December 26 – Announcement from the Eritrean Government on Clarification of COVID-19 Guidelines

These are clarifications of the December 22 High Level Task Force COVID-19 Guidelines that will be in effect until the end of December 2020: Except those who work in activities related to development, safety, and essential services, everyone must avoid unnecessary movement and remain at home. Except for emergency cases or food purchases, all movement done – whether by foot, bicycle, …

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United States Welcomes Eritrea’s Observer Status in the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG)

Important Step Builds on Eritrea’s Growing Body of Work in Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)   The United States is encouraged to learn that on September 6 the Council of Ministers of the Eastern and Southern Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) responded to a request from Government of the State of Eritrea by admitting …

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Chair Bass Statement on Travel to Eritrea

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) returned from a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to Ethiopia and Eritrea. The goal of the visit was to support regional peace and security in the Horn of Africa and to encourage …

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Eritrea – Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Eritrea is a highly centralized, authoritarian regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki. The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), headed by the president, is the sole political party. There have been no national-level elections since an independence referendum in 1993. Civilian authorities in the regime maintained effective control over most …

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Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302

Press Statement Robert Palladino  Deputy Spokesperson Washington, DC March 10, 2019 The U.S. Department of State extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302. We can confirm that at least eight U.S. citizens were among the victims. Our embassies in Addis Ababa and …

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Egypt Assumes African Union Presidency

Press Statement Robert Palladino Deputy Spokesperson Washington, DC February 13, 2019 The United States congratulates Egypt on the start of its presidency of the African Union and looks forward to working together on the shared goal of a stable and prosperous Africa. During Egypt’s chairpersonship, we anticipate continuing our work with the African Union on key …

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President Donald J. Trump’s Africa Strategy Advances Prosperity, Security, and Stability

Remarks by National Security Advisor Ambassador John R. Bolton on the The Trump Administration’s New Africa Strategy As delivered on December 13, 2018. Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C. Well, Kim, thanks very much, and thanks to you and Kay for inviting me here. I’m delighted again to be here at the Heritage, an institution that really …

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COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 2017

ERITREA Overview: The Government of Eritrea continued to make regular public statements about its commitment to fighting terrorism. Eritrea also continued and broadened its support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and it allowed military elements of the coalition to base in Eritrea. In May 2017, the United States recertified Eritrea as “not cooperating fully” with …

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Anniversary of the Bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State Washington, DC August 7, 2018 Today, on the twentieth anniversary of the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we remember the victims of these terrorist attacks. These bombings, carried out by al-Qaida, resulted in more than 250 deaths and nearly …

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Eritrea and Ethiopia End War and Adopt Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship

Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State Washington, DC July 10, 2018 The United States welcomes the July 9 commitment to peace and security between the State of Eritrea and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, effectively ending 20 years of conflict. We commend Prime Minister Abiy of Ethiopia and President Isaias of Eritrea …

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Statement by the Press Secretary on Progress Toward Peace Between Ethiopia and Eritrea

The United States is encouraged by the progress that Ethiopia and Eritrea have made to resolve longstanding disputes and normalize relations.  Over the past 20 years, the frozen conflict between these states has hindered stability and economic growth in the vital Red Sea region.  A durable peace will yield greater prosperity and security not only …

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Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un at the Singapore Summit

President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018. President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions …

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International Religious Freedom Report for 2017 – Eritrea

Executive Summary   The law and unimplemented constitution prohibit religiously motivated discrimination and provide for freedom of thought, conscience, and belief as well as the freedom to practice any religion. The government recognizes four officially registered religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea. …

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Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017- Eritrea

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Eritrea is a highly centralized, authoritarian regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki. The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), headed by the president, is the sole political party. There have been no national-level elections since the country’s independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Civilian authorities in the regime generally maintained effective …

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Presidential Proclamation: National African American History Month

This February, we celebrate National African American History Month to honor the significant contributions African Americans have made to our great Nation — contributions that stand as a testament to their resolve, resilience, and courage. Over the course of our Nation’s history, African Americans have endured egregious discrimination and bigotry. They have, nevertheless, always been …

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Message to U.S. Citizens: Improvements to Safety and Security Information

Embassy of the United States of America Asmara, Eritrea Message to U.S. Citizens:  Improvements to Safety and Security Information January 8, 2018 On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, the Department of State will make changes to our safety and security information to make it easier to find, understand, and use. Travel Advisories will replace Travel Warnings …

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Remarks by President Trump on the Administration’s National Security Strategy

President Donald J. Trump launched a new National Security Strategy to set a clear strategic direction for the United States, restore America’s advantages in the world, and build upon our country’s great strengths.  The NSS is, first and foremost, an expression of the President’s insistence that our national security policy prioritize America first.

