Categories: News

UN must pressure Eritrea over ongoing human rights wrongs

Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 07:16 pm

International rights group, Human Rights Watch, HRW; says the United Nations must maintain considerable pressure on Eritrea to work on its ongoing human rights infractions.
They aver that despite a July 2018 peace deal with Ethiopia and improved relations with neighbours across the Horn of Africa region, Eritrea continues with policies that enforce rights abuses.

HRW’s statement of June 24 titled
Eritrea’s human rights crisis requires ongoing scrutiny, urged the Human Rights Council, HRC, of which Eritrea is a member to maintain its Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea.
It, however, bemoans the perennial lack of cooperation with past Rapporteurs. The statement stated thus: “There is no independent scrutiny in Eritrea.
“Despite sitting on the Human Rights Council, which should entail cooperation with UN rights mechanisms, Eritrea continues to deny access to the Special Rapporteur and other special procedures.
“It still forbids independent press and non-governmental organizations to operate,” it added.

The incommunicado detention of dissenting citizens, the poor conditions of detention, failure to review a national service scheme deemed to be conducted in conditions resembling enslavement are some of the known issues HRW reiterated.
A new report from the current Special Rapporteur notes that the government hasn’t yet taken any concrete steps to reform the country’s notorious open-ended and indefinite national service requirement, which all Eritreans are forced to conduct and in which abuses are rife.
HRW said Eritrea seems to have misrepresented its election to the HRC in 2018 as an endorsement by the international community for ongoings back home. At the time of their election, the country said it recognized that there was work to be done on the human rights front back home.
Eritrea weeks ago raised human rights eyebrows when reports emerged that soldiers had closed down medical facilities run by the Catholic Church, sent away sick patients, harassed staff and taken positions at the facilities.
The government has come under severe backlash for the move whiles the Church has also lashed out at what it said was a denial of proper health care to ordinary citizens who needed it most.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

Mauritius Reopens Social MediaAccess in Response to PublicPressure

Mauritius on Saturday overruled its decision to prohibit social media until the election onNovember 10th which was caused by a…

November 5, 2024

UAE Crown Prince Arrives in Ethiopia for WorldWithout Hunger Conference

The UAE’s Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan was in Addis Ababa…

November 5, 2024

Zimbabwe’s rich (Mbingas) linked to state looting

Gilbert Machokoto, a former teacher, said that setting up a business in the late 1980s, shortlyafter Zimbabwe's independence, was ‘like…

November 4, 2024

Historic Shift in Botswana as PresidentConcedes to Opposition Victory

Following elections in which the party that had ruled the diamond-rich nation for almost 60years suffered a historic setback. Botswana's…

November 4, 2024

Lightning Strike at Uganda Refugee CampClaims 14 Lives, Including Children

A lightning strike at a refugee camp in Uganda kills 14 people including children with 34 othershospitalized. The incident happened…

November 4, 2024

From television hopeful to red carpet royalty: Kuhle Adams’ journey frompresenter to South Africa’s biggest awards

From TV hopeful to red carpet royalty, Kuhle Adams' journey is a remarkable story of talentand perseverance. Beginning as an…

November 3, 2024

This website uses cookies.