Evidence of meeting #20 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was eritrean.
A recording is available from Parliament.
February 7th, 2012 / 1:40 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
So they're still a trading nation then? Other countries are still engaged in trade?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Yes, they are, including Canada. There's trade with Canada.
Conservative
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I think it's about $3 million, so it's very low.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
That's interesting. I would think if a government was trying to put pressure on another nation because of its human rights abuses and repressive activities that those kinds of trade sanctions we see nations engaging in, for example, with Iran or other countries, would be part of the mix.
Can you give me an explanation as to why that hasn't happened?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I think Canada usually looks at these sorts of things in conjunction with the UN, and it's usually a UN Security Council resolution that leads to sanctions. So those are the ones that have been imposed by the UN and they are what we're conforming to right now.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Okay.
I noted, looking at some independent research, that Sudan is obviously a destination for many Eritreans seeking refuge, seeking asylum. I also read that Sudan is sending a lot of these people back, contrary to international law.
Do we have any influence on Sudan and the actions they're taking by forcing these Eritreans, who will be imprisoned and perhaps tortured for trying to leave or for having left the country, to go back? Are we in any diplomatic relations with Sudan to encourage them not to do this?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
We do have diplomatic relations with Sudan. The issue of turning back Eritrean refugees has not yet come up in our relationship. That is something that has not been raised with us. We're aware that quite a few Eritreans do actually end up in refugee camps in Sudan.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
And were you aware that the Sudanese are shipping them back?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
No, I haven't had any recent information on Sudanese turning back Eritreans.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Well, it wasn't hard to find some additional information about that.
How many Eritreans do we have in Canada?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Sorry, we don't have that number, but we can get it for you.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Okay.
What more can Canada do? What are our policy options in terms of trying to influence this particular country to provide more human rights to the individuals, to provide greater freedom of the press and to end all the abuses you've just listed? What more can we do?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I can't speculate on future policy, but what I can say is that we use the opportunities that are within our grasp—for example, in the UN meetings—to actually draw attention to the situation in Eritrea and to influence Eritrea in collaboration with other countries. We find that's actually the most effective way of working on these sorts of situations.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
So no direct relations with Eritrea would be an option? I mean, you've talked about the UN, but as we know from this committee, Canada takes unilateral decisions with other nations all the time. Would that not be a policy option?
I'm not asking you to predict. I'm just asking what options are available.
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The government always has a range of options.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Can you elaborate on what those might be?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
In this particular case, we're working within the context of the UN.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Okay.
One that came to my mind would be asking Eritrea to open up their jails to international monitoring. If the abuse that's happening is as you say, then perhaps that would be a first step, allowing these international human rights organizations some presence on the ground.
I don't understand why we wouldn't simply make that request.
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
We have made that request, Mr. Chair. We made the request for monitoring of human rights in Eritrea as part of the 2009 universal periodic review. So that has been done.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Okay.
Does Eritrea have any close allies that we can influence, or that they would be more susceptible to influence by?
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I'm not aware of any country that you could call a close ally of Eritrea. Again, it's difficult to influence it.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
So they're isolated. They have no friends.
Director General, Africa Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
They have very few, I would say, but....
I would say that if you look at the country and the kinds of steps it has taken, it's increasingly closing itself off to others. The one piece of evidence that was actually positive was that it's going back to the African Union.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
What's their relationship with Ethiopia? They haven't resolved the dispute, but they've had independence now for three decades. Are they on talking terms? Are they trading?