Vol. 20 No. 18 Wednesday, 1st of May, 2013 Pages 8, Price 1.50 NFA

Maj. General Gerezgiher Ande-mariam, Commander of the East-ern Command, said that cultural and sports ventures are vital in nurturing spirit of teamwork and discipline among Army members, thus constituting an integral part of EDF activities. He made the remark in connection with Sports Week staged by the Command, during which it was stated that a number of EDF members have registered remarkable feats in var-ious domains of sports and art as in the armed struggle to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and en-sure its development.

Maj. Russom Gebremichael, head of information and agita-tion in the Command, explained that the organizing of the event is part of the endeavor to nurture morally and mentally fit members of the Armed Force. He further pointed out that participation of government bodies and the PFDJ has become significant to this end, and that such integrated effort has provided groundwork for virtue of many artists and sports persons.

The Eritrean community mem-bers in North Germany have ex-pressed readiness to back up the national development drive through integrating their financial resources and expertise. They made the pledge at a meeting they conducted last Sat-urday in Hanover city, during which extensive briefings were given re-

The Eritrean community mem-bers in Kuwait lauded the develop-ment accomplishments being regis-tered in the Homeland by the people and the government, and said that they would enhance participation to this end. They made the pledge at a meeting during which extensive briefing was given as regards the groundwork being laid in the coun-

The inhabitants of Homib Ad-ministrative area, Forto-Sawa sub-zone, said that they have become beneficiaries of social service fa-cilities on the basis of community-based style of living.

Among the inhabitants, Mr. Ali Hassan, Mr. Aderob Ali Isa and Mr. Derir Bereket indicated that they used to live in a scattered pattern, and that such mode of living had caused visible quandary as regards utilization of social service facili-ties, in addition to its drawback of energy loss. They further pointed out that various facilities have been put in place in the locality, and that the practice of irrigation farming is

Cultural and SportS ven-tureS deSCribed integral

part of edf aCtivitieS

garding the objective situation in the Homeland.

Speaking at the meeting, the Eri-trean Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Petros Tsegai, called on the com-munity members to become primary beneficiaries of resources and oppor-tunities in the Homeland, and voice staunch resistance against external

conspiracies.A number of research papers were

presented on the occasion by nation-als highlighting the popular resis-tance against anti-Eritrea agenda, role of youths in national security and the nurturing of cultural values among members of the new genera-tion.

The community members reit-erated their commitment towards supporting national endeavors of ensuring economic development and social justice, and lauded the accom-plishments the nation is registering.

eritrean Community memberS in north germany expreSS readineSS to baCk up national development drive Among EDF members, Eyob

Gebru and Teklom Gebremeskel noted the importance of such ac-tivities in entertainment and phys-ical fitness, and that availability of the necessary facilities attests to the Defense Ministry’s com-mitment in this regard. Moreover, they expressed readiness to mount participation in the national devel-opment drive.

Meanwhile, members of the Eastern Command who have been attending a 3-month training course as regards still photogra-phy and video shooting graduated recently.

Eritrean nationals residing in Dal-las, USA, during a meeting they conducted expressed readiness to back up development programs in the Homeland through strengthening organizational capacity and unity.

The participants expressed ap-

preciation for the development ac-complishments being registered in the Homeland and the efforts being exerted by the government to enable citizens become primary beneficia-ries of national resources. They fur-ther voiced their resolve to contrib-

ute their level capacity.In a speech he made, Mr. Alazar

Abraham called on Eritreans living abroad to strengthen their resistance against anti-Eritrean agendas and back up development programs in the Homeland.

eritrean nationalS reSiding in dallaS expreSS readi-neSS to baCk up national development programS

try for nationals to become primary beneficiaries of investment oppor-tunities.

Mr. Mohammed Omar Mah-moud, the Eritrean Ambassador to Kuwait, called on the community members to seize the new invest-ment prospects at individual and group basis. He further explained that the government has made pol-

icy adjustments so as to promote investor confidence, besides the ongoing sale of shares by the Eri-Tel and National Insurance Corpo-ration of Eritrea.

The participants of the meeting expressed satisfaction with the brief-ings, and said that they would be-come beneficiaries of new business opportunities in the Homeland.

eritrean Community memberS in kuwait to baCk up national development drive

on the rise.Mr. Wohaj Osman, Administra-

tor of Homib Administrative area, disclosed that the nomadic inhab-itants used to live in 12 scattered hamlets, thus giving rise to predic-aments in accessing social service facilities. “The impact of such fa-cilities has been enhanced follow-ing their resort to community style of living, and we urge the rest of the inhabitants to take similar ini-tiative,” he added.

Reports indicate that the inhab-itants of the Administrative area have become beneficiaries of edu-cational, health, potable water sup-ply and communication facilities.

inhabitantS of homib adminiStra-tive area beCome benefiCiarieS of

SoCial ServiCe faCilitieS on the ba-SiS of Community living Style

2Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

Published Every Saturday & Wednesday

Managing Director Azzazi Zeremariam

Acting Editor Amanuel Mesfunamme@zena.gov.er

P.O.Box: 247Tel: 11-41-14Fax: 12-77-49

E-mail:profile@zena.gov.er

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Samrawit GhideSaba Tesfatsion

Eritrean Center for Strategic Studies, ECSS

On 28 March last month, the ICG released a report entitled: “Eritrea: Scenarios for Future Transition”. Unfortunately, as we illustrate be-low1, ICG’s primary sources are mostly the same circle of personal-ities and entities that harbor a hos-tile agenda against Eritrea while its basic presumptions are predi-cated on a superfluous predilec-tion to project a calamitous trend of imminent “doom and gloom”. As it happened, these skewed ap-proaches have rendered its sce-nario analysis extremely flawed, and, rather wishful and imaginary. Political forecasting is not, admit-tedly, an exact science; it is a messy business indeed. Still, its critical usefulness cannot be glossed over. The architectures of conflict pre-vention and management depend on perceptive and sufficiently re-liable early warning systems for a timely prognosis of fault lines and trends in order to avoid or mitigate crisis conditions. But this task re-quires, in the first place, the exis-tence of a potential crisis-situation as well as objective, neutral and dispassionate appraisal of political realities and trends on the basis of full and accurate information. The ICG report is found wanting on all these critical parameters.

The ICG’s current report is a follow-up of its last report on Eritrea released on 21 September 2010 with the title “ERITREA: A SIEGE STATE”. It was claimed then that the report was compiled in ten years of thorough field re-search that the think tank conduct-ed inside and outside Eritrea. ICG experts visited Eritrea for extensive interviews with senior government officials and canvassed the opinion of various internal sources of their choice. But even then, there was

a lingering impression among most knowledgeable observers of the Er-itrean reality that the ICG was more inclined in corroborating a certain pre-conceived narrative rather than honestly and fairly depicting a bal-anced and nuanced picture.

