News Highlights: EU-Libya relations, upcoming Migration Summit, Eritrea visits Russia
2 Feb 2017

News Highlights: EU-Libya relations, upcoming Migration Summit, Eritrea visits Russia

by | posted in: African Union, European Politics, European Union, Human Trafficking, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights, we would like to update you on the latest developments and media coverage concerning the new EU Libya cooperation for reducing migration on the Central Mediterranean Route, in the run-up to the Summit on migration that will take place in Malta tomorrow (Friday 3 February).

Human rights abuses in Eritrea glossed over in development-centered meeting
29 Nov 2016

Human rights abuses in Eritrea glossed over in development-centered meeting

by | posted in: Eritrea, European Politics, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Uncategorized | 0

On Monday, 29 November 2016, the Irish European Parliament member Brian Hayes hosted a conference on Eritrea in the European Parliament. Despite the fact that the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea (COIE) found in its latest report the perpetrating of crimes against humanity by Eritrean officials, the country’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel was invited as keynote speaker of the meeting. Gebremeskel was present despite protests from human rights advocates and more than 800 Eritreans and supporters who petitioned against the meeting taking place.

Daniel Mekonnen: deconstructing the myth of a “promising” political change in Eritrea
29 Nov 2016

Daniel Mekonnen: deconstructing the myth of a “promising” political change in Eritrea

by | posted in: Eritrea, European Politics, European Union, Refugees in the EU, Switzerland, Uncategorized | 0

On 24 November 2016, Eritrean lawyer Daniel Mekonnen gave a speech at a panel discussion on Eritrea, organized by Amnesty International, in Basel, Switzerland. The speech was aimed at two recent pronouncements by the Swiss government that suggest that positive political change is taking place in Eritrea. According to Mekonnen, this completely ignores the reality in the country.