Why are Eritreans in exile being silenced?

Eritrea is often described as one of the most repressive countries in Africa.

People’s rights are severely restricted; military service is compulsory and often indefinite, and; opponents of President Isaias Afwerki are locked up in jail.

Even Eritreans in exile are apparently not safe.

Amnesty International is accusing the government of harassing and threatening activists living in Europe and elsewhere in Africa.

It is highlighting the issue as Eritrea is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council that is meeting this week in Geneva.

So who is responsible for the campaign of intimidation?

Presenter: Divya Gopalan

Guests:

Selam Kidane – director of Release Eritrea, a human rights organisation

Awol Allo – Africa analyst and senior lecturer at Keele University

Martin Plaut – senior research fellow at University of London and author of Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa’s Most Repressive State