine,

which will likely result in higher production levels and, potentially, a longer mine life. Yet, as Eritrea continues to grow and integrate into the broader global economy, it will be vital for the country to raise and vary exports, mov-ing away from low-value added and potentially unstable primary products.

Manufacturing is essential to growth, and with rapid technical change and globalization, it is becoming important as a means of modernizing and diversifying the economic base. In this con-text, the country’s focus on and investment within education and human capital development are key, not only towards the real-ization of a fundamental human right, but also as they can help build and refine the population’s skills and capabilities to compete within fierce global markets.

Globalization will increase employment and reduce poverty only if skill levels are improved and economic structures are transformed. Importantly, it is not just for “hi-tech” sectors that advanced skills are needed; even “simple” areas like apparel, foot-wear, and basic engineering prod-ucts require a modicum of skills to compete globally.

Last, beyond global compe-tition, Eritrea should focus on education and human capital de-velopment since they are vital to counteracting possible severe economic and social costs as-sociated with globalization (e.g. unemployment, which in turn can lead to criminal behavior or other harmful or dangerous behaviors, such as sex work or illicit drug use). Education and human capi-tal can improve poor people’s chances of securing a job, raise productivity and earnings of the working poor, and increase the efficiency of entrepreneurs.

As a way of comparing and an-alyzing countries within the inter-connected, interdependent global economic system, a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is one indicator that is often used. Utilizing GDP, although Eritrea is gradually globally integrating and its economy is growing, the country is still poor. However, as a measure, GDP only takes into account activities within the for-mal economy, thus leaving out a host of informal economic activi-ties and intangible, or nonmarket, effects.

For Eritrea, the latter point rais-es an intriguing consideration, as the country has a large seg-ment of its population, especially

women, involved within the in-formal sector. Additionally, his-torical and recent analyses show that women’s family or domestic work does not subside when they enter into formal wage work.

Regardless of whether or not they are responsible for generat-ing cash income, Eritrean (and global) women perform the ma-jority of farming and agricultural tasks, household food prepara-tion, cleaning, childcare, and other tasks (locating and carrying water, wood, fuel, etc.).

Thus, one potentially far-reach-ing question for Eritrean analysts and policymakers – as well as so-ciety in general – is even though the country is integrating and “tied to” globally-developed con-cepts such as GDP, should Eri-trea overlook the informal sector (hosting many women) or consid-er “unproductive” (like the rest of the world) much of women’s daily work?

Visit just about any neigh-borhood in Eritrea, and you are quickly confronted by the site of satellite dishes hoisted upon the roofs of homes. Alternatively, walk through many of the coun-try’s busy urban streets, and you will likely encounter Eritreans,

Globalization and Eritrea: Questions and Considerations

Eritrean society: valuing gender equality and pursuing an improved place for women within society

continued on page 7

Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015 4

Natnael Yebio

Growing up, eating together was one of the most important things my parents taught me. I remember we would all gather around for lunch at the time appropriate time, otherwise it was sure Mom would come with glaring eyes. My grandpa would come around eleven and my dad would show up exactly half an hour later. That was the daily routine.

As Eritreans, culturally speaking, we have been lucky as our eating methods clearly promote family members eating together in one large dish rather than in individual plates.

As of the last decade or so however, we have managed to adopt eating in plates, a trend common to most households in the urban areas of Eritrea.

Now, I’m not saying eating in different plates is bad, because I am one of those people who frequent eating in their own plate rather than in the traditional big dish for the whole family. But what this eating approach has causes is less respect for family time. It is quite ordinary to see family members eating separately nowadays.

Just the other day, over a conversation with a friend, I asked him how often his family ate together.

His response was “Only on holidays, the other days are like dad eats whenever he comes home, my brothers eat while watching the television, and I usually eat in my room watching a movie on my laptop and mom eats in the kitchen.”

That shocked me.

In many countries, mealtime is treated as sacred. In France, for instance, while it is acceptable to eat by oneself, one should never rush a meal. In many Mexican cities, townspeople will eat together with friends and family in central areas like parks or town squares. In India, villagers spread out colorful mats and bring food to share with loved ones like a potluck.

