Africa-Press – Ethiopia. July 5, 2025 2 minutes read Addis Abeba – The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea, rejecting a resolution brought forward by the Eritrean government seeking to terminate international scrutiny. The Council instead renewed the mandate of the Rapporteur by another year.
The resolution was defeated by a wide margin, with 25 countries, including Ethiopia, voting against, 16 abstaining, and only 4 voting in favor of Eritrea’s attempt to end the Rapporteur.
The vote sends a clear message, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), that “the international community is not fooled by Eritrea’s efforts to distract from, and discredit, independent human rights reporting on the country’s dire rights record.”
Despite repeated reports to the contrary, Eritrea’s resolution argued that human rights violations in the country are not “systemic” and framed ongoing concerns as mere “capacity constraints” common to developing countries.
However, recent findings presented to the Council tell a different story, raising alarm among international rights groups. In May, a group of civil rights defenders and 23 other organizations called on the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
In June, the Special Rapporteur reported continued arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of religion. The report also raised alarm over Eritrea’s policy of indefinite national service, including compulsory military conscription, practices often described as “systematic and widespread.”
Furthermore, the report also said “Eritrean forces remain present and continue to be involved in the commission of human rights violations in parts of the Tigray region of Ethiopia.” This was followed by yet another warning by the UN that Eritrean troops continue to commit human rights abuses in the Tigray region, raising concerns over persisting impunity despite international calls for accountability.
The latest findings come a decade after the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea concluded that government authorities had committed “gross human rights violations” that may amount to crimes against humanity.
Eritrea, which has refused to grant access to the Special Rapporteur since the inception of the mandate, argued the post had failed to yield results, citing the Rapporteur’s lack of in-country visits as grounds for its dismissal, an argument HRW called “circular” and revealing of Eritrea’s refusal to cooperate.
Following the Council’s decision, Eritrea repeated its refusal to engage with the mandate, a stance that, according to rights groups, only reinforces the need for continued international monitoring. AS
TagsAfrica Eritrea Ethiopia Horn of Africa Human Rights Tigray UN Human Rights Council Vote Copy URL URL Copied July 5, 2025 2 minutes read Show More Facebook X LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit VKontakte Share via Email Print
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