Eritrea Profile_20062015

Vol 21. No. 32
Saturday, June 20th, 2015
Pages 8, Price 2.00 NFA
Remembrance Prayers & Candlelight Vigils
in Honor of Eritrea’s Martyrs
Furthermore, Eritrean nationals at home and abroad
conducted indoor and outdoor candlelight vigils in honor of June 20.
Addressing the gathering at Bahti Meskerem Square,
the Administrator of the Central region, Maj. General
Ramadan Osman Awliyai, noted that the sense of selflessness and dedication are some of the distinct core
values that explain Eritrean people’s resilience and their
ability to withstand all challenges. He further added that
Eritreans, whether at home or abroad, must strengthen
their celebrated unity and uphold the solemn promise
made to the country’s Martyrs.
Prayer service at St Michael’s Church
Abune Basilios, Administrator of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, Abune Yohannes, Pope of
the Northern and Southern regions, and Sheikh AlAmin Osman, the Eritrean Mufti, respectively presided over the prayer services, in which hundreds of
people participated.
Prayer service at the Al-Khulafae Al-Rashideen Mosque
Artistic exhibition depicting
Eritrea’s history of Resilience
Artist Ghidei Ghebremichael’s work on display
The work highlights the barbaric
acts of Ethiopian colonizers meted
against innocent Eritrean citizens
In this regard, the Delegation
called for the expeditious implementation of the outcomes of the
Regional Conference on Human
Trafficking and Smuggling in the
Horn of Africa held in Khartoum,
Sudan from October 13 to 16,
2014.
The Assembly of Heads of
State and Government accepted
Eritrea’s call and endorsed the
outcomes of the Regional Conference.
Moreover, during the discussions on the reform of the UN and
Africa’s increased representation
in the UN Security Council, the
Eritrean Delegation underscored
the need to reaffirm the African
Common Position on the issue as
contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
The Delegation also called for
redoubling AU’s efforts to garner
support from other countries and
regional groupings to the African
Common Position, and cautioned
against piecemeal approach to the
reform process.
Over 3.5 billion Nakfa
distributed to Martyrs’ families
The Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare released a statement
saying that over Nfa. 3.5 billion
had been disbursed to Martyrs’
families over the past 10 years.
The artist on display is Ghidei
Ghebremichael and the exhibition
is located outside the building of
the Ministry of Education in the
capital, Asmara.
The Eritrean Delegation which
participated in the 25th Summit of
the African Union (AU) held in
South Africa from June 7 to 15,
stated that human trafficking and
smuggling are among the most
serious contemporary challenges
confronting the African continent and that the scourges have
claimed and continue to claim the
lives of thousands of Africans, especially youth.
The Delegation clarified that
Eritrea, as one of the countries
affected, has been closely working with its neighbors, countries
of transit and destination as well
as the AU and other regional
and international organizations
to combat the problem of human
trafficking.
Prayer services were conducted yesterday at St.
Michael’s Church and the Al-Khulafae Al-Rashideen
Mosque in Asmara in honor of Eritrea’s fallen heroes
and heroines.
Ambassador Zemede Tekle,
Commissioner of Culture and
Sports, opened an art exhibition
depicting the barbaric acts of Ethiopian colonizers against peaceful
Eritrean citizens, as part of a series
of commemorative events in honor
of June 20.
Eritrea Calls Attention to
Human Trafficking
Mr. Zerai Tekleab, an official
at the Ministry, explained that the
Government of Eritrea created a
monthly benefit scheme back in
January 2004. Eritrean citizens, at
home and abroad, as well as members of the Eritrean Defense Force
have all contributed to this endeavor through various activities.
The students explained that this
some was collected overtime with
each one of them contributing 2
Nakfa a day for several months.
In a show of solidarity with
Martyrs families, students at the
Yis’hak Tewoldemedhin Secondary School have raised over 33
thousand Nakfa in support of the
Martyrs fund.
The beneficiaries commended
this particular initiative and said
that the gesture attests to the commitment of fellow citizens to honor
the trust of Martyrs.
between 1967 and 1975. More specifically, the exhibition highlights
the slaughter of innocent civilians
in the Hazemo region of Eritrea.
Similarly, a documentary film
and pictorial exhibition portraying
similar enemy acts in Adi-Ibrihim,
Adi-Kukei, Megoraib, Metkelabet,
She’ibgedged, Ailet, and 62 other
villages, as well as Asmara, are
featured at the show.
Moreover, the PFDJ branch in
the Central region has organized
different artistic performances and
other events in honor of Martyrs
Day.
Martyrs family receiving gift at YT Secondary School
2
Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
Eve of June 20: Eritrea’s Martyrs
Commemoration Day
Billion Temesghen
Eritrea claimed its independence
after a bitter 30 years war having
paid a heavy price - precious sons
and daughters, mothers and fathers,
uncles and aunts, old and young…
all of whom we honor and commemorate today.
The Independence and the selfsustained nation building process
we joyfully celebrate in May is an
unmistakable result of the incredible
sacrifice of our martyrs and fallen
heroes and heroines that altruistically gave their lives both for our
independence obtained in 1991 and
for the sovereignty of our country
during intermittent acts of hostility
and agression.
Eritrea’s Martyrs commemoration
day is the most profoundly felt day
in our calendar, it is time in which
bitter sweet sensations dominate every Eritrean soul. It is also a time of
pride in which we officially renew
our vow to which Eritreans live up
to every day.
These past few days have seen
school events, exhibitions and different memorial services organized
by a number of organizations and
Government ministries. The Eritrean flag is on display everywhere
and streets are decked with symbols
and emblems that highlight the occasion.