1In both the current report and its predecessor, the ICG makes repeated reference to individuals and entities that espouse hostile attitudes towards Eritrea, being at the same time ardent cham-pions of regime change. The list includes Bereket Habteselassie, Berouk Mesfin (a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Stud-ies who finds it difficult to divorce from the version of the Ethiopian government when writing on Eri-trea) Dan Connell, Gaim Kibreab, Kjetel Tronvor, Leonard Vincent (author of Les Erytheens and co-founder of a Paris-based anti-Er-itrean radio station), Martin Plaut, Tekeste Negash who is opposed to Eritrean independence, and Yosief Ghebrehiwet a permanent contrib-utor of anti-regime articles in the Gedab News, a website devoted to Eritrean division and referred to repeatedly in ICG reports. Other entities of similar category referred to in the ICG reports are the TPLF website aigaform.com, Amnesty In-ternational, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders. 2Inter-national Crisis Group, Eritrea the Siege State Africa Report No.136 31 September 2010 p.1

This time around, the gloves are off and the ICG appears to have dis-carded all pretentions of objectiv-ity and neutrality. The ICG claims that it was denied entry to Eritrea although this remains contested by officials in Eritrea’s Foreign Minis-try3. Whatever the case, and al-though the ECSS understands that the ICG did maintain some per-functory communication with the Eritrean Mission to the UN5, the current report is conspicuous for its failure to cite official and neutral and credible sources for counter-vailing opinion and/or the valida-tion of the facts and events that are described with authority.

Furthermore, and as we highlight below, the welter of information that the ICG cobbled together es-sentially emanate from rumors and innuendos6 that are attributed to undisclosed sources. This is ratio-nalized by considerations of confi-dentiality4. Nonetheless, it casts deeper doubt on the validity of its postulates and conjectures since these “confidential interlocutors” that provided the baseline data may well be affiliated to fringe groups that espouse certain political agen-das. A cursory analysis of the 156 footnotes attached to the report il-lustrates that 71 % fall in that cate-gory. This is unduly large. And, as

we intimated above, the remaining references are virtually recycled data provided by the usual, Eri-trea-bashing, hostile elements and groups. These glaring shortcom-ings of data collection and valida-tion can only dent the reputation of the ICG besides carving out a gaping puncture on the reliability, coherence and probability of the “scenarios of transition” that it en-visages.

3ECSS interview with Dr. Fesse-hatzion Petros, Foreign Office, As-mara,

4International Crisis Group, Eritrea: Scenarios for Future Transition African report No.200 28March 2013, p.2, see fn. 6.

5Ibid, p.76Ibid, p.87Ibid, see fn.418Ibid, p.169Ibid, p.1010Ibid, see fn. 6211Ibid, p.2212Ibid, p.613Ibid, p.4

For purposes of illustration, we cite below some of the outlandish rumors that the ICG blindly repli-cates in its report without question-ing their validity.

• Isaias’s disappearance from public view for several weeks in April 2012 amid rumours of his illness and death made evident the lack of a succession plan;

• During the latter half of 2012, more rumors circulated about dis-agreements inside the regime on the direction of the country, as well as Isaias’s leadership;

• In November 2012 there were rumors of a round of arrests and “freezing” of senior military lead-ers including the defense minister, Sebhat Ephrem;

• There are rumors the skeptics have asked the President to step aside and support a smooth, inter-nal transition, so as to avoid the country’s collapse….

• The military …appears to have maintained a certain degree of autonomy, such that it has re-portedly (sic) questioned Isaias’s capacity to retain control and asked him to consider a transition at vari-ous points in the recent past;

• The posters created for the celebration of the twentieth an-niversary of liberation… portray Isaias in the image of Jesus Christ, the shepherd of the people, leading elders of both low and highlands;

• Isaias has been grooming his son for succession;

• The incident of 21 January 2013 is described as an event that was “not unprecedented” but as “the most recent in a number of unreported events”. The report further states “the government re-portedly negotiated with the sol-

diers, and in the end, the Ministry’s employees were released”.

All these assertions are at vari-ance with the true facts and repre-sent gullible regurgitation of wild stories that normally thrive in the grape vine. In a nutshell, the litany of rumor-inspired, unsubstantiated, facts; the blunders of methodologi-cal omission and commission, are too many for ICG’s prognosis and “scenarios of transition” to be taken seriously. After all, if the diagnosis of a presumed illness is wrong in the first place, the prescribed anti-dote will not only be useless but it may turn out to be toxic.

We now revert to examine in some detail the ICG’s substantive conjectures.

1. Aggravated Ethnic and Reli-gious fault lines

The ICG report paints a curi-ously explosive picture in regard to potential ethnic and religious conflicts and strife in Eritrea. To drive the point home, it opines: “Eritrean diversity, especially the Christian–Muslim divide14”, may usher in social upheavals. The ICG waxes alarmist particularly in other sections of the report when it warns: “existing ethnic and reli-gious divisions may come into play in a confrontation between military factions…leading to a disastrous civil war”, (emphasis ours).

This sudden, doomsday, progno-sis is not only utterly wrong, but it contradicts the ICG’s own report as spelled out in its previous report, which was the result, by its own admissions, of ten years meticulous research in Eritrea. This is what the ICG had to say on the same subject in its September 2010 report:

Despite occasional conflict (sic) and the marked diversity, Eritrea has by and large avoided the kind of serious interethnic and religious strife associated with the region. Economic lifestyles, cultures, faiths and ethnicities have mostly coexisted peacefully. Church and mosque have stood side by side, occasional clashes notwithstand-ing16.

National cohesiveness and iden-tity in Eritrea is, indeed, robust by all accounts; transcending paro-chial sentiments and allegiances to exclusive ethnic and/or religious sectarianism. Whatever its other problems, the Eritrean polity has been blessed with ethnic and reli-gious harmony that have further been reinforced in the past twenty two years of independence. The periodic communal/tribal infight-ings that erupt in virtually all the neighbouring countries and, the deep sentiments of religious/ethnic marginalization that characterize diverse communities in our re-

gion are literally inexistent in Eri-trea. These have come about as a result of history, the long years of armed struggle as well as judicious government policies anchored on equality of rights and opportunities for all its constituent parts. The ICG’s new narrative of a volatile, worrisome, trend towards “ethnic/religious civil war15” is thus a ma-levolent chimera that exists only in the minds of Eritrea’s detractors.

2. Forceful nation buildingThe ICG describes, in a rather

deprecating manner, Eritrea’s nor-mative trajectory of nation building as a failed, “forceful process”.

This statement provokes a host of questions both in terms of abstract political theory as well as underly-ing motive. In the ICG’s inexplica-ble view, nation building in the Eri-trean case is found to be “forceful” because the “PFDJ has been seek-ing to further entrench the notion of a single national identity as defined during the struggle” ? In the first place, Eritrean national identity was not forged or invented dur-ing the 30 years of liberation war. Present-day Eritrea was shaped by European colonialism as is the case in the rest of Africa. And in any case, the post-liberation political process could not have occurred on an artificial and centrifugal setting of polarizing a cohesive national society along ethnic and religious identities if that is what the ICG is alluding to. The politics of eth-nic institutionalization pursued by some countries in the region and that have been enshrined in their Constitutions is certainly not a posi-tive example that must be emulated by Eritrea. These political precepts are not only dangerous and a recipe for perpetual strife but they are not also warranted by the Eritrean re-ality. In as far as ethnic/religious harmony during the armed libera-tion struggle is concerned; Eritrea’s positive experience had attracted almost universal accolades from all historians and political pundits as-sociated with those times. ICG’s concerns for that period are thus difficult to comprehend.

