Five more reformists arrested

Eritrean authorities arrested five more members of the so-called G-15 reform group on Wednesday, the day after the arrest of six other G-15 members and the forcible closure of Eritrea's privately owned press. All 11 men detained over the last two days were formerly senior members of Eritrea's ruling party, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which has ruled Eritrea since independence in 1993, reported on their official Shaebia web site that the 11 had been arrested following a G-15 meeting in New York on 18 August, during which they allegedly decided to step up their opposition to the Eritrean government. According to the PFDJ statement, the G-15 members decided at the meeting that the most crucial task at hand was the "organisation of secret cells [wahios] inside and outside the country", and announced that "secret contacts had been established with regional countries". The G-15 are all former members of the PFDJ, who were sacked in May after publishing a letter critical of Eritrean President Isayas Aferwerki, whom they accused of acting unconstitutionally. Of the 15 dissenters, 11 are now in jail, three are currently living in the United States and the remaining one, Muhammad Berhan Belata, withdrew from the group and rejoined the government. Meanwhile, the press freedom lobby group 'Reporters Sans Frontieres' (Reporters Without Borders), yesterday sent an official letter of complaint to President Isayas, protesting against the suspension of the eight privately owned newspapers, and called on him to rescind the order as soon as possible.