Ethiopia/Eritrea: Update to ETH35051.E of 22 September 2000; return of Ethiopians of mixed or Eritrean origin or heritage to Ethiopia or Eritrea since the signing of the peace agreement

According to Country Reports 2000 and Amnesty International, 1,200 Ethiopians of Ertirean heritage had been detained at an internment camp in Dedesa, Ethiopia, since the beginning of hostilities in 1998 (2001, Sec. 1d; AI Sept. 2000). Country Reports writes that they remained there at the end of 2000 (2001, Sec. 1d). On 11 January 2001, the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Ethiopia had begun to release and repatriate Ethiopians of Eritrean origin who had been "arbitrarily imprisoned," some of whom had been held in Dedesa and other internment camps in Tigray. Two other Eritrean-based news sources reported that more than 900 Eritrean civilians were released from Ethiopian detention camps in early January, arriving in Eritrea on 6 January 2001 (Visafric 6 Jan. 2001; Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea 6 Jan. 2001).

There are reports of other repatriations, although none specific to Ethiopians of mixed or Eritrean heritage (IRIN 19 Feb. 2001; Visafric 31 Mar. 2001; ibid. 3 Mar. 2001; PANA 4 Feb. 2001). Please consult ZZZ36409.E of 12 March 2001 for further information.

Information on whether Ethiopians of mixed or Eritrean origin or heritage, including those deported by Ethiopia between 1998 and 2001, have been able to return to Ethiopia since the June 2000 agreement or the more formal peace agreement in December 2000 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Please consult ERT36326.E of 16 February 2001 for details of the peace agreement.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International (AI). September 2000. " AI Newsletter - September 2000: Eritrea/Ethiopia: Peace in Sight After Two Years of War." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2001]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2000. 2001. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. [Accessed 30 Mar. 2000]

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) [Nairobi]. 19 February 2001. "Eritrea-Ethiopia: ICRC Successfully Repatriates Over 5,000." [Accessed 29 Mar. 2001]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Asmara, in English]. 11 January 2001. "Government Accuses Ethiopia of Gross Human Rights Abuses." (BBC Summary 13 Jan. 2001/NEXIS)

Panafrican News Agency (PANA). 4 February 2001. "ICRC Repatriates 873 Ethiopians from Eritrea." (NEXIS)

Visafric News Agency. 31 March 2001. "Eritrea Repatriates 850 Ethiopians." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2001]

_____. 3 March 2001. "Eritrea: Ethiopia Repatriates 368 Eritrean Nationals from Tigray." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2001]

_____. 6 January 2001. "Eritrea: Released Detainees Accuse Ethiopia of Human Rights Abuse." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea [Asmara, in Tigrinya]. 6 January 2001. "Eritrea: Ethiopia Deports 975 Civilians via Central Front." (BBC Summary 9 Jan. 2001/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Eritrea Country File. Resource Centre.

Ethiopia Country File. Resource Centre.

Indian Ocean Newsletter (ION)

IRB Databases

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet Sites including:

Eritrean Network Information Centre (ENIC)

Human Rights Watch

Norwegian Refugee Council. March 2001. Profile of Internal Displacement: Eritrea.

Norwegian Refugee Council. March 2001. Profile of Internal Displacement: Ethiopia.

Organization of African Unity (OAU)