Mr. President, Mr. Special Rapporteur, 

We thank you for your report – once again, it is comprehensive and relevant. Eritrea remains one of the most closed countries on the African continent. Civic space is virtually non-exis­tent and impu­ni­ty for violations is total.

Ahead of this session, over 30 NGOs called on the Council to adopt a strong resolution that extends the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, moving away from a “procedural” approach and clearly spelling out and condemning the grave human rights violations committed by Eritrean authorities. As re­gional tensions are mounting and violations are ongoing, maintaining scrutiny of the country’s human rights situation is critical. 

Mr. President,

Since the 2016 findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Eritrea, which detailed a litany of viola­tions, some of which may amount to crimes against humanity, the Council has mandated no ade­qua­te follow-up. Yet, Eritrea’s human rights situation has not fundamentally changed. Through­out the coun­try’s Council membership (2019-2024), Eritrean authorities refused to engage in a serious dialogue with the international community (and with African mechanisms) or to cooperate with the Council’s mecha­nisms.

Dr. Babiker,

With this and the absence of improvements in mind, how can the Council address Eritrea’s do­mestic situation and its impact abroad, including extraterritorial attacks against the diaspora?

How can the tenth anniversary of the first report of the COI be leveraged to stock-take on accoun­tability options? 

Thank you for your attention.

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Mr. President, Mr. High Commissioner, 

As your annual report shows, hu­man rights are backsliding. Around the world, states are back­tra­ck­ing on their commitments, chal­lenging norms, and undermining multilateralism.

Civic space indicators can be used as objective criteria to assess human rights situations, and civic space restrictions are often early warning signs of crises. We once again raise the alarm over attacks against human rights defenders (HRDs), civil society actors and journalists across the East and Horn of Africa, DefendDefenders’ core mandate. 

In Ethiopia, we continue to denounce the severe and undue restrictions human rights actors face. In recent months, against a backdrop of persecution of those calling for peace, or simply for an inc­lu­sive transitional justice process, several HRDs have gone into exile. As domestic institutions are fail­ing the victims and survivors, the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) was discontinued too early. This Council should now de­fine a clear path towards a new reso­lution on Ethiopia. 

In Tanzania, we condemn the recent arrests, detentions and deportations of former officials, inclu­ding a former Chief Justice and a former Justice Minister of Kenya, and civil society members. All tra­velled to Tanzania to attend the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who has been charged with “treason.” Before being dumped at Tanzania’s borders, Ugandan journalist Agather Atu­haire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi were held incommunicado, stripped naked, tortured, and sexually abused by security operatives – unjustifiable, criminal acts that must be investigated with a view to holding all those respon­sible to account.

With elections approaching, risk factors of violations are multiplying. After years of relative opening, inclu­ding resumption by the government of its dialogue with the country’s vibrant civil society, it is time for UN and African human rights mechanisms to enhance their attention to Tanzania.

Tanzania is too big to fail, and East Afri­ca cannot afford another major human rights crisis. 

Thank you for your attention.

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