Addis Ababa, November 23, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Eritrea is hosting insurgents in the Horn of Africa by funding and supporting terrorists and is trying to destabilize the region, the US Assistance Secretary of State for Africa Affairs, Jendayi Frazer said.In an interview she gave to the English service of VOA on Thursday, Frazer said that the Eritrean government is a country sponsoring terrorism by hosting insurgents including from out side of Africa.
Frazer said that her government with concert evidences has confirmed that Eritrea is among countries that are promoting terrorism.
The Assistance Secretary further said Eritrea is engaged in assisting rebel groups in Darfur and is also trying to intensify conflicts in Somalia by supporting terrorists.
I think they are trying to increase their presence in the Horn of Africa, their influence in the Horn of Africa, by funding and supporting insurgents and in the case of Somalia they have gone beyond insurgents to also supporting terrorists.
Instead of going to dialogue, she said, the Eritrean government is in fact trying to destabilize the Horn of Africa by playing very negative role.
“We take it very seriously before we would put a country on the state sponsor of terror list so we are gathering all the evidence to make that determination.” Frazer said.
Eritrea has deployed a number of foreign fighters, who were in Somalia at the beginning of the year, from the Middle East, Europe, even from America, she recalled.
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