The artistic exhibition of Ghidey
Ghebremichael is being displayed
in front of the Ministry of Education’s building, in Asmara, showing
life sized impressions of a group of
travelers being massacred at a check
point. It is actually a token from an
actual event that occurred in 1975.
Every mosque and church in Eritrea held remembrance and dedication prayers on the morning of June
19. Moreover the morning was glorified by a commemorational masssport sponsored and organized by
the Olympic medalist Zerisenay
Tadesse. The event took place in
Asmara in two sections. The first
road race of 10k started at the Bahti
Meskerem Square, for professionals, representing several teams from
all over the country. The second
segment involved a wide range of
voluntary participants of all ages, including ministers and officials.
As the evening deepens, and we
reach the eve of May 20th Eritrea’s
Martyrs Day, habitually it has been
a heartfelt and distinguished event;
when from the youngest to the oldest of the family flocks out on the
roads with candle lights in honor
and tribute to the glorious children,
parents and siblings. The candle
light memorial service just like the
previous ones and those many to
come, is underway with a majestic
noble sense of honor, gratitude and
remembrance felt by all.
Our martyrs will always be in our
hearts, they belong to us and live
trough us.
Abiding Commitment
At the present juncture when the Eritrean people at home and
abroad are once again commemorating Martyrs Day, they equally
reaffirm their resolve to pay the debt owed to our fallen heroes –
the nation’s dear sons and daughters who laid down their lives to
restore the dignity of fellow compatriots.
Indeed, such an attribute constitutes a distinguishing asset for
our people who rightly take pride in standing firm and united
against all odds.
In concrete expression of living up to the Trust of Martyrs,
Eritrean nationals inside the country and the Diaspora are duty
bound to exert unreserved effort to build a secure and prosperous
nation.
Moreover, our patriotic people need to mount ever more resolute
resistance against anti-Eritrea machinations that date back to
the Cold War era. This characteristic attribute of the Eritrean
people still remains a source of pride and dignity to our beloved
Homeland.
NEWS BRIEFS
Eritrean nationals in Jeddah commemorate Martyrs Day
Eritrean nationals living in Jeddah city and its environs pledged to
continue supporting 73 families of fallen heroes, while NUEW-branch
members contributed 2,700 Riyal. Furthermore, the taxi owners association stated that they would provide continuous support to 30 martyrs’ families and raised 180 thousand Nakfa. Additionally, Mr. Fitusm
Tewoldemedhim, an Eritrean national residing in Riyadh city has contributed 20 thousand Nakfa to the Martyrs Trust Fund.
Workshop in different German cities in progress
Thousands march through Independence Ave and gather at Bahti Meskerem for candlight vigil
Eritreans in Khartoum Support National Development
Published Every
Saturday & Wednesday
Mr. Ibrahim Idris, Charge d’Affairs in the Eritrean Embassy, said
that community members are making significant contribution in support of national development drive. He further indicated that fostering
relations of partnership and portraying Eritrea’s correct image are being given due attention.
Acting Editor
Amanuel Mesfun
amme@zena.gov.er
Aforestation And Wildlife Conservation Activities In
Anseba Region
P.O.Box: 247
Tel: 11-41-14
Fax: 12-77-49
E-mail:
profile@ zena.gov.er
Advertisement: 12-50-13
Layout
azieb habtemariam
As part of initiatives to set up a National Committee in a number of
German cities, members of Eritrean organizations in Monchengladbach, Oberhausen, Krefeld and Recklinghausen organized workshop
to this end. The participants of the workshop put forth proposals aimed
at reinforcing organizational capacity towards backing up the development drive in the Homeland.
Running in honor of June 20
Anseba regional Administration has secured a “Dima Award” sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture upon registering commendable
outcome in afforestation as well as wildlife, soil and water conservation. According to reports, the inhabitants of the region continue to
practice judicious application of the available natural resources, apart
from the introduction of energy-saving devices like the smokeless Ahdanet stove.
3
Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
Doubts Emerge Over
UN Eritrea Human Rights Report
Ray Ja Fraser
Last week, the United Nations
Commission of Inquiry (COI),
created to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Eritrea, produced its final report.
The COI report was widely covered by the mainstream press, and
has led to a substantial amount of
discussion regarding Eritrea. The
report has also come in for considerable criticism, with several
detailed articles rebutting different parts of the report.
Notably, the last few days have
uncovered more problems with
the COI report.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2015,
Sheila Keetharuth, who served
as the lone Special Rapporteur
on the Human Rights Situation
in Eritrea (and one of the authors
of the COI) appeared on AlJazeera’s The Stream interactive
show alongside three members of
the Eritrean Diaspora.
Two of the members offered
views and perspectives that were
in direct contradiction to Keetharuth’s claims (and the general COI
report).
The show clearly illustrated that
understandings and reflections
about Eritrea are much broader
than those presented within the
report.
view and account of the situation
in Eritrea, those viewpoints and
statements must be considered.
Hours later, Nevsun Resources
Ltd., a mining company that has
been working in Eritrea for several years, released a statement.
Cliff Davis, CEO of Nevsun
stated that the human rights allegations within the COI report
were “sensational and unbelievable…[and] made without visiting
either the mine or the country.”
Davis also made reference to a
human rights impact assessment
report on the Bisha mine which
stands in stark contrast to the COI
report.
The report was published by
two independent investigators,
including Lloyd Lipsett, a distinguished international human
rights lawyer, after trips to Eritrea
and the Bisha mine.
Additionally, Davis revealed
that despite attempts by Nevsun
to engage with the COI, the commission “chose not to engage with
the Company to verify any basic
facts or allegations or to report
on the Company’s independent
human rights assessment.” As a
result, “this brings into serious
question the methodology, process and collation of information”
within the COI report.
