ERITREAN residents in Ethiopia’s 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 reportedly detained 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 neighbours has been fraught for decades.
Ties appeared to strenghten following a 2018 peace deal, only to deteriorate again.
One Eritrean refugee, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said he was arrested after someone heard him speaking Tigrinya – a language used in Eritrea, as well as Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
“We were sitting in a café when someone overheard 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 alleged.
Many Eritreans in Addis Ababa are refugees who fled forced military conscription and government oppression in their country of birth.
Over 20,000 Eritreans have crossed into Ethiopia this year, adding to the 70,000 refugees already registered in the country.
While some Eritreans sought safety in Ethiopia after a brutal civil war erupted in Sudan 18 months ago,
One refugee told the BBC that his sister was arrested on her way to the shops and had been held in custody for three weeks.
“I can’t visit her because I fear being arrested myself, so I send Ethiopian friends to check on her and deliver food and clothes. I worry they might deport her to Eritrea,” he said.
Returning to Eritrea would put many refugees at risk of imprisonment.
While some detainees have been released, many remain in custody. Some have been held for weeks or even months without due process.