Eating together was a tradition my parents adopted, and one we all try to maintain today, with occasional exceptions.

So what exactly eating together as a family signifies?

Well, eating together as a family keeps us quite healthy. Eating family meals together is associated with physical health, and we eat together as a means to keep the family healthy. Family lunch or dinners for that matter are times of the day where we can reconnect, leaving behind our individual pursuits like work, texting and doing homework or similar personal stuff.

Family time is a time to relax, recharge, laugh, tell stories and catch up on the days up and downs, while developing a sense of who we are as a family.

I remember a couple of years back, one night I was having dinner with my family, and as usual we were all immersed in an animated and deep argle-bargle about who was going to win the football match that was going to be aired on the television that night.

It was the final game between Cameroon and Senegal. Apart from the football facts, I learned one different thing that night. When I asked my Grandpa why it was that he was going to support Cameroon that night, he said, “We have a better political diplomacy with Cameroon than Senegal.” Ever the politician my Grandfather was.

One learns these things during frequent family meals together.

Eating together can also be an important part of our families’ spiritual health. A world where religious beliefs are being eroded, family meal time is one way to have the opportunity to create family devotions. So, eating together can help develop that, where we can praise the Almighty for His provisions.

This is a critical part of a family’s spiritual training. Day by day and year after year, the kids are exposed to God or Allah through these short times of worship.

Food is ritualistic. Family dinner reminds us we’re human and who our kin are. There is kinship and connectivity in eating together, especially for teens. These rituals instill a sense of belonging, of culture and of family values and goals.

Our culture bears extended families and thus sharing a meal time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and such, ingrains this sense even further and contributes to the wellbeing of children and adults alike.

The most important benefit of eating together can be the fact that parents are “checking in” with their kids and vice versa.

As I said, my mom is a grand advocate for family meals. And as such, we are obliged to sit together in one table at least at lunch if not at breakfast or dinner. The thing is I find myself learning new things about my family each day and it helps me to deal with them throughout the rest of the day and their lives in a way no other person could. Because of that one time of the day I get to sit down with them and our chats about banal stuff – football and television – often lead to discussions of the serious-of school, social life and also politics.

Oh!! And the all-important table manners!! If parents don’t teach their kids table manners during family meal time, then whom can they expect to learn it from? It is at family meals children learn about manners and etiquette: saying “please”, “thank you” and “May I be excused?” and chewing with their mouths closed.

They also learn how to carry on a conversation, which involves listening, and expanding their vocabulary every bit as much as speaking and exchanging ideas and opinions.

Children who eat with their parents have less trouble with alcohol and could possibly perform better academically, as parents tend to know what their kid’s best and

worst abilities in school are and help them out.

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art,” said the 17th century writer Francoise De La Rochefoucauld. When he meant to eat intelligently, he implied the need to eat together.

After my grandpa passed away and my dad a couple of years later, the first thing that always felt different was the dining table. But we kept eating together and it was therapeutic: more like an excuse to talk and reflect on the day and recent events. Eating together was a small act, and it required very little of us, an hour away from our usual, quotidian distractions and yet it was invariably one of the happiest parts of our day.

It is incredible what we’re willing to make time for if we’re motivated. Taking perhaps the essence of eating together as an opportunity to de-stress and a chance to catch up with those we love could help our siblings and kids not only do better in school but also refrain from deviating to undesirable behaviour. If that’s the case, then why shouldn’t we be capable of giving up an hour of our day to be with our family in one table and eat in the spirit of togetherness?

The Culture of Eating Together

China and Africa are far away from each other, while the friendship and cooperation between us date back to history. Since 1950’s, the African countries embarked on the journey of national liberation and independence, bringing in a new phase in the unity and cooperation between China and Africa. Over the more than half a century, China-Africa friendly relations and cooperation have stood the test of times, and are being constantly consolidated and developed.

Since entering the new century, the political mutual trust between China and Africa has been strengthening and there are frequent exchange of high level visits. China has become Africa’s largest trading partner since 2009.