Accordingly, why has Keetharuth only now begun to engage
with the wide spectrum of viewpoints (i.e. after the publication of
the COI)?
Ultimately, the show on AlJazeera and the revelations by
Nevsun underscore the considerable problems with the COI report’s data and methods of collection.
During the show, Keetharuth
suggested that thousands of letters, statements, and enquiries
from the Diaspora were not considered due to a technical issue
(i.e. addressed to the special rapporteur rather than the commission).
Without including information
and views from Nevsun or the
broader Diaspora, Keetharuth and
the COI fail to meet their mandate
requirements, that is to “ensure the
participation of all relevant stakeholders.” Consequently, the COI
report is considerably flawed.
Is that good enough? Does that
make the statements of thousands
of individuals invalid or inadmissible?
Surely if the aim is to present
an accurate, objective, impartial
Nevsun’s Update on
Human Rights
Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:
NSU) (NYSE MKT: NSU) (Nevsun or the Company) is pleased to
provide an update on its human
rights record in response to recent
media speculation.
Human rights record highlights
•
Nevsun commissioned
an independent human rights impact assessment (HRIA) in 2013
•
HRIA carried out by reputable international human rights
lawyer
•
Assessment was completed with cooperation of the
State of Eritrea
•
Stakeholder engagement
included over 150 local residents
and a wide range of other external
stakeholders
•
Published in April 2014
the HRIA report, which recommendations are being adopted at
Bisha
•
Follow-up independent
audit underway in 2015
The independent HRIA which
was completed in April 2014 can
be found on the Company’s website.
In addition, the Company will
shortly receive the results of a follow-up audit on its human rights
programs at the Bisha Mine. This
report will also be posted on the
Company’s website.
The Company and its partner ENAMCO are committed to
transparency and their ongoing
commitments with respect to human rights.
Company to verify any basic facts
or allegations or to report on the
Company’s independent human
rights assessment.
This brings into serious question the methodology, process
and collation of information in
their report.
Nevsun remains firmly committed to compliance with Eritrean
national law and the continuation
of international standards and
practices with respect to human
rights.
Cliff Davis, CEO of Nevsun
commented, “A recent United Nations Commission report included
some sensational and unbelievable human rights allegations
with respect to the Bisha Mine,
which allegations were made
without visiting either the mine or
the country.
We also remain committed to
dialogue with the Commission,
other UN agencies and stakeholder groups.”
Despite attempts by Nevsun
to engage with the Commission,
it chose not to engage with the
http://www.nevsun.com/responsibility/human-rights
For more information on
the Company’s commitment
to
human
rights
please
visit our website:
4
Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
Commission of Inquiry Report:
Devoid of Credibility and Substance
1.
The Commission of Inquiry and Special Rapporteur (SR) appointed as special mandate-holders
to assess the human rights situation
in Eritrea have released two parallel
reports. As well-meaning as their
initial mandates may appear before members of the Human Rights
Council (HRC), it appears that the
record and evidence regarding both
special mandate-holders reveal
that they were extra-procedurally
appointed, overstepped the terms
of their mandates in their investigation of Eritrea and published
reports that do not represent an objective analysis of the human rights
situation in Eritrea.
2.
The Commission report
and the process of its compilation,
bereft of neutrality and impartiality, represents numerous substantive
and procedural shortcomings that
defy, in both letter and spirit, the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the guiding principles
the HRC. The premises forwarded
in the 484-page report of the Commission, in particular, is filled with
bias, errors, unsubstantiated and illogical claims, misrepresentations
and evidentiary weaknesses that
are used to reach final and extraordinary conclusions.
Issues of Methodology
3.
Evidence from the process of forwarding the resolutions
for the special mandate-holders violates the guiding principles of the
HRC. The main architects of the
resolution establishing the Commission, one influential HRC member state in particular, hand-twisted
three African countries to cosponsor the draft resolutions against Eritrea. Notably, they failed to make
it an official African Group position because the Group’s standing
position does not support countryspecific mandates. Drafts were intentionally kept secret until the 11th
hour in order to deny informed and
objective decisions by delegates.
In the end, Eritrea was unlawfully
subjected to duplicate mandates.
4.
The failure of the Commission was also manifested in
the methods of work section as
expressed in paragraph 6 of the
report. The resolution establishing
this mandate failed to adequately
specify the temporal scope of
the Commission, which theoretically can span any time period in
Eritrean history. The Commission
determined the period of investigation for itself as a continuation of
the ongoing violation of the guiding resolutions. This is a grave
substantive oversight in which the
Commission overstepped its authority to determine the temporal
scope. 5.
The Commission lowered
its standard of proof to the neverseen-before, exceptional and unprecedented, “reasonable grounds
to believe. Using such language
highlights, once again, the inquisitional nature of the Commission.
The justification for using this
lowered standard is that the Commission was not allowed into Eritrea and that there was a “lack of
cooperation” by the Eritrean State.
It goes on to state that their chosen
standard of proof was “consistent
with the practice of other United
Nations fact-finding bodies, especially those which have not been
granted access to the territory
where the alleged violations have
occurred.” No other Commissions
are explicitly cited because this
is not, in fact, true. Justifying the
Commission’s violations of HRC
procedures based on the violations
of past Commissions is not acceptable by any honest observer. Given
that the Commission was extraprocedurally appointed, Eritrea
reserves the right to deny entry to
the Commission and its ensuing
fishing expedition into Eritrea. Eritrea is essentially left with a choice
of accepting the lesser of two evils:
to undergo a fishing expedition
or to submit to an exceptionally
low standard of evidence. Eritrea
chooses to make no such choice. 6.
