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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
2004
2009
Committee on Development
24.11.2008
REPORT
of the fact-finding mission of a Delegation of the Development
Committee of the European Parliament to the Horn of Africa (Eritrea,
Djibouti, Ethiopia) (25 October-2 November 2008)
Mr Alain Hutchinson (PES - Belgium), head of delegation
Mr Filip Kaczmarek (PPE - Poland)
Mr Mikel Irujo Amezaga (Greens - Spain)
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Introduction
Following a request from the Development Committee for a fact-finding mission to
the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia), the Bureau authorised the visit on 7
July 2008. The President authorised an extension of the mission, due to difficult flight
connections, in a letter dated21 August 2008. The delegation was composed of three
Members of the Development Committee: Chair of the Delegation - Alain
HUTCHINSON (PES - Belgium), Mikel IRUJO AMEZAGA (Greens - Spain) and
Filip KACZMARK (EPP-ED - Poland).
The fact finding mission was tasked to focus on peace, sustainable development and
good governance in the regional context and the possible role the EU can play in
supporting this process. In light of the global crisis caused by soaring food prices, the delegation also examined the challenges in the area of food security and rural development.
The Delegation expresses its particular thanks to the Ambassadors in Brussels and the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia as well as the
Commission Delegations in Asmara, Djibouti, Sana'a and Addis Ababa for their
significant support in the preparation of the programme and for facilitating the
successful undertaking of the mission.
1. Peace and Security in the Horn of Africa
Ethiopia-Eritrea - Border Conflict
In December 2000, Ethiopia and Eritrea ended a two year war by signing the
internationally brokered "Algiers Agreements", providing for a UN peace-keeping
operation mission (UNMEE) and the setting up of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary
Commission (EEBC).
The EEBC decided on the delimitation of the border in 2002,
attributing the contested village Badme to Eritrea. The decision was immediately
accepted by Eritrea, but initially rejected by Ethiopia. Ethiopia later accepted the
decision, but insisted on a dialogue about the implementation of the border decision.
After several years of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with both parties and to go
ahead with physical border demarcation, the EEBC dissolved itself in November
2007, leaving a set of geographical coordinates and a map as "virtual demarcation".
Following serious pressures from Eritrea to re-deploy UNMEE from the
demilitarisation zone, the UN Security Council decided in July 2008 to conclude the
UNMEE mandate as from 31 July 2008.
Today, estimates suggest that Eritrea and Ethiopia maintain 124,000 and 100,000 troops respectively along the border.
The EP delegation discussed the current situation and assessment of the border
conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea with representatives from both governments,
including the President of Eritrea and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. The meetings
confirmed a great deal of mistrust between both governments, and very firm positions
with regard to the sequence for overcoming the stalemate (Eritrea: demarcation first;
Ethiopia: dialogue first). Both sides claimed that the other one was not interested in a peaceful coexistence.
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The Eritrean government underlined the high importance they attach to the
implementation of the Algiers peace agreement without any preconditions and the
need for Ethiopian troops to fully retreat from Eritrean territory. They underlined the responsibility of the international community, including the EU, to guarantee the
implementation of the agreement and to use instruments under Chapter 7 of the UN
Charter, if necessary, to enforce it. Interlocutors admitted that the unsolved conflict binds manpower and resources which are desperately needed for the development of the country.
The Ethiopian government stated that it had fully accepted the delimitation decision,
but insisted that the demarcation must go together with a dialogue about the practical implementation (referring to problems such as the border cutting through villages and cemeteries) and must be linked to the normalisation of the relationship as well as guarantees for peace. For Ethiopia, it is particularly crucial to reopen the border for trade and access to the Assab port in Eritrea.
Eritrea - Djibouti border conflict
During the period of preparation of the fact-finding mission (in June 2008), violence
escalated at the border between Eritrea and Djibouti in Ras Doumeira, which resulted
in 35 fatalities and dozens wounded. Several fact-finding missions from international
organisations, including from the UN, have looked into the clash, but none was
allowed entry to Eritrea.
The United Nations Security Council issued a presidential
statement on 12 June 2008 calling on both sides to commit to a ceasefire and to
withdraw troops to the status quo ante. The contested border area could be strategic
for control of sea traffic (Ras Doumeira being situated at one of the narrowest points of the Red Sea). Eritrea also claimed that Ethiopia had set up a new military camp on mount Musa Ali on a border junction between the three countries (Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia).
