-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, July 07, 2000 2:28 PM
Subject: UPDATE: AI statement on Ethiopia & Eritrea ceasefire
Dear ADNA members,
Following find the recent report from Amnesty International
regarding the situation in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Feel free to share
this with your contacts.
Regards,
Vicki Ferguson
ADNA Communications Facilitator
From: "Adotei Akwei" <[log in to unmask]>
Date sent: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 13:00:49 -0400
Subject: AI statement on Ethiopia and Eritrea ceasefire
Public Statement
7 July 2000
AI Index AFR 04/001/2000 - News Service Nr. 133
Ethiopia and Eritrea: Cease-fire and human rights
Human rights issues have again come to the fore after a preliminary
cease-fire in the two-year border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The recent heavy fighting since 12 May 2000 ended with a cease-
fire deal brokered by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and
signed in Algiers by both Ethiopia and Eritrea on 18 June 2000. The
OAU peace plan provides for a UN peace-keeping force in a 25-
kilometer-wide ?temporary security zone? on the Eritrean side, the
withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Eritrea, and neutral border
demarcation.
Amnesty International is urging both governments to make human
rights protection a priority in the cease-fire situation and the
continuing peace talks.
As the two governments and the international community respond to
the consequences of the war, including massive displacement of
civilians on both sides, as well as the drought and famine affecting
the whole region, Amnesty International is appealing to the
Governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea to ensure that their own
practices fully conform to recognized principles of human rights and
humanitarian law. It is calling on both governments to work towards
remedying the human rights violations which have arisen during the
conflict, including killings of civilians, arbitrary detentions and forced
expulsions, and to prevent them from recurring.
Amnesty International, as a non-political and independent human
rights organization, does not and cannot under its mandate take
sides or positions on the war issues apart from those affecting
human rights and humanitarian law. It is scrutinising complaints of
violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the most recent
fighting, where independent verification of violations alleged by each
government against the other, and mostly strenuously denied by the
other, is frequently lacking.
Whereas Ethiopia had earlier ratified the Geneva Conventions and
has given the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
access to its Eritrean prisoners of war, Amnesty International is
continuing to press the Government of Eritrea to ratify the Geneva
Conventions and allow the ICRC immediate access to its Ethiopian
prisoners of war. The Geneva Conventions will be the best
guarantee of swift exchange of prisoners of war and release of
civilian internees when the conflict ends.
In Eritrea, an immediate issue of human rights and humanitarian
concern is the holding in newly-established camps of several
thousand Ethiopian civilian residents in Eritrea in the past month.
Those in these ?internment? camps were reportedly restricted and
prevented from leaving. At least 7,500 were said to be held,
including some 2,000 in one camp alone at Sheketi near Asmara.
The organization notes, however, that some 3,500 Ethiopians or
more who were displaced by the fighting and placed in camps have
now been allowed to return voluntarily from Eritrea to Ethiopia under
the auspices of the ICRC.
Among those still held in these camps appear to be Ethiopian
nationals detained on account of not having valid residence visas,
and some reportedly suspected of having committed a security
offence in connection with the Ethiopian attacks. The government
has said that others were placed there ?for their own protection? in
view of attacks or threatened attacks on them by Eritrean civilians.
These hastily-established camps were initially reported to be lacking
in adequate basic facilities of water, health, shelter and food.
Conditions have now improved and some international agencies
have been allowed access to provide humanitarian assistance.
Amnesty International is calling for any Ethiopian civilians recently
detained or interned in Eritrea solely on account of their nationality
to be released as being prisoners of conscience and allowed to
leave the camps. It has urged the Eritrean authorities to ensure that
the camps are provided with basic necessities and family access
allowed. Amnesty International is pressing for any Ethiopians
detained on suspicion of having committed a security offence to be
taken to court and charged with a recognizably criminal offence as
soon as possible, and given a fair and prompt trial.
Killings and ill-treatment have also been alleged of a number of
Ethiopian nationals in Eritrea, who were reportedly attacked by
civilians when the new fighting started, on account of their
suspected support for the Ethiopian military advance. Amnesty
International is calling for independent investigations into these
allegations and for the authorities in Eritrea to identify and bring to
justice those responsible, and make a public commitment to
guarantee the safety of Ethiopian nationals in Eritrea.
In Ethiopia, Amnesty International remains concerned that 1,200
Eritrean civilians are still detained or interned without charge or trial
since June 1998 on account of the war situation and are held in
harsh conditions in Dedessa camp in western Ethiopia.
An unknown number of other Eritreans are reportedly still detained
in Shegole camp in Addis Ababa and in other places of detention in
Addis Ababa and other towns since 1998 or 1999. They were
detained without charge or trial on account of their Eritrean origin
and were to be expelled to Eritrea. Amnesty International strongly
criticised the mass expulsion to Eritrea in harsh conditions in 1998
and 1999 of as many as 70,000 Eritreans living in Ethiopia, who
were stripped of Ethiopian citizenship. It called for expulsions to be
suspended until the citizenship issue is properly resolved, although
any who wish to depart voluntarily to Eritrea should be allowed to do
so under ICRC auspices.
Amnesty International is appealing for the release without further
delay of Eritrean civilians detained or interned in Ethiopia solely on
account of their Eritrean origin, who are prisoners of conscience. It
is requesting that they should be treated humanely and given access
to their relatives. It is urging also that any Eritreans held on
suspicion of having committed a security offence in relation to the
war should as soon as possible be brought to court and charged
with a recognizably criminal offence and given a fair and prompt
trial.
Amnesty International believes that human rights must be firmly
protected and violations remedied in order for a peace agreement
between Ethiopia and Eritrea to be lasting and effective.
\END
***
This message is distributed from Amnesty International for the
Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA).
***********************************************************************
***
******
Vicki Lynn Ferguson
Advocacy Network for Africa
Communications Facilitator
c/o Africa Policy Information Center
110 Maryland Ave, NE #509
Washington, DC 20002
Ph: 202-546-7961
Fax: 202-546-1545
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.africapolicy.org/adna
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