Eritrea: Authorities arrest two British Council staff

(SomaliNet) Two members of staff at the British Council were arrested in Eritrean capital Asmara and briefly blocked a visiting British diplomat from Eritrea.

Head of European affairs at the foreign ministry Petros Fessahazion said \"The diplomat was found to have been violating our laws and regulations so his departure was delayed\"

The EU official however, not specifies the offence and said the diplomat had since left Asmara.

According to a news source, the British Foreign Office in London declined to comment.

Two Eritrean members of staff at the British Council were arrested, and one was later released, the Eritrean foreign ministry official said. He gave no details of their alleged crime.

\"They were arrested because they violated our law. One is already free after just being interrogated,\" said Fessahazion. \"The other is still there.\"

Media reports claimed the arrests were connected to the installation of a secure satellite communications system at the embassy.

In London, the British Council expressed concern that a member of staff was still being held by Eritrean authorities, despite the release of a colleague.

\"The British Council and the British embassy in Asmara are in close contact with the Eritrean authorities and are working with them to resolve the matter as quickly as possible,\" a spokesman said.

\"The British Council believes that the cause of the arrest is a simple misunderstanding and we look forward to resolving the matter as quickly as possible.\"

He added he was unable to comment on why the worker, described as a manager, was arrested. -AFP