International Committee of the Red Cross July 2013 Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia persisted, with clashes occurring in border regions between the two countries. The physical demarcation of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border remained stalled, with both countries maintaining a large military presence at their common border. No further progress was made towards the demarcation of the Djibouti-Eritrea border and thus the implementation of the mediation agreement between the two countries signed in 2010. Acting as mediator, Qatar maintained troops in the disputed region. As requested by the Eritrean government in 2011, international and national NGOs and UN agencies reduced or concluded Read the full article…

UN Human Rights Council 25 June 2013 Excerpt Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 21/1 of 26 September 2012, in which the Council decided that the documentation considered by the Council under its complaint procedure relating to the situation of human rights in Eritrea should no longer be considered confidential, with the exception of the names or any other identifying information of specific individuals who have not consented, and invited the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to investigate further the allegations contained in the submitted complaints and to report thereon to the Council at its twenty-sixth Read the full article…

Amnesty International 23 May 2013 National service conscription was compulsory and frequently extended indefinitely. Military training for children remained compulsory. Conscripts were used as forced labour. Thousands of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners continued to be arbitrarily detained in appalling conditions. Torture and other ill-treatment were common. No opposition parties, independent media or civil society organizations were permitted. Only four religions were sanctioned by the state; all others were banned and their followers arrested and detained. Eritreans continued to flee the country in large numbers. Background The humanitarian situation in the country was reported to be serious and the Read the full article…

United States Department of State 19 April 2013 Summary The government of the State of Eritrea is a highly centralized, authoritarian regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki. The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), headed by President Isaias, is the sole political party. There have been no elections since the country’s independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Elements of the security forces sometimes acted independently of civilian control. 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 Read the full article…

Andrew Jackson Oryada, BBC Sport 19 February 2013 Uganda has granted asylum to the 15 players from the Eritrea football team and the team doctor who absconded in the country in December during the 2012 Cecafa Tusker Senior Challenge Cup. Apollo David Kazungu, the Commissioner for Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda, said on Monday that the Refugee Eligibility Committee had found the group’s claims valid and granted them refugee status. The Eritrean team had been eliminated in the tournament in the early stages after drawing with Zanzibar 0-0, losing 3-2 to Malawi and being beaten Read the full article…