EPDP Salutes Former UNHCR Chief as UN SG; Calls on Him to Address Root Cause of Eritrean Mass Exodus
2016-10-15 20:09:05 Written by EPDP Information Office Published in EPDP News Read 3365 times-
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In a congratulatory message sent on 14 October, the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP), expressed "warm and heartfelt felicitations" to Mr. Antonio Guterres for winning the election "to lead the highest world body that he also served for the past challenging ten years with success as commissioner of the UNHCR".
The EPDP congratulatory message stated that it also was expression of the good wishes to him from Eritrean refugees he served in the past, adding: "You can no doubt recall vividly the faces of Eritrean refugees you visited in their unsafe and squalid camps in the Horn of Africa, like Shagarab in Eastern Sudan".
Commending Mr. Guterres for his past humanitarian support to vulnerable Eritrean refugees, the EPDP message further stated: "we now wish to draw you kind attention to the political and human rights part of the problem, which is in fact the root cause of the unending suffering of this relatively new nation in Africa."
Referring to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea and decisions of the 32nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last June, the message noted that the relevant reports are now being submitted to the office of UN Secretary General as well as to the General Assembly and Security Council "for appropriate action" for purposes of accountability and that Eritrean victims of their own regime expect him to serve justice.
The EPDP also did not hide the fact that political maneuvers at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and the well known fears of African dictators in addition to narrow interests of certain countries led to watering down the Commission of Inquiry's strong call to send to the International Criminal Court (ICC) soon those well identified Eritrean authorities in perpetrating heinous crimes against their own people.
Mr. Guterres was also reminded of his mandate to encourage and support the human rights organs of the African Union, which is encouraged "to investigate, prosecute and bring to justice those responsible for violations and abuses of human rights, including any that may amount to a crime against humanity."
