Eritrea at 25 – Still in search of freedom? 25th Anniversary of the Independence of Eritrea – 24 May 2016
Eritrea at 25 – Still in search of freedom? 25th Anniversary of the Independence of Eritrea – 24 May 2016 GENEVA (23 May 2016) – Ahead of the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Independence
Eritrea at 25 – Still in search of freedom? 25th Anniversary of the Independence of Eritrea – 24 May 2016
GENEVA (23 May 2016) – Ahead of the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Independence of Eritrea on Tuesday 24 May, the United Nations expert Sheila B. Keetharuth, urges the Eritrean Government to implement the 1997 Constitution.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea also calls on all Eritreans to fully embrace democracy and the rule of law to achieve the vision established on 24 May 1991.
“The 25th Independence Anniversary celebration provides Eritreans with an opportunity to reflect on the aspirations and dreams of those who fought for independence.
The 1997 Constitution sets out the vision of what Eritrea wanted to be as a country and yet it remains unimplemented to date. As the country reaches 25 years, this constitutional vacuum provides room for arbitrariness in managing the affairs of the State and engaging with its citizens.
The independence of the country, that is, the national independence should match with individual independence and freedoms: freedom of conscience, thought, mind and expression; freedom to engage in employment and education of one’s own choice.
At 25, Eritrea needs to take decisive steps to embed democracy and the rule of law in the country. Such a move would advance respect for human rights, while further empowering the people and bridging the gaps between aspirations and reality. I call on the Government to do more to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and to establish the rule of law.
I salute the heroism and courage of all those women and men who struggled for their freedom and fought for their country’s independence. I also acknowledge the determination of those who are still engaged in preserving such hard-won freedom.”
Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea during the 21st Session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2012. She took her functions on 1 November 2012. As Special Rapporteur, she is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. A lawyer from Mauritius, she has extensive experience in monitoring and documenting human rights violations, advocacy, training and litigation in human rights in Africa. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/CountriesMandates/ER/Pages/SREritrea.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human Rights, country page – Eritrea: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AfricaRegion/Pages/ERIndex.aspx
For press inquiries and additional information, please contact Ms. Françoise Mianda (+41 22 917 92 50 / fmianda@ohchr.org) or write to sr-eritrea@ohchr.org
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michael May 24, 2016
Eritrian this is our goal let us move
Rezene haile May 24, 2016
Eritreans rounded up in Sudan
Martin Plaut / 2 hours ago
Earlier today I received a report that around 900 Eritreans have been picked up in Khartoum. They have been forcibly expelled to Eritrea. This is refoulment.
I have now received this report from the same source.
Martin
“The rounding up of Eritreans is continuing in Khartoum.
People are hiding but police and security people are looking for Eritreans everywhere. Anyone who looks Habesha [highland Eritrean] is taken from the streets without any questions.
The police take the plastic residence cards and break them on the spot and put the person into prison as an illegal migrant.
Yesterday they took about 900 people from where they worked, from the streets and from their residences. It’s going on today and getting worse.
When people showed their papers the plainclothes security people would destroy the papers and put the people on small trucks.
In addition to the 800 people who were deported while getting ready to go to Libya.
Hundreds have already been taken from the streets and from their homes this morning.
The few people who had more than 500 USD on their person have been freed after paying bribes, but they still have to hide or risk being taken again. For most refugees there isn’t enough time to collect that amount of money.
It has been weeks since the refugees couldn’t leave their homes, even to buy groceries. The police were taking money, smart phones, laptops and other valuables from homes when the refugees were taken to police stations.
Two months ago the same was happening to push people to go to Libya. When people had started moving to Egypt or just deciding to stay, the smuggling networks had started to bribe the police to help them as many clients as possible. A new route had started to Egypt at the time.
From inside Eritrea, there are no reports where the deportees are being held.
But people there are living under the same stressful security situation as the refugees in Sudan. In Asmara alone 11,000 thousand plainclothes security have been sent out to the streets.
In addition to the unreported Eritreans who have been ta
AHMED SALEH !!! May 24, 2016
The given numbers seems exaggerated . 900 refugees arrested in Sudan
and 11,000 plain clothed security officers assigned in Asmera streets
is hard to believe . I don’t think opposition Websites will ignore
this kind situations in their program .
Berhe Tensea May 24, 2016
Resen, you are right, I called Sudan this morning and they said the same thing. Where the deportees will be sent? Most probably they will end up in Wea, Kormenaea, Meatir, and other concentration camp prisons.
This deportees will be treated like herds and exposed to torture and many of them will die.
The deportees will be exposed to torture unseen by their fellow slave brothers or the aghelglot who are going to be future victims themselves.
The only solution is to fight for your right.
k.tewolde May 24, 2016
Great human rights AVOCATO, you have etched yourself and your colleagues a place in the history of Eritrean quest for true democracy.
Berhe Tensea May 24, 2016
The modern day Wube is in power to annihilate the Eritrean people. Eritreans are marching to extinction.
The Un step is a positive action but we must do every thing to support the UN to intensify the pressure till the criminal is taken into custody and made to account.
Ambabi May 24, 2016
Outset the dictator now so that we can make our dreams true.
Concerned Eritrawi May 24, 2016
Our people are celebrating the INDPENDENCE while people running for their life. If you ask them what it means to celebrate INDPENDENCE day I am not sure what they would say.
Teqera May 25, 2016
“But people there are living under the same stressful security situation as the refugees in Sudan. In Asmara alone 11,000 thousand plainclothes security have been sent out to the streets.”
This is more than truth. The enslaving Ghedli regime of Eritrea has more than 40,000 armed of regular and militia members to protect the Day of our beloved “Liberation” around asmara.
The issue here is why are the Arab Abeed of General al Bashir and many sahsah Arabs abusing the Eritreans from the the filthy Bedewins to the wretched Arab Rashaydas?
HANA SIMON May 27, 2016
Sheila B. Keetharuth is not fair please dont blame eritrea and the government.you speak always against eritrea speak the write and truth ma fucker pitch TEREWAET NEKAL