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The ministers of trade and industry and of maritime resources were dismissed from the cabinet on 8 June, Eritrean radio, monitored by the BBC, reported on 8 June. The two ministers, respectively Haile Woldetensae and Petros Solomon, were among 15 senior ruling party officials who signed a letter critical of President Isayas Afewerki last week.
The Eritrean government spokesman, Yemane Ghebremeskel, on 9 June denied that the dismissals had anything to do with criticising the president. “Reshuffling is part of a normal process of government,” AFP quoted him as saying. Yemane added, however, that “if you are part of the government, you cannot publicly criticise its policies. Either you’re part of the policy or you’re out,” he told said.
To replace the dismissed ministers, Giorgis Teklemikael was appointed trade and industry minister and Ahmad Haji Ali maritime resources minister, Eritrean radio reported. A regional analyst said that Eritrea was suffering “post-war political upheavals”, since suffering defeat in the two-year Ethio-Eritrean border war.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions