Welcome to Asmarino Independent.

Part II: Moral Crusade that Has Changed the Political Landscape of Eritrea:

The Eritrean political parties also suffer from lack of a clear ideology and dynamism that enables them to live up to the expectations of the people for leadership, as well as to the challenges left behind by the uprising.

The overall struggle of Eritrea merits the building of a new way of life that allows all Eritreans to live in peace, harmony and prosperity.

A new way of life requires a new ideology E.g. Leninism is unimaginable without talk of "dictatorship of the proletariat", “the vanguard party", the correct line and "democratic centralism.”It is the ideology of communism.

It is very difficult to win support unless people relate to a specific ideology, principles and vision of an organisation. And it is difficult to relate to an organisation unless its ideology is clearly stated and debated and put in a written form and made available to the ordinary people.

Eritrean refugee children detained in adult prisons in Egypt

Release Eritrea’s Egypt team is  receiving reports of the arrest and detention of a large group of around 140 victims of human trafficking at the Sudan/Egypt border by Egyptian border guards.  During the arrest, the vehicle in which the Africans (mostly of Eritrean and Ethiopian origin) were being transported by the traffickers, was fired upon by the guards and at least a dozen refugees were shot and wounded.

Those arrested were taken to prisons and police stations around Aswan city.  However the Team members have not been able to contacts those who were wounded and do not know where they currently are.  The traffickers are not being held in the same prison as the refugees, it is feared that this may mean that the criminal traffickers may have somehow evaded detention.

Letters from Eritrea; Refugee Women tell their Story

This booklet relays testimonies of Eritrean women which reflect grave violations in their country and beyond. The stories of nine women tell great risks they are exposed to and their experiences with traffickers who dehumanize them in every possible way.

ABOUT SIHA The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a network of civil society organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Uganda. SIHA was established in 1995 by a coalition of women’s groups, with the view of strengthening the capacities of women’s rights organizations and addressing violence against women (VAW) in the Horn of Africa. A mandate that still strongly informs the operations of SIHA throughout the region. Since 1995, we have grown substantially and are now comprised of over 70 member organizations, with Focal Points working out of each of our core countries in the Horn.

Eritrean women face threat of abuse even after they leave: report

April 28, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Eritrean women fleeing their country’s oppressive regime are increasingly finding themselves the repeat victim of abuse, exploitation and violence once outside their homeland, a new report by a women’s rights group has found.

The deeply personal stories highlight the often traumatic circumstances surrounding women’s departure from their homeland, which is further compounded by economic hardship and ongoing rights abuses suffered in their host countries.

“Kedusan” told SIHA researchers that she fled to Sudan after her husband crossed to Ethiopia to avoid military conscription and she herself was imprisoned as punishment. After reaching the border she was handed over to a group of smugglers, one of whom raped her in front of her two-year-old daughter after they were left alone together.

She later fell pregnant as a result and although she says she reported the rape to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), she says she was offered little assistance.

She later managed to make her way to Khartoum where she found work, but when her husband came to find her he abandoned her after learning about the rape and pregnancy.

(Photo: Refugees in Shagarab refugee camps)

Open Letter to Hon William Hague on the Human Rights Situation in Eritrea

My name is Elizabeth Chyrum and I am the Director of  Human Rights Concern - Eritrea, a London based Human Rights organisation that promotes and protects the human rights of Eritrean inside Eritrea and in diaspora.

I am writing to you as we are very much concerned about your ongoing bilateral engagement with Eritrea, although according to  your own accounting Eritrea is one of the countries about which  you have expressed concern because of its gross human rights violations towards its own people. Eritrea's abuse of human rights is not better than North Korea's, but Eritrea does not make the media headlines.

Eritrea: Human Rights Report 2012

Unlawful killings by security forces continued, as did torture, harsh prison conditions, and incommunicado detention, which sometimes resulted in death. The government continued to force persons to participate in its national service program, often for periods of indefinite duration. The government also severely restricted civil liberties, including freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion.

Other abuses included: politically motivated disappearances; arbitrary arrest and detention, including of national service evaders; executive interference in the judiciary; detention of political prisoners and detainees; lack of due process and excessive pretrial detention; infringement of privacy rights; restrictions on academic freedom and cultural events; and limits on freedom of movement and travel. ...

Dear DC Organizing Committee of May 2013 Event

As you know the Sinai situation has finally got traction, media and international attention. This coming May event give us an opportunity to capitalize on it and raise the level of attention about Sinai by doing demonstration (demo) not just in front Sudan but also in front of Egypt Embassies. This will help our humanitarian effort, highlight and elevate the Eritrean refugees’ plight and resonate with our people inside Eritrea. It has been said that USA government has done everything against Isaias regime short of taking of removing the regime by force. Therefore, it is no use to do demo at neither White House nor State Dept. Instead, many have been calling to do demo in front Qatar Embassy because Qatar has been the chief supporter of Isaias regime. The recent visit by dictator Isaias to Qatar is a good hint and by doing demo against Qatar will create buzz among our people, give our effort political relevance and expose the PFDJ dealings.

A Response to Allegations Made against Me by Red Sea Fisher

For me, one of the most important things, and perhaps the most exigent, is that Eritreans are still fleeing their homeland in unprecedented numbers. Unless this horrifying trend is halted immediately, they will continue to suffer in the hands of Eritrean and non-Eritrean victimisers. There is no doubt about this. The atrocities which are associated with the unprecedented instance of forced migration, such as torture, extortion, sexual abuse, human trafficking and possibly also organ harvesting, will continue unabated. ... The way we see it, I hope it won’t be far before we could see some, if not all, individuals being prosecuted before national, regional or international judicial organs for the abhorrent violations they have committed against Eritreans. Indeed, the mounting pressure coming from the UN Security Council, coupled with the appointment in 2012 of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea, indicates only this. For government apologists, the best thing to do is: advise their government to mend its way of doing things before it is too late.