Thirty Swedish newspaper editors published a collective editorial last Sat., 27th of October 2007, urging the government to use its development aid muscle against Eritrea's oppressive treatment of political dissidents. In this particular issue, the release of 43-year old Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak from prison. He was arrested along with several other political dissidents six years ago and has been held without any formal charges.
Swedish newspapers reported that the Reinfeldt non-Socialist alliance is responding "with quiet diplomacy" to the growing collective call to free Dawit Isaak. What this strategy implies is that, Reinfeldt is sending a special envoy to negotiate the release of Isaak, or probably has asked the Eritrean diplomatic head of mission in Stockholm to come to the Swedish Foreign Ministry for an audience with Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.
But what the Swedish editors are asking, is for Reinfeldt to translate development aid slogans on respect for human rights in aid-recipient countries into action, especially in glaringly oppressive situations involving press freedom. Why indeed, is it taking six years to act against this violation that can never be tolerated in a democratic society? And why can't Sweden use its tremendous development aid influence to bring about a democratic change in Eritrea? To continue giving aid to repressive undemocratic regimes is a betrayal of people's trust, here in Sweden, as well as in aid-receiving countries. After all, the reasoning that it is only the poor people who suffer most when aid is cut no longer holds water.
(Join the "Stop development aid to corrupt regimes" movement!)
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