News Highlights: Fighting escalates in Ethiopia, Eritreans call for UNSC sanctions, EU asylum roadmap agreed

In this week’s news highlights: Fighting escalates in Ethiopia; US condemns Eritrea’s involvement in conflict in Tigray; Eritreans urgently call for UNSC sanctions on Eritrea; UN warns of famine in Somalia; Sudan orders evacuation of border reception centre due to fighting; Flash floods in Sudan; Clashes in South Sudan cause severe violations of human rights; Video illustrates abuse of refugees and migrants in Libya; EU asylum roadmap signed by European Parliament; Czech Presidency seeks extension of protection of Ukraine refugees; NGOs warn concept of migration ‘instrumentalisation’ could be detrimental to EU law and rights; Report on COVID-19 impact on asylum in EU; Norwegian Eritreans hopeful that Eritrean government influence is reducing; Italian high court rules permanent contract no longer needed for humanitarian stay; Climate summit pledges funds for Africa’s adaptation; Second year of halt to human development, says UN; and Volker Türk new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Hate speech and threats at the core of Eritrean ‘festivals’ in Germany and Switzerland

Eritrean regime has organised a series of ‘festivals’ and ‘seminars’ promoted as cultural events. On the basis of previous events that have been organised many perceive that the events promote hate speech and incite violence. They have fuelled pushback in the form of protests, legal action and letters from Eritreans in the diaspora and allies opposing the violent message of the Eritrean regime. A new festival was organised in secrecy in Switzerland last weekend, 27 August 2022, and another event was announced in Germany on 3 September – of which the cancellation was announced yesterday, 31 August.