Mekelle/Tel Aviv/Nairobi/Pretoria/London
Red Sea Afar Group Welcomes ACHPR Decision on Eritrean Human Rights Violations
The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) has welcomed the recent ruling by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which demands that the Eritrean government address allegations of severe human rights violations against the indigenous Red Sea Afar people in the Dankalia region.
The African Commission’s decision, issued earlier this week, compels Eritrea to respond to the charges within sixty days. This ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability for the Red Sea Afar community, who have long faced discrimination and state-sponsored repression.
RSADO Chairperson Ibrahim Harun spoke to the media, calling the ruling a historic moment in the community’s decades-long fight for recognition and justice. “The decision sends a clear message: no state is above the African Charter. Even entrenched regimes must be held accountable for their actions,” Harun stated.
The RSADO leader emphasized the severe and systematic repression suffered by the Red Sea Afar people, which includes mass displacement, targeted persecution, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the unlawful confiscation of their ancestral lands along the Red Sea coastline. Harun noted that these violations have spanned several decades, with little international attention until now.
The ACHPR’s decision to require a formal response from the Eritrean government is viewed by RSADO as an important step toward justice. The ruling reinforces the notion that the grievances of the Red Sea Afar people will no longer be ignored or dismissed, signaling a potential shift in regional human rights advocacy.
Eritrea has sixty days to provide a response to the Commission, and the outcome of this case will likely have broader implications for human rights accountability across Africa.
The Red Sea Afar community and their supporters are hopeful that the ruling will lead to greater international pressure on Eritrea to address the systemic violations that have long plagued the region.
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