The trade volume between China and Africa reached US$ 221.88 billion in 2014, a new historical high. China’s total direct investment in Africa is nearly US$ 30 billion and Chinese commercial loans to Africa have exceeded US$ 50 billion, with cooperation projects all over the African continent. China’s assistance to Africa totaled over 150 billion RMB Yuan, funding the construction of over 1000 projects in Africa in the past several decades.

In recent years, more than half of China’s assistance is used for African countries. Personnel exchanges between the two sides have become increasingly close. In 2013, 1.895 million visits were made by Chinese nationals with Africa as their first stop and 553,000 visits were made by African people to China.

The expanding and deepening of cooperation between the two sides have played an important role for our respective nation building and creating a better life for our peoples.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Africa in 2013, he made a commitment to developing relations with Africa with sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith. When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Africa in 2014, he described a prospect for the two sides to cooperate on three

Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015 5

major networks of high-speed railway, expressway and aviation. China-Africa cooperation is a shining area in China’s foreign relations. In the long years of sincere cooperation and mutual support, the Chinese and African peoples have successfully opened up a way of cooperation, which keeps up with the trend of times, conforms with each other’s realities and have its unique characteristics and advantages.

China today has made world renowned achievement in the development of its social productive forces and comprehensive national strength. China now is the second largest economy in the world, the largest trading country in commodities, the country with the largest foreign currency reserve, the third largest investor in foreign markets, and the largest trading partners with nearly 130 countries.

Of course, China remains the largest developing country in the world and its per ca-pita GDP is just over 6,000 US dollars, still lower than the world average. Development is very uneven between its urban and rural areas and between different regions, which is typical of a developing country. China has a long way to go before it realizes modernization.

Talking about the current economic situation in China, I would like to quote the special address made by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening ceremony of the Summer Davos meeting in Dalian, northeast China, on September 10. Premier Li said that the Chinese economy is stable and moving in a positive direction despite the moderation in speed. Although difficulties remain, there are more opportunities than challenges.

The ups and downs in the economy may have formed the shape of a curving wave, but the underlying trend remains to be positive. The fundamentals underpinning a stable Chinese economy have not changed. For me to summarize Premier Li’s remarks, he gave three major reasons for the confidence that the Chinese economy is on the right track and its future will be even brighter.

First, China had the advantages of huge potential and inner tenacity. China is going through the process of a new type of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization, and these will generate strong domestic demand. China is vast in its territories and has diverse industries. Instead of relying on one particular industry, China is supported by a complete system of industries. The Chinese economy is highly resilient and shock-resistant.

Second, China is making comprehensive reforms, and is accelerating structural reform and pursuing an innovation-driven development strategy to fully unleash the potential of its economic growth.

The purpose of advancing structural reform is to unleash the infinite creativity of the people and promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation. China has continually taken measures to streamline administration, delegate government power, strengthen regulation and improve services, and consequently, the people’s creativity and entrepreneurial passion have been unlocked. China has a labor force of 900 million people, more than 7 million students graduate from colleges and universities every year.

More and more people are devoting themselves to entrepreneurship and innovation, generating new supplies and releasing new demands, thus providing a strong driving force for stabilizing the economic growth of China. Over 10,000 new market entities are registered on an average daily basis, which create large job opportunities, and this trend has continued for more than one year and a half since last year, and this momentum is continuing now.

Third, China will open still wider to the world. There will be no change in China’s overall policy on FDI. Specific steps will be taken to attract more foreign investment through greater openness. China has come up with the initiatives to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and to promote global cooperation on

industrial production capacity.

These initiatives could help further open up China and forge a more balanced and inclusive global industrial chain. This in turn could pool the comparative strengths of all countries and foster a global community of common interests and development for the purpose of win-win, inclusive and common progress. Global cooperation on production capacity will match supply with demand effectively, and generate more demands through innovation on the supply side.

China and Africa have broad common interests, and have a solid foundation for cooperation. China is the most populous and largest developing country in the world, while Africa is the continent with the largest concentration of developing countries.

