NRCE-GIE President Bahdurai Meets With Senior Congressional Leaders, Diplomats

_{Pres. Bahdurai with Rep. John Carter (R-TX)   Pres. Bahdurai with Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) Pres. Bahdurai with Amb. Tibor Nagy}

Washington, DC—On July 23^rd, 2024, Ghebre Bahdurai, President of The National Representative Council of Eritrea-Government In Exile (NRCE-GIE), met with Congressman Brad Sherman, an influential member of Congress from California sitting on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman Sherman is a strong critic of the Afwerki dictatorship. The extensive discussion between Congressman Sherman and President Bahdurai resulted in fruitful outcomes, and will be the start of a long-term relationship between the NRCE-GIE and Congressman Sherman’s office. In addition, President Bahdurai had a successful meeting and discussion on July 24^th, 2024 with Congressman John Carter, a well-respected member of Congress representing Texas.

The meetings with both Congressman Sherman and Congressman Carter had been arranged by Moran Global Strategies, NRCE-GIE’s lobbying firm in Washington, DC. 

During these conversations, President Bahdurai briefed Congressman Sherman and Congressman Carter on the NRCE-GIE’s goals. President Bahdurai highlighted to both members of congress the brutal nature of the Afwerki dictatorship, and that Eritrea, under Afwerki’s leadership, is cozying up to U.S. competitors and adversaries such as Russia and China. President Bahdurai noted to Reps. Sherman and Carter that this goes against U.S. interests, especially given the geo-strategic location of Eritrea, and its projection into the Red Sea. President Bahdurai stated, by contrast, that the NRCE-GIE is strongly pro-Western, and pro-United States. As such, President Bahdurai emphasized, that it is critical for the U.S. government to officials engage with and support the NRCE-GIE.

According to President Bahdurai, “I had been greatly honored to meet with Congressman Sherman and Congressman Carter. This is a great milestone for the NRCE-GIE and demonstrates the effectiveness of our lobbyists. We look forward to meetings with many more members of Congress in the weeks and months to come.”

In addition, on July 26^th, 2024, President Bahdurai met with Tibor Nagy, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and a former American foreign service officer who served as the American ambassador to Ethiopia. Ambassador Nagy and President Bahdurai had a productive discussion, and Ambassador Nagy provided both moral support and practical advice to President Bahdurai. Ambassador Nagy issued the following statement, regarding the meeting: “Delighted to meet with Ghebre Bahdurai of Natl Rep Council of Eritrea. I’m sure its mere existence is driving Dictator Isais’ regime mad, but how refreshing to have an Eritrean organization dedicated to bringing democracy and liberty to a nation which has never known it!”

According to President Bahdurai: “I want to thank our lobbying firm, Moran Global Strategies, for arranging for these important meetings with eminent U.S. officials.”