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