The current situation is calm, but given the closeness of the troops there is a risk of escalation, and the resources bound by the status quo is a heavy burden, particularly for Djibouti. France, which has a military basis and a defence agreement with Djibouti, has come in with logistical and military support. It has to be assumed that Ethiopia would also get involved on the side of Djibouti should the conflict escalate further, as Ethiopia depends on Djibouti for access to the sea.
The Eritrean government minimised the incident at the border and accused the
international community, particularly the US, of fabricating a conflict.
The President of Eritrea said he had not instructed any military action and that no Eritrean soldier had crossed the border. According to the Eritrean side, heavy equipment had been moved to build a road and it was Djiboutian troops which attacked first.
The Government criticised France for accusing Eritrea in the Security Council on 23
October, while generally the French presence in Djibouti was described as a factor of
stability.
The Djibouti authorities stated that they had been taken by complete surprise by the
border incidents, as relations with Eritrea had been calm in the past.
All Djiboutian
interlocutors underlined the will to use diplomatic means for solving the problem.
They explained that the fighting had started after Eritrean deserters had crossed the
border and Djibouti had rejected to return them. After an Eritrean ultimatum had
passed, Djiboutian soldiers had been attacked "during prayer time". The ICRC is
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currently in negotiations to ascertain the presence of Djiboutian prisoners of war in
Eritrea, but has already been granted access to Eritrean prisoners in Djibouti.
Somalia and Sudan While originally not a focus of the fact-finding mission, the situation in Somalia and Sudan were raised as issues of great concern in all countries visited.
The terrorist bomb attack on the Ethiopian Consulate and UN offices in Somaliland's capital Hargeysa on 29 October, for which radial Islamic militias claimed responsibility,heightened fears, particularly in Djibouti, that the conflict could spread towards the North.
On the other hand, some positive developments were noted in the Somali peace process following the Djibouti agreement of June 2008, which to jeopardize was considered one reason for the terrorist attack.
On 26 October, another agreement was adopted in Djibouti between the Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) and the moderate elements of the opposition, the Alliance
for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS), including modalities for the ceasefire and the
relocation of Ethiopian troops.
IGAD, at a conference on 29 October in Nairobi with representatives of the Transitional Federal Institutions and Members of the Transitional Federal Parliament, adopted a seven-point plan for supporting the peace
process in Somalia and established a mechanism for monitoring implementation. The
common position of the regional neighbours and their strong support for the Djibouti
agreement was described by several interlocutors, in particular in Ethiopia, as a
significant step.
It was also described as vital, however, that a UN stabilization force be deployed to back the African Union peacekeepers. Should the peace process not progress until the end of the year, Ethiopia announced the immediate withdrawal of its troops.
Piracy is another major security challenge for the Horn region. The French military
presence in Djibouti, the largest overseas naval base of France, has an important role for developing response strategies, including escorts for ships.
Sudan was described by some interlocutors as THE major risk factor in the Horn
region. The failure of implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)
between the North and the South could lead to secession, likely to be accompanied by
military conflict over the oil shares in the border region. The secession would most
likely lead to a total break up of the country, with Darfur and the Eastern part seeking independence and inter-ethnic fighting, further fuelled by involvement of
neighbouring countries, including Eritrea.
2. Food security and EU development cooperation
Eritrea
Since the interruption of the democratisation process in 2001, EC cooperation with
Eritrea has been confronted with major political and technical difficulties.
Cooperation was frozen for several years in reaction to the expulsion of the Italian
Ambassador, which led to a certain backlog with the 9th EDF funds. Technical
hurdles include the limited number of private enterprises able to participate in tenders,restricted access for consultants and even EC staff to projects, and bureaucratic
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delays. As of 25 September 2008, only half of the 9th EDF had been contracted and
25 percent had been paid.
Recently, efforts have been made to reinvigorate the cooperation and proceed with
contracting of outstanding EDF funds. A political dialogue has begun, to be evaluated
by the end of 2008. The negotiations over the CSP for the 10th EDF have been nearly
concluded, although the document had not yet been signed when the fact finding
mission visited Eritrea. The total aid budget is 122 mio Euro. The focal sectors
foreseen for the 2008-2013 period include food security and infrastructure.
In addition, the EU is to support the justice sector and capacity building for public
administration as well as rehabilitation of cultural goods under non-focal sectors.
As reflected in the CSP, the Government of Eritrea (GoE) has put a major focus on
food security. The delegation witnessed major efforts in water management projects
to increase agricultural production and achieve independence from increasingly erratic rainfalls.
Soil protection and fight against deforestation are other important
intervention areas, including through the government's initiative of providing all
households with improved, energy saving stoves by 2010. The interlocutors admitted
that military service, although formally to last 18 months, often extends over decades, reducing both the active workforce and the individual freedom and choices of the citizens.
