Report on the Conference by Martin Plaut, BBC

(Cue: Officials from the European Union and the United States have held talks with members of the Eritrean opposition in exile. The conference - held in Brussels - revealed deep differences in the way Europe and America relates to Eritrea. Our Africa editor, Martin Plaut, was there.)

The Eritrean government is among the most repressive in Africa. A newly published report by the Oslo centre for peace and human rights indicates that the Eritrean government holds up to ten-thousand political prisoners, torture and killings are routine and no opposition is tolerated. The international community is concerned, but unsure how to respond. Now, for the first time, senior American and European officials have been prepared to openly meet the Eritrean opposition in exile. But the conference showed considerable differences in their approach to the problem. The United States is prepared to follow the African Union in calling for sanctions against the Eritrean government for its role in supporting Islamist insurgents attempting to overthrow the Somali government. European officials take a different view. Last year the European aid commissioner, Louis Michel welcomed Eritrean president Isaaias Afeworki to Brussels, describing his visit as an honour. President Isaaias left with a promise of one-hundred-and-eighty-million dollars in fresh aid. With little progress on human rights and under pressure from the Eritrean opposition the European union is now reviewing that aid. But it is not willing to cancel the aid just yet. Rather, Brussels is holding out the possibility of dialogue, in the hope that the Eritrean government will mend its ways.