Eritrea blasted in UN report

Eritrea may have committed crimes against humanity, a year-long UN human rights inquiry said in a report published yesterday, describing extrajudicial killings, widespread torture, sexual slavery, and enforced labour.

“The commission finds that systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in Eritrea under the authority of the government,” the 484-page report of the UN commission of inquiry said.

Slavery-like practices are routine and torture is so widespread in the East African nation that the commission said it could only conclude that the government’s policy was to encourage its use.

“The commission concludes that the government is accountable for the widespread torture inflicted on Eritreans throughout the country,” it said.

The commission had asked Eritrea for access and information during its inquiry but “it received no response”.

Eritrea effectively enslaves people by a system known as ‘national service’, but which really involves “arbitrary detention, torture, sexual torture, forced labour, absence of leave”, the report said.

National service is supposed to last 18 months, but the commission spoke to one witness who had fled the system after 17 years. Witnesses reported people being executed for trying to avoid being drafted into service as recently as 2013, it said.

Eritrea maintains a vast detention network and regards anyone who tries to leave the country as a traitor, but a large portion of the population has already fled.