The Eritrean government has issued a directive to all regional administrations to register and mobilise citizens under the age of 60 for military re-training and practice. This sweeping measure includes demobilized conscripts and those previously granted special arrangements while serving, requiring them to remain on standby. Furthermore, married female conscripts and those with children have been ordered to return to their respective military units.

According to the directive, individuals under the age of 50 are prohibited from leaving the country, raising serious concerns about forced conscription and restrictions on movement. Reports indicate that regional administrations have already begun the process of informing, registering, and mobilising the relevant citizens.

The Eritrean army was forced to participate in the Tigray War in Ethiopia, which lasted from November 2020 to November 2022, leading to thousands of casualties while countless others have been left permanently disabled. The war orphaned many children and inflicted deep emotional and economic wounds on Eritrean families, and the government is yet to formally notify the families of those who were killed in action. 

This sudden and unprecedented mobilization has sent shockwaves through Eritrean society, as it is assumed that the war could be with neighbouring Ethiopia. Additionally, Ethiopia has been propagating claims to own the port of Assab, despite the fact that it is illegal to claim or even aspire to own a port that does not belong to them. During the recent African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a map was displayed which incorporated parts of Eritrea, including the port of Assab in to Ethiopia, in defiance of the AU principle of respecting state sovereignty.

Equally, in Ethiopia, there are active wars in the Amhara region and Oromia region, while the Tigray region has not yet recovered from the savage two-year war. Those who were displaced from their lands and homes have not yet returned.

Both countries have squandered millions of dollars on arms and logistics while their people are starving and struggle to meet basic needs.

In Eritrea, fears are growing that the regime is preparing for another round of armed conflict. The forced re-mobilization of civilians, including of those who had previously been released from military service, reflects the government’s persistent militaristic policies and disregard for fundamental human rights.

Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE) strongly condemns this coercive measure and urges the international community to take immediate action to deter both Eritrea and Ethiopia from waging another round of armed conflict.

The Eritrean people have suffered under indefinite conscription for decades, a policy that has been widely recognised as a form of forced labour and a gross violation of international human rights laws.

We call on the United Nations, the African Union, and all concerned governments to intervene and pressure the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments to cease these actions, respect the rights of their citizens, and halt any escalation towards war.

We also call on African Union in particular remind Ethiopia of the importance of respecting state sovereignty, requesting that the nation ends all provocative actions, and instead, negotiates with its neighbours ‘in the spirit of African brotherhood’ regarding consistent access to the sea.

Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)
eritrea.facts@gmail.com