Eritrea’s rights violations goes beyond the country’s borders, claims Hala Alkarib.
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| Free Eritrea democracy march in San Francisco (Photo credit: Steve Rhodes) |
The Eritrean state has become synonymous with human rights abuses
against its population, NGOs in the Horn of Africa, demanding greater attention
to rights abuses in that country, said on Wednesday.
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA
Network) and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
(EHAHRD) accuse Eritrea’s military regime of imposing strict controls upon
religious freedom, freedom of movement, access to food, healthcare, and freedom
of expression.
During an April 10, 2013 discussion held on the margins of the 53rd
Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (April 9-23),
the SIHA Network and EHAHRD said Eritrean government also represses civil and
political rights activists with arbitrary arrest, detention and torture as a
mean to forced compliance.
The African Commission is set up as an institution address human
rights violations taking place within the continent.
“The influences of the depressing situation in Eritrea expand beyond
the country’s borders,” Hala Alkarib, Regional Director SIHA Network said.
“Eritrean refugees are being executed, tortured, detained, enslaved and
kidnapped in the territories of Sudan and Egypt.”
To Alkarib’s dismay, both Sudan and Egypt are ignoring their legal
responsibilities towards the Eritrean refugee population.
Hassan Shire, Director of EHAHRDP said “Human rights defenders and
journalists who speak about the issues are always targeted.”
The event was attended by the UN Special Rapporteur for Eritrea, Ms
Sheila Keetharuth and African civil society organisations.
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| English: Presidential Flag of Eritrea (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Background
Eritrea was granted independence as a State by
the UN in 1993, and despite provisions for the creation of a multi-party
democracy by the 1997 Constitution, the country has been strictly ruled as a
one-party state.
National elections have never taken place in that
country even though they have been scheduled (the most recent in 2001). The
People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) led by President Isaias
Afewerki continues to rule unchallenged.
Mr Afewerki has sanctioned that only four
religious groups are permitted, they are, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church,
the Roman Catholic Church, Eritrean Lutheran Church, and Sunnite Islam.
Eritrea has signed, ratified or acceded to
multiple international human rights treatises inclusive of the International
Convention for the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), the Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, among many others.
“There exists however a significant disparity
between the written commitments and the actualisation of these rights in
Eritrean society,” human rights NGOs said.
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| An enlargeable map of the State of Eritrea (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
According to UN High Commission for Refugees, up to 3000 refugees are
leaving Eritrea every month. The UNHCR estimates as of January 2012 indicated
there were 251,954 Eritrean refugees and 14,172 asylum seekers spread across
the Horn of Africa.
Written by Modou S. Joof
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