European Parliament calls for reforms in Eritrea

(B2) Eritrea is the second country of origin of asylum seekers in Europe. More than 400.000 Eritreans have fled their country since 2010. In a resolution adopted Thursday, March 10, the European Parliament calls for a series of reforms from the Eritrean government but also greater control of European aid sent to this country; measures aimed at " improve the living conditions " of Eritreans and to reduce migratory flows. The resolution, the first since 2004, calls on the international community to " lobby " et " to intervene " on one of the 'toughest' regimes in Africa.

End indefinite military service

Members of the European Parliament urge » the Eritrean government to end the system of indefinite national service by "demobilizing the conscripts who have completed the 18 less mandatory", by stopping "the practice of hiring conscripts for forced labor, once the 18 months have passed", by "allowing conscientious objection", by putting an end to the compulsory practice which imposes "all students to spend their last year of schooling in a military training camp" and finally in "ensuring that the age minimum age of 18 is respected to undertake any military training and that no enlistment takes place after the normal age of conscription". 

... and the extortion of migrants to finance armed groups

Parliament condemns the imposition of a "diaspora tax" by the Eritrean government, " collected through extortion and other illegal means,” to Eritreans who have fled the country. A money “used to finance armed groups in neighboring countries and therefore to destabilize the region”. Member States are invited to "act to end" to this practice and "investigate financial transactions related to any other "contribution" levied by Eritrean associations linked to the government".

Make sure the funds go to the people 

Parliament asks the Commission to “to ensure that the funds allocated do not benefit the Eritrean government, but that they are strictly assigned to meet the needs of the Eritrean people. » MEPs call for aid conditionality "recently agreed to be respected". A distrust justified, among other things, by the fact that "the Eritrean authorities recalled in February 2016 that the agreement with the EU would not lead to a reform of Eritrea's military service policy", underlines the resolution. “This country is an open-air prison. What does the Commission do? » asked Marie-Christine Vergiat, French MP for the Left Front (GUE) during the plenary debate on Wednesday 9 March.

Free political prisoners and journalists 

The European Parliament calls for the release of MEPs, journalists, political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. Special mention is made for the Swedish journalist Dalit Isaak, “about which nothing has been known since 2005”.

More pressure on the government

The European Parliament asks the international community and Eritrea's development partners "to intervene" and of " put pressure on the Eritrean government to allow foreign aid to enter the country and thus " helping vulnerable communities ". The commission of inquiry into the human rights situation in Eritrea must also have access to the country, "to fully exercise its mandate". 

(Leonor Hubaut, in Strasbourg)

Download the resolution (provisional text).

Also read a report from HIGHLIGHTS (pictures/audio)

Dissatisfied, Parliament wants to strengthen its control of the EDF 

During the plenary debate, Wednesday March 9, indignation and anger were felt in the interventions of the deputies in their unanimity. The European Parliament criticizes the European Development Fund (EDF) commission for having adopted the National Indicative Program (NIP) for Eritrea against Parliament's opinion. Resuming development assistance for Eritrea is " a big mistake claims Spain's Berra Basterrechea de Unión, Progreso y Democracia (ALDE). The disagreement is based on the projects foreseen in the PNI which focuses on the field of energy “, assures the Croatian Ivo Davor Stier (HDZ / EPP). Nearly 200.000 euros are to go to energy projects. " The Energy Committee voted unanimously against the adoption of these measures ". This is why, in the resolution, the European Parliament asks "that he be granted a power of control" by "binding interinstitutional agreement under Article 295 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). (HL)