Eritrea

Under the dictatorial one-party rule of President Isaias Afewerki’s People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) the human rights situation did not show any signs of improvement in Eritrea. No civil society groups are permitted; strikes are not allowed. In order to keep their citizenship Eritreans in the diaspora are forced to pay 2 per cent of their monthly income to the government. Their remittances are said to make up one third of Eritrea’s Gross Domestic Product. In case they do not pay their remaining family in Eritrea is punished or they are denied reentry into Eritrea.

The government denies that there is a food shortage in the country, even though Satellite photographs clearly show that Eritrea is suffering a similar drought to that of affected neighboring countries. In addition, Eritrean refugees arriving in Ethiopia and Djibouti have spoken of a dramatic situation in their home country. Approximately one-third of the five million residents of Eritrea have suffered for years from malnutrition and hunger. The government routinely denies emergency situations to avoid becoming dependent on foreign aid. When the Nabro volcano in the Denkalia region erupted on 12 June 2011 and triggered an earthquake, authorities claimed for weeks that no one had been harmed as a consequence. Far too late it was admitted that at least 31 people had been killed in the natural disaster and 48,000 people had to be relocated or provided with emergency aid.

Relations to neighboring countries

Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a border war from 1998-2000. Ethiopia has to the present day stubbornly refused to implement the recommendations of the Independent Eritrean-Ethiopian Border Commission on the new demarcation line. The UN Security Council and foreign donor countries failed to compel Ethiopia to abide by the Border Commission’s ruling. This has only increased Eritrea’s impression that the international community cannot be trusted. The Government of Eritrea uses the conflict with Ethiopia to justify internal repression and the prerogative of the military. The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Eritrea in December 2009, on the grounds that Eritrea armed, trained and funded groups such as Al-Shabaab, that tried to destabilize the Horn of Africa, and its occupation of a disputed territory along its border to neighboring Djibouti. The UN monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea stated in July of this year that Eritrea tried to attack an African Union summit in Ethiopia in January 2011. The report said Eritrean intelligence personnel were active in Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia. It also stated: “The fact that the same Eritrean officers responsible for the planning and direction of this operation are also involved, both in supervisory and operational roles, in external operations in Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan implies an enhanced level of threat to the region as a whole."

Religion

Even though religious freedom written into the 1997 constitution, the government has only approved four religions: Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Catholics, and members of the Evangelical Church of Eritrea. Members of churches who are unregistered are frequently arrested. A government decree from 2002 dictated that all religious groups must register or stop their religious ceremonies. Religious groups who were not yet registered by the government but applied to be registered and even fulfilled registration requirements such as the Meherte Yesus Evangelical Prespyterian Church, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the Faith Mission Church and the Bahai Faith were ignored and even harassed by the government. The mufti of the Islamic faith and the patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church were appointed by the government. People who because of their religious beliefs refused to serve in the Armed Forces such as some Jehova’s Witnesses were incarcerated at Sawa prison, some of them since 1994, even though the maximum sentence for evading compulsory military service is two years in prison. Numerous detainees are required to sign statements repudiating their faith or agreeing not to practice it as a precondition for release. At times relatives are asked to sign for detainees who refuse to sign such documents. In total, 2,000 to 3,000 members of unregistered churches, the majority of them members of small evangelical churches are currently incarcerated in military outposts, shipping containers, and underground cells. They are detained without formal charge or trial. The latest arrests occurred from June to August 2011, when 104 Christians were arrested, of whom only six were released. Since October 2010 at least five Christians died after being tortured.

Press Freedom

For the fourth year in a row Reporters without Borders ranked Eritrea the last countries on its Press Freedom Index. It is the only African country without any independent press. Journalists either have to work for the State media or have chosen to flee the country. The journalist Paulos Kidane was shot 2007 as he tried to cross the border to Sudan. September 18, 2001 the government closed the private press for "endangering national security" and arrested many journalists after several publications printed the dissenting views of some National Assembly members. Four media contributors and at least 30 journalists are currently imprisoned under terrible conditions. Only the People’s Republic of China has imprisoned more journalists. According to Reporters without borders Amanuel Asrat, Mattewos Habteab, Temesghen Gebreyesus, Seyoum Tsehaye, Dawit Habtemichael, Dawit Isaac, Hamid Mohamed Said, Saleh Al Jezaeeri, Daniel Mussie, Ibrahim Abdella, Eyob Netserab, Isaac Abraham, Mulubrhan Habtegebriel, Girmay Abraham, Nega Woldegeorgis, Bereket Misghina, Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu, Basilios Zemo, Senait Habtu, Meles Negusse Kiflu, Mohammed Said Mohammed, Biniam Ghirmay, Esmail Abd-el-Kader, Araya Defoch, Mohammed Dafla, Simon Elias, Yemane Hagos, Stifanos (father’s name unknown), Henok (father’s name unknown), Wedi Itay, Said Abdulhai, Eyob Kessete, Nebiel Edris, Ahmed Usman, Mohamed Osman, Tesfalidet Mebrahtu and two journalists with unknown names are incarcerated.

Refugees

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 3,000 Eritreans flee the country every month to neighbouring Ethiopia and Sudan alone, even though the Eritrean government has ordered a shoot-to-kill policy along its borders. Eritrea has the highest ratio of refugees per inhabitants worldwide.

Military Conscription

National service comprises military service and development service such as construction work and is compulsory in Eritrea. It is extended indefinitely. Conscript reserve duties were extended to the age of 50. Former veterans of the Eritrean People´s Liberation Front were recalled for duty. Conscientious objection, an internationally recognized right, was denied by the government. Thousands of conscripts evaded military service or deserted by fleeing to Sudan or Ethiopia. Deserters who were captured were transported to special military holding centers where they had to endure torture or were killed. The government justifies the indefinite conscription with its unresolved border issues with Ethiopia. The government routinely carries out raids in order to find those who evaded or deserted military service. Family members of those who fled were alleged to have helped them had to pay large fines or go to prison.

With regards to bilateral and EU-relationships with Eritrea, we expect the German Government to:

• work for an end of the international isolation of Eritrea, despite the abysmal human rights situation in the country. Asmara’s support for armed groups in Somalia will only cease if its relations with Ethiopia improve. Thus, more pressure should be put on Ethiopia to comply with the recommendations of the Border Commission

   

   

• release political prisoners or give them a fair trial

   

   

• urge the Eritrean government to allow families, legal representatives and medical staff access to the imprisoned

   

  In relation to the Human Rights Council we expect the German Government to:

   

• Urge the Eritrean government to adopt a law that provides legal protection for all religious groups