The report selectively
cites dubious sources using questionable methodologies. There is
little credibility to this report as it
relies on claims emanating from
self-described “human rights activists” with openly declared regimechange agenda, challenging the
very sovereignty of the Eritrean
state. Additionally, the majority of
the claims made in the report come
from 550 anonymous individuals
who are comprised of refugees,
whose pending asylum cases are often contingent upon hyperbolic accounts of persecution from repression. This represents an obvious
and stark conflict of interest. The
sample of 550 individuals is not
representative of the vast majority
of Eritreans abroad and inside the
country. Notably, the Commission
also rejected the requests of more
than the 200 Eritrean community
organizations wishing to discuss
the issue with the SR and the Commission.
7.
Moreover, the heavy reliance on refugee testimonies and
information from countries with a
belligerent stance on Eritrea such
as Ethiopia and Djibouti is also
a continued violation of guiding
principles of the HRC.
8.
The methods of fielding
testimonies represent both “selection” and “sampling” bias, which
are perhaps the most fundamental
flaws of any survey-based research
of this sort. The Commission and
SR did not field testimony from
one open source in which all willing participants could add their input and then be randomly sampled,
as would be the case with strong
investigative studies. Additionally, there were no indications of
“blinding” to protect against potential bias of the Commission.
Lastly, there was no third party to
overlook the ethical basis and credibility of work by the Commission
and SR such as an Institutional Review Board. For this reason, there
is no way to ascertain that solicitation of testimonies was done in an
ethical manner free of bias. Since
the final conclusions of the report
are principally based on testimonies acquired from these flawed
methodologies, those final conclusions come into question.
9.
The Commission deliberately excluded the voice of mining
companies that were targeted by
the report. Human rights groups
and Corporate Social Responsibility groups investigating the work
of local mining companies visa-vis human rights were also ignored and excluded from the final
report despite multiple attempts
to reach out. The press release of
one mining company indicated
that “despite attempts by Nevsun
to engage with the Commission,
it chose not to engage with the
Company to verify any basic facts
or allegations or to report on the
Company’s independent human
rights assessment. This brings into
serious question the methodology,
process and collation of information in their report.”
“Crimes Against Humanity”
10. Based on numerous unsubstantiated claims of crimes that
have presumably been committed
by the Eritrean government, the
Commission concluded that there
were human rights violations that
were “systematic, widespread, and
gross.” In order to support such an
extraordinary conclusion the Commission would have had to prove
the veracity of the alleged crimes
and that these were State sanctioned or allowed to take place
without the State taking measures
to prevent them or to punish those
responsible. On the contrary, the
Government of Eritrea, despite its
limited resources and its relatively
short history, has taken numerous
measure to combat crimes that take
place within its jurisdiction.
11. The Commission also
concludes, “some of these violations may constitute crimes against
humanity.” Since there is no evidentiary support for the claim of
“systematic, widespread and gross
human rights violations”, then it
follows that there equally no support for the final conclusion of
“crimes against humanity” being
committed by the Government of
Eritrea.
“General Lack of Rule of Law”
12. Contrary to the false
claims made by the Commission
that there is a “general lack of rule
of law in the country”, Eritrea is
governed by the rule of law. The
Government has enacted and implemented 176 Proclamations and
more than 120 Legal Notices since
independence twenty-four years
ago. The recent revision of the
Transitional codes and the enacting
of new Civil and Penal Codes that
are in consonance with universally
accepted standards and norms is
another attestation of the Government’s continuous commitment to
strengthen the rule of law. The enforcement of the rule of law is in
fact vividly reflected in the social
cohesion and harmony, peace and
stability, dignified life, enjoyment
of fundamental rights, and active
and responsible participation of
citizens that prevail in the country.
13. Furthermore, Eritrea has
signed and ratified numerous International Conventions and Instruments. These have been incorporated in its domestic laws and are
diligently observed. The claim
that there is no rule of law is thus
grossly at variance with the prevailing reality and only peddled for
political ends.
“Controlled Surveillance System”
14. The Commission of Inquiry alludes to the government’s
use of “a pervasive spying and
surveillance system” to target its
citizens at home and abroad in order to create a “general climate of
fear”. The Commission then cites
the “coupon system originally created to allow accesses to subsidize
goods” as a principal instrument of
government surveillance inside the
country. This is patently false. The
Government subsidizes education
– which is free from kindergarten
to University – and health services.
Food subsidy, for certain essential
commodities, is part and parcel of
this approach and it is essentially
geared to provide safety-net to lowincome segments of the population
from market shocks. Due to financial constraints, the coupon system
exists in a handful of urban areas
only. So its outreach is extremely
limited even if it were to be used
for the spurious objectives that the
Commission insinuates. Similarly,
Eritrea’s diplomatic presence in
few capitals – most of which are
have skeletal and even only onediplomat staff – can hardly be used
to spy on the almost one million
strong Eritreans abroad. These accusations are thus groundless and
further illustrate the politically motivated nature of the report.
Sexual Violence Against Women
15. The Commission’s report
claims that “violence against women is to such a degree it also constitutes sexual slavery and torture.”
Such a remarkable claim requires
ample evidence in its support.
However, in its Methods of Work
section, the Commission admits
to “significant difficulties in the
investigation and documentation”
of such claims. It further admits
that its sample, which is not representative of the larger Eritrean
community, may have led it to
“only partially capture the extent”
of challenges faced by Eritrean
women refugees. Furthermore, it
must be noted that Eritrea’s Penal
Code contains explicit provisions
for severe punishment against rape
and/or sexual violence. Eritrean
women had played an unparalleled
role in the liberation struggle and
gender equality constitutes a fundamental pillar in Independent Eritrea’s political, social and economic dynamics and development. In
brief, there is no space for sexual
slavery and widespread, systemic,
violence against women.
