Press Release
1,000 Eritreans Deported from Ethiopia on the Eve of Legal Talks
in Washington DC

Another 1,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin were deported from Ethiopia yesterday on the eve of the commencement of legal negotiations between Eritrea and Ethiopia in Washington DC. Consistent with the inhumane treatment that has met thousands of other Eritreans, these recent deportees were arbitrarily taken from their homes in Ethiopia and sent to the border where they arrived in the town of Shambuko.

The deportees were dumped on the Gash River and forced to cross it at considerable risk to their lives. Neither the ICRC nor the State of Eritrea was informed in advance. It is not clear why the TPLF regime chose this perilous entry point.

While the State of Eritrea has worked in coordination with the ICRC to repatriate voluntarily Ethiopians residing in Eritrea, the government in Ethiopia refuses to accord similar cooperation and respect for the rights of its Eritrean residents. The ICRC sponsored voluntary repatriation that began in June 2000 has resulted in the safe return of 8,000 Ethiopians to their home country.

In total, 71,449 Eritreans have been deported from Ethiopia since the beginning of the conflict. These acts are in contravention of major international human rights laws and conventions.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 3 July 2000