3. Peace with EthiopiaThe ICG’s position on this cardi-

nal issue is difficult to decipher. The imperative for Ethiopia to abide by its treaty obligations and to respect international law; the enhancement of regional peace and security that this would entail is not examined from its legal and political perspec-tives and is curiously absent from its lengthy discourse. It is totally ignored in the Executive Summary where the ICG suggests various “recommendations” purportedly

Icg’s conjectures On Eritrea: Realistic And Probable Or Wishful And Imaginary?

Continued On Page 6

3Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

Aron Hidru

Today’s article is taken from a chapter of a book authored by Joseph Murphy. The ti-tle of the book is ‘The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”

The power of your subconscious is enormous. It inspires you, it guides you, and it reveals to you names, facts, and scenes from the storehouse of memory. Your sub-conscious started your heartbeat, controls the circulation of your blood, and regulates your diges-tion, assimilation, and elimination.

When you eat a piece of bread, your subconscious mind transmutes it into tissue, muscle, bone, and blood. This process is beyond the ken of the wisest man who walks the earth. Your subconscious mind controls all the vital processes and functions of your body and knows the answer to all problems. Your subconscious mind never sleeps, never rests. It is al-ways on the job.

You can discover the miracle-working power of your subcon-scious by plainly stating to your subconscious prior to sleep that you wish a certain specific thing accomplished. You will be delight-ed to discover that forces within you will be re-leased, leading to the desired result. Here, then, is a source of power and wisdom which places you in touch with omnipo-tence or the power that moves the world, guides the planets in their course, and causes the sun to shine.

Your subconscious mind is the source of your ideals, aspirations, and altruistic urges. It was through the subconscious mind that Shake-speare perceived great truths hidden from the average man of his day. Undoubtedly, it was the response of his sub-conscious mind that caused the Greek sculptor, Phidias, to portray beauty, order, symmetry, and proportion in marble and en-abled the Italian artist, Raphael, to paint Madonnas, and Ludwig van Beethoven to compose symphonies.

In 1955 I lectured at the Yoga Forest University, Rishikesh, In-dia, and there I chatted with a vis-iting surgeon from Bombay. He told me about Dr. James Esdaille, a Scotch surgeon, who worked in Bengal before ether or other mod-ern methods of anesthesia were dis-covered. Between 1843 and 1846, Dr. Es-daille performed about four hundred major operations of all kinds, such as amputations, re-moval of tumors and cancerous growths, as well as operations on the eye, ear, and throat. All opera-tions were conducted under men-tal anesthesia only. This Indian doctor at Rishikesh informed me that the postoperative mortal-

ity rate of patients operated on by Dr. Esdaille was extremely low, probably two or three percent. Pa-tients felt no pain, and there were no deaths during the operations.

Dr. Esdaille suggested to the

subconscious minds of all his patients, who were in a hyp-notic state, that no infection or septic condition would develop.

You must remember that this was before Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, and others who pointed out the bac-terial origin of disease and causes of infection due to unsterilized in-struments and virulent organisms.

This Indian surgeon said that the reason for the low mortality rate and the general absence of in-fection, which was reduced to a minimum, was undoubtedly due to the suggestions of Dr. Esdaille to the subconscious minds of his patients. They responded accord-ing to the nature of his suggestion.

It is simply wonderful, when you conceive how a surgeon, over one hundred twenty years ago, dis-covered the miraculous wonder-working powers of the subcon-scious mind. Doesn’t it cause you to be seized with a sort of mystic awe when you stop and think of the transcendental powers of your subconscious mind? Consider its

extrasensory perceptions, such as its capacity for clairvoyance and clairaudience, its independence of time and space, its capacity to render you free from all pain and suffering, and its capacity to get the answer to all problems, be they what they may. All these and many more reveal to you that there is a power and intelligence within you that far transcends your intellect,

causing you to marvel at the won-ders of it all. All these experiences cause you to rejoice and believe in the miracle-working powers of your own subconscious mind.

• Y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s is your Book of Life

Whatever thoughts, beliefs, opinions, theories, or dogmas you write, engrave, or impress on your subconscious mind, you shall ex-perience them as the objective manifestation of circum-stances, conditions, and events. What you write on the inside, you will ex-perience on the outside. You have two sides to your life, objective and subjective, visible and invis-ible, thought and its manifestation.

Your brain receives your thought, which is the organ of your conscious reasoning mind. When your conscious or objective mind accepts the thought com-pletely, it is sent to the solar plex-us, called the brain of your mind, where it becomes flesh and is made manifest in your experience.

As previously outlined, your subconscious cannot argue. It acts only from what you write on it. It accepts your verdict or the conclu-sions of your conscious mind as final. This is why you are always writing on the book of life, because your thoughts become your expe-riences. The American essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Man is what he thinks all day long.”

• What is impressed in the subconscious is expressed

William James, the father of American psychology, said that the power to move the world is in your subconscious mind. Your subcon-scious mind is one with infinite in-telligence and boundless wisdom. It is fed by hidden springs, and is called the law of life. Whatever you impress upon your subconscious mind, the latter will move heaven and earth to bring it to pass.You must, therefore, impress it with right ideas and constructive thoughts.

The reason there is so much chaos and misery in the world is because people do not under-stand the interaction of their con-scious and subconsciousminds. When these two principles work in accord, in concord, in peace, and synchronously together, you will have heath, happiness, peace and joy. There is no sickness or discord when the conscious and subconscious work together harmoniously and peacefully.

The tomb of Hermes was opened with great expectancy and a sense of wonder because people believed that the greatest secret of the ages was contained therein. The secret was as within, so without; as above, so below

In other words, whatever is im-pressed your subconscious mind is expressed on the screen of space. This same truth was proclaimed by Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, Buddha,

Zoroaster, Laotze, and all the illu-mined seers of the ages Whatever you feel as true subjectively is ex-pressed as conditions, experiences, and events. Motion and emo-tion must balance. As in heaven

[your own mind], so on earth [in your body and environment]. This is the great law of life.

You will find throughout all nature the law of action and reac-tion, of rest and motion. These two must balance, then there will be harmony and equilibrium. You are here to let the life principle flow through you rhythmically and harmoniously. The intake and the outgo must be equal. The impression and the expression must be equal. All your frustra-tion is due to unfulfilled desire.

If you think negatively, de-structively, and viciously, these thoughts generate destructive emo-tions which must be expressed and find an outlet. These emotions, being of a negative nature, are fre-quently expressed as ulcers, heart trouble, tension, and anxieties.

What is your idea or feeling about yourself now? Every part of your being expresses that idea. Your vi-tality, body, financial status, friends, and social status represent a perfect reelection of the idea you have of yourself. This is the real meaning of what is impressed in your sub-conscious mind, and which is ex-pressed in all phases of your life.

We injure ourselves by the nega-tive ideas, which we entertain. How often have you wounded yourself by getting angry, fear-ful, jealous, or vengeful? These are the poisons that enter your subconscious mind. You were not born with these negative attitudes. Feed your subconscious mind life-giving thoughts, and you will wipe out all the negative patterns lodged therein. As you continue to do this, all the past will be wiped out and remembered no more.

The Miracle-Working Power of Your Subconscious

ParT I

Inspiration Today’s inspiration is about Africa’s proverbs. I hope you will enjoy them as they are important sources of inspiration. A roaring lion does not catch any prey.

