Latest news with #MohamedAbdelsalamBabiker
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN council rejects Eritrea's bid to end human rights probe
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.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN rights council rejects Eritrea's bid to end human rights investigation
The United Nations Human Rights Council has rejected Eritrea's attempt to shut down an independent investigation into alleged rights abuses, in a move hailed as vital to preventing impunity. Eritrea's rare bid to scrap the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on its human rights record was defeated on Friday, with only four votes in favour, 25 against, and 18 abstentions. The move by Eritrea surprised some observers and marked one of the few times a state under active investigation tried to end such scrutiny through a formal vote. Human Rights Watch welcomed the outcome, calling it 'an important message that the international community is not fooled by Eritrea's efforts to distract from, and discredit, independent human rights reporting on the country's dire rights record.' Eritrea's motion argued that alleged rights violations were not systemic and blamed 'capacity constraints' common to other developing nations. But European states responded with a counter-resolution to extend the mandate for another year, which passed with ease. In his latest report in June, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, the UN-appointed special rapporteur and a Sudanese human rights lawyer, said Eritrea had shown 'no meaningful progress' on accountability. He referenced the 2016 UN inquiry that found 'systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations … committed in Eritrea under the authority of the Government … may constitute crimes against humanity.'In the 2016 report, the UN's Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Eritrea said the government of President Isaias Afwerki had committed heinous crimes since independence a quarter-century ago, including the 'enslavement' of 400,000 people. Many of those abuses are allegedly linked to a harsh national service programme in the secretive Horn of Africa state, which for many is almost impossible to escape and which the COI compared to lifetime enslavement. DefendDefenders, a pan-African human rights organisation, said Babiker's role remained vital for victims and the wider Eritrean diaspora. 'The expert plays an indispensable role, not only for the victims and survivors of Eritrea's abuses, but also for the Eritrean diaspora,' the group said in a statement. The EU warned that terminating the mandate would enable 'impunity and repression to deepen in silence.' Eritrea's representative, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, lashed out at the decision, accusing the EU of displaying a 'neo-colonial saviour mentality complex'. He added, 'The continued extension of the Special Rapporteur's mandate is an affront to reason and justice.' Iran, Sudan and Russia – all under their own UN investigations – supported Eritrea's motion. China also backed the move, arguing that such mandates were a misuse of international resources.
Al Jazeera
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UN rights council rejects Eritrea's bid to end human rights investigation
The United Nations Human Rights Council has rejected Eritrea's attempt to shut down an independent investigation into alleged rights abuses, in a move hailed as vital to preventing impunity. Eritrea's rare bid to scrap the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on its human rights record was defeated on Friday, with only four votes in favour, 25 against, and 18 abstentions. The move by Eritrea surprised some observers and marked one of the few times a state under active investigation tried to end such scrutiny through a formal vote. Human Rights Watch welcomed the outcome, calling it 'an important message that the international community is not fooled by Eritrea's efforts to distract from, and discredit, independent human rights reporting on the country's dire rights record.' Eritrea's motion argued that alleged rights violations were not systemic and blamed 'capacity constraints' common to other developing nations. But European states responded with a counter-resolution to extend the mandate for another year, which passed with ease. In his latest report in June, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, the UN-appointed special rapporteur and a Sudanese human rights lawyer, said Eritrea had shown 'no meaningful progress' on accountability. He referenced the 2016 UN inquiry that found 'systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations … committed in Eritrea under the authority of the Government … may constitute crimes against humanity.' In the 2016 report, the UN's Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Eritrea said the government of President Isaias Afwerki had committed heinous crimes since independence a quarter-century ago, including the 'enslavement' of 400,000 people. Many of those abuses are allegedly linked to a harsh national service programme in the secretive Horn of Africa state, which for many is almost impossible to escape and which the COI compared to lifetime enslavement. Ending investigation would enable 'impunity' DefendDefenders, a pan-African human rights organisation, said Babiker's role remained vital for victims and the wider Eritrean diaspora. 'The expert plays an indispensable role, not only for the victims and survivors of Eritrea's abuses, but also for the Eritrean diaspora,' the group said in a statement. The EU warned that terminating the mandate would enable 'impunity and repression to deepen in silence.' Eritrea's representative, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, lashed out at the decision, accusing the EU of displaying a 'neo-colonial saviour mentality complex'. He added, 'The continued extension of the Special Rapporteur's mandate is an affront to reason and justice.' Iran, Sudan and Russia – all under their own UN investigations – supported Eritrea's motion. China also backed the move, arguing that such mandates were a misuse of international resources.
Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
UN council rejects Eritrea's bid to end human rights probe
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox 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". Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore 20 retired MPs spoke up on many issues in Parliament, helped successors prepare for new role: PM Wong Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Asia JB petrol station shooting: Dead man with bullet wounds dumped at hospital Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church "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. REUTERS
TimesLIVE
26-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Eritrea seeks to end mandate of UN expert investigating abuses: document
Eritrea is trying to cancel the mandate of a UN expert investigating alleged abuses, a document sent to the UN Human Rights Council showed, in a rare move that Western diplomats fear may set a precedent for states looking to escape scrutiny. The special rapporteur, a position currently held by Sudanese human rights lawyer Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, is mandated to document violations in Eritrea, where civil society groups such as Human Rights Watch say impunity is widespread. In a May report he described the situation as "critical", highlighting cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and the use of lengthy national and military service terms that are driving thousands to flee. Eritrea's information ministry and its diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Eritrea, which has long opposed the mandate, sent a large delegation to champion its proposal at a UN meeting in Geneva on Monday and voiced opposition to investigations targeting individual countries' records. States like Sudan, Russia and Iran backed it while the EU and Britain were among those who opposed it in a polarised debate, diplomats said.
