A group of dissident Eritrean soldiers have laid
siege to the information ministry and forced the state media to announce
a call for the release of political prisoners, according to a senior
Eritrean intelligence official.The renegade soldiers forced the director of state television to make an announcement, the intelligence official said.
"The soldiers have forced him to speak on state TV, to say the
Eritrean government should release all political prisoners," the source
said on condition of anonymity.
Dozens of soldiers with two tanks surrounded the ministry building in Asmara, regional diplomatic sources said.
They said state television and radio had gone off air.Araya Desta, Eritrea's permanent representative to the UN, said:
"There is no problem. Everything is quiet. Everything is going to be
solved. It is all fine."A statement from the US embassy in Asmara said it "is aware of press
reports that tanks have reportedly surrounded some ministry buildings
but cannot confirm all the reports. The situation remains fluid".There was no immediate indication it was an attempt to overthrow the
government of Eritrea, which has been led by Isaias Afewerki, 66, for
some two decades since it broke away from bigger neighbour Ethiopia.
Opaque country
The UN last year estimated that 5-10,000 political prisoners were
being held in the Horn of Africa country, which is accused by human
rights groups of carrying out torture and summary executions. The Red Sea state, which declared independence from Ethiopia after a
long war, is one of the most opaque countries on the continent and it
restricts access to foreign reporters.
Eritrean opposition activists exiled in neighbouring Ethiopia said
there was growing dissent within the Eritrean military, especially over
economic hardships.
"Economic issues have worsened and have worsened relations between
the government and soldiers in the past few weeks and months," one
activist said.
The UN Security Council imposed an embargo on Eritrea in 2009 over
concerns its government was funding and arming al-Shabaab rebels in
neighbouring Somalia - charges Eritrea denied.
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