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Norm Kelly hopes to ”strengthen ties” with repressive government

Canadians are urged not to go to Eritrea. The Canadian ambassador to Eritrea is not even in Eritrea, but a diplomatic outpost in Khartoum, Sudan. Likewise, the Eritrean diplomat has been previously kicked out of Canada.

Relations between the two countries are strained. Eritrea has a similarly limited relationship with European countries and the United States.

But at least one Canadian leader is celebrating the conflict-prone state in the Horn of Africa. Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly is sending his best wishes to the African nation of Eritrea on Saturday, May 24, the 23rd anniversary of the country’s independence. 

In a letter addressed to the Consulate of the State of Eritrea, Kelly celebrates the ”friendship” between Canada and Eritrea. ”This occasion is an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of the Eritrea’s people and celebrate the traditions and culture of your great nation,” he writes.

Eritrea is one of the poorest nations in Africa, yet Canada does not provide humanitarian aid to it. It rates 160th of 200 countries on the UN gross domestic product index.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991, and was officially became a nation in 1993, though the struggle for independence lasted decades before in armed conflict.

In the short time it has been a nation, it has seen several wars, economic sanctions, and human rights and freedom of the press complaints.

In short:

• Eritrea has a violent recent history with its neighbouring countries, with battles against Yemen and Ethiopia.
• It is a one-party state with a knack for repression. There are an estimated 10,000 political prisoners filling its jails, according to Amnesty International. There are more journalists in jail in Eritrea than anywhere else in Africa. Reporters Without Borders ranks it last in the world on press freedom, below North Korea.
• According to the UN, the rocky coastal nation also uses its money to support armed rebels opposing Ethiopia, and others with ties to the notorious al-Shabaab movement in Somalia. Because of Eritrea’s destabilizing role in the troubled Horn of Africa, the UN imposed sanctions on the country in 2009, hoping to choke off its access to arms and money. Canada later adopted them, meaning money sent to Eritrea could be violating UN sanctions and breaking Canadian law.
• The nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch has raised alarms about slavery existing in the country.

Ahmed Iman, head of consular affairs in the Eritrean embassy in Canada, made an Independence Day speech on May 18, in which he referred to criticisms of his government as ”external conspiracies.”

Kelly did not comment when asked about the appropriateness of the letter.

CBCNews

Eritrea must immediately release thousands of prisoners held without charge or contact with the outside world, including the Swedish -Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak. It demanded on Tuesday the UN rapporteur for human rights in Eritrea.

Geneva

UN rapporteur for human rights in Eritrea , Sheila Keetharuth , urged on Tuesday in strong terms the Eritrean government to release prisoners held in secret detention centers around the country. Most are believed to live in dreadful conditions without contact with the outside world, and subjected to regular torture and starvation. Very few have been prosecuted.

One of Eritrea’s many prisoners , the Swedish – Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak and father of three who was arrested at his home in Eritrea in 2001. Since then, no one knows where he is or what his condition is. The Swedish government’s attempts to free him with quiet diplomacy seems to have led nowhere.

– I urge the Eritrean authorities to release immediately, prosecute or bring to justice all prisoners, including journalists who were arrested in 2001 as well as those who are imprisoned for their opinions or religious beliefs, says Sheila Keetharuth.

UN rapporteur estimates that there are about 10 000 political prisoners in Eritrea, and 28 journalists are still imprisoned. Nine journalists and nine politicians have died in captivity of torture, ill-treatment and lack of medicines, according to International PEN that is engaged in issues of free speech.

UN Rapporteur is particularly concerned about how the prisoners in secret detention centers treated.

”Prisoners are held incommunicado and at risk widespread torture”

Sheila Keetharut , UN rapporteur

– They are at high risk of torture and ill-treatment. The authorities must say where they are and give them access to their families, physicians, and legal representatives, says Keetharuth.

She welcomes, however, that eight prisoners should have been released in April of this year, data coming from human rights organizations, but has not been confirmed by the Eritrean government.

– Their release is a positive development, which I hope will be followed by more systematic releases. Eritrea must comply with their international legal obligations much better, stresses UN rapporteur.