Via the "Cash for Work Programme", citizens contribute to the public works - such as
the building of dams - against payments from the government. While this scheme was
described as being voluntary, there is a risk of people being forced to work for the
government in order to ensure they can earn their living.
One of the major problems for development cooperation is the lack of exact data
about the actual status of food insecurity. A planned food needs assessment by the
FAO had been blocked, while a nutritional survey planned by UNICEF has been
postponed. UN work was also impeded by insufficient fuel supply, rendering field
work extremely difficult.
The WFP has not been operational in the country, following
a clash over the food aid policy of the country and the seizure of WFP stocks by the
government in 2006. The work of international NGOs has been severely restricted by
the NGO proclamation of 2005, leaving only seven international NGOs active in the
country, and only one local NGO being registered under the proclamation.
While there are no independent verifications for reports about "silent famine" and
extreme malnutrition, several indicators suggest the risk of a humanitarian crisis as in other Horn of Africa countries.
Food subsistence has been down from about 70-75
percent in 2007 to 30-35 percent this year due to the drought. Given the high food and fuel prices (Eritrea being 100 percent dependent on oil imports) and the weakness of the economy, it is unclear how additional food imports can be financed. After 60 days of overdue payment of debt obligations, the World Bank had to suspend the payment of new credits end of October 2008 for the first time.
While also in other sectors reliable data are lacking, UN estimations suggest
considerable progress in the health sector, including for example the probability of
MDGs on child mortality and on HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases to be met.
Only 2 percent of the GDP are spent on health, however, and human resources in the
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health sector are insufficient. Major investments are being made, with the support of
the EC, in education (based on the Education Sector Development Programme) and
institutional capacity building (through the Eritrean Centre for Organisational
Excellence). While the delegation noted and acknowledged the strong will of the
Eritrean government to avoid any dependence from international donors, many
interlocutors explicitly called on the EU to provide financial support for the
development strategies and projects.
Djibouti
The Djiboutian authorities acknowledged significant improvements in the cooperation
with the EU and particularly welcomed the efforts of the EC delegation. The 9th EDF
has now been completely committed. Under the A-Envelope of the 10th EDF an
allocation of 40.5 mio Euro is foreseen, 85 percent of which is concentrated on the
focal sector "water, sanitation and energy".
Due to the short stay in Djibouti, the delegation did not visit any projects related to food security, but the exchanges with government authorities, NGOs and UN
confirmed dramatic challenges. The food security situation is alarming in all of
Djibouti's livelihood zones due to four consecutive poor rainy seasons and high food
prices. The loss of livestock due to the drought is estimated at 50-70 percent. Urban
households suffer from high staple food prices which rose by 15 percent between May
and October 2008.
DG ECHO intends to provide emergency food aid assistance to
150.000 beneficiaries in Djibouti. The Government of Djibouti waived the customs
tax on several food commodities, which has led to a significant decrease of
government revenue. The government tries to boost production, investing amongst
others, in improved water management and microcredit for farmers. Djibouti is also
harvesting in neighbouring countries (Sudan and Ethiopia). Poverty reduction and
creation of employment (current unemployment rate of 60 percent) also remain major
challenges. Improving the conditions for private business and thus employment could
contribute to better distribution of the fairly high per capita GDP (880 USD in 2007).
Ethiopia
Under the 10th EDF, Ethiopia has been allocated 644 mio Euro in programmable
funds. The focal sectors are transport and regional integration, rural development and food security and macro-economic support and governance. The Commission works
closely with civil society and non-governmental organisations, which expressed their
great satisfaction with the cooperation.
Ethiopia has seen remarkable growth of around 9-11 percent over the last years, with
agriculture remaining a key sector (46.3 percent of the GDP in 2006/2007). The
Government’s agricultural strategy focuses on investment in technology, improved
seeds and fertilisers, as well as capacity building. Efforts to diversification of the economy have resulted in the decrease of the proportion of coffee exports from 67 to 36 percent of total export revenues (in 2006/2007).
Policies for reaching the MDG targets are enshrined in the Ethiopian Poverty
Reduction Strategy, the "Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End
Poverty in Ethiopia" (PASDEP). Significant progress in key human development
indicators has been attained. For example, primary school enrolment has steadily
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increased since 2002, reaching a gross enrolment rate for the primary cycle (class 1-8)
of 91.7 percent in 2006/2007, according to official statistics. However, significant
disparities between regions exist. Under 5 child mortality has been reduced from
167/1000 in 2000/01 to 123/1000 in 2005/06. The percentage of people with an
income below one dollar a day came down from 44.2 percent in 2000/01 to 36.5
percent in 2005/6. Notwithstanding, Ethiopia only ranked 169 out of 177 countries in
the Human Development Index in 2007/2008.
