US protests against government crackdown

The US has issued a strong protest against last month's detention of Eritrean dissident leaders and the ban on the private press, AFP reported. A US embassy statement issued in Asmara urged the Eritrean government to "restore the freedom of the press as soon as possible and to treat detainees and all its citizens in accordance with its often-stated commitment to democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law". It said the ban on the private press was "leaving all the media now under the control of the government". According to the US statement, the detained dissidents "have called for the government to move faster to create a multi-party system, implement the constitution and hold national elections".