Our special guest today, Mr. Aeneas Chapinga Chuma, United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Eritrea, has completed his 15-month working tour in the country. In this interview, he shares some of his thoughts, insights, and experiences during his stay in Eritrea.
Would you tell us some of your most significant personal experiences during your stay in Eritrea?
The privilege of visiting Eritrea and the privilege to work here and, more importantly, to learn about this beautiful country’s history; its accomplishments and challenges has been a very splendid experience for me. Those fifteen months have gone by very fast. I wish I could stay here a bit longer. I’ll, of course, come back as an individual, not as an official. It has, overall, been a very positive learning experience and quite enjoyable.
How would you describe UNRC’s working relations with the Government of the State of Eritrea?
I think the United Nations in Eritrea has an excellent working relationship with the Government of the State of Eritrea. And that’s not taken for granted. The UN is also recognizing that Eritrea is unique, which has its own national development plan and strategy. The important thing is to find ways of being a partner to the government of Eritrea. I think the government does regard the UN as an important development partner and not as a donor. As a result, an excellent relationship has been formed between the government and the United Nations.
In your view, what are some of the key challenges and opportunities for development and cooperation that Eritrea faces? How have you addressed these challenges?
Well, Eritrea is like other developing countries. It has its priorities and strategies; and, the purpose is to raise the quality of life of the honourable people of Eritrea. So, the challenges are not unique to Eritrea; these are challenges that all countries face. But Eritrea does also face challenges related to the impact of sanctions against the country that limit its capacity to realize its full potential. This also limits the capacity of the United Nations, as a partner, to mobilize resources to support the national development strategy.
There are issues of overall development like improving access to education for all citizens; improving the status of women and girls; giving equal access to opportunities (opportunities for employment for young people; improving health services and access to health facilities and quality education. Also, because of its location, Eritrea faces climate change challenges as it is part of the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa has periodic droughts and those droughts have recently been occurring more often and becoming more severe. They threaten the livelihood of people particularly in rural areas. But, as I mentioned, they are not unique to Eritrea as other countries face these challenges in different degrees.
In your interactions with the Eritrean people, what have you found to be their main aspirations and concerns regarding development and well-being?
I find the Eritrean people honourable, upright, and principled. They subscribe to the noble values of their societies. It was, indeed, a great pleasure to interact with Eritreans despite the challenges of a developing country. They are proud of their country, their history and their accomplishments. And as a Zimbabwean, I can relate to them as we face challenges of development as well. Here, you learn about resilience and self-reliance and, basically, a country wanting to define its own development trajectory. The people that I’ve met and have had the privilege of working and learning with have made me realize that they’re self-sufficient. And this must have to do with the type of investments the government has made in people, local communities, and in promoting resilience and self-reliance despite the challenges.
Before your arrival here, I understand you closely monitored Eritrea’s successes in the fight and control of HIV/AIDS…
I think Eritrea has dealt very well in that respect. I was the original director of UN Aids for Eastern and Southern Africa, which includes Eritrea. Because of the strength of the leadership provided by the government through the Ministry of Health, the spread and incidence of HIV/AIDS have largely been contained. The level of morbidity has declined, and the level of mother-to-child transmission has almost been totally wiped out. The government’s effort and the partnership with world Health Organization (WHO) have made a tremendous accomplishment in this case.
What aspects of cooperation between Eritrea and the United Nations do you believe have been most fruitful or impactful?
I think there’s plenty of fruitful developments and accomplishments. First comes the principle of understanding Eritrea’s priorities, vision, strategy, and desire to own their development journey. Once you start from that position, you engage. There are several areas where this approach has worked. We see this in the areas of education and areas that are mostly supported by UNICEF and areas such as health with WHO. All these entities work under the direction of the government and in partnership with the government. Recognizing the government’s belief in self-reliance and ownership of the development trajectory, we, as a partner, then identify the areas where we can make a constructive contribution based on our mandate and limited resources. That’s where the partnership becomes quite successful, and that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Above all, recognize that this is a country that needs to own its development journey.
Visiting the Areza Solar Photovoltaic Mini-Grid System
While working in Eritrea, have you noticed any specific areas where the country could benefit from increased international cooperation?
Eritrea is very important in the Horn of Africa and it’s quite stable. If you see the conflict in the neighbouring country Sudan, for instance, a lot of its citizens are coming to Eritrea as it is a safe country. So, the role of Eritrea is very important politically, economically, and developmentally, particularly in the developments regarding climate change and climate impact. I also think that going forward, regional cooperation is important for improved trade relations among the nations of the Horn of Africa, in advancing peace and stability, and in preparing for the conflicts that are sponsored by outside forces.
As you bid farewell to Eritrea, what message would you like to share with the government and people of Eritrea and the international community regarding Eritrea’s progress and potential?
Well, I have been here for only one year. So I think it’ll be arrogant to guess about the future. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served in Eritrea. I’m also grateful to learn a bit more about Eritrea. The only message is one of optimism in the future and encouragement to carry out the course and own the development trajectory and journey at least on the national level. I wish the honourable people of Eritrea peace and prosperity, moving forward in their development journey. Thank you.