The economies of the two sides are highly complementary. Cooperation between the two sides is in conformity with the development trend of the world and supplements each other. There are a wide range of areas for the two sides to conduct cooperation, such as energy, mines, ecological protection, infrastructure construction of roads, railways, aviation, telecommunications and power supply, and in areas of industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization etc..

What is worth special mentioning is that there is huge potential and space for industrial production cooperation between China and Africa. After years of development, China has entered a more mature stage of industrialization with competitive

industries and surplus capacity. China is the world’s largest producer of over 220 categories of industrial products including steel, cement and automobiles. China produces 38% of the world’s machine tools, 41% of ships, and 60% of power generation equipment.

These are highly competitive industries and production capacity.

The relocation of high quality production capacity overseas is an important step to relieve the relatively saturated Chinese domestic market, improve quality and efficiency of the Chinese economy, is conducive to the successful upgrading of the Chinese economy. This will in turn lend a stronger impetus to economic growth of African countries.

Most African countries are in the early stages of economic take-off or industrialization and urgently need large amounts of external capital, equipment and technologies. China enjoys unique and comparative advantages in industrial production capacity, such as advanced and operable equipment, mature and reliable technologies, cost-effectiveness and no strings attached.

China has capital and foreign exchange reserves and will make overseas investment of over US$ 650 billion in the next five years, and this can provide strong financial support for China’s industrial go-global effort. Many developing countries are looking to have cooperation with China in production capacity and there is considerable space and potential for such cooperation.

Now It’s The Right Time to deepen China-Africa Cooperation!

continued on page 7

Chinese Ambassador to Eritrea, Mr. Qiu Xuejun

6Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTBisha Mining Share Company is inviting applicants for the following position

for Bisha site project;

Control1. Room Supervisor (01) Definite period: 02 Year

Duties and responsibilitiesFollow and maintain all safety standards and procedures for both •

equipment and human assets.Monitor all activities displayed on the SCADA and provide information •

to the area operators and Operations Supervisor.Report all Equipment defects on the log sheet, keep control of log sheet, •

down time log sheet and defect log sheet updated and report to the Operations Supervisor any defects.

Adjust and correct plant parameters according to set points.•Ensure and supervise all sections of the plant and make sure all KPIs are •

being achieved.Provide effective communication with operations, supervisors, service •

departments and plant management.Remain alert and react to plant conditions before they become critical.•Train and transfer skills to National control room operators and plant •

operators.Ensure that all process control loops are operational and always in auto •

mode as opposed to manual. Also ensure that no control loops or interlocks are bypassed without the authorization of plant Manager and Engineer.

Formal Education, Certifications or Equivalents

Completed higher •education is advantageous but not mandatory. Must be computer literate and possess control room operational skills. Any process Control and control room certification will be advantageous.

Working Experience – Nature & Length

Minimum 5 years’ •experience as a control Room Operator and process plant operator

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time

N/A•

Other skills and abilities

Must maintain high •level of attention to details and be informative with the relative personnel. Excellent communication skills both written and oral, including English.

Profile: Qualifications and Experience

Operations2. Supervisor (01)

Definite period: 02 Year

Duties and responsibilities

Responsible for the safety and health of all subordinates by ensuring • everyone is working in accordance to the safety and environmental policies and procedures.

Attends and contributes to pre- shift meetings with plant staff to ensure a • competent shift transition.

Supervisors and plans shift production. Responds to the changing •

environment in a proactive manner, using available resources.Maintains reporting procedures with supervisors, peers and subordinates •

on Safety, Production, Maintenance, HR and Security issues.Maintains communication and reports and defective conditions to the •

maintenance department.Conducts on-the job training with subordinates while identifying •

development requirements.Reports any concerns to senior management which reflects the process •

plant efficiency.

Knowledge and SkillsFormal Education, Certifications or Equivalents High school certificate or •

equivalent

Working Experience – Nature & Length

Minimum of 4 years of •experience in a process supervisory role and a minimum of 4 years’ experience as a plant operator in a copper or zinc processing plant

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time Must demonstrate excellent •

supervisory and mentoring skills

Other skills and abilities

Self-motivated and results •oriented.