Investments are made in the health system with the aim of achieving universal primary healthcare by 2010, but lack of qualified health staff and significant brain drain in this sector still present a major difficulty. Despite a stated policy of supporting the private sector and encouraging investment, the creation of an environment conducive for private enterprise remains a major challenge, and liberalisation is hampered by the strong overlap between political and economic power.
The rising food and fuel prices have put the Ethiopian economy under pressure
recently. The inflation is the second highest in the world, attributed by the government to external shocks, rising commodity prices and increasing demand linked to economic growth. Other factors mentioned to the delegation include uncontrolled
public spending, the recent increase of the defence budget (after a significant
reduction had been achieved between 2000 and 2007) and the high - albeit slowly
decreasing - population growth rates.
Despite investment in agricultural production
and the creation of the Productive Safety Net Programme, Ethiopia remains highly
vulnerable to food insecurity, with this year’s drought aggravating the situation.
Official statistics estimate 6.4 mio people to be in need of emergency food aid.
Unofficial estimates go beyond this figure and the government has been criticised of
being too hesitant in admitting the full scope of the crisis and for not calling earlier for international assistance.
The Ogaden part of the Somali region is severely hit by the drought, but full
establishment of facts about the humanitarian and human rights situation on the
ground remains difficult. The ICRC, asked to leave the Somali region by the
Ethiopian Government in 2007, has not yet returned.
While other NGOs and WFP are active in the region, the government is controlling food distribution in certain areas and considerable parts of the food aid foreseen for the Somali region have not reached the beneficiaries. There has been recent progress through the introduction by the WFP in October 2008 of the 'hubs-and-spoke' system which is expected to improve the delivery of food aid. However, delays are still reported due to the need for military authorisation to travel in the Somali region.
3. Human rights, democracy and good governance
Eritrea
The situation as regards civil and political rights and democratic principles has been of great concern to the European Parliament for many years. Before their departure Members received reports about arbitrary arrests, torture and maltreatment of prisoners as well as persecution of journalists and suppression of religious freedom.
The case of the G-11, former Members of Parliament and Government who were
arrested in September 2001 and have since been detained incommunicado, has been
raised by the EP and the Council regularly with the Eritrean authorities. The country
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has no elected national government and the existing one, nominated by the ruling
party immediately after the independence, has not met since 2002. As the Constitution
of 1997 was never implemented, the governance systems lack a clear separation of
powers, with detrimental effects for the rule of law and individual freedoms.
Elections
have been held at regional level, but no opposition parties are allowed. Progress has
been made, however, in advancing women's rights, with – for example – the ban on
Female Genital Mutilation and a 30 percent quota for women in regional assemblies.
The ICRC has no access to the prisons in the country, only to Ethiopian prisoners of
war. To compare reports about the situation in prisons with the reality on the ground,the Members of the delegation requested a visit to a detention centre to be included in the programme, which was rejected by the authorities.
The Delegation repeatedly expressed the concern of European citizens about the human rights situation in the country and welcomed the openness of the government to enter into a dialogue about these issues. Many interlocutors expressed the wish to bring an end to the extraordinary situation caused by the so-called "no-war-no-peace" situation and to restart with the Eritrean constitution.
In the current situation, however, they argued that priority was given to military security and delivery on social rights (right to food, education etc). The detention of journalists and the G11 was not denied, but the formulation of "political prisoners" was rejected. The ban of certain religions was justified by the President, on the grounds that the preaching of new bibles and/or radical beliefs was a violation of the religious rights of persons belonging to otherbeliefs.
Members of the delegation, while acknowledging the need for a transitional phase
after the war and the process character of democratic transition, underlined the need
for identifying a perspective for returning to a democratic process and reinstating
basic human rights in line with the international commitments of Eritrea. They were
very concerned that the “no war no peace situation” was used to justify the upholding
of an undemocratic regime.
As regards the justice sector, limited capacity and lack of trained legal personnel,
including defence lawyers, pose major challenges. The EC plans to support capacity
building and training for the Community Courts, which - in parallel to the official
court system - apply customary law at the village level. The delegation was concerned
about the Special Courts founded in 1994 for handling corruption cases. These courts,
not under the control of the Ministry of Justice, do not allow for legal defence and
foresee no right to appeal.
