Mahmoud Omer Churum, Eritrea’s ambassador to Kuwait, has defected to Canada where he is seeking political asylum. 

The Eritrean regime had required all its diplomats to return to Eritrea by May 23, 2009.  Most did; some of those who didn’t are likely to defect and seek asylum in the West.  

The regime of Isaias Afwerki has told its diplomats that its political priority is no longer the “border issue” which is “resolved” but the situation in Somalia.  Officially, the regime’s position is to promote an environment where Somalians solve their problems without external influence but, in practice, the policy is to promote any political entity, no matter how extreme it may be, as long as it is hostile to the Ethiopian government.  Many diplomats find the regime's policy indefensible.

Prior to his post in Kuwait, Churum was Eritrea’s head of mission to Egypt and non-resident ambassador to other countries in North Africa and Lebanon. 

Churum is also a writer and at one time served as the editor of Eritrea AlHaditha, the Arabic edition of the government newspaper. 

Recently, the PFDJ had made major overhaul to the Eritrean diplomatic missions and closed and downgraded the level of diplomatic representation in some countries (Check link) Kuwait was one of the countries that may have been affected.

Reached by telephone, Mahmoud confirmed to our source that he is indeed in Canada with his family where he flew in from Kuwait.