The one with many uncles slept hungry.“Tears are best dried with your own hand” “Hurrying and worrying are not the same as strength”“The fool speaks, the wise man listens”“Poverty is slavery (Somalia)”“For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”“If your mouth turns into a knife, it will cut off your lips”“A good thing sells itself, a bad one advertises itself”“The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks”“If you want to know the end, look at the beginning”“Where you will sit when you are old shows where you stood in youth”“Two birds disputed about a kernel, when a third swooped down and carried it off”“The world did not make any promises”

4Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

Invitation For Bids (Ifb) Name of Country: Eritrea Name of Project: Global Fund Grant No: ErT-809-G06-H Date: april 25,2013 IFB Title: Procurement of Spare parts for X-ray Machine IFB Number: GF/r8/ICB /03/2013

The 1. Ministry of Health of the State of Eritrea has received a grant from the Global Fund towards the cost of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB Project. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this grant will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for procurement of spare parts for X- ray Machine.

The 2. Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Health now invites sealed bids from eli-gible bidders for the supply of spare parts for X- ray Machine.

Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) 3. Interested bidders may obtain further information from 4. PMU, Ministry of Health and

Inspect the Bidding Documents at the Procurement Office, PMU, Ministry of Health, Denden Street No.82, Asmara, Eritrea; Tel: 291-1-122978, Fax: 291-1-124357 from 08:00 to 12:00 hours.

A complete set of Bidding Documents in 5. English language may be purchased by interested bidders on the submission of a written Application (if agents, presentation of authorization and renewed license) to the address and upon payment of a non refundable fee USD fifty (50.00) or equivalent. The method of payment will be cash or Bank transfer to the credit of our account No. 120-122-0157 with Bank of Eritrea through DZ BANK SWIFT. GENO DE F - Frankfurt, Germany IBAN. DE39500604000001030 736. The document will be sent by DHL/Express mail.

Bids must be delivered to the address below, on or before 14:30 Hours on May 30, 2013. 6. Address: PHARMECOR – ERITREA DENDEN STREET No. 84 ASMARA – ERITREA Tel. No. 291-1-127700/115144 Fax. No. 291-1-126455

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security to be not less than two (2) percent of the bid 7. amount in a freely convertible currency which should be submitted sealed within the bid offer envelop.

Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives 8. who choose to attend at the address below at 14:35 hrs on May 30, 2013.

Name of Country: EritreaName of Project: Global FundGrant No: ErT-910-G07-MDated: april 24,2013 IFB Title: - Procurement of stationery supplies and Tonners

IFB Number: GF/r9/ICB/03/2013

The 1. Ministry of Health of the State of Eritrea has received a grant from the Global Fund towards the cost of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB Project. It is intended that part of the proceeds of this grant will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for procurement:

Stationery supplies and Tonners - •The Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Health now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the

supply of stationery supplies and Tonners.

Bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures specified in 2. the Global fund Guidelines:

Interested bidders may obtain further information from 3. PMU, Ministry of Health and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Procurement Office, PMU, Ministry of Health, Denden Street No.82, Asmara, Eritrea; Tel: 291-1-122978, Fax: 291-1-124357 from 08:00 to 12:00 hours.

A complete set of Bidding Documents in 4. English language may be purchased by interested bidders on the submission of a written Application ( if agents, presentation of authorization and renewed licence) to the address and upon payment of a non refundable fee USD fifty (50.00) or equivalent. The method of payment will be cash or Bank transfer to the credit of our account No. 120-122-0169 with Bank of Eritrea through DZ BANK SWIFT. GENO DE F - Frankfurt, Germany IBAN. DE39500604000001030 736. The document will be sent by DHL/Express mail.

Bids must be delivered to Project Management Unit/MOH, Denden Street No. 82 Asmara, Eritrea; Tel: 5. 291-1-122978; Fax; 291-1-124357, on or before 15:00 Hours on June 5, 2013. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security to be not less than two (2) percent of the bid amount in a freely convertible currency which should be submitted sealed within the bid offer envelop

Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who 6.

choose to attend at 15:00 hrs on June 5,2013

Invitation for Bids (IFB) Bisha Mining Share Company

Ecological assessment: Invitation to Quote

Purpose of assessmentThe broad purpose and scope of work with respect to the ecological

assessment would be:• Describe, define and map existing habitats, communities and

ecosystems; and• Assessment of the present ecological state in relation to known

baseline, undisturbed habitats, communities and ecosystems. Broad scope of workBroad minimum requirements of the assessment include the followingSoil assessment• Soil characteristics and defining effect on ecosystems;• Updated soil map for the project;Floristic assessment• Describe floristic communities, vegetation types;• Compile floristic species inventory of endemic, red data and in-

vader/weed species;• Mapping of vegetation communities;Faunal assessment• Assesses the current state of terrestrial faunaltaxa in the area,

including at a minimum mammals, avifauna and invertebrates taxa• Describe the different habitats• Provide species inventory, including endemic, red data and

problem species;

Interested persons/companies are requested to submit quotations no later than 14 days after placement of this notice. Quotations should be submitted by hand at BMSC offices (#61 Mariam Gimby Street).

Detailed TOR and requirements are available at BMSC Asmara office (#61 Mariam Gimby Street). Detailed ToR questions can be directed to Rezenae Yohannes @ 07192007

Quotations are to include all costs, including disbursements and profes-sional fees.

Interested parties are required to provide proof of a current, up to date, business license and are requested to provide evidence of relevant skills, experience and qualifications.

Appointed consultant will be required to complete all field work prior to the end of the rainfall season (middle September latest).

Appointed consultant and field workers will be required to complete BMSC Induction process prior to starting field work.

Bisha Mining Share Companyreptile and amphibian Baseline assessment: Invitation to Quote

Purpose of assessmentImprove the baseline database with respect to reptile and amphibian population and habitat for the Bisha operation as an ongoing assess-ment of ecological conditions and characteristics.

Broad scope of workThe assessment is to include the following outcomes as a minimum:• Assess species diversity of reptiles and amphibians;• Prepare speciesinventories for both reptile and amphibian taxa• Prepare location mapsof preferred and suitable habitats;• Assess habitat suitability, integrity and current functioning-with respect to the above vertebrates. Assessed habitats should include aquatic, riparian, grassland and other habitats that may be suitable for the above vertebrate groupings;• Assess the impact of mining on water availability and quality for maintaining amphibian populations; and• Assess the loss and/or degradation of habitats and its impact on these vertebrates.

Interested persons/companies are requested to submit quotations no later than 14 days after placement of this notice. Quotations should be submitted by hand at BMSC offices (#61 Mariam Gimby Street).Detailed TOR and requirements are available at BMSC Asmara office (#61 Mariam Gimby Street). Detailed ToR questions can be directed to Rezenae Yohannes @ 07192007Quotations are to include all costs, including disbursements and profes-sional fees.Interested parties are required to provide proof of a current, up to date, business license and are requested to provide evidence of relevant skills, experience and qualifications.Appointed consultant will be required to complete all field work prior to the end of the rainfall season (middle September latest).Appointed consultant and field workers will be required to complete BMSC Induction process prior to starting field work.

5Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

Vacancy Announcement Bisha Mining Share Company PLC is inviting interested applicants for the positions of ; 1. Information Technology Superintendent User Support Position Overview and Key responsibilities:

Project Management & Strategy Development.•Report Presentation.•Manage/Mentor IT Support Staff/Activities•Documentation.•

Profile: Qualifications and ExperienceFormal Education, Certifications or Equivalents

Information Technology Degree.

Working Experience – Nature & Length

Over 10 years in IT Field, previous work experience in Mining Industry.

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time Over 5 years management of 5 or more staff.

Other skills and abilities

Project Management•Customer service oriented.•Broad understanding of enterprise IT applications & •infrastructure.Demonstrated ability to supervise a team of 5+IT •technicians.Previous experience managing maintaining automated IT •Help Desk ticketing systemsDay-to-Day management of IT support activities for over •350 users.Mentor a team of IT support Officers.•Maintain accurate records of all end user IT assets.•Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reporting to IT •Management.Continually identify and enhance the end user computing •experience.Contribute to the overall IT Strategy.•

2. Information Technology (IT) Support Officer (1) Position Overview and Key responsibilities:

Desktop, Laptop and Printer Hardware Maintenance.•Windows Operating System and Application Support and Installation.•Assisting Systems and Network Engineers with project work •Logging of all end user support requests.•

Profile: Qualifications and ExperienceFormal Education, Certifications or Equivalents IT Related Degree or DiplomaWorking Experience – Nature & Length 2 years minimum in an IT related role.Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time None

Other skills and abilities

Strong Knowledge of windows desktop operating •systems (windows XP and Windows 7 professional).Strong Knowledge of Microsoft Office 203.2007 and/•or 2010.Knowledge of computer networks.•Knowledge of the importance of computer security.•Familiar with Active Directory.•Ability to educate others on the operation of computers •and applications.Strong command of English Language.•

General Information and other requirementsPlace of Work: Bisha site.•Type of contract: Permanent.•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 back to sender and.• 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, EritreaNote to Eritrean applicants: Please send a copy of your application to:Ministry of Labor and Human WelfareDepartment of LaborP.O.BOX 5252, Asmara, Eritrea

Operations Superintendent1. Required number:01 Major Duties and responsibilities

Ensure all activities are carried out in conformance with the BMSC policies inclusive of cultural, •social, safety and environment.Control and manage the crushing, milling, CIL, flotation, tailing management sections of the plant •while interfacing with metallurgical and assay laboratory management activities.Lead, manage, motivate and monitor a team of national Supervisors and Operators, coordinate •and control consultants and construction contractors.Manage stock of consumables and equipment.•Ensure daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting functions are completed in an •accurate manner.Manage and implement employee performance.•Proactively promote a positive site safety and environmental management culture.•

Profile: Qualifications and ExperienceFormal Education, Certifications or EquivalentsMineral processing or a metallurgical degree or equivalent

Working Experience – Nature & Length10 years of process experience with at least 5 years in a similar management and operations environment

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time10 years as a supervisor and 5 years in a senior management role.

Other skills and abilitiesProven leadership and previous experience with crushers,Sag Mills, copper and Zinc flotation process, gold and CIL.Pervious project management experience is highly desirable.Driving license

Senior Chemist 2. Required number:01 Major Duties and responsibilities

Responsible for all shift activities which includes, mill sampling, grade control and exploration •sample preparations, fire assaying, bullion assaying, instrumental method of analysis (AAS, ICP, Carbon Sulfur analyzer etc.), classical method of analysis ( titration, fusion and gravimetric), safety and housekeeping.Maintenance equipment’s, materials, and purity standards by regular examinations and compilation •of reference material records.Ensure optimum use of the LIMS and the capture of all relevant information in correct client, •package schemes and project areas.Responsible to all quality control checks and ensuring results are within set limits.•Maintains and updates all equipment, material, sample, results and manpower records in the •correct forms and electronic media.Resolves problems reported by subordinates through discussions and on the spot investigation and •instructing accordingly.Examines equipment and measuring instruments visually for sources of unwanted contamination •and malfunctions that affects accuracy.Uses designated references materials to conduct independent checks on instrument calibrations.•Assesses stock levels for all chemicals store requisites and recorders items to replace •deficiencies.Write comprehensive report in support of investigation projects including recommendations to •enhance productivity or improvement quality assurance.Instructs subordinates in planned lectures on the use of suitable practices and instruments.•Contribute to month end report by reporting on one or all the following safety, training, production •and statistics.Conducts work place inspections, safety and tool box meetings regularly.•

Profile: Qualifications and Experience•

Formal Education, Certifications or EquivalentsDegree in Chemistry or related courses

Working Experience – Nature & LengthHas 3-5 years’ experience in mining laboratory environment.

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of timeExcellent supervisory capacity, minimum 2 years supervisory in mining or mineral lab. Operations.

Other skills and abilitiesComputer skills, SLIMS and driving skills an advantage.General Information and other requirements:

Place of Work• : Bisha site.Type of contract: • PermanentSalary: • As per Company salary scale.Additional requirement for Nationals: •Having fulfilled his/her National Service obligation and provide evidence of release paper from •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 back to sender and.• 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 Ministry of Labor and Human WelfareDepartment of LaborP.O.BOX 5252, Asmara, Eritrea.

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

positions for Bisha site project.

6Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

to address all the critical problems that require urgent solution.

In the sections where it broaches the subject, its point of departure is a presumptive acknowledgement that there are no indications “for unprecedented opening or soften-ing of the previous policy” on the part of Ethiopia. The ICG then concludes, even if not in so many words, that the compromise must emanate from Eritrea. What fol-lows next is simply absurd. The ICG quotes an anonymous “Eri-trean analyst” to state:

“… In the event of a regime change, the Generals cannot last long without making peace with Ethiopia… Eritreans would pro-pose negotiations on the status of Badme; a decision the popula-tion would not contest….there is no way for the Eritrean nation to survive as it is, if it does not make peace with Ethiopia. It will, sim-ply, collapse”.

The ICG then proceeds to outline steps that a “transitional govern-ment” could be expected to take … to open negotiations with Ethio-pia in the eventuality/scenario of a Peaceful Transition to Multiparty Democracy.

This analysis is too crass and simplistic to merit serious exposi-tion. Obviously, the ICG has no clue and is out of sync with main-stream Eritrean political opinion. Even the inconsequential Eritrean armed groups that Ethiopia sup-ports for subversive reasons would not contemplate making conces-sions on Badme or any other sov-ereign Eritrean territories. Appar-ently, the ICG also suffers from an acute lapse of institutional memory. Because this is what it had to say in its previous report:

The international community, in particular donors and the Security Council, repeatedly failed to pres-sure Ethiopia to comply. Eritrea’s sense of outrage heightened, not-withstanding that the Claims Com-mission ruled that it violated in-ternational law during its military

operation in may 1998, in effect, had started the war.

The key point is that the Eritreans felt Ethiopia was once again being appeased by an international com-munity that was tacitly or explic-itly hostile to Eritrea. The already deep-rooted sense of isolation and betrayal was reinforced.

The international community erred seriously in 2002 in not put-ting greater pressure on Ethiopia to fully implement the Boundary Commission’s findings.

