Borkena

Toronto – Eritreans living in Ethiopia, particularly in the capital Addis Ababa, report mass arrests and harassment. The arrests also took place in different parts of the country, although the exact number is not yet known. Some people have reportedly been released, while others remain in detention.

According to sources, there are up to 100,000 Eritrean refugees in various regions of Ethiopia.

BBC Amharic reported on Saturday the recent arrests of Eritrean refugees, citing the Tigrigna service, which had reportedly spoken to several Eritreans living in Ethiopia.

According to the BBC report, Eritrean asylum seekers who have been in Ethiopia for various reasons are “facing threats that are putting their lives to the test.” These refugees are appealing to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to address their situation, expressing a sense of hopelessness.

The Eritrean refugees say incidents of harassment are not new but have worsened in recent months.

Hanibal Michael, an Eritrean refugee who has been studying and working in Ethiopia for about six years, told the BBC Tigrigna service that the situation was worsening.

“Many are arrested. Even worse, family members who visit those arrested are also detained. So far, hundreds of Eritreans have been arrested in various locations,” Hanibal is quoted as saying.

He added that an Eritrean legally residing in the country was arrested while visiting his sister, also imprisoned, in prison.

He also claims that the arrests were not made on legal grounds and were not directed against people involved in illegal activities. As a result, Eritrean refugees have restricted their movement until the situation improves.

UNHCR is reportedly aware of the arrest of Eritrean refugees and has requested their release through the Ethiopian Refugee and Returnees Service (RRS).

The Ethiopian Government-funded Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has confirmed the arrests and harassment of some Eritreans and called on the government to put an end to it and release those arrested.

The Ethiopian government has not released any official information on recent reports of Eritrean refugee arrests in the country. There was a time when the Ethiopian government promised to crack down on those involved in illegal activities in the country.

Deteriorating relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia

In 2018, Eritrea and Ethiopia ended two decades of hostile relations that had been described as a “no peace, no war” situation. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize for this. However, the peaceful relationship did not last long.

Since then, the two countries have returned to a “no peace, no war” state of relations.

It remains unclear what caused this deterioration, as there are no official statements from either government. However, there is speculation that this is related to the way the war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government ended, particularly with the signing of the Pretoria Accord. In his recent interview with state media, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki noted that the Pretoria agreement had nothing to do with Eritrea.

Deteriorating relations between the two countries have led to new political and military alliances in the region. In October this year, a tripartite agreement was signed between Eritrea, Egypt and Somalia.

In addition, Somalia has signed a military agreement with Egypt that provides for the deployment of 10,000 Egyptian soldiers in the country as peacekeepers and under a bilateral agreement. The Ethiopian government has expressed concern about this.

Ethiopian Airlines flight to Asmara suspended

As tensions between the two nations continue to rise, Ethiopian Airlines suspended its flights to Asmara in September this year. The airline accused the Eritrean government of making operations more difficult after Eritrea froze the airline’s bank account in the country. In response, Eritrea accused the Ethiopian airline of owing over $3 million over alleged missing luggage of Eritrean passengers.

However, it remains unclear whether the reported mass arrests of Eritreans in Ethiopia are related to growing tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

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