Eritrean residents of the Ethiopian capital have reported widespread arrests among their community, sparking fear among refugees and asylum seekers who fled their homes in search of a better life.
While not unprecedented, the scale and intensity of the current crackdown in Addis Ababa is significant, with hundreds of people reportedly arrested in recent weeks.
The city’s police did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment, but the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission – an independent body set up by the country’s parliament – said it would launch an investigation.
Eritrea and Ethiopia share a border and tension between the two neighbors has been high for decades.
Ties appeared to strengthen after a 2018 peace deal, only to deteriorate again.
An Eritrean refugee, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said he was arrested after someone heard him speaking Tigrinya – a language used in Eritrea and Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
“We were sitting in a cafe when someone heard us speaking Tigrinya and called the police.
“Six officers arrived and detained us. Later, the inspector in charge demanded cash to release us, with payments arranged secretly to avoid evidence,” he claimed.
Many Eritreans in Addis Ababa are refugees who have fled forced military conscription and government oppression in their native country.
More than 20,000 Eritreans have entered Ethiopia this year, in addition to the 70,000 refugees already registered in the country.
While some Eritreans sought safety in Ethiopia after a brutal civil war broke out in Sudan 18 months ago,
One refugee told the BBC that his sister was arrested on the way to the shops and spent three weeks in custody.
“I can’t visit her because I’m afraid of being arrested myself, so I send Ethiopian friends to check on her and deliver food and clothes. I’m afraid they might deport her to Eritrea,” he said.
Returning to Eritrea would put many refugees at risk of imprisonment.
Although some prisoners have been released, many remain in custody. Some are held for weeks or even months without a fair trial.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) told BBC Tigrinya that it had received reports of the arrest of Eritrean refugees and expressed deep concern about the case.
Refugees are becoming increasingly desperate and many are seeking alternative ways to leave Ethiopia. But there are reports that Eritreans have even been arrested while trying to inquire about the travel documents they need to leave.
The arrests have highlighted broader concerns about the safety of Eritrean refugees across Ethiopia. In the Alemwach refugee camp in the Amhara region, refugees speak of frequent robberies, kidnappings and physical attacks by armed groups.
“Some refugees have been shot, while others have been stabbed for their belongings, such as mobile phones. At least nine refugees have been murdered in the past year,” said a representative of the camp.
Some refugees draw parallels with the mass arrests and deportations of Eritreans during the 1998-2000 war between the two countries, when thousands were forcibly expelled from Ethiopia.
Ties have deteriorated again following the end of a two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Flights and telephone lines between the two countries have been suspended and diplomatic contact between their leaders has ceased.
Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia are calling on the international community, especially the UN and rights organizations, to intervene.
An Eritrean who lived and studied in Addis Ababa for six years described the arrests as arbitrary and deliberate.
“Both Eritreans with and without papers are being targeted. Even mothers visiting detained relatives have been arrested,” he told the BBC.
Another refugee said: “The arrests are unjustified and our lives are in danger. We fled persecution in Eritrea, but are confronted here.”
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