UN council rejects Eritrea’s bid to end human rights probe

Audio By Carbonatix

By Emma Farge

GENEVA -The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday rejected a bid by Eritrea to end the mandate of a U.N. expert investigating alleged abuses in the country, in a relief to Western diplomats who feared it would set a dangerous precedent for states seeking to escape scrutiny.

The motion brought by Eritrea caught many off guard and marked a rare attempt by a country subject to an investigative mandate to terminate it. It was defeated decisively, however, with just four voting for it, 25 rejecting it and 18 abstaining.

A counter-motion by the European Union to extend the mandate for a year then passed comfortably.

In his last report, Sudanese rights lawyer Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, who currently holds the U.N. expert position, described the situation in Eritrea as critical, highlighting cases of arbitrary detention and the extensive use of military service which is stoking migration. 

African rights group DefendDefenders welcomed the extension of his mandate, saying the U.N. expert “plays an indispensable role, not only for the victims and survivors of Eritrea’s abuses, but also for the Eritrean diaspora.”

The delegate for the European Union said ending the mandate would have allowed “impunity and repression to deepen in silence.”

Eritrea’s chargé d’affaires Habtom Zerai Ghirmai accused the EU of acting out of a “neo-colonial saviour mentality complex”.

“The continued extension of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate is an affront to reason and justice,” he said.

Supporters of Eritrea’s motion included Iran, Sudan and Russia – all of which are subject to their own investigations mandated by the 47-member council. 

China also spoke in favour of Eritrea, calling such an investigation mandate a waste of resources.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Rachel More and Hugh Lawson)