RSADO Urges UN Action Over Alleged Rights Violations Against Afar Community in Eritrea
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — April 28, 2026 | Horn News Hub
The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) has called on António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to take urgent action over what it describes as systematic human rights violations against the Afar population in Eritrea.
In an open letter dated April 28, RSADO accused the Government of Eritrea of carrying out widespread and state driven abuses targeting the Red Sea Afar community, particularly in the Dankalia region. The group alleges that since Eritrea’s independence, Afar communities have faced political exclusion, economic marginalization, and social discrimination.
According to the letter, the situation has recently intensified across several المناطق in northern, central, and southern parts of Dankalia. RSADO claims that Afar civilians have been subjected to arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings. It further alleges forced conscription and other forms of mistreatment.
The organization also raised concerns over land rights, accusing authorities of systematically transferring Afar ancestral lands along the Red Sea coast to state affiliated enterprises and external investors without consent or compensation. RSADO argued that such actions undermine livelihoods, cultural identity, and the community’s right to self determination.
The letter highlights increasing militarization in the coastal منطقة, particularly around the strategic port city of Assab. RSADO claims that the expansion of military installations and restrictions on civilian movement have disrupted traditional pastoral and fishing activities, contributing to growing insecurity among local populations.
In addition, RSADO accused Eritrea’s government, led by President Isaias Afwerki, of engaging with regional armed actors, including alleged links to Houthi elements in Yemen and involvement in broader regional conflicts. The group warned that such dynamics risk further destabilizing the Red Sea corridor and the wider Horn of Africa.
Despite these allegations, RSADO said the international response has remained limited, allowing what it described as a climate of impunity. The organization also expressed concern over potential normalization of international relations with Eritrea without clear human rights conditions.
RSADO urged the United Nations to place the situation in Eritrea on the agenda of both the Security Council and the Human Rights Council, strengthen monitoring and investigative mechanisms, and pursue accountability for alleged violations through international legal channels. It also called for any engagement with Eritrea to be tied to measurable improvements in human rights and governance.
The Eritrean government has not publicly responded to the specific allegations outlined in the letter. Eritrea has previously rejected similar accusations raised by international human rights bodies, often describing them as politically motivated.
The developments add to ongoing scrutiny of Eritrea’s human rights record, which has been documented by various UN mechanisms over the years, particularly in relation to indefinite national service, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
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