Djibouti
The delegation found that several of the issues raised by the last fact-finding mission of the Parliament (in 2004) remained a matter of concern. The majority voting system, highly unfavourable to the opposition parties, was applied during the 2008 legislative elections. The opposition boycotted the elections. Representatives of the Ruling Party stated that a dialogue with the opposition had been sought to adapt the electoral law but that the opposition was sterile and not open to dialogue. Some progress has been made in the representation of women in Parliament.
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The coalition of opposition parties outside Parliament argued that they had requested
a dialogue but that the government had not positively responded. The opposition also
reported that during the local and regional elections in 2006, although held with
proportional system, conditions for free and fair elections had not been in place.
Restrictions to the right of assembly before the elections in 2008, total lack of press freedom and harassments (such as the arrest in March 2007 of the human rights
defender Mr Jean Paul Noel Abdi), were described as factors severely restricting the
political space. The opposition party MRD was banned in July 2008 by a presidential
decree on the grounds of alleged support to an Eritrean attack against Djibouti.
Representatives of human rights organisations and trade unions reported that labour
rights continue to be violated and unionists face harassments, with, for example,
members of the UDT/UGTD leadership still not being reinstated in their jobs after
dismissals linked to their trade union activities .
Ethiopia
The Speaker of the House and Government representatives reconfirmed the strong
commitment of the Ethiopian authorities to human rights and democratic principles.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman were set up to
provide training, awareness raising and also investigate complaints. The Commission
has also begun to monitor prison and detention places. Among civil society and
representatives of opposition forces, however, there was a lack of trust with regard to the independence of these institutions.
In Parliament, representatives of the opposition parties also claimed that despite
changes to the Rules of Procedure, they are in practice excluded from proper
parliamentary work (e.g. by extremely limited speaking time; questions/motions
tabled are rejected or not taken; control of committees by ruling party).
The Speaker of the House and representatives of the ruling party underlined that the Rules of Procedure had been adapted together with international advisers. They referred to lack of capacity of Parliamentarians and claimed that the opposition did not make use of its rights. Capacity-building programmes are already in place with UN support, and EC engagement would be welcome.
With regard to the denial of status as political group to the newly formed opposition party, Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), which was joined by 38 MPs, the Speaker referred to the rules requiring that the party had participated in the election. The opposition contested this and claimed that another party which was equally registered after the elections had received the political group status.
Opposition representatives also complained about frequent harassment, closure of the
offices during local elections of April 2008 and denial of access to their
constituencies, as well as arrests and non-respect for parliamentary immunity. On the
day of arrival of the delegation the Secretary General of the OFDM, Mr Bekele Jirata,
was arrested and charged with links to the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), together
with other opposition supporters.
The authorities informed the Chair of the Delegation that prisoners had full access to lawyers and families, but the Delegation received continuing reports about prisoners being held incommunicado, and that Mr Bekele had been without access to his lawyer for at least six days. On 1 November, the Deputy Chair of the UDJ Mr Gizachew Shiferaw and two UDJ parliamentarians werePE415.305v01-00 10/17 CR\753078EN.doc
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detained for three hours in Dembacha, Western Gojjam, Amhara region, allegedly
with the stated reason that all party activities should be reported prior to the police.
Generally, there was a climate of fear among NGOs and opposition that government
control was increasing and the political space is reduced by the recently adopted press law and party registration law. Access to food, land, fertilisers etc. are said to be used by the government for political purposes. Major concerns were raised with regard to the Charities and Societies Proclamation draft law (CSO law). A broad sector of issues related to human rights and democracy would be barred to NGOs which receive more than 10 percent of their funding from sources outside Ethiopia, including the Ethiopian diaspora, which is estimated to apply to 99 percent of the NGOs.
The Parliament has not yet received the bill, but the Speaker announced a public hearing in the responsible Committee. Apparently, a fourth version is circulating, but the government has rejected all requests for changing the core elements.
The delegation also heard reports about government interference with the work of
trade unions and professional organisations. Members of the former Ethiopian
Teachers Association, dissolved by court decision, reported about bureaucratic delays
in answering to their request for re-registration under a new name, submitted in
August 2008. Several members of the former ETA are reported missing, in prison or
out of work.
4. Recommendations
Regional security
• Ethiopia should formally endorse the Boundary Commission's virtual demarcation
between Eritrea and Ethiopia as final and binding. The Eritrean government should
agree to a dialogue with Ethiopia, which would address the process for
disengagement of troops from the border and for physical demarcation in
accordance with the Border Commission’s decision as well as the normalisation of
relations between the two countries, including a reopening of the border for trade.
