الخميس، 2 أكتوبر 2014

Osman Ali



His Excellency António Guterres

UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Subject: The plight of Eritrean refugees all over the world
                                                                                             Date:16/11/2012
Dear Sir,

We the representatives of Eritrean: youth organisations, political organisations opposing the dictatorial regime in Eritrea, Eritrean communities and organisations for peace and human rights who are demonstrating here today; highly appreciate the efforts of UNHCR in alleviating the suffering of refugees all over the world. We appreciate specifically the efforts of UNHCR in supporting Eritrean refuges. We would like however to bring to your attention the challenges that Eritrean refugees still face particularly in the refugee camps in Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen in terms of living conditions, health and educational services. The situation of Eritrean refugees in Sudan in particular needs a special attention. The refugee camps were established almost 50 years back and they have been totally neglected. They live under abject poverty and under very difficult conditions. Eritrean asylum seekers have been subjects of human trafficking and organized organ theft where organized criminals who operate along the Eritrean-Sudanese border kidnap Eritreans and take then to Sinai where they suffer the worst forms of human crimes.

Your Excellency,

Eritreans inside the country suffer from the worst forms of human rights abuses which we summarise here:

·        * Under the state security apparatus, Eritrea lacks a constitution which has been shelved. The country lacks essential legal instruments that define a civil sate since its independence from Ethiopia on 24.05.1991.
* The abuses of human right have reached a climax where criminal gangs of the regime pursue continuous eliminations and arrest of political opponents under the  guise of darkness and deny the knowledge of the whereabouts of the detainees. Various western human rights organisations have condemned those acts annually.
·        * None of the detainees have been brought to justice, some have been in detention since 1992 and nobody, even their families know about their whereabouts, if they were alive or dead. Reporters without Borders has classified Eritrea at the top of countries that abuse press freedom.
·        * The non-ending forced national service which covers those who are 18 – 50 years old has resulted in disrupting the development in the country and the loss of families whose bread winner is affected.
·        * The escape of youth from the country at an alarming rate (about 350 persons daily and the presence of close to 150,000 refugees in Shagrab camp in Eastern Sudan and about that number also in Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti, Libya, Egypt and Israel makes life of the youth miserable and empties the country of its working force.
·         * Physical elimination of persons who have non-conforming opinions about the regime and the public killing of youth caught fleeing the border.
·        * The absence of the freedom of worship where sheiks and priests and lecturers at higher institutions of learning are arrested, in addition to the absence of freedom of expression which is also reported by your organisation and other human rights organisations such as Reporters without Borders.
·        * Making life difficult for the ordinary citizens as to be able sell their agricultural products freely. The Government confiscates any agricultural produce and sells it to others by a price determined by the state. This is in addition to the monopoly of trade and all means of production.
·        * Indulging in wars with all neighbouring countries (Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti) and so making the Eritrean citizen fuel for its futile wars. The Eritrean regime also harbours opposition groups from neighbouring countries to destabilize the region.

Your Excellency,

Those are the factors that produce Eritrean refugees in large numbers. Unfortunately Eritrean asylum seekers have not found safety in their host countries, they live in difficult conditions neglected by international organisations which force them to try to move to other areas they consider much safer. This has subjected them to be victims of human trafficking and organ theft, a universal shame in the 21st century.

The recent decision of the Commissioner of the Sudanese city of Kassala to close the UNHCR office there for an indefinite time and without giving any reasons amounts to breach of human rights and infringement on the Geneva Convention of 1951 to which Sudan is signatory. It is unfortunate that the branch UNHCR office could not take any measures regarding this unfair decision. The decision of closing the branch office will exacerbate the situation of the refugees and make them more vulnerable to human traffickers who are active on the Eritrean-Sudanese border. The UNHCR has to take its responsibility and stop this human trafficking. There is a need for action, not just decisions.

Eritrean refugees live under difficult conditions in prisons in Yemen, Libya, Egypt and in Sudan where basic requirements according to international regulations and norms for a decent life is not available. Even those who make it to neighbouring countries and even to Europe after a long and risk journey face problems of not being recognized as refugees. Some of them even face deportation. Just to cite some examples of this problem:

·        * The Egyptian Government has during the last 3 years have deported in coordination with the Eritrean regime 1500 Eritrean asylum seekers back to Eritrea: We are aware that Egypt is one of those countries who are signatories to the Geneva convention of 1951 and the Refugee protocol of 1967 and is also party to African agreement on refugees of 1969.
·        * The Sudanese Government has deported 750 asylum seekers back to Eritrea, most of whom were women and children during 2011 – 2012.

Decisions and recommendations taken by UNHCR have not ben implemented. This shows that your organization is failing in its own mandate which makes life of Eritrean refugees more miserable. It is time for the UNHCR and other UN agencies and the international community at large to take decisive measures to end the crimes committed against Eritrean refugees in Eastern Sudan and in the Sinai desert. The UNHCR also has to provide legal protection to Eritrean refugees all over the world.

We hereby appeal to the UNHCR to:

·        * Implement its decision of  2004 which call on countries who host Eritrean asylum seekers not to forcibly return them to their home country and address the countries that took such decisions, not to repeat them again
·        * Investigate the case of Eritrean asylum seekers who disappeared crossing the Eritrean border or during the journey to their final destination so as to know their names and fate so that their family members can know what happened to their loved ones
·        * Give more focus to the situation of Eritrean refugees, particularly in Sudan and Ethiopia with regards to food, health service and educational facilities and the freedom of movement
·        * Convince the countries that take Eritrean refugees in repatriation programs to take more of them
·        * Enforce the UN security Council Decision No. 1907 taken on 23.12.2009  which sanctions the Eritrean regime due to its acts to terrorize neighbouring countries

Through the UNHCR esteemed office we call upon international human rights organisations to:
-   Pressure the Eritrean regime to allow them to visit the country and see for
    themselves the situation of Eritrean prisoners of consciousness
-   Expose the Eritrean regime’s abuses on women in Eritrea
-   Increase its efforts in exposing human rights violations in Eritrea
-   Carry on international campaigns to pressure the Eritrean regime to respect human
     rights and to release prisoners of consciousness
-    Adopt individual complaints of human rights violations before the relevant
     regional and international organisations

Your Excellency,
What we have addressed above is just the tip of the iceberg of the suffering of Eritreans at home and abroad. While we address this letter to your excellency, many of our citizens are facing slow death and hope they will solicit your support. They hope they will get the support they need to live in dignity as articulated in humanity and in all the human and religous values.
Sincerely yours,


 
osman Ali Osman

President Executive of the Eritrean Youth
Movement for Change in  Switzerland

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