In a move seen as a victory for Western diplomats, the UN Human Rights Council on Friday rejected Eritrea’s proposal to terminate the mandate of a UN expert investigating alleged human rights abuses in the country.
The attempt — considered rare for a country under investigative mandate — surprised many observers but was firmly defeated, with only 4 votes in favor, 25 against, and 18 abstentions.
At the same session, a European Union proposal to extend the mandate for another year passed easily.
In his latest report, Sudanese lawyer Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, the current UN expert, described the situation in Eritrea as “critical,” citing arbitrary detentions and extensive use of military service, which continue to drive high levels of migration.
Eritrean chargé d’affaires Habtom Zerai Ghebreyesus accused the EU of acting out of a “neo-colonial savior complex,” calling the mandate extension “an insult to reason and justice.”
Countries also under UN investigations — including Iran, Sudan, Russia, and China — backed Eritrea’s proposal. China argued that such mandates are a “waste of resources.”