MUST have demonstrated a •thorough knowledge and experience working in a base metals especially flotation

General Information and other requirements:

place of Work• : Bisha.Salary: • As per Company salary scale.

Additional requirement for Nationals:

Having fulfilled his/her National Service obligation and provide evidence of •release paper from the Ministry of Defense.

Present clearance paper from current/last employer.•Testimonial documents to be attached (CV, work experience credentials, a copy •

of your National identity Card etc.)Only shortlisted applicants would be considered as potential candidates for an •

interview.Application documents will not be returned to sender.•All applications should be sent through the post office.•Deadline for application: 10 days from the day of publication in the •

Newspaper

Address: please mail your applications to;

Bisha Mining Share Company

p. O. Box 4276 Asmara, Eritrea

Note to Eritrean applicants: please send a copy of your application to

Aliens Employment permit Affairs,

p. O. Box 7940 Asmara, Eritrea

ADS

7Eritrea Profile, Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015

continued from page 3

STATE OF ERITREA NATIONAL AGRICULTURE

pROGRAMME (NAp)

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) The Government of ERITREA has received a Grant from the International Fund for 1.

Agricultural Development towards the cost of National Agricultural project(NAP) and it is intended that part of the proceeds of this Grant will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for the supply of:- Lot.1 Supply of Spare parts for Generator and Incubator.

2 Bid shall be Valid for a Period of 120 days after Bid opening, and must be accompanied

by a bid Security of 2% at any Eritrean Bank and delivered to Procurement and Supplies Management Unit office on or before October/13/2015 local hours 14:30 PM and will be opened on the same date at 15:00 PM Local hours in the presence of the Bidders or Bidders’ Representatives who wish to attend. 3 Eligible bidders may bid for a complete lot. Bid for partial lot will be rejected as non responsive. 4. The Eligible bidders should have a professional experience and renewed license for the year of 2013/14 appropriate for the supply of Spare Parts for Generator. 5. A complete

set of bidding documents may be collected by any interested Eligible bidders From the address below. Ministry of Agriculture, Procurement and Supply management Unit, Sawa Street, Tel: 181077/76 Fax: 181415, P.O.Box:1048, Asmara, Eritrea. 6 Bids will be opened in the presence of Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at 3:00 Pm Local Time hrs on October 13, 2015. The Ministry of Agriculture reserves the right to accept or reject this bid fully or in part if it finds any option better than this IFB without needing to justify the grounds for it doing So and Compensation which the bidder may incurred in preparing its bid. Ministry of Agriculture

ADS ASMARA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Vacancy Announcement

ASMARA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL AICS is currently accepting application for full time ICT teacher

position. The deadline is 29 September 2015.ONLY Applicants who meet or

exceed these requirements should apply: successful applications will be notified. Successful candidates MUST have

BA in subject area •2years teaching & working experience •Excellent English skills •Certificate of exemption from national service •

Send CV with contact information and references by postal mail to: AICS,P.O.Box 4941,Asmara.Please mail a second copy of your application to ministry labor addressed:-

Work permit section P.O.Box 5252,Asmara.No telephone callas or appointment please. Candidates will be notified

by 5 October 2015 Asmara International Community School serves the international

community by providing a rigorous English language academic program of excellence, emphasizing individual discipline, personal integrity and respect for

others.

117-19 Street, #6 Tel/Fax:+291-1-16-17-05P.O. Box 4941 E-mail: AICSDirector@gmail.comAsmara, ERITREA School E-mail:Administration@aics.org.er Web: www.aicsasmara.comAccredited by Middle State Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools (PK-

12) Member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA)

The Summit Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in South Africa in December this year, and will certainly promote further development of China-Africa relation on the current basis. China and Africa should seize the opportunity and open a new chapter in the cooperation between the two sides.