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New Entry Period for Diversity Visa Program(DV-2019)

The  #DiversityVisa  Program will restart on October 18, 2017 and remain open until November 22, 2017. The application is free and available at https://dvprogram.state.gov/ . Additional information on the DV Program is available on the Department of State’s website.  #DV2019 Due to technical issues, applicants who submitted an entry before Wednesday, October 18, 2017, will not be considered …

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Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Protests in Asmara

The U.S. Embassy has received reports of gunfire at several locations in Asmara due to protests.  The Embassy advises U.S. citizens to avoid the downtown area where protests appear to be more prevalent.  Streets in the downtown area may be closed, and police continue to maintain a significant presence. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful …

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U.S. Embassy Asmara Suspends Visa Issuance to Eritreans Nationals and Residents

September 13, 2017 PRESS RELEASE: U.S. Embassy Asmara Suspends Visa Issuance to Eritreans Nationals and Residents   As of September 13, 2017, the United States Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, under instructions from the Secretary of State, has discontinued the issuance of non immigrant visas for business or pleasure (B1/B2) to Eritrean citizens, subjects, nationals, and …

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COM Visit to National Fistula Referral Center in Mendefera

On July 4 (also U.S. Independence Day), Chief of Mission Natalie E. Brown joined Minister of Health Amina Nur Husein; Dr. Ibrahim Sambuli, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Ms. Tekea Tesfamichael, President of the National Union of Eritrean Women; Dr. Habte Haylemelokot and other doctors, nurses, officials, and patients from the National …

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American Center’s Cultural Quiz

The American Center’s monthly Cultural Quiz was held on Saturday, June 17, 2017 with the theme of “Flag Day”. Fifteen participants joined us for a fun and educational day.  Join us for the next American cultural quiz in July. “Our flag carries American ideas, American history, and American feelings,” Henry Ward Beecher declared in 1861 …

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Paper Airplane Day at the American Center

On Saturday, May 27, 10-to-13-year-old students had a chance to learn how real airplanes fly and the critical role of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in building airplanes. After presentations from guest speakers, the students had the opportunity to build their own paper airplanes and compete to win educational materials. Later in the …

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Earth Day 2017 at the American Center

The American Center celebrated Earth Day by inviting visitors to an all-day information exposition with video presentations on climate change, sustainable energy and wild life conservation. Visitors were also given free seedlings to plant along with demonstrations and instructions on how to plant a tree. Dozens of visitors also took part in the Center’s Environmental …

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Celebration of 30,000 Likes on U.S. Embassy Facebook Page

On February 4, the Public Affairs Section hosted a day-long celebration at the American Center, in recognition of reaching 30,000 Likes on the U.S. Embassy’s Facebook Page. Public Affairs staff conducted mini-seminars on how to use the various features of Facebook. Chief of Mission Natalie E. Brown lead a cake-cutting ceremony to add extra fun …

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American Center Celebrates Black History Month

On February 1, the American Center kicked off its month-long series of special events to celebrate African American History Month. On Wednesday, February 1, the PAO took part in a discussion and Q & A session, after guests watched the first part of Henry Louis Gates’ documentary “Black American Since MLK.” On Thursday, February 2, American Center …

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End of Year Coffee Break

Embassy Asmara staff got together for mission-wide coffee break – complete with coffee ceremony — to bid farewell to 2016 and to wish each other a wonderful 2017. For the holiday occasion, Chief of Mission Brown, Office Manager Pam and her husband, Facilities Officer Craig, wore traditional dresses.

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“Our Ocean” Art Contest

On August 30th, more than one hundred local Eritrean artists, their friends and families attended an exhibition of the artisits’ works at the American Center. The art works were created to bring attention to the themes of the East Africian Our Ocean Campaign. The campaign is intended to draw attention to the issues of marine …

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Summer English Workshop Closing Ceremony

On August 18th, U.S. Acting Chargé d’Affaires Eric Whitaker welcomed the parents and family members of the students who participated in the American Center’s five week-long Children’s Summer English Workshop, to the Closing Ceremony. Sixty Eritrean 6th and 7th graders, who attend 11 different grade schools during the normal school year participated in this special …

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4th of July Celebration

Almost 200 people attended the annual July 4 reception held at the United States Embassy in Asmara.  Despite the good rains in Eritrea this year, the night of July 4 was clear and the crowd enjoyed a variety of American food as well as a slide show of images of Americans celebrating July 4 and …

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Remembering Muhammad Ali

This week, on Wednesday and Thursday night, the American Center in Asmara commemorated the life of Muhammad Ali, by screening two important documentary films focusing on his career as a one of the greatest boxers of all-time and on his influence on American Culture and the world.

