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THE first African team to ride at the Tour de France has accepted an apology and a charitable donation after one of their riders was racially abused.

MTN-Qhubeka – which is led by Scots general manager Brian Smith – complained after Eritrean Natnael Berhane was allegedly abused by Belarusian rider Branislau Samoilau at a race in Austria.

Berhane is alleged to have been subjected to racist abuse by Samoilau, during the Tour of Austria on Wednesday and the squad took his complaint to the sport’s world governing body, the UCI.

Samoilau rides for CCC Sprandi Polkowice and a statement from the Polish team said: “The rider will suffer consequences.”

The incident at the Austrian race took the shine off what should have been a historic day for the team as rider Daniel Teklehaimanot became the first black African to wear the polka dot king of the mountains jersey in the Tour de France, being held at the same time.

Qhubeka is a charity – World Bicycle Relief’s programme in South Africa – and means “To move forward”.

It is understood Samoilau will donate a month’s salary to the organisation.

Smith, from Paisley, raced as a professional in the 1990s and his career included British titles and a one-year stint with a young Lance Armstrong at the Motorola team.

Last year Smith was asked by MTN-Qhubeka, Africa’s leading team, to recruit a squad and manage it for the Tour de France.

Speaking from the team car on day seven of the famed race, he said: “It goes without saying that in this day and age, racism has no place in any sport.

“I both hope and believe it will be a one-off case.

“As far as we are concerned the situation has been dealt with, the team and rider has apologised and so the matter is settled.”

MTN-Qhubeka team principal Douglas Ryder had called the incident “outrageous”, while Sprandi Polkowice said that the rider’s actions were “unacceptable”.

A statement from Sprandi Polkowice read: “In the heat of the battle some words have been said by our rider, which were very unfortunate and unacceptable.

“We, as a team, do not tolerate that kind of behaviour and the rider will suffer the consequences.

“Before the next stage, the situation has been clarified between the two teams and the riders, but we don’t want to get into details.”

The majority of the professional peloton is supportive of MTN-Qhubeka’s efforts, but there have been unfortunate incidents, with team members Edvald Boasson Hagen, from Norway, and Tyler Farrar, of theUnited States, sometimes having to intervene.

“Some of the riders are struggling to grasp what we are doing here. They are in the minority I’m glad to say,” Ryder added.

“One of the biggest teams in the world last year in the Tour of Spain, when we were trying to bring one of our riders to the front going into the mountains, said, ‘You guys don’t belong here’.”

He revealed, though, that the team has “had massive support from the major team owners and bosses”.

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Ethiopia warned on Tuesday it would take necessary action against Eritrea Government

July 7, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia warned on Tuesday it would take necessary action against arch-rival Eritrea unless it refrains from an alleged destabilizing role in the volatile east African region.

While addressing parliament, Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, accused the Eritrean government of continuing to engage in destabilizing peace and security of Ethiopia and the region at large.

Addis Ababa has repeatedly accused Asmara of trying to destabilizing the horn of Africa’s nation by backing Ethiopian rebels and by providing direct and indirect support to al-Qaida allied Islamist militants in Somalia.

However Eritrea’s subversive activities in the region are mainly targeting both directly or indirectly at Ethiopia.

While responding to queries from MPs, Desalegn said although Ethiopia is ready for peace negotiations to restore ties and normalize relations with Eritrea, however he said “Asmara has shown no sign of interest for regional peaceful coexistence”.

In 2009 the UN slapped Eritrea with sanctions over charges it armed and provided financial support to al Shabab. But, Asmara has denied the allegation and stresses there is no justification for imposing the sanctions.

In a rare threat to take direct measures, the premier said that unless Eritrea changes its policy of destabilizing the East African region, ”Ethiopia will then be forced to take an appropriate action to quell its destabilizing efforts”.

The two neighbours have routinely traded tough rhetoric following a 1998-2000 border war which has killed an estimated 70,000 people.

