Various reports refer to Dedesa (Dedessa) as an internment camp (IRIN 11 July 2003; ibid. 2 Dec. 2002; Country Reports 2003 31 Mar. 2003, Sec. 1.d; HRW Jan. 2003), which is based in western Ethiopia (ibid.; IRIN 2 Dec. 2002).

Reporting on the Ethiopian and Eritrean post-war claims, the independent claims commission, seated at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, stated, among other things, that:

Ethiopia was found liable for subjecting Eritrean POWs [prisoners of war] to "enforced indoctrination" from July 1998 to November 2002 in the camps of Bilate, Mai Chew, Mai Kenetal and Dedessa, and for delaying the repatriation of 1,287 Eritreans in 2002 for "longer than was reasonably required" (IRIN 11 July 2003).

In its 18 December 2000 report, the Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners (SOCEPP), a "non-political, non-profit humanitarian organization established [...] to publicize the plight of Ethiopian political prisoners" (SOCEPP Sept. 1996), stated that conditions in the Dedesa prison for Eritrean captured soldiers, were "terrible and [left] much to be desired."

According to Country Reports 2000,

[t]he last group of approximately 200 civilian detainees of Eritrean origin who had been held at Dedesa internment camp were repatriated to Eritrea in November under ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] auspices, and the Dedesa camp was closed. During the year, the Government transferred 219 Eritrean military deserters who also had been held at the Dedesa detention center to a refugee camp in northern Ethiopia (31 Mar. 2003).

Reports indicated that the ICRC was given access to detention facilities and was also involved in the repatriation of Eritrean POWS who were held in various detention centres in Ethiopia, including the main camp at Dedesa (Country Reports 2003 31 Mar. 2003, Sec. 4; BBC 26 Nov. 2002; Walta Information Centre 3 Nov. 2001; Radio Ethiopia 16 Jan. 2001).

No mention of any captive centre called "Belaten" could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, sources did note the existence of an internment camp called "Bilate" (IRIN 11 July 2003; HRW Jan. 2003; The Daily Monitor 8 May 1999; IRIN 7 May 1999). A January 2003 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report described the Bilate camp as "an abandoned training facility located in a highly malarial zone in southern Ethiopia." Describing conditions prevailing in the Bilate camp, the same report spoke about the "chronic lack [of] medicines and other supplies," the poor quality food and the "rampant" gastrointestinal disease (Jan. 2003). The January 2003 HRW report added that Eritrean detainees were ill-treated and beaten in the camp. The HRW report also referred to a 14 February 1999 transfer of custody by Ethiopian authorities of eight Eritrean students who were interned in Bilate camp to the ICRC for their removal from Ethiopia (HRW Jan. 2003). An 8 May 1999 Daily Monitor article stated that the ICRC regularly visits POWs and interned Eritrean civilians at Bilate camp.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

BBC. 26 November 2002. "Ethiopia releases Eritrean PoWs." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2514399.stm [Accessed 15 Sept. 2004]

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2002. 31 March 2003. United State Department of State. Washington, D C. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18203.htm [Accessed 15 Sept. 2004]

The Daily Monitor [Addis Ababa]. 8 May 1999. "ICRC Visits 300 Eritrean POW's." (Allafrica.com). http://allafrica.com/stories/199905080009.html [Accessed 14 Sept. 2004]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). January 2003. Vol. 15, No. 3. Eritrea & Ethiopia: The Horn of Africa War: Mass Expulsions and the Nationality Issue (June 1998 - April 2002. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/ethioerit0103/ethioerit0103-03.htm [Accessed 14 Sept. 2004]

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). 11 July 2003. "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Independent Claims Commission Announces First Awards." http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=35330&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa&SelectCountry=ERITREA-ETHIOPIA [Accessed 14 Sept. 2004]

_____. 2 December 2002. "Eritrea: Some 1,225 POWS Return Home, 40 Reportedly Opted to Remain in Ethiopia." (BBC International Reports/Dialog)

_____. 7 May 1999. "Ethiopia: Ethiopia: Red Cross Visits New Eritrean POWs." http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=14533&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa&SelectCountry=ETHIOPIA [Accessed 14 Sept. 2004]

Radio Ethiopia [Addis Ababa, in English]. 16 January 2001. "Ethiopian Release 254 POWs." (BBC International Reports/Dialog).

Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners (SOCEPP). 18 December 2000. "Inhumane Conditions on Detention Reported." http://www.socepp.de/December-18.htm [Accessed 2 Sept. 2004]

____. September 1996. "About SOCEPP." http://www.socepp.de/aboutsocepp.html [Accessed 14 Sept. 2004]

Walta Information Centre [Addis Ababa, in English]. 3 November 2001. "Ethiopia: Released 23 Eritrean POWs Leave for Home." (BBC International Reports/Dialog)

Additional Sources Consulted

Publications: Africa Confidential, Indian Ocean Newsletter, Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent, Keesing's Record of World Events, Resource Centre country file.

Websites, including: AllAfrica, Amnesty International, BBC Africa, ecoi.net, HRW, ICRC, ReliefWeb.