Travesty of International Law
and Sovereign Rights
16. The Commission and the
SR as supposed independent experts have failed to recognize the
interdependence between peace
and security, economic, social and
cultural rights in addition to civil
and political rights. The 1941 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states, “that all human rights are
universal, indivisible, interrelated,
interdependent and mutually reinforcing and that all human rights
must be treated in a fair and equal
manner on the same footing and
with the same emphasis.” However, in spite of the equality among
rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights still
holds that “no social phenomenon
is as comprehensive in its assault
on human rights as poverty.” However, the Commission takes it upon
itself to downplay the role of poverty, stating that the “dire economic
situation in a country cannot be an
excuse.”
17. The Commission fails
continued on page 5
5
Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
Continued from page 4
COI: Devoid of...
to adequately recognize that sovereign Eritrean territories remain
under Ethiopian occupation in
defiance of international law.
The Occupation is a violation of
the 2000 Algiers Agreement, the
Hague Conventions of 1899 and
1907, and the Geneva Convention
IV. In March 2012, Ethiopia initiated unprovoked attacks on Eritrea without previous and explicit
warning, violating Article 1 of the
1907 Hague Convention (III) relative to the Opening of Hostilities.
Also, Eritrea is under the regime
of unjust UN sanctions, hampering
economic investment and development. These externally imposed
factors must be taken into serious
consideration when analyzing the
human rights situation in Eritrea.
“National Service as Forced
Labor”
18. The Commission claims
that “national service is based on
conditions and measures that are
not proportionate, reasonable or
necessary in the interest of national
defense.” It is not within the Commission’s expertise or mandate to
determine this on behalf of the Eritrean people and government. The
Commission is effectively denying
the Eritrean people the right to defend themselves in an existential
crisis against a foe 15 to 20 times
their total population size.
19. Furthermore, the Commission has failed to refer to independently carried out research
including those made by the Home
Office of the United Kingdom, the
fact-finding mission of the Danish
Immigration Service, and a delegation from the Norwegian Ministry
of Justice. Observations published
by these foreign delegations that
have actually visited Eritrea, unlike the Commission, demonstrate
the huge discord between the Commission’s conclusions regarding
national service and the realities on
the ground.
20. As far as the extended nature of national service in Eritrea,
the Commission yet again ignores
the fact that by law national service is only required for eighteen
months. However, due to Ethiopia’s refusal to abide by a final and
binding ruling and the international
community’s continued indifference to this deliberate flaunting of
international law by Ethiopia, the
Government of Eritrea had been
left with no other choice but to rely
on its population to defend its independence and sovereignty. Despite
continued challenges, the Eritrean
Government is making concerted
efforts to provide the requisite educational and job opportunities for
those who fulfill their national service obligations.
Expanded Engagement and Cooperation on Human Rights
21. Despite
twenty-four
years of hostilities and challenges
to Eritrea’s sovereignty, development and political progress, the
nation has achieved steady gains
in almost all sectors. Eritrea has
worked closely and transparently
with all concerned international
partners and stakeholders within
the framework of the Universal Periodic Review to develop Eritrea’s
human rights system. Eritrea has
also worked closely with the local
UN Country Team and is now one
of very few countries in the world
on track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals.
Conclusion
22. In its conclusion, the
Commission reiterates the outrageous allegations based on speculation, hearsay and unsubstantiated
claims made throughout the report.
The advanced unedited version,
in particular, states unequivocally
“that systematic, widespread and
gross human rights violation have
been and are being committed by
the Government of Eritrea” and
“that the violations in the areas of
extrajudicial executions, torture
(including sexual torture), national
service and forced labour may constitute crimes against humanity.”A
report of this nature and magnitude
would seemingly require much
more than the rushed lifespan of
the investigation and compiling of
the report.
23. Furthermore, the Commission’s recommendation to the
international community “to assist
Eritrea and Ethiopia to solve the
border issue through diplomatic
means”is a violation of the 2000
Algiers Agreement that obligates
both countries to accept the “final
and binding” borderdelimitation
decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia
Border Commission (EEBC).Any
calls for additional dialogue or revisions to the EEBC decision by
Ethiopia or the international community is a violation of Article
4.2 of the Algiers Agreement that
clearly stipulates that “the Commission shall not have the power to
make decisions ex aequo et bono”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara
19 June 2015
The Essence of Martyrs’ Day
Meron Abraha
June 20, Eritrea’s Martyrs’ Day,
is a day of deep significance to Eritreans worldwide. June 20 is a day
when we remind ourselves of the
promises we made to our martyrs in
safeguarding our sovereignty, building a prosperous country and, most
of all, looking after the families they
left behind. Tens of thousands of
Eritreans died giving their life for
its independence and territorial integrity, leaving a memory of a noble
cause in the hearts of their fellow
compatriots.
Over 85,000 martyrs in a small
population of less than five million is
simply huge, implying that virtually
every family has lost a close relative
for Eritrea’s freedom. No wonder the
sacrifice is deeply felt! What is truly
wondrous, however, is the sense of
responsibility and rededication Eritreans show every year on June 20
to remain truthful to the pledge of
their fallen heroes and heroines and
the liberating vision that guided Eritrea’s bitter thirty years long struggle
for independence and the shorter but
just as significant war in defense of
the country’s sovereignty. To honor
these valiant souls, Eritreans all over
the world hold various commemorative events. In Asmara, prayer
services are conducted at St. Michael’s Church and Al-Khulafae AlRashideen Mosque. In the evening,
street lights are put out and candle
lanterns are lit.