4. The Vulnerabilities of the Eri-trean State:

Perhaps because of its sources or for reasons better known to it, the ICG’s overarching intention seems to prove not only the “extreme vul-nerability of the Eritrean Govern-ment” but even the “non-viability of the nation itself”. The “inevi-table collapse of the State and the threat this poses to regional secu-rity”, as well as the “weakness and fragmentation of the opposition… and the difficulty of reconciling the political cultures of PFDJ members and Diaspora leaders” are invoked for greater dramatization.

And, to cap it all, the ICG quotes again, an anonymous but “long time observer of the Eritrean real-ity”, who states:

“Is the system reformable from within…even after Isaias’ removal? …Is Isaias’s absence from the Eri-trean political system the answer to all the problems of the nation? Ul-timately will Eritrea ever be viable as a nation?”

With all these hyperbole in the background, the ICG considers “six scenarios of transition” which are all permutations of, and predi-cated on, the sequel after the “prior removal of the President”, by what-ever means. Indeed, in almost all the sections that follow, the ICG emphatically envisions and calls for “the President’s exit”, which it describes as “if not the sole one”, but “still as the absolute sine qua non for transition”. Isaias’s exit … “is about surely a precondition for anything much to change”, we are

reminded time and again!What is pushing the ICG to dwell

on and forecast cataclysmic devel-opments in Eritrea in the times ahead? Surely, this cannot be a logical extrapolation from the iso-lated incident that transpired on January 21st early this year. As we emphasized in the first part of this article, ICG’s almost singular reli-ance on hostile sources may par-tially explain this muddled output. But one would have expected the ICG to consult more objective dip-lomatic and other sources as well as published materials. Although we do not subscribe to the under-lying concept and analytic meth-ods employed, the annual Index of Failed States, for instance, ranks Eritrea in the upper middle rung, i.e. less prone to potential turmoil than Ethiopia and other countries in the region. ICG’s obsession with its conjecture is thus difficult to comprehend.

The other intriguing element in the whole report is the obvious disconnect between the recommen-dations in the Executive Summary and the rest of the report including the “six transition scenarios”. In the Executive Summary, the rec-ommendations have two parts: the first option dwells on proposals for coordinated action by regional and international players in order to “promote talks with President Isa-ias Afwerki and the current leader-ship with a view to avert chaos and further displacement of popula-tions”. The second option focuses on residual measures that must be taken by the “US, EU and countries with special relations with Eritrea” in the event of “transition”. But, as explained above, the entire re-port then swerves into a different discourse anchored on the agenda of imminent, inevitable and neces-sary “regime change”. One is led to believe that the two parts of the article were written by two groups of researches with disparate views and conclusions. And these were

Continued from Page 2

Icg’s conjectures On Eritrea: Realistic And Probable...

Continued on Page 7

Daniel Semere

The first of May is the Interna-tional Workers’ Day. On this day we honor everything that work-ers contribute to society. This day also reminds us to promote work-ers’ rights. All around the world, people gather to celebrate Inter-national Workers’ Day in a variety of ways. This holiday is also cel-ebrated in Eritrea, because it is one of our national holidays. The cel-ebration of this day should, how-ever be more than just wishful slo-gans and should be a step towards addressing the real issues concern-ing workers. Moreover the holiday should hold more importance to countries like Eritrea where there is a lot to be done as they are in the road to development. It is in-deed a just act to acknowledge the decisiveness of workers, and this acknowledgement should be translated to a concrete action where the rights of workers are re-spected. National ideals like social justice would not be truly living up to their meaning if they fail to give due consideration to the state of workers and if workers are not getting their fair share from the national resources in all its forms.

One aspect of the Eritrean revolution was to rectify the in-justice involving the exploita-tion of labour. This was central to many of the debates in the revolution as it was central to socio-economic and political life of our people. Everything ema-nated from it; wealth, social and political power, exploitation and injustice. Hence, it wouldn’t have been possible to address much of the ills of the society without the emphasis on labour. Precisely for this reason, the Eritrean revolu-tion was called a Marxist move-ment. But it worked and liberation was achieved at the wake of the so called “post-cold war era”, where Marxism and its narratives was thought to be a thing of the past.

Labour is a word tacitly associ-ated with Marxist narratives. The fact the matter is however, though it might be the Marxist line that has taken labour as one of the basic elements of its discourse, labour nonetheless is the foundation of life. Hence it has natural and uni-versal quality that enables it to tran-scend any ideological imposition. That is why the issue of labour is

a resilient point of debate even to-day. In the heart of the current phe-nomenon of movements like oc-cupy Wall Street, for instance, lays this very issue. One of the main arguments explaining the move-ment is the one that blames bad jobs as responsible for increasing economic inequality. Income has flowed to the top 1% because it has stopped flowing to the base; in an-other word exploitation of labour.

Movements like Occupy Wall Street are in full swing every-where. This shows that the issue of labour is still a major bone of contention. However the value given for it might differ with time and place. Some for instance have argued that, in this era of global-ization and technological advance-ment labour has begun to price it-self out of the system. This is to state that the centrality of labour in generating wealth is no more the case. However, in much of the developing world labour is still the central factor in the creation of wealth and development. And whether we like it or not much of the injustice developing countries have to address, has its heart on their willingness to respect the value of labour or the lack thereof.

As in Eritrea, elsewhere in de-veloping countries, labour and la-bourers are still at the heart of the national aspiration. The priority in these countries is a well rounded development with equitable dis-tribution of resources and wealth which are the fruits of labour. The immense construction and recon-struction endeavor in just about every sector, has its guarantee of success on the pool of active work force they will be able to mobi-lize now and for times to come. As such labour should be treated with dignity. First and foremost governments should create con-ducive environment to make the most out of the labour resource they have. They have to believe that it is something that has to be utilized wisely for ultimate ef-fectiveness and act accordingly.

But no matter how effectively countries use their labour re-source for their development, it would still be incomplete if they couldn’t reward labour fairly. The dignity of labour can only be ma-terialized when there is justice in the allocation of national wealth. This is also at the heart of so-

cial justice which is instrumen-tal in well rounded development.

Needless to say we are living in a world where wealth is increas-ingly centralized and where the gap between the rich and poor is widening. However, develop-

Workers’ Right: The Need To Live The Pledge Of May Day

ing countries have a chance to do what’s right to build a meaningful development where their people live fairly. And it all depends on whether we will respect the dig-nity of labour or not. For no fair and real development can ex-

ist without addressing the issues of workers who always shoulder the development of any country and manage to get the society to higher stage every single time. We need to live the pledge to re-spect workers’ right with actions.

7Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

not reconciled when the end prod-uct was published. The report thus fails even to meet minimum edito-rial standards.

5. External interventionThe ICG does not conceal its

overriding aim of establishing a case for external intervention. The scenarios it envisages for such an eventuality are however puzzling. This is what it has to say in its scenario of External Mediation or Domination.

Dragged for various reasons, Addis Ababa and Khartoum could play at their intervention in two ways: either a political agreement on how to establish peace (per-haps through IGAD) and setting a closely mentored government or by splitting the country in effect into zones of influence as has happened in south-central Somalia. Alterna-tively, should a regional agreement over Eritrea not be reached, they could offer direct or material sup-port to competing Eritrean factions in order to satisfy their national and regional security interests.

