The Eritrean regime is about to celebrate its 24th year in power while the Eritrean population continues to suffer from grave human rights violations and lives in fear. Since the end of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry, we have yet to see improvements in the livesofeverydaypeople. The terror and the abuse ofpowerhasweakenedEritrean society at its core, andaccordingtoMédecins Sans Frontières, fleeing Eritreans sustain severe scars, injuries, and psychological damage.

Mr. President, in June last year Eritreans showed up en masse to demonstrate their support for the Commission of Inquiry in front of this very building. They have not been heard, the international community has failed to act in accordance with the gravity of the Commission of Inquiry’s report. A Government has been accused of committing crimes against humanity, and it is the duty of this Council and its members to ensure that the individuals responsible are prosecuted.

Finally, I urge the Eritrean government to act responsibly during this migratory crisis and substantiallydemonstratepoliticalwillto solve it by respecting and upholding the fundamental rights of its people and commit to the concrete improvement of its state institutions.BecausetodayMr. President, although they are well aware of the many dangers on the path to Europe and the tightening of European asylum policies, many young Eritreans still consider that their life is safer on rafts in the Mediterranean or in freezing camps in Europe than in their home country.

For more information, please contact

Hassan Shire
ExecutiveDirector,EastandHorn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
executive@defenddefenders.org or +256 772 753 753
(English and Somali)

Clementine de Montjoye
Advocacy & Research Officer, East & Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
on advocacy@defenddefenders.org or +256 779 673 378
(English and French)

East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project

DefendDefenders seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders throughout the region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights.

DefendDefenders focuses its work on Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia (together with Somaliland), South Sudan,Sudan,TanzaniaandUganda. Visit us atwww.defenddefenders.org