Press Statement

We in CDRiE are saddened to learn that Mr. M. Ali Ibrahim, member of the Central Committee

of the Eritrean Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) has disappeared in Kassala, Sudan on 14

th of

February 2012 and that his whereabouts remains unknown to this date.

Mr. M. Ali Ibrahim is a well known in Eritrea. He is veteran of the liberation struggle and was a

prominent personality in the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in the pre-independence period.

Even though he spent much of his life fighting for Eritrean independence, he has been one of the

many veterans denied the right to lead a normal life in the country they fought to liberate.

Because of the EPLF’s and later its successor, the PFDJ’s ‘winner receives all’ exclusionist

policy, instead of returning home to celebrate the victorious outcome of the Thirty Year’s War,

he has been forced to continue fighting for freedom and democracy from exile.

Given his background and the available unconfirmed information, it is strongly suspected that his

disappearance is most likely politically motivated.

We in CDRiE would like to express our compassion with his family and his colleagues. As

CDRiE is fundamentally opposed to any form of violence except in self-defence, we

unequivocally condemn those who are responsible for his disappearance.

In view of the fact that the disappearance of Mr. Ibrahim occurred within the sovereign territory

of the Sudan, we urge the Sudanese authorities to hold an urgent enquiry into this disquieting

development. We also call on the Government of Sudan to make sure that such appalling

occurrences do not recur ever again. If such sad incidents ever occur again, not only are they

likely to damage the long-standing friendly relations between the peoples of the two sisterly

countries, but will also blemish the government’s long-standing reputation of providing

protection to Eritrean refugees and political activists. In recent years, many Eritreans who came

to Sudan to seek safe haven and succor have been victims of kidnapping and human trafficking.

Although we are aware of the constraints facing the government, no efforts should be spared to

protect the most vulnerable and marginalized members of humanity who come to the country to

escape from the open-ended national service which has over time degenerated into forced labour.

We also wish to take this opportunity to call upon the international inter-and-non-governmental

organizations and governments to contribute to the resolution of this deplorable episode.

Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea – CDRiE

The Executive Board, London 23.02.2012

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