The relations between China and Eritrea are an important part in China’s relations with African countries. China and Eritrea established diplomatic relations right on the day of May 24, 1993, when the State of Eritrea was founded. Ever since then, despite the vicissitude in international situation, our bilateral relations have been developing smoothly and healthily, with frequent exchange of friendly visits, and deepening of cooperation in all areas. Leaders of our two countries have kept close contacts and communications.

China is Eritrea’s largest trading partner and the two countries have fruitful cooperation in the areas of agriculture, mining, infrastructure construction, culture, education, health and people to people exchanges.

Eritrea is a country with a long history

and civilization and has breath-taking and beautiful natural sceneries. Multi-ethnic groups with different religious beliefs live with each other in the country in harmony. The Eritrean people live a peaceful and alive life. Since independence and as one of the youngest countries in the world, Eritrea has made tremendous progress and achievements in its nation building endeavors. Eritrea is country with great potential for development with its rich resources, natural produce and well-educated young talents.

As a young and new developing country with huge potential for development, there is a huge potential for cooperation between China and Eritrea in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, fishing, tourism, aviation, telecommunications and other infrastructures.

China is willing to join hands with Eritrea to further strengthen the all dimensional bilateral cooperation and continually explore new areas of cooperation. I am confident that there is a bright prospect for our future bilateral cooperation and this will surely benefit our two countries and peoples to a larger extent, and will at the same time make greater contributions to the cause of peace and development in Africa and the world at large.

Chinese Ambassador Qiu XuejunSeptember, 2015

continued from page 5

Now It’s The Right Time to...

both young and old, watching foreign news or soap operas, surfing the Internet or Face book, playing a newly released computer game, or listening to a recording by an in-ternational band, DJ, or singer.

These developments arouse the issue of media and globalization; since World War II, there has been an emergence of a global media industry dominated by a small num-ber of transnational media conglomerates. Furthermore, media globalization has in-volved an uneven flow of information and communication products within the global system.

For Eritrea, a country with a rich, di-verse culture, possible questions to ponder include how the country will approach the issue of “media imperialism” or the poten-tial cultural homogenization and standard-ization that may arise with media global-ization? Additionally, for a society histori-cally based on community and the group, how will Eritrea be affected by the fact that much media and globalization are inextri-cably linked with the promotion of the ide-

ology of consumerism and individuality?

Finally, with Eritrean society valuing gender equality and pursuing an improved place for women within society, the pow-er of image and media within globaliza-tion will be vital to understand. Through the power of the image, the media can strengthen stereotypes or legitimate long-standing inequalities.

The media often distorts, under-repre-sents, or mis-represents women; globally, women are often only seen as wife, moth-er, and housekeeper, thus reinforcing their conventionally assigned roles and limiting their professional horizons. Or they are represented as sex objects to be used, in some cases in masochistic, perverted and pornographic depictions.

Globalization is complex, involving many benefits and potential problems. As Eritrea continues to integrate globally and experience the variegated processes of glo-balization, it will face a range of issues and potential challenges.

Globalization and Eritrea: ...

Eritrea Profile,Saturday, 19 Septmber, 2015 8

Metkel Sewra

On mining in Eritrea… The Government of Eritrea has

undertaken a well-thought out methodological process of regu-latory governance to ensure that extractive resource development is done in a way that maximizes local benefits while minimizing externalities.

It is using the mining sector as a mechanism to further develop the country and to create real in-comes in order to address issues of poverty and migration.

We have operated in the coun-try for 18 years and have found it conducive to running an in-ternational business. We have found the country very similar to Canada in respect to its welcom-ing nature, cleanliness, safety and the strong work ethic of the local population.

On the “human Rights Impact

Assessment” process… The Government of Eritrea

wants to build an internationally competitive mining environment based on national laws and evolv-ing international standards and best practices.

They want to attract responsible companies to operate in the coun-try. Part of this approach includes independent HRIAs which enable the mining company to get an honest assessment of how things are progressing and what steps can be undertaken to enhance workers’ rights.

The findings have been shared

openly with all stakeholders and we are actively requesting input from anyone on whether the re-port’s findings and recommenda-tions are on the mark and what can be done differently or better in this respect. We have organized various venues to allow stake-holders to meet with us face to face to discuss this HRIA process and next steps.

