Cablegate: Temporary Suspension of Niv Services in Asmara

VZCZCXRO0046
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAE #0997 3321114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281114Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8569
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1750
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1260
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1438
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0374
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1246
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ

UNCLAS ASMARA 000997

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
FRANKFURT FOR FRDCD
DEPT FOR CA/VO, CA/EX AF/E AND AF/EX

E.O. 12958 DECL: N/A
TAGS: CASC CVIS PGOV PREL AMGT OFDP ER
SUBJECT: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF NIV SERVICES IN ASMARA

REF: ASMARA 963

1. As discussed reftel, beginning on December 4, non-emergency NIV
services in Asmara will be temporarily suspended. The consular
section will continue to provide full services to American citizens
and, as possible, process immigrant visas. Due to staff shortages
created by the refusal of the Government of the State of Eritrea to
issue diplomatic visas to TDY staff, Asmara will not have a
full-time consular officer for at least the month of December and
part of January. Given that most Eritreans are unable to obtain
exit visas to depart the country, post does not anticipate that the
closure in Asmara will lead to a significant increase in
applications at neighboring posts.

2. The current, full-time consular officer will depart post on
December 2. Her replacement is scheduled to arrive February 8,
2007. The incoming consular officer has informed post that he
submitted his visa application to the Eritrean Embassy in Washington
on November 24 and post will be monitoring closely the status of
this application. The first TDY consular officer, a retired FSO who
was to provide consular coverage in December, was scheduled to
arrive on November 29. After holding his passport for over one
month, the GSE did not issue him a visa. A second consular TDYer is
slated to come in mid-January from Cairo. He has informed post that
his visa was submitted to the Eritrean Embassy in Cairo on November
18. Our ability to restart full NIV services in January or February
will depend on the GSE's issuing of visas to our second TDYer and/or
permanent consular officer. In the interim gap, the Political and
Economic Officer, who serves as the back-up consular officer, will
also provide American citizen and immigrant visa consular services.

3. The following press release was disseminated through the Embassy
website, American Center and consular section to the general public.
An abbreviated version was forwarded to the Ministry of Information
with a request to publish the notice in the state-run media. At
least one international news service has reported on the temporary
closure as well based on the public notice.

Begin text:
U.S. VISA SERVICES TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED

The U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, advises that effective December
4, 2006, non-immigrant visa services will be temporarily suspended
pending permission from Government of the State of Eritrea for U.S.
diplomatic personnel to travel to Eritrea to provide these services.
Non-immigrant visa services will resume as soon as possible after
the Government of the State of Eritrea issues the necessary visas to
U.S. consular officers to travel to Asmara.

The U.S. Embassy's consular section will continue to process
immigrant visa requests as possible and provide full services for
U.S. citizens in-country.

End text.

DeLisi

© Scoop Media