Eritrea criticizes US sanctions on its army chief

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The Eritrean government said Tuesday it rejects US sanctions leveled against its army chief over alleged human rights abuses in Ethiopia's war-scarred Tigray region.

“The Government of Eritrea rejects, both in letter and spirit, the utterly baseless allegations and blackmail directed against it,’’ Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The US imposed sanctions on Gen. Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces, whom it claims deployed forces in parts of Tigray that carried out human rights abuses.

Eritrea, bordering Ethiopia, denied the claims, saying they were untrue. “The US Administration has leveled unacceptable accusations against Eritrea announcing associated measures that it will take against the Chief of Staff of Eritrea’s Defense Forces under what it terms the 'Global Magnitsky Act'," it said.

The Horn of Africa country said this is not the first time that the US administration was floating such "baseless smear campaigns" against it.

“In the face of the repetitive and unwarranted accusations, Eritrea cannot remain silent. In the circumstances, Eritrea calls on the US Administration to bring the case to an independent adjudication if it indeed has facts to prove its false allegations,’’ the statement said.

Eritrea also urged the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibility to deter and seek redress to repeated acts of flagrant violations of international law and the sovereignty of peoples and nations by the US.