Earlier this week, on Sunday 3 April, the brutal Eritrean regime murdered tens of its own citizens. Forced conscripts who jumped from an army convoy were shot in cold blood and civilians who tried to help faced the same murderous response. No one knows exactly how many people have been murdered by the Eritrea regime this time but reliable reports say that nearly 30 conscripts were killed or injured, two civilians have been killed and an unknown number injured.
Reports from Eritrea say that this group of conscripts – victims of the indefinite national service imposed by the Isaias regime – were being driven to one of the slave labour camps. With the hope of escaping this state sanctioned slavery tens of these conscripts tried to escape the convoy as it was stopped in the heart of Asmara. Troops loyal to the regime responded by firing indiscriminately into the crowds.
Tragically, the BBC has reported, the civilian casualties came when “some of the recruits’ friends and family used a bus to block the road to help them escape”.
Those injured were taken to hospital where many sadly died of their injuries. Those who survived are reported to be under heavy guard.
As repugnant as these actions are and as tragic as it is to see young Eritreans murdered in their own capital city by their own government, it’s happened before and it will happen again. Those of us who care about the future of Eritrea and of Eritreans must now renew our efforts to support the Eritrean people and promote their universally recognised human rights.
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Eritrea Focus is an association of Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs), human rights organisations, exile and refugee groups and individuals concerned with the gross abuse of human rights in Eritrea.
