Ethiopia is currently under its second state of emergency in 18 months, a situation sustained by the new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Since late 2015, over 1 000 civilians have been killed by Ethiopia's military(1).

Since 10 March, 10 557 Ethiopians, including many women and children, have crossed into Kenya from Moyale, seeking asylum after a botched military operation that left at least 10 citizens dead, and wounded a dozen others(2).

International assessments such as those made by MSF East Africa(3) and Unicef(4) reveal the severity of the humanitarian situation: over 8 million Ethiopians are in need of food(5).

The humanitarian consequences of increased conflict in Ethiopia could be devastating for Ethiopia and Kenya. The most vulnerable members of the population will seek refuge in neighbouring countries, risking further destabilising the Horn of Africa.

Given the threats to Ethiopian refugees in Kenya regarding refoulement(6),

1. How does the VP/HR view Ethiopia's expressed backing for the ‘refoulement' of Ethiopians seeking asylum in Kenya, while it fails to commit to ending its actions that caused this refugee exodus(7)?

2. What actions will the EEAS pursue to prevent the further deterioration of Ethiopian refugees' basic human rights? 3. Is the VP/HR concerned that the state of emergency is being used to suppress freedom of expression and curtail political participation, namely regarding political prisoners?

(1) https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/24/why-kenyas-government-silent-ethiopia-crackdown
(2) http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2018/3/5abbbb404/thousands-flee-kenya-escape-ethiopia-violence.html
(3) https://twitter.com/MSFNairobi/status/978233216070029312
(4) https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/unicef-kenya-humanitarian-situation-report-2-31-march-2018
(5) http://www.fews.net/east-africa/ethiopia/key-message-update/september-2017-0
(6) https://www.irinnews.org/feature/2018/01/12/ethiopian-oromo-refugees-face-bribes-harassment-kenya
(7) http://www.africanews.com/2018/03/19/ethiopia-intercepts-over-20000-arms-working-to-return-refugees-in-kenya

ANSWER
21-09-2018

1. Prime Minister Abiy's commitment to improve the situation in Ethiopia, including on the factors pushing Ethiopians to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, has convinced most of the population and the diaspora. On the return of Ethiopian asylum seekers from Kenya, the responsibility for assessing a possible refoulement of asylum seekers does not rest with the country of origin but with the host country, assisted by the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency and in accordance with international refugee law. From their side, Ethiopian authorities note that they are working towards a stabilisation of the security situation in communities of origin to provide safe conditions for returns.

2. The EU Delegation to Kenya is closely monitoring the situation of Ethiopian refugees in Moyale and is in regular contact with the Commission Services (in particular the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, which activated the Crisis Modifier for an amount of approximately EUR 50,000 to deliver assistance in the aftermath of the displacement) and with UN agencies and partners. Under the EU Trust Fund for Africa, the EU Delegation signed a project with the UN Development Programme for Cross-border cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya on conflict prevention and peacebuilding in the Marsabit-Moyale cluster. The Kalobeyei settlement and the surrounding host communities are supported by the EU Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP).

3. Prime Minister Abiy lifted the State of Emergency on 5 June 2018. Since his nomination, he made significant steps to improve political space in Ethiopia, including by publicly stating his commitment to multi-party democracy and by launching a dialogue with opposition groups at home and abroad. The European External Action Service released several statements welcoming the acceleration of reforms and encouraging the Government to continue on this path, including enhancing freedom of expression.