Denmark to stop aid

The Danish government is to stop development assistance to Eritrea because of its "assaults on democratic principles and human rights".

The move is part of a new Danish policy aimed at reviewing its assistance to developing countries. "The government wishes to break with the habitual thinking of years which dictates that if only assistance increases, everything will be good," an official Danish government report said. The report, issued in January, summarises the government's review of development and environmental assistance to developing countries. It said assistance would be "reorientated" to promote sustainable development through "poverty-oriented economic growth".

"Together with its EU partners, Denmark will make demands regarding good governance and the willingness to increase respect for human rights and democracy in development cooperation," the document said.

In Eritrea's case, bilateral programme cooperation would end in 2005, starting with a "radical reduction" in 2002. Informed sources told IRIN that direct bilateral aid, which amounted to US $12 million per year, would be slashed to about US $7 million with effect from this year, before stopping altogether in 2005. But, the sources said, this did not affect humanitarian assistance.

"In spite of considerable pressure from Denmark and the other EU member states, the government of Eritrea has not halted a development marked by assaults on democratic principles and human rights," the Danish document said.

A minority, right-wing coalition government was formed in Denmark last November after the former Social Democrat-led government was voted out of office in general elections, the BBC reported at the time.

Humanitarian sources in Asmara told IRIN that Denmark has been extending substantial assistance in the fields of agriculture and education. They said the Eritrean ministry of agriculture, in particular, would be "hit very hard" if some form of aid did not continue. The move could also have humanitarian implications in that the ministry had plans to institute projects to assist thousands of Eritreans returning from refugee camps in Sudan, the sources added.

Eritrea's deputy ambassador to Kenya, Temedhin Temariam, criticised the move saying "empty stomachs and empty minds cannot harbour democracy".

"I don't understand how stopping development aid for agriculture and education can further the development of democracy and human rights in Eritrea," he told IRIN on Friday. "The biggest human right is the right to life which is the right to food. And education is a major source of democracy." He added that the people and state of Eritrea would march towards democracy "but at our own pace".