http://ascenteq.com/project/epdp

“Eritrea is one of the tragedies of our times. What is there is an unacceptable situation”. These were the opening words of Professor Vincent Chetail of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, which together with Human Rights Watch, organized a debate over the film ‘Sound of Torture’ on the suffering of Eritreans in the Sinai.

The documentary film by journalist Meron Estefanos captured the full attention of the audience and ended with perceptible sounds of shock and sobs from many kind hearted watchers. (This is a small clip from the Sound of Torture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwXSsCWeSyk). The film was first watched in Geneva during the June 2014 session of the UN Commission of Human Rights.

At the end of the film show, Prof. Chetail, the moderator, introduced the panelists: Ms Meron Estefanos herself, Mr. Gerry Simpson of the Human Rights Watch and Ms Janice Maishall of UNHCR.

Ms Meron Estefanos narrated the Sinai tragedy in an eloquent presentation which gave more life to the film show by graphically describing the suffering of so many human beings because of the failure of their own government in Asmara. She revealed that up to 25,000 Eritreans were affected by the human trafficking networks in the Sinai and that 4,000 of them died in the hands of their abusers. She also told in great detail the suffering of those 35,000 Eritreans in Israel who are insulted and demonized as “infiltrators”.

Mr. Simpson of the Human Rights Watch added that the suffering of Eritreans in the hands of human traffickers was aggravated by the complicity of Sudanese and Egyptian security members. It was also revealed that no protection is being given to Eritrean refugees by Ethiopia and the Sudan both of which keep refugees away in the remote zone without adequate shelter and other needs.

The UNHCR was blamed of not doing enough for Eritrean refugees. The UNHCR representative admitted that Eritreans escaping from their country are genuine refugees and deserve protection everywhere, and that the European Union is expected to come with adequate safety measures for these victims of forced displacement.

Limited time was given for discussion in the two-hour event in which Dr. Daniel Rezene, an Eritrean human rights activist and expert on transitional justice, got the opportunity to say “what is going on in Eritrea is a human and humanitarian disaster” and expected the international community to call the situation by its appropriate name.