The Ethiopian leader said the regime in Asmara is using its destabilizing acts as a tool to divert the attention of the people from internal instability and to further maintain its grip on power.

Every month around 5,000 Eritreans flee home to neighbouring countries mainly to Ethiopia and Sudan in protest to political repression at home. Currently Ethiopia hosts at least 90,000 Eritrean refugees.

Recently the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea has recently released its report where it unveiled the government’s gross human right violations.

As a result the UN Human Rights Council extended for another year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur as well as Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea.

It also decided to assign human right experts who will investigate human right violations including to alleged “crimes against humanity” committed by the Eritrean government.

The UN body has also accused president Isaias Afeworki led-government of committing extra-judicial executions, torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detentions, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and other forms of right abuses by the regime.

There are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 political prisoners in Eritrea.

Sudan Tribune

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Ironically, in Giessen, where every year thousands of people seek shelter and safety from the inhuman dictatorship in Eritrea, organized this regime a festival on July 4th and 5th. The government thus overrides the decision of the City Council, which has called this festival ”not desirable in casting” as. The many refugees will be shown on the part of the regime that they are also in Germany under surveillance, they should continue to be afraid.

”Down with the dictator,” demonstrators shouted. Such a festival just in Giessen, where hundreds of refugees and asylum seek refuge in front of the Eritrean regime, they condemned as a ”provocation”. The festival spread fear among the refugees. In recent years, there had been several times to violent clashes between visitors of the festival and Eritrean opposition. This weekend, a confrontation did not happen.

”Giessen is a place of freedom”, held the parliamentary leader of the Greens in the city council, Klaus-Dieter Grothe, fixed in a rally in front of the town hall. Therefore, there is no place for a ”Festival of Fear”. Grothe was next to representatives of three organizations for a democratic and free Eritrea notifying the demonstration. The Green Party cited a report published in June a commission of inquiry by the UN Human Rights Council on the current situation in Eritrea in his speech. The document accuses the East African regime systematic torture, forced labor and arbitrary executions that meet the ”offense of crimes against humanity” could. ”The regime murdered and raped,” Grothe is summoned to the UN report. A ”Eritrea Festival” must be located in Giessen therefore ’not put up with ”.

”Propagandists” undesirable

Also the Giessen SPD chairman and Member of Parliament Gerhard Merz, who recalled the appeal made by the city council three years ago to prevent events such as the ”Eritrea Festival” in the future Hessenhallen participated in the rally in front of City Hall. ”Propagandists of the regime are not welcome here,” said Merz. Mayor Gerda Weigel Greilich addressed in a speech, meanwhile, to the Eritrean refugees, which the city ”wants to offer a good stay” as well as language courses and training opportunities. The aim was that the refugees return in the future to their homes ”and there can build a democracy with. For that we want to create the conditions with here, ”In another speech of living in the US exile Eritreans called Dr. Russom Mesfun: task must be to the Eritrean regime». To eliminate by peaceful means ”.

The 150 demonstrators moved from the Town Hall over the road to the Hessian Rödgener initial reception. On banners, they demanded freedom for political prisoners, complained persecution and torture and called to commemorate the victims of the Eritrean Government. In addition, a symbolic action, they gathered at the suggestion Grothe waste a – ”as a thank you to the city,” and the decision of the city council against the ”Eritrea Festival”.

Before the Hessenhallen held on Saturday afternoon 30 oppositionists a vigil. That it came to no aggressive confrontations like in the past, evaluate the demonstrators as a success of their ”peaceful protests”.

Inside, the guests danced to songs meanwhile known Eritrean musicians like Melekin Atombes, Henok Teklay and Isaias Debesay. Among the guests was also Osman Saleh Mohammed, the Eritrean Government has been committed since gaining independence in 1993 – first as a minister of education, since 2007 as foreign minister. Eritrea is a free country, he said in brief conversation with the Allgemeine Zeitung. Who say the opposite, pursuing propaganda or have never visited the country.