• The EU should continue its efforts in the framework of the Regional political
partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa to identify
projects of common interest which could trigger functional cooperation between
Eritrea and Ethiopia, such as in the area of energy supply and cross-border trade.
• The Eritrean government should reconsider its current suspension of membership in
IGAD. The AU and IGAD leadership should continue to involve Eritrea and
encourage the government to rejoin the regional and sub-regional cooperation
efforts.
• The Eritrean governments should agree to invite, jointly with the Djiboutian
government, an independent fact-finding mission to look into the situation in Ras
Doumeira. Both sides should rely on dialogue and diplomatic means to restore
relations between the two countries. Eritrea should provide a list of Djiboutian
prisoners of war and ensure access for the ICRC.
• In Somalia, the EU should continue its support for institution-building, the
implementation of the Djibouti peace agreement and IGAD efforts in the peace
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process. AMISOM should be reinforced and the UN stabilisation force be deployed
in a timely manner as soon as political and security conditions allow.
• In Sudan, the international community, including the EU, should become more
active in supporting the implementation of the CPA and enhance efforts to secure
the full deployment of UNAMID in Darfur.
• The EU should continue its support for IGAD and its efforts to develop an
integration plan for the region and to strengthen its institutions.
Food security
• The Eritrean government should cooperate more closely with international
organisations in the assessment of the food security situation to allow for timely and targeted intervention.
• The Eritrean government should allow the EC unhindered access to EC funded
projects and enhance its openness to technical assistance for jointly agreed projects
and programmes. It should also adapt the NGO Proclamation with a view of easing
the financial requirements for NGOs willing to engage in development activities in
Eritrea.
• The Ethiopian Government should grant full access to humanitarian organisations to
the Ogaden region in the Somali state, and provide all necessary conditions for aid
to reach its beneficiaries throughout the region.
• The European Commission should continue to support regional responses to crossborder
challenges through the EU Regional partnership for peace, security and
development, and in particular the regional management of water resources as an
essential element for food security.
• The EU should continue efforts to ease bureaucratic procedures and requirements,
where possible, with a view to speeding up the disbursement of EDF funds.
Human rights, democracy and good governance
• As it could be argued for other countries in the Horn, in Eritrea, the current situation
is not in conformity with the essential elements of cooperation stated in Article 9 of
the Cotonou agreement. Tangible progress in the near future in the field of human
rights is critical for the European Parliament, which will follow closely the political
dialogue and the process towards adoption of the Country Strategy Paper. As a first
step, the Eritrean authorities should enhance transparency about the prison system
and allow independent humanitarian organisations, such as the ICRC, to regularly
visit all prisoners, including the so-called G11 and the group of journalists arrested
in September 2001. Access to families, lawyers and medical treatment must equally
be granted in accordance with international human rights standards. Where no
charges have been brought against prisoners in a reasonable period of time, they
should be unconditionally released. Those with specific charges against them should
be brought to a speedy and fair trial. Bodies of prisoners who died in detention
should be handed over to their families.
• The Eritrean government should develop a time plan for implementing the Eritrean
Constitution and introducing freedom of religion, freedom of association and
freedom of expression. The rules for the Special Courts, introduced for a transitional
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period only, should be adapted so as to comply with international standards for the
rule of law and fair trials.
• In Djibouti, the authorities should protect the political space for opposition parties
and human rights organisations, including full guarantee of press freedom, freedom
of assembly and freedom of expression. A meaningful dialogue between
government and opposition should be launched, leading to an adaptation of the
electoral law so as to allow for a fairer representation of existing political parties in
Parliament. The recently banned opposition party MRD should be granted access to
court to challenge the decision.
• The Government of Djibouti should take steps to ensure better protection in law and
practice of the rights of trade unions in accordance with the respective core ILO
conventions.
• The Ethiopian Parliament should enter into serious and public consultation with
NGOs on the proposed bill on civil society organisations and consider its rejection,
unless significant adaptations are made. The Ruling Party should restart the dialogue
with opposition parties in Parliament about the working procedures and status of the
opposition. Through revision and/or proper implementation of the Rules of
Procedure and in line with the full set of recommendations from international
experts, a more meaningful role for representatives of the opposition parties,
including the UDJ, in debates and decision making should be ensured, as well as
equal access to infrastructure and resources. The European Commission and the
Ethiopian authorities should envisage the integration of capacity building
programmes for the Parliament in the CSP.
