Eritrea investigator calls for International Court probe

The Eritrean government faced renewed pressure over allegations of crimes against humanity on Wednesday, as UN investigators repeated their call for an international criminal probe into abuses.

In a high-level report compiled for the UN Human Rights Council, chief investigator Mike Smith detailed systematic and widespread alleged abuses against civilians in the Horn of Africa nation.

Mr Smith said that in the absence of an independent judiciary in Eritrea to provide justice for victims of abuse, the only option was to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court.

Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea Press Conference Geneva, 24

Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea Press Conference Geneva, 24

ID Commission of inquiry on Eritrea Cont’d 24th Meeting 29th

ID Commission of inquiry on Eritrea Cont’d 24th Meeting 29th

Two Eritrean cyclists to make history for MTN-Qhubeka at Tour de France

Two Eritrean cyclists will be the first from their country to compete in the Tour de France after being picked by the MTN-Qhubeka team.

The South Africa-based team, the first from Africa to gain a Tour place, selected the 21-year-old climbers Merhawi Kudus and Daniel Teklehaimanot in their final nine-man group on Tuesday.

Five of the nine are from Africa; the other three are South Africans – Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg and Louis Meintjes.

MTN-Qhubeka will also have the American sprinter Tyler Farrar, the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen, Britain’s Steve Cummings, and the Belgian Serge Pauwels.

MTN-Qhubeka was given a wild-card entry for the Tour.