The European Union (EU) has called for investigation on human rights violations committed by the Eritrean government during and after the two-year war in northern Ethiopia.
“In line with OHCHR recommendations, we call on the Government of Eritrea to carry out credible, independent investigations into alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed during and after the war in Tigray region of Ethiopia to provide justice to all victims,” the statement issued by the EU at the weekend, said.
The EU also called on Eritrea to end the continued practice of indefinite national/military service and arbitrary conscription, including the concerning alleged conscription of children, gender-based violence and forced labour and respect the right to conscientious objection.
Over the past weeks, Eritrea has been the subject of strong criticism from the international community for rights violations committed domestically and abroad.
Meanwhile, the UN special rapporteur said that prisoners in Eritrea are enduring forced labour and other rights violations, raising concern over ongoing crimes against humanity.
Presenting a bleak report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, on Friday said that he had determined that systematic and widespread abuses were taking place with impunity in Eritrea.
“There remain reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity continue in Eritrea,” Babiker said.
“The ongoing systematic and widespread enforced disappearance and prolonged incommunicado detention without charge or trial, torture and the persecution of political opponents, journalists and members of religious communities remain central features of governance in Eritrea,” he added.
MG/GIK/APA