The United Nations Human Rights Council has rejected Eritrea’s attempt to terminate a mandate investigating rights abuses in the country.
The motion, introduced by Eritrea, was seen as a bold move to escape scrutiny. It failed with only four votes in favour, 25 against, and 18 abstentions.
Western diplomats expressed relief, warning that approval would have emboldened other states to shut down uncomfortable investigations.
Following the rejection, a European Union-backed motion to extend the mandate for one year passed without major resistance.
Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, a Sudanese lawyer serving as the U.N. special rapporteur on Eritrea, had described the situation as dire. His latest report cited arbitrary detentions and indefinite military service fuelling mass migration.
Human rights group DefendDefenders praised the mandate’s renewal, calling the U.N. expert essential to Eritrean victims and the global diaspora.
The EU delegate warned that ending the mandate would allow “impunity and repression to deepen in silence,” reinforcing the need for continued oversight.
Eritrea’s chargé d’affaires, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, condemned the move, accusing the EU of having a “neo-colonial saviour mentality complex.”
“The continued extension of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate is an affront to reason and justice,” Ghirmai said during the debate.
Countries supporting Eritrea’s motion included Iran, Sudan, and Russia—each facing their own U.N.-mandated investigations.
China also backed Eritrea, arguing that such mandates are a misuse of U.N. resources and questioning their effectiveness.
The vote reflects deep divisions within the 47-member council over the balance between sovereignty and international accountability.
