Communication to the press No. 00/32
Geneva (ICRC) - The State of
Eritrea acceded to the four 1949 Geneva Conventions on 29 July last. In
so doing, it became the 189th State party to the four Conventions. Over
the past month the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has
thus been able to begin discharging its treaty-based mandate to visit people
protected by the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions. From 29August to
1September its delegates visited the Ethiopian prisoners of war being held
at Nakfa camp in Eritrea. ICRC staff have also visited a prison and two
internment camps, registering civilians protected by the Fourth Convention.
All visits have been carried out in accordance with the organization's customary working procedures, with full cooperation from the Eritrean authorities.
The ICRC has been regularly visiting Eritrean prisoners of war and civilian internees held in Ethiopia in connection with the international conflict between the two countries which broke out in May 1998.