On the 2015 hRIA Audit… Nevsun engaged extensively

with stakeholders around the world and the most consistent message was that they wanted to see this HRIA process extended. This was meant to see if the vari-ous recommendations were in fact being implemented a year after the fact.

The idea was to get an inde-pendent verification on the facts on the ground by a reputable in-ternational expert rather than re-lying on the mining company to issue its perception on progress. It is also meant to illustrate that there is transparency and leading edge corporate social responsibil-ity governance in Eritrea’s mining sector.

Access to information… Accessibility has been a mile-

stone of the HRIA process in al-lowing an independent human rights lawyer unfettered access to the Bisha Mine, the nearby com-munities and the supply chain companies and workers. Both Nevsun and ENAMCO have stressed the vital importance to allow Mr. Lipsett to have com-plete autonomy in his work.

What was your reaction to the

recently released UN’s Commis-sion of Inquiry on Eritrea report? have you tried approaching them to set the record straight on red flags raised?

Nevsun attempted to contact

the UN COI Commissioners on several occasions. We provided them copies of our corporate so-cial responsibility annual report (that outlines issues pertaining to human rights) as well as the first independent human rights impact assessment of the Bisha Mine that includes the nearby communities.

We offered to meet with them and to engage in the process but never heard back from them dur-ing their 6 month assessment pe-riod.

We listened to their oral testi-mony in Geneva in March 2015 and nothing was mentioned with respect to the Bisha Mine. There-fore it was of great surprise and disappointment in early June 2015 that they decided to include sev-eral pages of “evidence” against the Bisha Mine despite never al-lowing the company to comment on these specific allegations.

It also must be mentioned that

the UN COI never visited the Bisha Mine or even Eritrea for that matter. We believe it is com-pletely irresponsible for a repu-table international organizational body to undertake a seemingly slanderous campaign against a private company by deliberately excluding it from comment or feedback.

We finally heard from the UN COI Chair in late June explaining the ‘rationale’ for company exclu-sion from their methodological process while somehow justifying inclusion on the unsubstantiated allegations against the company in their report.

To date, well over 180 inter-views have been conducted by an independent human rights lawyer inside Eritrea which one would think would be significant and worthy of consideration amongst the UN COI Commissioners.

This is especially true given the UN COI frequently complains that they cannot get access into the country. If such exclusions of relevant information can be made with respect to the Bisha Mine, one can only assume other selec-

tive and arguably biased method-ological approaches were applied in a similar manner to other as-pects of this report.

The reality is that other nation states and organizations have or will be making misinformed pol-icy choices negatively affecting Eritrea and Eritreans.

They will be doing this reflec-tive of a questionable report that discriminately seeks to limit bal-anced information from within Eritrea. It is most ethical to take an approach of inclusion of all stakeholders inside and outside Eritrea in order to disseminate enough well-balanced informa-tion to enable other countries and organizations to make more informed, optimal decisions with respect to their policy choices.

It is believed that several in-dividuals are deliberately using hurtful misinformation campaigns as a mechanism for their own po-litical or financial self-interests and are strategically targeting the mining sector.

The sad irony is that those that champion ‘human rights’ or are the collectors of these ‘allega-tions’ are more preoccupied with deliberate attempts of economic sabotage that would negatively impact the human rights of all Eritreans.

What would you say is the most

striking contrast between what is reported in the media and your on-the-ground experience in Eritrea?

I have visited Eritrea 12 times

over the past three years since commencing work with Nevsun Resources. The most powerful observation one can make when visiting Eritrea is the power of the dominant prevailing narrative on the country.

This prevailing narrative is in-fluenced by deliberate misinfor-mation and the multiplier effect and this has helped contribute to the current distorted portrayal of the country.

Q&A with Mr. Todd Romaine, Vice president Corporate Social Responsibility,

Nevsun Resources

Todd Romaine with the former Canadian Ambassador to Eritrea and his wife in Mogoraib village