In mid-April Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a scathing report on the East African nation  of Eritrea accusing the government of President Issayas Afeworki of turning the strategically located country on the Red Sea into one giant prison complete with underground cells and metal shipping containers awaiting any dissenters. Indeed, Afeworki has been ranked as one of the world's top ten dictators, a dubious honour to say the least. That's disturbing enough but recently President Afewerki forced the United Nations Mission to Eritrea out of country by cutting off all supplies to the UN-mission. Fears among Horn of Africa watchers is that Eritrea might be preparing for another senseless war with Ethiopia with whom the country shares a long and ill-defined border.

Furthermore, Somalia's new government led by President Sharif Sheik Ahmed is accusing Eritrea of arming insurgent groups in Somalia. The allegation is a repeat of events two years ago, when the United Nations accused Eritrea of secretly sending weapons to Somalia's militant al-Shabaab group.

Now the BBC is reporting that US is concerned:

The US says it is seriously concerned by reports Eritrea is supplying arms to foreign fighters and Islamic hardliners fighting government forces in Somalia.

"This as a disturbing development," President Barack Obama's top official on Africa, Jonnie Carson, told the BBC.

Eritrea denies any involvement in arming or financing Islamist militants trying to overthrow the government.

Following a week of violence, 100 people are dead and 30,000 more have fled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

There have been a number of reports of foreign fighters, with possible links to al-Qaeda, fighting alongside hardline Islamists of al-Shabaab and Hisbul-Islam, said Mr Carson, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

"We're extremely worried about the reports."

"There seem to be fairly serious and creditable reports that al Shabaab does have, amongst its fighters, a number of individuals of South Asian and Chechen origin," said Mr Carson.

"This is a very disturbing situation and reflects the seriousness of the problem in Somalia."

Mr Carson also expressed concern about flights from Eritrea were carrying weapons and ammunition to Somalia to supply al-Shabaab.

"There have been numerous reports that the government of Eritrea has, in fact, been supplying weapons and munitions to al-Shabaab.

"These are reports that we do find credible," he said.

Like its neighbour Sudan, Eritrea has too found a sponsor in China and it is about time the United States bring these matters to the attention of the Chinese. The arming of the Al Qaeda linked al-Shabaab serves no one, least of all the Somalis.