http://ascenteq.com/project/epdp

We were highly impressed by the hard work of the Commission of Inquiry in digging for the truth about the human rights violations, amounting to crimes against humanity, committed by the ruling party and government of Eritrea and the realization of the commission that every word said from the regime’s mouth or written by its propaganda machines and supporters has been a lie, a misrepresentation of the true fact, or simply a manipulation tactic. The contents of the report of the commission on issues of crimes against humanity, including torture, murder, rape, sexual abuse, mysterious disappearances, indefinite detentions, modern slavery, and systematic physical liquation (to name a few), are not shocking for us anymore because, unfortunately, we know that these crimes constituted the norm in the Eritrean regime since its inception. It is both heart-breaking and devastating when lives so full of promise are taken away from us every day in the Mediterranean waters, or Libyan and Sinai deserts, or shot by the army at the borders with Ethiopia and the Sudan, in addition to the lives of countless   others dying in prisons and detention centres, whose number exceeds that of schools, and other terrible events such as torture and rape that sometimes end in deaths.

In a nutshell, we are by no means exaggerating when we say that going too far to harass anyone who disagrees with the regime, even on marginal issues, and retaliation, constitute the driving motive behind all human rights violations. We could imagine that some people are still struggling to comprehend the situation in Eritrea or really fail to understand our side and acknowledge our fears, as people, confused by the canned speeches, lies and propaganda of the senior officials of the regime and its supporters, though their lies have grown old, and fall short of being witty or creative, but prove to be unfailingly redundant, unoriginal and boring. If the report of the commission does not tell the international community that there is a skunk in the barn and opens their eyes to the dangers hovering over the country, then it is likely that nothing ever will. What a heartless thing to doubt this report we know stands on a solid ground?

By all means, we can say, so far so good. However, it should be clear to the international community that such governments make their own citizens feel helpless and cover up things, and by doing so, are facilitating the rise of extremism. We are not saying that the Eritrean situation is a case of that, right at this stage, but certainly the possibility cannot offhandedly be dismissed or ruled out. If the international community, represented by the Security Council, does not sit down and take some serious consideration of the immediate and long-term damages this regime is causing and take the recommendations of the commission seriously, we are going to pay dearly, as a people and country. The tasks are urgent and should not be delayed. Of course, a punishment for the criminals would not turn the clock back or undo the effects of the crimes committed on the victims or erase the pain they have caused to their loved ones, who have been waiting for years to see the day of the reckoning, but it could bring a measure of closure to the case and be a harsh lesson that would be taught beyond the cases this report had focused on and beyond our borders too.

We hope criminal Isias and his collaborators will meet tough judges like Sylvia Steiner of Hague, who condemned the former Congo Vice president, Jean Pierre Bemba, to 18 years in jail on five charges of rape, murder and pillage this month,   or the judge of the court of the African Union, who condemned Husain Habre of Chad, this month too, to life imprisonment. It is good news and moral boast for justice seekers that rape is for the first time recognized as a weapon used by dictators to demoralize the people and ensure that they do not constitute any challenge or threat to their rule. At the same time, these two most recent African cases of trial that held  criminals accountable for their crimes and ended in serving justice, have confirmed, to both foes and friends alike, that the criminals in the Eritrean regime cannot go unpunished, no matter they think they are smart enough to do so. Nevertheless, as they know their final fate clearly and are up-to-date on current affairs, we see acute frustration and hopelessness leading them to more violence on their people and the neighbouring countries, falsification of facts, unprecedented smear campaigns, scandal, blackmail, inconsistency, and other last ditch measures of suicide and self-destruction. In few words, the Arabic expression, “Ya Rayeh Kater Al Fadayeh”, describes their recent adventurous behaviours the most.

As it is said, the last hour before dawn is the darkest. We take comfort in knowing that we have reached that stage, though the sacrifices are greater than any time before. This means that the report is terribly biting, and the prayers of our God-fearing and believing people seem to have been heard by God/Allah.

JUSTICE SEEKERS’ COORDINATING COMMITTEE

TORONTO, June 21, 2016