EPDP Chairman Urges Djibouti Authorities to Release Incarcerated 267 Eritrean Refugees

EPDP Information Office

In an expression of solidarity and support to the hunger strike started by compatriot Elsa Chyrum in front of the UN Permanent Mission of Djibouti in Geneva, the chairman of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP),
Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom, urged Djibouti authorities to release the unjustifiably incarcerated 267 Eritrean refugees in that country.
Addressed to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, with copies to the Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Yousou and Djibouti Ambassador Mohamed Siad Doualeh in Geneva.

The EPDP message reminded fraternal authorities in Djibouti that all Eritreans are victims of their regime and that those refugees who crossed to the border under difficult circumstances deserve sympathy and support of neighbourly Djibouti.

Ms Elsa Chyrum in front of the Djibouti Mission in Geneva Tuesday. EPDP Foreign Office head, Mr. Woldeyesus Ammar, was among her visitors after he hand-delivered the EPDP Chairman’s message to the Permanent Mission of Djibout to UN in Geneva.

The EPDP chairman also hailed the courage and timely initiative of Ms Elsa Chyrum for a cause that deserves the response of all concerned. The message has been copied to UNHCR, UNOHCHR, ICRC and other concerned organizations that could help.
Following is the full text of the EPDP message:

To:

President Ismail Omar Guelleh,

Djibouti

CC:

Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssou,

Djibouti,

Attention:

Ambassador/UN Permanent Rep. Mohamed Siad Doualeh,

Chemin Louis-Dunant 19,

1202 Geneva, Switzerland

(Mission.Djibouti@Djibouti.ch)

24 March 2014

Dear President Guelleh,

This is to remind Your Excellency and the fraternal people and Government of Djibouti that, as of 23 March 2014, our compatriot Ms Elsa Chyrum, is staging a hunger strike at your Geneva Embassy in protest of Djibouti’s unjustifiable incarceration of 267 Eritrean refugees under the untenable excuse that they come from “enemy country” and therefore they are part of the criminal regime in Asmara.

Reports are also coming that Eritreans in Switzerland and many parts of the world are congregating at the compounds of your embassies and legations in solidarity with the hunger strike started by Ms Elsa Chyrum and to once again remind Your Excellency that Eritrean refugees who happened to reach Djibout with great difficulty deserve your sympathy and support and not open-ended incarceration as hostages and wrong victims of the political gamble in the region

We have reliable information that some of the incarcerated Eritrean refugees in Djibouti have died and many are in serious health situation because of lack of proper treatment as regards food and healthcare in the “camps” where they are held.

We in the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) hail the courage and timely initiative of our compatriot Elsa Chyrum and we join her and other compatriots in demanding Your Excellency’s Government to take most urgent action to release the incarcerated refugees.

In the meantime, we call upon the UNHCR, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR), the ICRC and other concerned regional agencies and worthy human rights organizations to heed to this call: help release the incarcerated refugees and finally find them a third-country resettlement outside the region until the situation Eritrea is changed and made livable, humanly habitable.

Respectfully yours,

Menghesteab Asmerom,

Chairman,

The Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP)

CC:

UNHCR

UNOHCHR

ICRC

Others