EANC Demands Retraction and Clarification from EriSat TV Over False Allegations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 11, 2025
Press Release: EANC Demands Retraction and Clarification from EriSat Over False Allegations
Ottawa, Canada – The Eritrean Afar National Congress (EANC) strongly condemns the false and misleading claim aired by EriSat, alleging that EANC has signed an agreement with the Djibouti-based opposition group, FRUD, which is engaged in armed conflict against the Djibouti government. This claim is completely false and has severe consequences that endanger Eritrean Afar refugees in Djibouti and undermine trust in the broader Eritrean pro-democracy movement.
Efforts to Correct the False Narrative
EANC has taken immediate steps to rectify this misinformation by directly reaching out to EriSat, urging them to remove the video and issue a public retraction. We have clearly stated that these claims are entirely unfounded and pose a severe risk to both our organization and Eritrean refugees seeking protection in Djibouti.
Despite our outreach, EriSat has yet to take corrective action, leaving us no choice but to pursue legal action to protect our organization’s credibility and ensure accountability for the spread of false information.
The Consequences of Misinformation
- Threatening Eritrean Refugees in Djibouti
Djibouti has been a crucial safe haven for thousands of Eritrean refugees fleeing persecution. This false narrative irresponsibly associates EANC with an armed insurgency, which could lead to the Djibouti government restricting or closing refugee camps, revoking asylum protections, or even expelling Eritrean refugees from the country. Such an outcome would put countless lives in immediate danger.
- Damaging the Credibility of Eritrean Pro-Democracy Organizations
The movement for democracy in Eritrea relies on trust, unity, and international credibility. Spreading false accusations against EANC weakens this movement by sowing division, eroding public trust, and harming relationships with allies and host nations. Reckless misinformation only serves to benefit the dictatorial regime in Eritrea.
- Potential Legal Consequences for Defamation
If EriSat does not take immediate corrective action, EANC will pursue legal measures to hold those responsible accountable for defamation and the dissemination of harmful misinformation. Spreading falsehoods that endanger lives and damage reputations cannot and will not go unchallenged.
About EANC[1]
The Eritrean Afar National Congress (EANC) is an exiled Eritrean Afar political organization dedicated to self-determination and self-rule of Eritrean Afar people in the coastal homeland of Dankalia, Eritrea, where the indigenous Afar are subjected to marginalization, persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the current Eritrean government. EANC is the voice of the Eritrean Afar people. EANC draws its mandate from the political and traditional Afar leaders, the leadership of Afar women and youth groups, the Eritrean Afar Diaspora and Eritrean-Afar refugees.
Our Vision
EANC aspires to establish a democratically elected autonomous Afar state in Dankalia, Eritrea. Our vision is to foster a multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious democratic federation between pluralistic Eritrean societies founded on the principles of ethnic equality, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, and respect for the human rights of all citizens of Eritrea.
Our Mission
Our mission is to prepare the necessary groundwork for a transitional phase leading to an autonomous Afar government in the traditional territory of Dankalia within federated Eritrea.
- Exercise our people’s right to self-determination and to have the right to self-government and autonomy in matters relating to our internal and local affairs, as well as the means to finance Afar autonomous functions.
- Establish a decentralized federal constitution in Eritrea and safeguard our national unity, justice, equality, and democratic governance.
- Restore and preserve the rights of indigenous Afar in Dankalia, including the restoration of their land and cultural identity.
- End human rights violations against Afar in Eritrea, strive to end forcible displacement, achieve capacity building, and enable the right of return and reintegration for displaced Eritrean Afar.
- Develop economic policies that empower the Eritrean Afar people, end economic marginalization and poverty, and contribute to peace, security, and economic growth in the region through fair trade and equitable employment.
For more information about the Indigenous Afar people in Eritrea and the EANC Manifesto, please refer to the link below. https://dankalia.org/ease-policy/ease-indigenous-rights-policy/
For further inquiries, please contact us:
Email: info@dankalia.org | Website: www.dankalia.org
Telephone: 1 613-266 0929
[1] Please see attached Appendix for further information on the mandate of our organization.