In the last scenario of Regime Change with Ethiopian interven-tion, the ICG envisages a positive role being played by the new post-Meles leadership in which the lat-ter offers a transitional leadership in Asmara a fresh diplomatic start, reopening economic ties and pro-viding support for a non-partisan, inclusive, political initiative.

We have never come across such a brazen and horrid apology or advocacy of colonialism under the disguise of academic research work. In the first place, what would be the contents of a “fresh diplo-matic start” by Ethiopia and what are the dividends to Eritrea? If the ICG is privy to any “concessions”

that Ethiopia is prepared make to respect the border rulings of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commis-sion in the event of a “transition”, it does not spell them out in the report. And in any case, the ICG had categorically asserted in previ-ous sections of the same report that there will not be any “new opening on the border problem on the part of the new Ethiopian government” thus throwing the gauntlet to Eri-trea for any progress on that front. So what is this fresh diplomatic start? The re-opening of economic ties is another riddle that begs more nuanced answers. Although mu-tual benefits that may accrue from bilateral trade may not be discount-ed, the asymmetric advantages to Eritrea are not clear particularly as the report does not at all discuss economic issues and development strategies and policies in Eritrea, Ethiopia or the region as a whole. Ethiopia’s potential support for a “non-partisan, inclusive, political initiative” only underscores the authors’ utter ignorance of the po-litical dynamics in the region. In the first place, Ethiopia – the old regime as well as its successor – is enmeshed in the political quagmire of ethnic and highly partisan poli-tics in its own country. In Eritrea, Ethiopia’s futile policy of regime change has been pursued in the last ten years by mainly propping up what it calls the “Kunama and Afar Liberation Fronts”. And, in a report where incoherent and mutu-ally contradictory conclusions ap-pear in successive paragraphs, the ICG also states:

Any Ethiopian intervention would likely have a security rather than a democratic agenda. Hawk-ish responses are conceivable; Ethiopia could seal the border or seize the opportunity to support one faction in Asmara. It might

even take advantage of instability to achieve one of the longstanding goals of hard-liners, control of the port of Assab in order to end the country’s land-locked status.

The positive role that the ICG as-signs to other regional actors simi-larly provokes more questions than answers. The ICG professes to be keenly aware of grave fault lines that obtain in the region’s countries in its multiple publications. It has written extensively on the dangers posed by the precarious leader-ship transition in Ethiopia (though without dwelling on the challenges this poses, as well as the internal dynamics of instability in the coun-try). It has also written, in its re-cent reports, on what it has termed as the “embattled situation of the ruling National Congress Party in Sudan”, as well as the “electoral unrest in Djibouti”. Yet despite its gloomy predictions on the potential consequences of these fault lines, it argues for entrusting Eritrea’s trou-bled neighboring States with the responsibility of “managing change in Eritrea”. This haphazard and ill-advised advice is indeed confusing and difficult to fathom. The ICG advocates, on the one hand, for an “urgent need for transition in Eri-trea to ensure its stability” and for the “benefit of the entire region”. At the same time, it envisages this change to come about through the intervention of Eritrea’s neighbors when each of them is embroiled in perhaps deeper political quagmire.

From the foregoing, it is clear that the ICG did not set out to ap-praise the reality in Eritrea in good faith. It must have started its re-search work from a pre-conceived conclusion. The end result is not really a professional and objective work of situation analysis but a catalogue of biases and suggestive conjectures.

Icg’s conjectures On Eritrea: Realistic And Probable...

Continued from Page 6

G. Damr

The workers of the world have been celebrating May Day for the last century or more with an emotional zeel only parralled by religious one. This actually is not surprising if we recall that May Day is the only holliday imposed on the state and its institution from the bottom by the ordinary workers through rellentless marches during the late 19th Century and throughout the duration of the 20th century, hence the need to realize the enormous emotional value it carries to the workers of the world and the obligation to keep it a truly workers day.

Albiet the trade unions and other public institutions that orgainze the celebration, work according declarations that fail to acknowledge not only the role and contributions but also the existence of informal workers. Devoid of any means to voice their ideas, contribution or disagreement the informal workers are left out not only in rights and privileges but also in celebrating May Day, the very symbol of the “Worker”.

If we agree on the defintion of the “working class” as being ‘all men and women of working age regardless of their current employment condition’ we would come to realize the tragic truth that the modern structure of trade unions, which is built to reach out only those who are within the established systemm, actually excludes the most important and largest section of the potential workforce- informal workers and the unemployed.

According the information form the ILO, there are about 3.3 billion working people in the world (ILO statistics, 2013). However only one third of these are formal workers (World Bank, 2009) which mean they are the only legal workers recognized by the modern socio-economic institituions of society. The rest are informal workers whose job is considered illegal at best and criminal at worst, despite the fact that their service to society is highly invaluable.

In Sub Sahara Africa where the size and role of the informal sector plays is so big, it constitutes 75% of employment (Donald L Sparks and Stephen T. Barnett, 2010). This is excluding millions of domestic workers whose work has been

historicaly undervalued and unrecongnized, street vendors and other daily income gnerating jobs like shoe polishing, street –car washing and other allegedly “insignificant” jobs.

One of the main reasons put forward for obsconding the informal sector is the argument that they fail to pay taxes. According to Becker 2004 quoted in Sparks and Barnett 2010, ¾ of the informal labourers are self employed living from hand to mouth, exploiting no one but themselves. And the remianing ¼deosn‘t hire more than 5 people at a time and that, for a work that is seasonal or part time.

The irony is that the inability of the formal sector to provide sufficeint jobs and national and international structural policies that encouraged “dis-employment” and urban bais are the top reasons behind the ovewhelming size of the informal labour in Sub-Sahara Africa. Unjustly, the punishment for this failure went to the victims. In many African countries informal lobourors, treated as illegitimate are unrecognized and in some cases unlawful, living in perpetual run from the state and its institutions.

Over the past decade or so there has been a debate as regards the role the informal sector plays and the alleged “threat” it poses to the weak state in Sub-Sahara Africa. The informal sector remains the most and only available survival mechanism for many workers that where left out or abondoned by the formal sector and a vibrant entrepreneurial part of the formal economy that stimulates economic growth and creates jobs, tasks that are supposed to be that of the formal sector and state.

It is true that controling it remains an illusive adventure to the state. But the State’s inability to do its job shouldn’t be taken as an excuse to criminlize the jobs of milloins of workers whome the state is not able to provide an alternative.

Such a rigid and biased formalist approach will not help in healing this graphic injustice and inequality. The exclusion of so big section of soceity’s is deep rooted economic and political problem that will need bold and caoragous move on the part of the state and soceity. Organizing informal workers where appropriate and feasible could be a good start. For example, grassroots organizations

can bring together informal enterprises and employees both representing the informal sector and informing policy makers about concerns and contributions of the sector.

On May Day, let’s take the opportunity to call for support of the street sellers, car-washers, demostic workers and shoe-shiners all over the world, who remain invisible.

On Workers And The Excluded

8Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 1st of May, 2013

A government task force is preparing legislation that would pressure companies such as Facebook and Google to enable law enforcement officials to intercept online communications as they occur, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the effort.

Driven by FBI concerns that it is unable to tap the Internet communications of terrorists and other criminals, the task force’s proposal would penalize companies that failed to heed wiretap orders - court authorizations for the government to intercept suspects’ communications.