• The Ethiopian authorities should review the press law and party registration law as
well as the composition of the Election Board so as to ensure the political space for
opposition parties is guaranteed. Allegations of harassments and arbitrary arrests of
the opposition and civil society organisations should be investigated and those
responsible brought to trial. With a view to the elections in 2010, international
election observers should be invited at an early stage.
• The Ethiopian Ministry of Justice should handle swiftly the request for registration
by the Ethiopian National Teachers Association (NTA), in accordance with the
respective laws and rules.
• Given the reports about serious human rights violations by both government and
rebel forces in the Somali region, the Ethiopian government should invite the
relevant UN mechanisms to investigate the allegations.
• In accordance with Article 8 and Annex VII of the Revised Cotonou Agreement, the
Governments of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti and the EU should jointly agree to
deepen the political dialogue in the field of human rights, democratic principles and
the rule of law, including on the issues mentioned above, with a view to defining
benchmarks and attaining tangible results and progress on the ground. Dialogue
should be conducted in a flexible manner, formal or informal, within and outside the
institutional framework, including the ACP Group and the Joint Parliamentary
Assembly. The EU should consider associating regional and sub-regional
organisations, as well as representatives of civil society organisations to this
political dialogue, in accordance with Art. 8.7 of the Revised Cotonou Agreement.
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Annex 1
Fact-finding mission of a Delegation of the Development Committee
of the European Parliament to the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia)
(25 October-2 November 2008)
Final PROGRAMME
Members of the Delegation:
MEPs: A. Hutchinson (PSE) (Chair of the delegation), F. Kaczmarek (PPE), M. Irujo
Amezaga (Greens)
Staff - DG ExPo Development Committee:
AD - Marika Lerch
AST - Alyson Wood
Saturday, 25 October
20.05 Arrival at Asmara International Airport
20:30 Transfer to hotel
Albergo Italia Hotel
Nakfa Avenue 13
Asmara
Eritrea
Tel: +29.1.1.120.740 Fax: +29.1.1.126.993
Arrival of Mr Irujo @ 04.05 26.10.08 (from Cairo)
Sunday, 26 October
8:30 – 13:00 Trip to Zoba Debub and visit to project sites (accompanied by the
Governor Mr Mustofa nur Hussein and DG, Minister of Agriculture)
-Oxfam projects: Adi Guroto (Areza sub-zoba) - EC funded
- Takketa: projects - GSE-funded
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch in Mendefera, hosted by the Governor of Debub
- Visit to Kakibdaand Deerko projects related to water - GSE funded
17.00 Drive Back to Asmara
19.00 Free Dinner
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Monday, 27 October
8:00 – 9:30 Meeting EC Delegation staff (Venue: EC Delegation)
9:45 – 10:30 Meeting with: H.E. Dr. Woldai Futur, Minister of National
Development
(Venue: MoND)
10:45 – 11:40 Meeting with UN agencies (Venue: UN building)
11.45 - 12.25 Meeting with ICRC (ICRC office)
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch with Representatives of Civil Society Organizations (venue:
Albergo Italia):
National Union of Eritrean Women
National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students;
National Confederation of Eritrean Workers
Employers' Association
14:15 – 15:30 Meeting with Officials (DGs) from the Ministries of:
Public Works, Water Department (Venue: Water Department)
15.30 – 16:15 Meeting with Peace building Centre for the Horn of Africa (venue:
Delegation)
16:30 - 17:25 Meeting with Officials (DGs) from the Ministries of Education and
Health and Eritrean Centre of Organisational Excellence
17:30 – 18:30 Meeting with Members of National Assembly (Venue: Denden)
- H.E. Mr. Yemane Ghebreab
- Mr. Mussa Naib
- Mr. Zemehret Yohannes
- Mrs. Luul Ghebreab
19:00 – 21:00 Dinner at Ghidey Restaurant (hosted by H.E. Mr Yemane Ghebreab)
Tuesday, 28 October
8:30 – 9:10 Meeting with Minster of Justice, H.E. Fozia Hashim (Venue: Ministry
of Justice)
09:20 - 10:20 H.E. Mr. Yemane Ghebremeskel, Director General of the Office of the
President
(Venue: Denden)
10:30 – 12:00 Visit of Asmara (visit to detention centre rejected by ER authorities)
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13.00 - 18.30 Trip to Massawa; Meeting with H.E. President of the State of Eritrea
18.30-19:30 Meeting religious leaders (Venue: Office of the Patrtiarch of the
Orthodox Church)
19:30 - 21:30 Dinner with EC Delegation and EU MS, hosted by EP delegation
(Venue: at Casa degli Italiani)
01:00 Departure Asmara International Airport
Wednesday, 29 October
Departure Asmara: 01.00, arrival Sana'a at 05.00 (Yemen Airways, Flight IY631);
Transfer to Hotel - Rest
Sheba Hotel
P.O.Box 773,
Ali Abdolmoghni Street,
Sana'a, Republic of Yemen.
