US denies trying to overthrow government

The US on Monday dismissed allegations it had tried to overthrow the government of Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki. On Friday, the Eritrean government reacted strongly to a statement by the State Department last week accusing it of human rights violations. A foreign ministry statement said Eritrea "totally rejected" the remarks and accused the US of "unwarranted intervention". It went on to claim that officials from the previous US administration had, during the two-year border war with Ethiopia, used the CIA to "unlawfully change the [Eritrean] government". But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher denied the allegations. "We have called on the government to change its ways, but no, we're not trying to overthrow it," he told a press briefing on Monday. Last Thursday, he put out a statement in connection with the continued detention of two Eritrean employees of the US embassy in Asmara, calling on the government "to respect fundamental human rights". "The government of Eritrea should either release the two employees of the US embassy in Asmara or grant them due process and an opportunity to defend themselves in a fair and open trial," he said at the time. On Monday, he reiterated the US position. "I think we stand on solid ground in saying that you shouldn't arrest people like this and keep them for a year without trial or without any charges or without any justification," he said. "And second of all, it sadly fits the pattern that we noted last week that Eritrea has been arresting people around the country with little reason," he added. The Eritrean statement said the government had a "sovereign right to take necessary action against hostile elements to safeguard the sovereignty and national security of the country". "These legitimate acts have no links whatsoever to democracy or human rights as the State Department insinuates," it said. See also IRIN report 'US accused of "unwarranted intervention" Full Report 'Focus on US-Eritrea military ties' Full Report