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Earth Day Events at the American Center

The U.S. Embassy in Asmara hosted a tree-planting workshop at its new American Center Building on April 22. The Embassy gardeners and the American Center Staff gave visitors hands-on training in planting trees. The American Center also distributed 200 seedlings to American Center visitors. COM Louis Mazel also took part in a tree planting ceremony …

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15th Eritrean Annual Book Fair

PAS Asmara’s American Center participated in the 15th Eritrean Annual Book Fair, which attracted more than 30,000 visitors. The book fair was held from 26 March to 3 April at the Expo grounds under the theme “Appropriate Books for Successful Education”. The American Center distributed more than 5,000 books both in English and Arabic as …

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Eritrean Women’s Fashion Show

On March 31, in commemoration of International Women’s Day and the final day of Women’s History Month, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Asmara hosted an Eritrean Fashion Show and three guest speakers who spoke on women’s issues. More than one hundred guests from different ministries, international delegations and the general public …

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Black History Month Kick-off Ceremony

Yesterday, on a cold February evening, the U.S. Embassy in Asmara kicked off a month-long celebration of African American History, with a screening of a documentary video on the early history of slavery and the arrival of African Americans in the Americas. This was the first public event in a series of weekly events that …

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GIST- Global Innovation through Science and Technology

The State Department’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative is launching a new online series called “GIST Guru” beginning on January 12, 2016 to complement the successful TechConnect series.  Interactive Guru webchats will be held every second Tuesday of the month, known as “GIST Tech Tuesdays.” The inaugural interactive webchat for GIST Guru, The …

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Professional and Career Develpment

On March 16, the American Center hosted the first speaker in what will be a regular series of talks on Career and Professional Development. Otis Pratt, the Management Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Asmara spoke for an hour on his experiences growing up in Africa, before immigrating to the United States, where he studied …

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Women’s History Month

On Thursday, March 10, the American Center hosted a special Women’s Exhibition and Products Market as part of our month-long celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s Month. The exhibition was held in the Main Auditorium Room at the American Center, in Geza Banda, and was attended by more than 175 visitors, including students, business …

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Embassy Hosts Young African Leaders

On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, the U.S. Embassy in Asmara hosted an Information Session for young Eritreans interested in international exchange programs and opportunities to work together with Americans and young Africans from all over the continent to develop leadership skills and initiatives to promote peace and prosperity in Africa. The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs …

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President Obama’s Final State of the Union Address

On January 14, 2016, the U.S. Chief of Mission of Embassy Asmara, Charge Louis Mazel, spoke to an Eritrean audience about the history of the president’s annual State of the Union Address and the political significance of President Obama’s Final State of the Union Address. After a screening of the President’s address, the charge also …

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International Day of People with Disability

On December 10, 2015, the Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy Asmara celebrated International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) by showing the film “Emmanuel’s Gift.”  Twenty eight physically challenged people attended the program.  The film is about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who was born in rural Ghana in 1977 with a missing right tibia, or …

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College Fair

On Thursday, November 18, 2015, the U.S. Embassy in Asmara hosted a capacity crowd of intersted students and parents at its American College Fair. The College Fair which was part of the Embassy’s celebration of International Education Week allowed hundreds of Eritrean students the opportunity to talk with college representatives both face-to-face and via online chats.

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American Independence Day Celebration

American Independence day was colorfully celebrated at the U.S. Embassy compound in Asmara on Saturday evening July 4, 2015. There were more than 240 guests including Eritrean government officials, Ambassadors, and other representatives of the diplomatic community, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, airlines and other companies, and friends of the American Embassy. Deputy Chief …

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Passport and Visa Delays

The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with our overseas passport and visa systems.  This issue is not specific to any particular country, citizenship document, or visa category. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working urgently to correct the problem and restore full operability. U.S. passport applications accepted …

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Asmara Honors the Life of Ruby Bridges

The American Center’s Speakers’ program observed Black History Month by presenting “The Story of Ruby Bridges.” The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section featured Clifton Jeffery, the Embassy RSO, who spoke to an audience of over 70 attendees. Mr. Jeffery, a former lawyer, began his lecture by explaining the legal history behind the institution of segregation. He …

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Presentation of SOTU by Charge’ d’Affairs

On January 28, 2015, Embassy Asmara showed President Obama’s State of the Union Address to Congress. Charge d’ Affairs Louis Mazel introduced the speech, explaining the constitutional requirement and the history of the event. The audience, which included several ambassadors and civil society representatives, were provided with a printed copy of the speech as well as the …

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International Education Week

On November 20, Embassy Consular Officer Debra Johnson discussed on the F1visa/student visa to more than 300 students from different colleges.  The discussion started by the Educational Advisor on “Guidance on how to secure your Student Visa”.   She explained the first three steps: Research your Option, Finance your studies and complete your application. There was …

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Halloween

On October 30, Deputy Chief of Mission, Lori Peterson Dando, spoke to a skeptical audience about “Halloween”; its origins, how it is celebrated in different countries and how it arrived in America through Irish immigrants.  Feted with Halloween candy, raffle prizes and the DCM’s special glasses, the participants warmed to the idea of trick or …

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Technical Problems with Visa System

We have made significant progress and issued most of the delayed visas worldwide. We are working to bring our systems back to full operational capacity. We continue to prioritize immigrant visas, adoption cases, and emergency nonimmigrant visa cases. We are printing visas for these cases with very few delays. We are aware of a small number of …

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Remarks by Chargé d’Affaires John Hoover

Remarks by John Hoover, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America On the Occasion of the 238th Anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence Asmara, Eritrea, July 3, 2014 Ministers and officials of the Government of the State of Eritrea; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Fellow Americans; U.S. Embassy colleagues; Ladies …

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