HABA – Horn of Africa Business Association

For a country that continues to wrestle with the legacy of a protracted struggle for independence Eritrea still manages to exude a degree of confidence about its future. In seeking to get back on its feet and move forward it has chosen a courageous path, one where it seeks to as self-sufficient as possible, and free from diktat of the UN’s paymasters. The challenges it faces are considerable, and Eritrea knows that having chosen to go it alone it faces the machinations of certain powers, but at least has the luxury of choosing its own friends. Considerable emphasis is being placed on anti-poverty measures (especially with regard to access to remedial healthcare), food security, coastal environmental protection, strategic manufacturing and youth transformation. Aware that its financial infrastructure requires attention, His Excellency T. Gerahtu, the Eritrean Ambassador to the UK and Ireland recently acknowledged at the Eritrea Trade & Investment Forum, London (17/05/2012) that the country is; “…struggling to remove bureaucratic barriers”. Fisheries and tourism are areas ripe for Foreign Direct Investment, and are eager to follow the example of the mining sector that has attracted substantial investment from Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese and South African companies. Whilst the picture is far from straightforward, there is a palpable desire to make things work, and are awareness of the value of engaging its own Diaspora, as well as those who see potential in the region. There clearly positive signs, and with the national airline opening up roots Rome, Frankfurt as well as a number of African locations it is clear that those who only view Eritrea in a doctrinaire manner will soon have to begin to see the country and its people afresh.