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Eritrea: Whether since the arrest of 11 members of the "G-15" on 18 and 19 September 2001, the government is seeking to arrest other members and whether the government has created a wanted list for those members

According to a report by Amnesty International (AI):

A group of 15 senior officials [also known as the G-15] of the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) party ... in May 2001, wrote an open letter to party members criticizing the government for acting in an "illegal and unconstitutional" manner. The letter also called upon "all PFDJ members and the Eritrean people in general to express their opinion through legal and democratic means and to give their support to the goals and principles they consider just" (20 Sept. 2001).

Subsequently, 11 members of the G-15 and 60 of their supporters were arrested on 18 and 19 September 2001, for, according to the Eritrean government, "crimes committed against the nation's security and sovereignty" (ibid.).

The report by AI expresses concern over the arrests and claims that three members of the "G-15" were reportedly out of the country at the time of the arrests and the fourth member had "recanted" (ibid.). The AI report also expresses "fear that [the three members] could be arrested if they returned to Eritrea" (ibid.). According to Africa Confidential, the three "G-15" members who remain outside the country are: Haile Menkurios, former Ambassador to the United Nations; Adhanom Gebremariam, former Ambassador to Nigeria; and Mesfin Hagos, former Defence Minister (19-28 Sept. 2001).

No reports of the government seeking to arrest other members of the "G-15" nor of the existence of a wanted list could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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

Africa Confidential [London]. 19 - 28 September 2001. Vol. 42, No. 19. "Crackdown: The President has Gaoled the Reformers Ahead of the Ruling Party's Congress." <http://www.africa-confidential.com/country.asp?ID=18> [Accessed 17 Sept. 2002]

Amnesty International Online. 20 September 2001. "Eritrea: Growing Repression of Government Critics." <http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/print/AFR640012001?Open Document> [Accessed 17 Sept. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

Keesing's Record of World Events

NEXIS

Internet sites including:

Africa Confidential

Africa Online

AllAfrica.com

Amnesty International (AI)

BBC News Africa

East African Standard

Horn of Africa Bulletin

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Indian Ocean Newsletter

Integrated Regional International Network (IRIN)

U.S. Department of State

World News Connection (WNC)

Search engines including:

Google