Eritrean Refugees Detail Police Crackdown in Ethiopia

Eritreans residing in Ethiopia’s capital have reported extensive detentions within their community, generating apprehension among refugees and asylum seekers who sought refuge for improved living conditions. Although not without precedent, the current wave of arrests in Addis Ababa is notable for its scope and severity, with reports indicating hundreds have been apprehended in recent weeks. Addis Ababa police did not provide a response to inquiries from the BBC. However, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, an autonomous entity established by the nation’s parliament, announced its intention to initiate an investigation. Eritrea and Ethiopia, sharing a common border, have experienced strained relations for many decades. Relations seemed to improve after a 2018 peace agreement, but have since worsened once more. An Eritrean refugee, choosing anonymity due to safety concerns, recounted being arrested after being overheard speaking Tigrinya, a language common in Eritrea and Ethiopia’s Tigray region. “We were sitting in a café when someone overheard us speaking Tigrinya and called the police.”Six officers arrived and detained us. Later, the inspector in charge demanded cash to release us, with payments arranged secretly to avoid evidence,” he alleged. A significant number of Eritreans in Addis Ababa are refugees who escaped compulsory military service and state repression in their native country. More than 20,000 Eritreans have entered Ethiopia this year, supplementing the 70,000 refugees already officially recorded within the nation. Some Eritreans also sought refuge in Ethiopia following the outbreak of a brutal civil war in Sudan 18 months prior. A refugee informed the BBC that his sister was apprehended en route to the shops and has been detained for three weeks. “I can’t visit her because I fear being arrested myself, so I send Ethiopian friends to check on her and deliver food and clothes. I worry they might deport her to Eritrea,” he said. Repatriation to Eritrea could expose numerous refugees to the danger of incarceration. Although certain individuals have been freed, a considerable number of detainees are still held. Several have been detained for periods ranging from weeks to months, lacking proper legal procedures. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) informed BBC Tigrinya that it had received accounts of Eritrean refugees being apprehended and conveyed profound concern regarding the situation. Refugees are experiencing growing desperation, with many exploring alternative methods to depart Ethiopia. However, there are accounts of Eritreans being arrested even when attempting to seek information about the necessary travel documents for their departure. These detentions have brought to light wider anxieties concerning the safety of Eritrean refugees throughout Ethiopia. At the Alemwach refugee camp in the Amhara region, refugees report recurring incidents of robberies, abductions, and physical attacks perpetrated by armed factions. “Some refugees have been shot, while others have been stabbed for their belongings, like mobile phones. At least nine refugees have been killed in the past year,” said a representative from the camp. Certain refugees are comparing the current situation to the widespread arrests and expulsions of Eritreans during the 1998–2000 conflict between the two nations, when thousands were forcibly removed from Ethiopia. Relations have worsened again subsequent to the conclusion of a two-year civil conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Air travel and telecommunication services between the two countries have been halted, and direct diplomatic engagement between their leaders has stopped. Eritrean refugees residing in Ethiopia are appealing to the global community, especially the UN and human rights organizations, for intervention. An Eritrean, who has resided and pursued education in Addis Ababa for six years, characterized the arrests as arbitrary and intentional. “Both documented and undocumented Eritreans are being targeted. Even mothers visiting detained family members have been arrested,” he told the BBC. Another refugee said: “The arrests are unjustified, and our lives are in danger. We fled persecution in Eritrea, only to face it here.”