A distinct feature of Martyrs’ Day
commemorations is the candlelight
vigil. People from all walks of life
go out into the streets holding candles and wax tapers, and congregate
in a gathering at the Bahti Meskerem Square, where a number of
artistic works are displayed during
the course of the ceremony. Others
stay at home and light candles with
portraits of martyrs and certificates
of patriotism. No nation, perhaps,
has penned more poems and songs
in honor of its martyrs than Eritrea.
The artists vary greatly: some are
veteran fighters, others are young
generation artists. But their message
is profound and consistent – respect
and gratitude for Eritrea’s tens of
thousands of martyrs, strong commitment to support and look after
their families and a quiet determination to build a nation worthy of their
sacrifices. They all call on the fallen
heroes to ‘Rest in Peace.’
A septuagenarian father, who
lived abroad before coming home
for good in 2003, has two of his five
children who fell for the glory of the
nation and one is serving in the national service. Not very long ago, we
were talking about the significance
of Martyrs’ Day and he said:
“Every family in this country has
sacrificed at least one for the cause
of freedom, and each year as June 20
comes, the nation gathers to honor
and remember its heroes. But is remembering enough? When I think
of my sons and thousands like them
who fell for the good of their people,
I ask myself whether we are living
up to their trust. Their pledge was
building a free and prosperous country. Are we trying to do that?”
He further said that we should be
transparent in our actions and do everything in our power to move our
development forward, and that we
need to harmonize our efforts for the
good of our people. “If each one of
us contributes just a small part, our
combined efforts can bring about
miracles. So I would like to stress on
the point that Martyrs’ Day should
not be a day of sadness, instead it
has to be a day when we resolve to
speed up the momentum gathered in
nation building and bring the mission that our martyrs entrusted us to
its completion,” he recommended.
Last Thursday, I ventured into a
good friend of mine who had just
been to a Martyrs’ Day commemorative event at the Eritreo-German
hall. She told me that she had witnessed a rather astonish episode
during the event. According to her,
well-known singer Tesfay (Fihira)
was performing one of his songs
pertaining to the auspicious day and
abruptly cut the song short and talked about how Martyrs’ Day should
not be a day of sadness and solemnity, but rather one of rejoicing and
celebration. In saying so, he started
performing a different song with a
vibrant guayla tune.
In his song Fihira stressed that
we should not be weeping but rather
celebrate what our Martyrs have
done for us with jubilation as long
as we step up our efforts in bringing
their dream of a free and prosperous
Eritrea to reality.
The late legendary Eritrean singer, Yemane (Baria) had also admonished against bitter sadness:
May you find strength parents of
heroes
Don’t mourn bitterly, for your
conscience not to wear out
Let our enemy shrivel, instead of
you
On the contrary, be honored and
proud
It’s because of your children
That light is abound, peace is
abound…
In the Eritrean society, where the
dead are mourned with grave solemnity, it is common to observe
Martyrs’ Day with an equally solemn commemoration. Families and
friends go to the Patriots’ Cemetery
to visit the graves and converse with
their loved heroes and heroines.
Mothers shed tears of pride, love
and longing. Children chant songs
promising they will carry on the
legacy entrusted to the. So on and
so on.
Yakob Abrehaley, who runs his
family’s business in Asmara, is the
youngest of a family of four. Meaza,
the first-born of the family, and her
younger brother, Abesari, both died
during the armed struggle. Esau, Yakob’s twin brother, was killed during Ethiopia’s war of aggression in
2000. Now, Yakob looks after his
ageing parents. He said that every
year on Martyrs’ Day he goes to the
Patriots’ Cemetery and “talk to Esau
and assure him that the national sovereignty he fell for is still intact and
that I’m ready to carry on his legacy
if situations require it.” Yakob said
that he named his firstborn Esau.
“I wanted him to know that his
name represents someone dear to
my heart, because that’s what martyrs are to Eritreans: always in their
heart,” Yakob said.
All the above attest to the particularly strong attachment Eritrea has
for its finest men and women who
gave their lives for its independence;
and hence the constant reminder that
they should rest in peace:
With our blood and voices
We have made independence a
reality
Rest in peace martyrs!
Rejoice Eritrea
Your flag is hoisted high
Our enemies have been overcome
And reigning is us, your owners
Rest in peace, Martyrs!
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Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
“GoE emphasizes its deep
commitment to Martyrs’ families…”
June 20, Eritrean Martyrs’ Day,
is a day of great significance to
Eritreans worldwide. It is an occasion where nationals reiterate their
commitment to honor the fallen heroes. Parallel with this the Eritrean
Government has been working
in augmenting the martyrs’ trust
funds on the basis of a monthly
benefit scheme. On this special occasion Eritrea Profile conducted
an interview with Mr. Mihreteab
Fessehaye, Director General of the
Human Welfare in the Ministry of
MLHW.
What is the impact 20th June Eritrea’s Martyr’s day has?
side the country. It is an occasion
to solemnly remember the pledges
we made to support their children,
wives and parents. Most of all, during this day we renew our promises
and commitments to build a prosperous country where social justice
prevails.
the needy and disadvantaged members of their community. Hence to
realize the fulfillment of this noble
culture and tradition of cooperation,
the Government promulgated proclamation NO 48-1994, in which it is
asserted that support of various kind
will be extended to the families and
dependents of our martyrs.
Moreover, although this is almost a daily routine in the Eritrean
families, it is an important occasion
whereby the history of the sacrifice
paid and success achieved must be
retold and narrated to children and
youth of the present generation born
after the independence. This will
ensure the nourishment of our hard
won independence.
This proclamation, in effect, legally entitled the beneficiaries to
claim for support. In 1994, the then
new Government of the state of Eritrea gave 10,000 Nakfa to each of
the martyrs’ beneficiaries. It was a
period when it had limited resource
at its disposal.