It’s not the first time that Keetharuth condemns Eritrea and its arbitrary detentions, massive repression and persecution of dissidents. Her report on the human rights situation that was presented last spring was very stiff, and a second report is expected in June this year. But do these harsh statements and condemnations from the UN Eritrea reporter a difference?

– It keeps up the pressure, and exercise a sort of soft moral power. Eventually, things will change. Just look at what happened with, for example Burma. We hope the same thing, for example, North Korea and Eritrea says Xabier Celaya at the UN human rights office in Geneva.

The current Eritrean asylum seekers who come to the Netherlands , taking unprecedented proportions. Teeven according to Secretary for Justice For years, there are relatively many Eritreans to our country to seek asylum. In 2013 there were 978 , according Refugee Netherlands , Somalis after the great group of Africans . According to the NGO , the country has in the Horn of Africa is one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Some compare the situation with that in North Korea.

Criticism of the government is prohibited and opponents arrested . The service is for people up to 10 years and drives many people to flee , which certainly is not without risks. At the borders is shot at people trying to get the country out. People who get caught , given heavy sentences . Only with an exit to Eritreans leave their country , but they get in practice almost never.

President Isaias Afewerki ruled for decades with an iron fist . Even before independence in 1993, which came about through a referendum , he was the de facto leader of the region in northern Ethiopia . For decades there was an extremely bloody battle fought for independence and in 1998 it was hit again. In a two -year war tens of thousands of soldiers were killed in the two countries . In 2000, the fighting cocks agreed , a file with a supervised by UN troops buffer . Netherlands made ​​an important contribution to that mission ( UNMEE ) with more than 1,100 soldiers.

The wars Eritrea driven to the edge of the abyss . According to UN estimates, in 2011 70 percent of the population struggling to scrape enough food. Together The government claims that the country is self-sufficient and shows off food.

U.S. diplomats , according to Wikileaks documents scathing about Afewerki and his one-party state . ” Young Eritreans flee in large numbers , the economy seems to have ended up in a deadly downward spiral flows over the prisons and insane dictator remains cruel and capricious ” , outlined the U.S. ambassador in Asmara , the situation in the country.

trooper Netherlands
The trooper responds to the sharp increase of asylum seekers to the Netherlands . ” We put our capacity now in a different way ,” said Alfred Ellwanger of the military police . ” The majority of asylum seekers from Eritrea trying to get . Our country especially through the southern border of Netherlands Therefore, we have most of our capacity of our mobile controls are moved there. That is the advantage of our mobile controls . This allows us to quickly scroll. ”

The trooper knows for certain routes of the foreigners . Ellwanger : ” We know that they come by bus or other forms of public transport like the train . If we have concrete information , we are ready to intercept them. If the applicants are customizing their area of entry , then we do that with our controls. ”

At least 36 migrants drowned when their boat sank off the Libyan coast earlier this week, officials said, following the recovery of more bodies on Sunday.

The navy said it rescued 52 people when the boat sank on Tuesday, but survivors say there were 130 people on board.

On Saturday Libya’s interior minister urged the European Union (EU) to do more to help stem the flow of migrants.

Libya is the preferred crossing point for many African migrants trying to enter the EU.

Libyan navy spokesman Ayoub Kassem told the BBC that the boat capsized about 4km (2.5 miles) out to sea near the Libyan coastal town of Garabouli.

The bottom of the boat had collapsed, causing it to capsize, he said. At least 54 people remain missing, he added.

On Sunday 24 more bodies were recovered from the sea near Garabouli, bringing the death toll to 36.

Mr Kassem added that the migrants were from various sub-Saharan African countries including Mali, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia and Burkina Faso.

The search continues for the remaining passengers.

Interior Minister Saleh Mazek said on Saturday that Libya could not cope with the amount of migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa.

He warned the EU that if it did not ”shoulder its responsibility”, then Libya may help the migrants to reach Europe.

The Libyan government has since issued a statement saying that it would continue to co-operate with all partners in order to stop illegal immigration.

Libya has been plagued by instability since armed groups toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.

BBC