Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-07-Speech-4-201"
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"en.20020207.10.4-201"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, as the previous speakers have already said, the situation in Eritrea is becoming increasingly serious as far democracy is concerned. The Eritrean Parliament, which is made up of elected members who all belong to the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, has decided to ban the formation of political parties. The independent press has been suppressed and many journalists, politicians and political opponents, including former government ministers, have been arrested, accused of treason against the national assembly. There is an increase in repressive measures being taken to control the citizens, especially students, two of whom died while imprisoned in the desert. The Italian ambassador has been expelled. The state of the economy and of citizens’ living conditions is becoming increasingly serious. The non-governmental organisations operating in Eritrea report situations which have reached hitherto unknown severity: even doctors, nurses and paramedics have been removed from hospitals and sent to the front, leaving the people with no health care at all. The violence inflicted on the people, particularly women and children, is indescribable.
The international community cannot just stand by and watch. We need to intervene as swiftly as possible to help define the borders. The UN Security Council and the Algiers Commission have committed themselves to doing this, but we need a European delegation, a troika, to go to Eritrea and we need to reassess relations with this country on the basis of the Cotonou agreements. We need to demand the announcement of parliamentary elections – already scheduled, moreover, for December 2001 – elections which must take place under international supervision. We must demand the release of all political prisoners, and that the freedom of the press, the freedom of association, the freedom to develop society and the freedom to form political parties and trade unions be restored.
All this must be an essential prerequisite if the Union is to resume the financing which is absolutely vital for the reconstruction of the country’s war-torn economy and for its development. The Council and the Member States need to adopt a coordinated approach to relations with Eritrea which is as effective as possible and such as to contribute quickly to the process of achieving peace at the country’s borders and within Eritrea.
The ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will take place as of mid-March. We hope that, at that forum, we will be able to debate the processes announced previously as having already taken place, and that we will be able to find a way to initiate a peace process with the Eritreans as well, to restore democracy and, most importantly, to restore to the citizens, men, women and children acceptable living conditions which are no longer shameful."@en1
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