Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Eritrea about (1) ending indefinite conscription, and (2) parliamentarians who have been detained since 2001; and what additional aid, if any, was allocated to Eritrea as a result of international sanctions being lifted.

We continue to be concerned by reports that indefinite conscription is ongoing in Eritrea. We raise human rights in Eritrea regularly, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July, and when our Ambassador in Asmara saw the same advisor in August.

In a statement at the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council on 12 July the UK welcomed the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, which we co-sponsored. The UK also urged Eritrea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and to reform national service, implement the constitution, respect freedom of religion or belief, and release all those in arbitrary detention – including, but not exclusive to detained parliamentarians; journalists; and those observing banned religions.

No additional aid has been allocated as a result of sanctions being lifted. The Department for International Development (DfID) has funded life-saving activity in Eritrea for several years, including providing £3.24m to UNICEF in 2018-19 to help treat malnutrition in under-fives and provide access to safe hygiene and sanitation services. DFID has extended this funding to UNICEF Eritrea until March 2021.