As we all know very well, 84.000
heroes and heroines of Eritrea, paid
their lives to ensure our National
independence and subsequent preservation
of our country’s sovereignty. Our martyrs are from a
broad spectrum of livelihood, ages,
sex, ethnic, backgrounds across the
country. They were all in their active
and productive ages and took on the
responsibility of offering hope for
the survival of their people. This
colossal and unprecedented human
sacrifice laid the foundation for the
vigilance and self - reliance of the
general public which is playing a
critical role in the reconstruction and
development of our country.
Therefore, it has become part of
our tradition and culture to think
about our martyrs in connection to
the progress and commitment we
make in the reconstruction of the
country and the support we extend
to the families of martyrs. 20th June
1982 was selected to be the official
day to commemorate our martyrs
mainly because; June 20th 1982
marked the end of the Six offensive
in our victory but also marking the
offensive in which the highest number of martyrdom.
Our martyrs are remembered in all
our daily prayers. And indeed it has
become the norm to open and close
all our meetings, gatherings and National holydays with a minute of silence of their remembrance.
The policy and principles of the
people and the Government of the
State of Eritrea emphasizes the deep
commitment it upholds to the martyrs’ families in order to revive and
sustain their livelihoods. This is, of
course, in harmony with the long
lived tradition and culture of the Eritrean people to provide assistance to
That is why June 20 is commemorated by all Eritreans inside and out-
Tell us briefly about the assistance extended by the government
to families of martyrs.
Although, the number of dependents of the survivors of martyr substantially increased after the border
conflict with Ethiopia which lasted
from 1998 to 200, he government
despite its limited resources continued its support to the target beneficiaries.
This unflinching commitment
on the part of the government
was backed by proclamation NO.
137/2003 that ensures the allocation
of safety net provision of a grant
fund of Nakfa 500 a month for a
martyr’s dependents –children, widows, spouses and surviving biological parents.
Although the ministry of labor and
human welfare is entrusted with the
overall responsibility of ensuring the
implementation of the scheme, it is
the National Insurance Corporation
of Eritrea that disburses the monthly
payments provided for in the proclamation. Starting 2004 to may 2010,
the actual amount thus disbursed
amounted to 2 billion Nakfa.
In addition to the above, the orphans of martyrs have been provided with long-term support to enable
them to carry on their lives more
smoothly. As part of this provision,
volunteer extended families are given income generating support to host
orphans of martyrs and to take care
of their education, health and daily
subsistence. In short, the long term
goal of all the above initiative is to
enable the disadvantaged martyr’s
families to attain sustainable and
self-reliant economic livelihood.
Martyrs Trust Fund, a social safety net that works
How do you access the effectiveness of t monetary, moral and other
support being extended by Eritrean citizens residing inside and
abroad?
In Eritrea, it is a long standing
noble tradition for individuals and
communal social problems to be,
first and foremost, taken care of by
the networks of the family, community and the general public. It is,
indeed, a daunting task to quantify
and recount all the monetary and
non-monetary support given by
members of community. Needless to
say that it plays a critical role in the
empowerment of families of fallen
heroes - empowerment to enhance
their ability to be productive and responsible citizens.
Such support takes many forms
including tilling farm land, assist
during harvest time, in kind support in the form of grain and other
farm products, labor support for the
renovation of dwelling, etc. it is also
a common practice for local traders
and shop-keepers to give support in
form of cash.
Eritreans in the Diaspora have
been playing a proactive role in the
implementation of this scheme. Support from Eritreans living aboard
usually takes the form of sponsoring members of the families of martyrs. Periodic cash grant is given to
families of fallen heroes. When such
support is given in lump-sum (two
years grant) it is quite often the case
that it could generate substantial income when the beneficiaries invest
it in petty trade or other appropriate
income generating schemes.
In addition to the financial support, many Eritreans residing abroad
have established personal contact
with the families of martyrs’ whom
they meet they come to their homeland. Besides, they have extended
their additional moral and financial
support to encourage martyr’s in
their endeavor to be self sustaining.
Such physical meetings between
beneficiaries and benefactors have
resulted, among other things, in (i)
extending their support to families
of martyrs to life-long: (ii) others increased their sponsorship to
more than one family: (iii) still others rendered support to children of
martyrs in king (school materials,
clothes, and expenses to cover special events)
Do you have any message in
connection with June 20th, martyrs
day?
It is appropriate, at this juncture
to reiterate that people and Government of Eritrea are fully indebted to
our martyrs’, who bestowed their
precious lives in the realization of
the independence and sovereignty
of our country.
But equally for their eternal remembrance for as all to remain
vigilant and preserve this preciously
attained independence and sovereignty: the values thus inculcated in
the minds of all Eritreans have uplifted their self-respect and esteemself- respect including of course that
families of the martyrs.
Last but not least, I would like
to seize this opportunity to express
my deep sincere gratitude for the
support extended to the families of
martyrs’ by all fellow citizens residing inside and outside the country.
Moreover, I call upon all Eritreans
to continue and strengthen their support to the survivors of fallen heroes
and heroines. After all, it is by actively participating in such holy endeavors that we can all contribute
to all livelihoods in the families of
martyrs and hence contribute our
share in the continuous preservation
of our independence.
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Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
ERITREA in Mainstream Media
The Commission of Inquiry
and the Mainstream Media
Sophia tesfamariam
When the politically motivated Commission of Inquiry
on
Eritrea
(COIE)
issued its Report through the
mainstream media as opposed to presenting it to
the UN Human Rights Council,
the body which authorized its
mandate and to whom the COIE
purports to report to, it was clear
that the media was going to play
the lead role in the propagation of
the unsubstantiated report and its
overly biased contents without due
verification of facts.
