Nairobi Declaration 2015 On democratic transition in Eritrea‏

Nairobi Declaration 2015

On democratic transition in Eritrea

1. A highly centralised authoritarian dictatorship exists in Eritrea. No constitution exists in the country, and there have never been any parliamentary elections, whether local or national, leaving the country with no legislative body or representative government. Rule of law is absent; basic human rights are denied; and any dissent is crushed. The regime continues to imprison, torture and execute opponents with impunity. The command economy is in shambles, accompanied by mass unemployment and extreme poverty. Compulsory conscription has become the lot of the youth, who are forced to toil for life for the dictatorship and fight its unending wars. The youth are fleeing the country in droves, risking their lives to seek safety and the means to sustain themselves and their families, thus becoming burdens to host countries.

2. Opposition to the regime is growing at home and in the Diaspora. However, despite commendable efforts to build a stronger linkage between the two and to forge a more coherent coalition of the diaspora opposition, much more needs to be done to bring these efforts to fruition and ensure that the imminent downfall of the dictatorial regime does not lead to political vacuum and internal implosion.

3. The National Consultative Conference (NCC), held in Nairobi on 27-29 November 2015, deliberated on the prevailing situation in the country and, more specifically, discussed:

3.1 The strengths and weaknesses of the Eritrean regime and the opposition;

3.2 The challenges and dilemmas of regime change and possible scenarios of transition;

3.3 Sustaining and further strengthening national unity;

3.4 A framework to address the challenges of working together;

4. Convinced of the need for all opposition organisations in the Diaspora and inside the country to coalesce around a common political platform, the participants of the NCC agreed to work together to:

4.1 Safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Eritrea;
4.2 Channel efforts of all national pro-democracy forces towards the pursuit of the common purpose; 4.3 Replace the dictatorial regime with a constitutional government;
4.4 Draw up the necessary measures to ensure an orderly transition; and
4.5 Establish an Ad-hoc Contact Organ to:

1. Draft a common vision and program of action, in close consultation with political organisations, for a smooth transition to a democratic order.
2. Prepare for the next all-inclusive meeting of opposition organisations to discuss ways and means to accelerate democratic transition.

5. List of participating organisations:

1. Eritrean Liberation Front
2. Eritrean National Salvation Front
3. Eritrean Peoples’ Democratic Party
4. Eritrean Democratic Party
5. Eritrean Nahda Party
6. Democratic Front for Eritrean Unity
7. Eritrean Congress Party
8. Eritrean Islamic Islah Movement
9. Eritrean Islamic Congress
10. Eritrean Islamic Party for Justic & Development
11. Eritrean Federal Democratic Movement
12. National Forum for Dialogue

Nairobi, 29 November 2015