Rather than antagonizing companies whose cooperation they need, federal officials typically back off when a company is resistant, industry and former officials said. But law enforcement officials say the cloak drawn on suspects’ online activities - what the FBI calls the “going dark” problem - means that critical evidence can be missed.

“The importance to us is pretty clear,” Andrew Weissmann, the FBI’s general counsel, said last month at an American Bar Association discussion on legal challenges posed by new technologies. “We don’t have the ability to go to court and say, ‘We need a court order to effectuate the

An enormous hurricane raging at Saturn’s north pole has an eye 2,000km (1,250mi) across - big enough to cover the UK 12 times over.

The striking images of the storm were snapped from a height of 420.000km (260,000mi) by the Cassini spacecraft, which arrived at Saturn in 2004.

They were captured in red and infrared wavelengths and have been false-coloured to show detail.

Scientists say the hurricane’s winds reach a staggering 150m/s (330mph).

But they do not know just how long the storm has been brewing.

When Cassini first arrived, the north pole was in darkness; it was winter in the planet’s 29-Earth-year annual cycle.

Now it has taken some of its first sunlit images of the pole, which has

International Development Secretary Justine Greening is to announce that the UK will stop giving direct aid to South Africa in 2015.

The government’s aid programme to South Africa is currently worth £19m a year.

This funding has focused on reducing the mortality rate among women giving birth, as well as supporting businesses.

The UK’s relationship with South Africa should now be based on trade and not development, Ms Greening will say.

At its peak, the UK’s aid for South Africa was more than £40m in 2003.

Drinking one or more cans of sugary soft drinks a day is linked to an increased risk of diabetes in later life, a study suggests.

A can a day raises the relative risk of Type-2 diabetes by about a fifth, compared with one can a month or under, say European scientists.

The report in the journal Diabetologia mirrors previous US findings.

A diabetes charity recommends limiting sugary foods and drinks as they are calorific and can cause

Researchers have suggested that plants can moderate current climate warming through releasing gases that help form clouds and cool weather.

According to the research conducted in IIASA and the University of Helsinki, in some areas with higher temperatures, the atmosphere shows an increase in concentrations of natural aerosols that have a cooling effect on the climate.

The new study unraveled that as temperatures warm plants consequently release more of these gases which is led to more concentrations of aerosols in atmosphere, according to the study published in Nature Geoscience.

“Plants, by reacting to changes in temperature, also moderate these changes,” says the study leader Pauli Paasonen from IIASA and University of Helsinki research center.

Come from many sources such as human emissions, aerosols are particles that float in the atmosphere and can cool the climate as they reflect sunlight and form cloud

intercept.’ Other countries have that. Most people assume that’s what you’re getting when you go to a court.”

There is currently no way to wiretap some of these communications methods easily, and companies effectively have been able to avoid complying with court orders. While the companies argue that they have no means to facilitate the wiretap, the government, in turn, has no desire to enter into what could be a drawn-out contempt proceeding.

Under the draft proposal, a court could levy a series of escalating fines, starting at tens of thousands of dollars, on firms that fail to comply with wiretap orders, according to persons who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. A company that does not comply with an order within a certain period would face an automatic judicial inquiry, which could lead to fines. After 90 days, fines that remain unpaid would double daily.

Instead of setting rules that dictate

how the wiretap capability must be built, the proposal would let companies develop the solutions as long as those solutions yielded the needed data. That flexibility was seen as inevitable by those crafting the proposal, given the range of technology companies that might receive wiretap orders. Smaller companies would be exempt from the fines.

As a senator, Barack Obama vowed he would end warrantless wiretaps and initially opposed the FISA law based on the addition of telecom immunity, but ultimately voted for it with immunity intact just six months before winning the 2008 presidential election. Incidentally, the plan was opposed then by six in 10 Americans, according to a poll by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Critics say Americans may be unaware a friend or family member with whom they have communicated has been targeted in a terrorism probe. They also say such action threatens privacy rights because intelligence officials can eavesdrop on them without a warrant.

The documents show that real-time monitoring of electronic communications jumped 60 percent from 2009 to 2011.

Today, Americans can be subject to search and seizure without a warrant, detained or imprisoned indefinitely, without charge, without evidence, without a lawyer, without a trial, or even tortured or assassinated merely for being accused of being associated with terrorism.

Panel Seeks To Fine Tech Companies For Noncompliance With Wiretap Orders

South africa’s Direct aid From UK To End

droplets, which reflect sunlight efficiently, experts clarified.

“Plants release gases that, after atmospheric oxidation, stick to aerosol particles, growing them into the larger-sized particles that reflect sunlight and also serve as the basis for cloud droplets,” researchers explained the process.

Paasonen and his colleagues also emphasize that though the effect is large on a regional scale, the result is not adequate to save us from climate warming as the phenomenon’s role is small on a global scale.

“Aerosol effects on climate are one of the main uncertainties in climate models and understanding this mechanism could help us reduce those uncertainties and make the models better,” Paasonen concluded.

not been seen since the Voyager 2 craft last sent pictures on its fly-by in 1981.

Andrew Ingersoll, a member of the Cassini team based at the California Institute of Technology in California, US, said: “We did a double take when we saw this vortex because it looks so much like a hurricane on Earth.”

“But there it is at Saturn, on a much larger scale, and it is somehow getting by on the small amounts of water vapour in Saturn’s hydrogen atmosphere.”

The team believes the hurricane to be “stuck” at the pole, forced northward by winds in the same way hurricanes tend to move north on Earth.

Cassini caught sight of an even larger storm in 2006 - the first time a hurricane had been seen on another planet.

Diabetes Warning Over Soft Drinks

Saturn hurricane snapped by Cassini craft

Study: Warmer Climate Makes Plants Cool Planet

Ms Greening will make the announcement at a conference of African ministers and business leaders in London on Tuesday.

“South Africa has made enormous progress over the past two decades, to the extent that it is now the region’s economic powerhouse and Britain’s biggest trading partner in Africa,” she will say.

“We are proud of the work the UK has done in partnership with the South African government, helping the country’s transition from apartheid to a flourishing, growing democracy.

“I have agreed with my South African counterparts that South Africa is now in a position to fund its own development.

“It is right that our relationship changes to one of mutual co-operation and trade, one that is focused on delivering benefits for the people of Britain and South Africa as well as for Africa as a whole.”

weight gain.The latest research was carried

out in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, France and the Netherlands.

Some 350,000 individuals were

questioned about their diet, as part of a large European study looking at links between diet and cancer.

“The consumption of sugar sweetened soft drinks increases your risk of diabetes - so for every can of soft drinks that you drink per day, the risk is higher,” lead researcher Dora Romaguera from Imperial College London told BBC News.

She called for clearer public health information on the effects of sugary soft drinks.

An increased risk of diabetes was also linked to drinking artificially

sweetened soft drinks, but this disappeared when body mass index was taken into account.

Fruit juice consumption was not associated with diabetes incidence, however.

Commenting on the results, Dr Matthew Hobbs, head of research at Diabetes UK, said the link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and Type-2 diabetes persisted even when body mass index was taken into account.

This suggests the increased risk is not solely due to extra calories, he said.

People should consume fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks, say European

scientists

Justine Greening will make the announcement about South African funding at a conference in London