Eritrea Appoints New Foreign Affairs Minister

ASMARA, April 18 2007 – Eritrea said on Wednesday it had moved its education minister to the foreign affairs portfolio to handle the Horn of Africa state's tricky ties with the international community and neighboring arch-foe Ethiopia.

The Foreign Ministry was without a head for nearly two years after its former chief died of a heart attack.

Presidential adviser Yemane Ghebremeskel told Reuters Minister of Education Osman Saleh had taken control of foreign affairs, while the governor of central zone, which includes the capital, Asmara, would fill the education post.

Osman will take on the increasingly difficult job as the Red Sea state comes under criticism from abroad over accusations of supporting Islamists in Somalia and allowing human rights abuses at home.

Asmara strongly denies both claims, saying they are propaganda fomented by Ethiopia and the United States.

Another difficult task on Osman's plate will be to handle Eritrea's strained border ties with Ethiopia.

The two Horn of Africa neighbors, whose 1998-2000 war cost some 70,000 lives, have been in political deadlock since 2002, when Ethiopia refused to accept a demarcation decision by an independent boundary commission.

Source: Reuters