IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1708 

Recognizing the destructive role of the Government of Eritrea and calling 

on the Secretary of State to designate Eritrea as a country that has 

provided support for international terrorism. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 

Mr. ROYCE (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the destructive role of the Government of Eritrea and calling on the Secretary of State to designate 

Eritrea as a country that has provided support for international terrorism. 

Whereas the State of Eritrea is supporting al Qaeda linked 

militants in the Horn of Africa, including al Shabaab, 

which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a specially designated global terrorist 

under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, and is of 

increasing concern to United States counterterrorism officials; 

Whereas the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on 

Somalia, established by a committee of the United NaVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:09 Oct 01, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1708.IH HR1708

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•HRES 1708 IH 

tions Security Council pursuant to Resolutions 751 

(1992) and 1519 (2003), reported in July 2007 ‘‘that 

huge quantities of arms have been provided to the 

Shabaab by and through Eritrea’’, and ‘‘the weapons in 

caches and otherwise in possession of the Shabaab include an unknown number of surface-to-air missiles, suicide belts, and explosives with timers and detonators’’; 

Whereas in April 2008, the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia reported, ‘‘the Government of 

Eritrea continues to provide support to groups that oppose the Transitional Federal Government in the form of 

arms and military training to fighters of the Shabaab’’, 

and that on or about January 8, 2008, an arms shipment 

from Eritrea arrived in Mogadishu containing dismantled 

RPG–7s, hand grenades, anti-tank mines, detonators, 

pistols, mortar shells, AK–47 assault rifles, PKM machine guns, RPG–2s, small mortars, FAL assault rifles, 

rifle-fired grenades for the FAL, M–16s, and explosives; 

Whereas the April 2008 report of the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia also found that, ‘‘towards the end of 2007, about 120 fighters of the 

Shabaab travelled to Eritrea for the purpose of attending 

military training at a military base located near the Ethiopian border.’’; 

Whereas in its December 2008 report, the United Nations 

Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia identified Eritrea as a ‘‘principal violator’’ of the arms embargo on Somalia and asserted that ‘‘Eritrean arms embargo violations take place with the knowledge and authorization of 

senior officials within the Eritrean Government and the 

ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice 

(PFDJ).’’; 


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•HRES 1708 IH 

Whereas, on May 20, 2009, Assistant Secretary of State for 

Africa Affairs Johnnie Carson testified before the Senate 

Foreign Relations Committee that, ‘‘We have clear evidence that Eritrea is supporting these extremist elements 

[inside Somalia], including credible reports that the Government of Eritrea continues to supply weapons and munitions to extremists and terrorist elements.’’; 

Whereas, on December 23, 2009, largely at the behest of African governments, the United Nations Security Council 

in Resolution 1907 (2009) demanded that all Member 

States, in particular Eritrea, cease to arm, train, and 

equip armed groups, including al Shabaab, that aim to 

destabilize the region and subsequently imposed a ban on 

the sale or supply of weapons, training, and related materiel to or from Eritrea; 

Whereas in its March 2010 report, the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia noted that ‘‘the Government of Eritrea has provided significant and sustained 

political, financial and material support, including arms, 

ammunition and training to armed opposition groups in 

Somalia since at least 2007.’’; 

Whereas the March 2010 report by the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia further noted that 

the Government of Eritrea has provided Eritrean passports to senior al Shabaab leaders, including Mukhtar 

Robow, who the United States Department of the Treasury has identified as al Shabaab’s spokesman, spiritual 

leader, and military commander in southern Somalia and 

is subject to United States sanctions; 

Whereas the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on 

Somalia also accuses Eritrea of providing ‘‘direct and 

overt support’’ for the return to Somalia of Hassan 


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•HRES 1708 IH 

Dahir Aweys, who leads the radical Islamist Hizbul Islam 

insurgent group in Somalia and is subject to United 

States sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and 

United Nations sanctions pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267; 

Whereas, on March 24, 2010, Assistant Secretary of State 

for African Affairs Johnnie Carson testified before the 

House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, ‘‘There is no doubt that al 

Shabaab is a terrorist organization. There is no doubt 

that Eritrea has supported the elements of al Shabaab’’; 

Whereas, on April 10, 2010, Yemane Gebreab, Head of Political Affairs and Presidential Adviser in the Government 

of Eritrea, was included on a list of persons contributing 

to the conflict in Somalia and subject to United States 

sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13536; 

Whereas al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the July 

11, 2010, attacks in Kampala, Uganda, which killed 

more than 70 people, including a United States citizen, 

who had gathered to watch the World Cup finals, demonstrating the growing sophistication and reach of al 

Shabbab’s operations; 

Whereas United States law enforcement and counter terrorism officials have been increasingly concerned by reports of Somali-American youths disappearing from 

United States locales to train with al Shabaab in Somalia, and the head of Great Britain’s domestic intelligence 

service warned recently that it is ‘‘only a matter of time 

before we see terrorism on our streets inspired by those 

who are today fighting alongside al-Shabaab’’; and 


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•HRES 1708 IH 

Whereas section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 

1979, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and 

section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 stipulate that a designated state sponsor of terrorism is one 

‘‘that repeatedly provides support to acts of international 

terrorism’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) given the growing security threat from al 

4 Shabaab, a United States-designated foreign ter5 rorist organization, every effort should be made to 

6 tackle its outside sources of support; 

7 (2) Eritrea’s ongoing and well-documented sup8 port for armed insurgents in Somalia, including al 

9 Shabaab, poses a significant threat to the national 

10 security interests of the United States and East Af11 rican nations; and 

12 (3) the Secretary of State should designate the 

13 State of Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism pur14 suant to section 6(j) of the Export Administration 

15 Act of 1979, section 40 of the Arms Export Control 

16 Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act 

17 of 1961. 

Æ 


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