Tel. +967-1-272372
Fax: +967-1-274129
Departure : 22.00, delayed arrival Djibouti 23.15 (Ethiopian Airlines, Flight ET 307)
Transfer to Hotel Kempinski
Djibouti Palace Kempinski
Ilot du Heron,
P.O. Box 1960, Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
Phone: +253 325555
Fax: +253 325556
19.00 - 19.30 Meeting with EC delegation in Djibouti (cancelled due to delayed
flight)
19.30 - 22.00 Reception hosted by the EC delegation in Djibouti (cancelled due to
delayed flight)
Thursday, 30 October
8.00 - 09.00 Breakfast meeting with French Ambassador (Venue: French Embassy)
9.00 - 10.00 Meetings with
H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation
H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, Minister for Atriculture
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Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Awaleh , Secrétaire d'état chargé de
la Solidarité Nationale
10.00-10.30 Meeting with the Prime Minister, H.E. Dileita Mohamed Dileita
10.30 - 11.30 Meeting with the President of the National Assembly, H.E. Idriss
Arnaoud Ali and Members of Parliament
11.30 - 12.15 Meeting with the President of the Republic of Djibouti, H.E. Ismael
Omar Guelleh
12.15 -13.15 Meeting with representatives of UNDP, FAO, WFP, UNICEF
13.15 -15.30 Lunch with representatives of civil society and trade unions, offered by
the
EP delegation (Venue: Restaurant Janateyn, Route de l'Aéroport ,
Djibouti)
16.00 - 17:00 Meetings with representatives of opposition parties belonging to UAD
coalition
(venue: Delegation)
17.15 Transfer to the airport (Salon d'honneur)
Departure from Djibouti: 18.20, arrival Addis Ababa at 19.30 (Ethiopian Airlines,
Flight ET 307)
Transfer to Hotel:
Sheraton Addis Hotel
Taitu Street
PO Box 6002
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel. +251.11.517.17.17
Fax: +25.11.517.27.27
Friday, 31 October
8:30 – 9:30 Meeting with EC Delegation and EU Troika (venue: EC Delegation
premises)
10:00 – 11:00 Meeting with Hon. Ambassador Teshome Toga, Speaker of the House
of Representatives (venue: Parliament) - jointly with President
Pöttering and Michael Gahler
11:00 – 12:00 Meeting with representatives of opposition parties in the Parliament
(venue: Parliament)
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12:00 – 12.30 Meeting with Representatives of the Ruling Party
12.45 – 14:00 Lunch with State Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Tekeda Alemu
(venue: Hotel Sheraton)
14:15 - 16.15 Meetings with economic team (H.E Minister Sufian Ahmed, H.E.
Minister Girma Biru, and H.E. State Minister Abera Deresa), and social
sector team (H.E. Minister Teodros Adhanom and H.E. State Minister
Fuad Ibrahim) (venue: Parliament)
16.15 - 17.15 Meeting with Dr. Kassa G. Hiwot, Chief Commissioner, Ethiopian
Human Rights Commission; Ato Abay Tekle, Chief Ombudsman
(venue: Parliament)
17:30 – 19:00 Meeting with representatives of civil society (venue: Hotel Sheraton)
19.30 - 20.00 Meeting with Executive Secretary of IGAD (venue: Hotel Sheraton)
20:00 Dinner with representatives of international organisations, hosted by the
EP
delegation (venue: Hotel Sheraton, Les Arcades restaurant)
Saturday, 1 November (timing to be confirmed)
8:00 – 12:30 Visit to two EC supported project on food security
13.45 - 14.30 Free lunch
14:30 – 15:30 Informal meeting with representatives of opposition (venue: Hotel
Sheraton, room Barro salon)
15:30 - 16.00 Informal meeting with representative of civil society (venue: Hotel
Sheraton, room Barro salon)
17:00 – 18:30 Meeting with H.E. Prime Minister (venue to be confirmed)
19:00 - 20:00 De-briefing of EU Heads of Mission, followed by a buffet dinner
(venue: EC Delegation Residence)
21:00 Departure from EC Residence to Bole Airport
22:45 Departure from Addis Ababa to Brussels (LH 591)
Arrival in Brussels on 2 November at 08.05
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