The activities of the Special Rapporteur and her partners
belie
her
professed
neutrality and the COIE’s quest for
the truth about Eritrea. The COIE’s
methodology will be addressed in future sittings;
it is the use of the media to
disseminate the Report’s findings
that will be the focus here.
During the Press Conference held
on 8 June, Sheila Keetharuth, the
Special Rapporteur, said: “We decided to make the report publicly
available today -- a fortnight before
its formal presentation to the Human Rights Council – in part to afford member States time to familiarize themselves with its contents
before the Council discussions…
We also know there is considerable
media interest in the report. So I
am here as a member of the commission to brief you and take any
questions you may have…I assume
most of you have had a chance to
look at the advance information we
sent you and have some questions.
Before I take your questions, however, I would like to go over some
of our conclusions and recommendations…”
The self-inflating media appearances in various outlets by Sheila
Keetharuth, the COIE and those
who contributed to the reports
compilations were at best sensation-seeking, and at worse, fearmongering.
This author does not know if
this is normal practice in such
proceedings, but it would
seem to be quite prejudicial to the people of Eritrea
and its leadership who are
woefully
disadvantaged
by
having one side not only
present its case to the public through
the media before the Human Rights
Council has had a chance to receive
it formally and sanction it as a
credible and legitimate representation of the facts on Eritrea, but also to subject all
stakeholders to a diversionary tactic designed to create moral panic
and reinforce stereotypes about
Eritrea and its leadership.
Various “Christian” sites also
joined the mainstream media in this
unprovoked, vituperative attack of
the people and Government of Eritrea. Through their websites they
added to the exaggerations and distortion of facts as a way to entice
their readers and funders. None
was as extreme as Stoyan Zaimov
of the Christian Post. In his June 15
article, Zaimov writes that an Eritrean named Yohan: “…had been
“tied up like an animal” and forced
to eat “trash mixed with dirty rain
water,” while bound outside and
exposed to torrential rains, a burning desert sun at day and bitter cold
nights…”
The Sinai is said to be so inhospitable that if a man was
left behind he might die in the burning
desert sun during the day and bitter
cold at night. I do not think anyone has ever heard of Eritrea being described that way. Obviously
Zaimov knows nothing about Eritrean culture because had he known
a thing or two, he would not have
written such a ridiculous piece, as
it would be easily debunked. As
for torrential rains in Eritrea, one
would wish they would come.
The disconnect between the reality
on the ground in Eritrea, the one
that was corroborated by various
UN agencies in Eritrea, visiting
lawmakers from various European
nations, the Eritrean Diaspora and
the thousands of tourists that visit
Eritrea annually, and the unsubstantiated reality created in the
minds of Eritrea’s sworn enemies
and their surrogates and propagated
by an orchestrated “media blitz”,
has triggered an avalanche of responses through social media and
the ire of Eritreans everywhere.
The release of the biased and insulting COIE report and the deliberately confusing and distorted reporting that followed has incensed
the Eritrean people everywhere,
and the Diaspora in particular.
The media frenzy has aroused nationalist passions within the close
knit community.The exaggerated
and hostile headlines are accumulating and the intentions are quite
apparent and transparent.
Although there was nothing that
had happened in Eritrea that would
warrant a “news wave”, it was
obvious, even to the most cynical
observer that the media appearances, patronizing statements and
the many articles produced in the
various blogs by non-descript individuals and groups were the ingredients necessary to create the
impression that the human rights
situation in Eritrea had suddenly
deteriorated into a crisis… and that
it demanded the world’s attention.
The carefully crafted narratives
which include phrases such as “a
shoot to kill policy”, “ruled by fear
not the law”, “crimes against humanity”, “gross and widespread violations”, etc, are meant to trigger
an emotional response. They are
not new and have been used before.
As a matter of fact Amnesty International has used them in previous
campaigns. North Korea, Israel and
even the United States had all been
accused of having a “shoot to kill”
policy. By using similar terminology, the COIE and its informants believed the accusations would stick.
15-year long occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories, a violation
of the human rights of the Eritrean
people and their right to live in
peace within their internationally
recognized borders. The COIE wrongly believed it
would get away with it all. It underestimated the Eritrean peoples’
resolve. It chose to listen to the outrageous claims filed by self-serving
individuals and groups instead of
listening to all voices. It sought evidence to fit its predetermined conclusions about the State of Eritrea
and its people instead of searching
for the truth and it subordinated the
rights of the Eritrean people to the
whims of Eritrea’s enemies.
They will protest Ethiopia’s violation of international law and the
Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission’s delimitation and demarcation rulings, a violation of the
African Union and United Nation’s
Charters, which call for respect for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.
The people of Eritrea are now embroiled in a moral fight with the
COIE. They will not take this sitting down. Thousands of Eritreans
from Europe and even some from
the United States and other parts of
the world will be demonstrating on
June 22 to protest the COIE’s orchestrated campaigns against the
State of Eritrea and its people using human rights as a pretext, and
they will remind all of Ethiopia’s
The media hype will soon die down,
if it hasn’t already and once the dust
settles, questions on the integrity of
the COIE report, and the credibility
of the COIE itself will come under
greater scrutiny. Those who relied
on the media, the COIE, and its informants for information on Eritrea
will soon discover that they have
been taken for a ride. For those
seeking to adjust their policies for
Eritrea, a word of caution-wait for
the facts before making rush conclusions lest you find out too late,
that your policies were developed
on quicksand….
Eritrea Profile, Saturday June 20th, 2015
Nation in Memory of Supreme Tribute
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