March 7, 2022
Although Russia used its veto power on February 25 to block a resolution condemning its brutal invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council, the UN General Assembly voted this past Wednesday to censure Russia in the first such emergency session since 1982. As the world overwhelmingly condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, joining Russia in opposing the resolution were four states: Belarus, Eritrea, Syria and North Korea. There were 35 nations that abstained from the vote, including China, which calls Russia “most important strategic partner” and was expected to vote against the motion. Serbia, which has close historical ties with Russia, surprised many observers by voting in favor of the resolution.
On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) also voted overwhelmingly to support the creation of a three-person commission to investigate alleged Russian human rights violations in Ukraine, with 32 members of the council voting in favor of the resolution. Russia and Eritrea were the only two Council members to vote against it, while 13, including China, abstained.
The Eritrean Research Institute for Policy and Strategy (ERIPS) believes Eritrea’s decision to align itself with Russia, especially as demonstrated by the two UN votes in which it participated, sends a clear signal that the Eritrean government is not through with its own human rights abuses and meddling in regional affairs.
“The Eritrean regime is desperately searching for allies to evade U.S. and Western sanctions and to secure arms supplies to help it continue disturbing peace and security of the entire Horn of Africa with callous disregard for its own people and the future of Eritrea,” said ERIPS President Tomas Solomon.
ERIPS believes there are four main reasons why the regime of Isaias Afwerki voted in favor of Russia:
- The Government of Eritrea is one of the world’s most repressive governments with no legislature, no independent judiciary, and no independent media outlets. In 2016, the UNHRC found reasonable grounds to believe the Eritrean government has committed numerous crimes against humanity. In addition to abusing the human rights of its own citizens, the Eritrean regime is also involved in the current Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, as well as past military confrontations with all its neighbors. Given the regime’s long history of systematic and widespread violations of human rights and a solid track record of attempting to resolve political issues by force, Eritrea voting in favor of Russian invasion and against the creation of a commission to investigate alleged Russian human rights violations in Ukraine should come as no surprise. The Eritrean regime, with its vote at the UN couldn’t help it but reveal its true nature, magnify its domestic and regional behavior at the world stage, and reaffirm its total disregard for human rights, human life or international law.
- By voting in favor of Russia, the Eritrean government hopes to secure access to sophisticated weaponry with which to continue and expand its destructive military confrontations in the Horn of Africa. Russia is the largest supplier of military equipment to African countries, including such weapons as T-90SA main battle tanks (MBT’s), modernized BMPT-72 (Terminator 2) infantry fighting vehicles, Su-34 strike fighters and Su-35 air superiority jets.
- The Eritrean government considers western governments especially the United States as its archenemies for condemning the continued and egregious human rights abuses in Eritrea and for imposing sanctions on the country’s military, ruling party and some top party officials. The Eritrean regime also has a long-held resentment against the UNHRC for establishing a Commission of Inquiry to investigate systematic, widespread, and gross violations of human rights in Eritrea. Taking advantage of its position at the UNHRC and by voting against the investigation of alleged Russian human rights violations in Ukraine, the Eritrean regime is attempting to frustrate western governments especially the United States, weaken the credibility and effectiveness of the UNHRC, and evade its responsibility for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
- The Eritrean government voted in favor of Russia in hopes that Russia would use its veto power in the UN Security Council and in other venues to prevent any UN efforts to investigate Eritrea’s human rights violations or pass sanctions against it. Eritrea’s expectations of Russian reciprocity vote and support come at a time when Eritrea is being accused of extending its human rights abuses beyond its borders and into Ethiopia and investigations are being called for alleged war crimes by Eritrea and other participants in the Tigray conflict.
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