Annex: A List of Known Detention Facilities in Eritrea
The following are known detention facilities in Eritrea that have been mentioned in reports about the country and in interviews with Human Rights Watch. This list is not a complete or comprehensive list of Eritrean detention facilities.
Note:
- Each army division and sub-unit has its own prison i.e. division, brigade, and battalion-level prisons.
- Each town has various police stations with detention/interrogation facilities i.e. 1st and 2nd police station in Massawa, and stations 1 to 5 (at least) in Asmara.
- Names are transliterations from the original Tigrinya and Arabic. Transliterations can vary considerably. We use the more common forms.
|
NAME (alternative spelling) |
LOCATION |
TYPE OF FACILITY |
COMMENTS |
SOURCE |
|
Aderser
In/near Adderser: “Hadishu Ma’asker” or “new camp” |
25 kilometers from Sawa camp, (see below) |
Military camp/training center
underground |
|
US State Dept. Report 2005, HRW interviews |
|
Adi Abeto (Adi-Abieto) |
10 to 15 kilometers northeast of Asmara off the road to Keren |
Main prison for Asmara; also used as processing center to send prisoners elsewhere |
|
HRW interviews, Amnesty International 2004, US State Dept. Report 2004 |
|
Adi Nefas |
Assab |
Military detention centre |
|
|
|
Adi Qala (Adi Quala or Adi Kwala) |
40 kilometers north of Ethiopian border, off main road from Asmara through Mendefera |
Military prison |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Agip |
Asmara |
Police-run facility |
|
HRW interviews, Reporters sans frontières |
|
Alla (Ala) |
40 kilometers from Asmara, near Dekemhare town |
|
Old prison from Italian days |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Assab Front prison also known as “Gimbar” |
Assab |
Military prison |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Baharia Naval Base |
Massawa |
Military facility |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Barentu |
Barentu town |
Civilian prison |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Dahlak Kebir |
Dahlak archipelago, islands in the Red Sea |
Maximum security |
Specifically for “political” prisoners, including those returned from Malta and Egypt |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Duarwa |
South of Asmara on the road to Adi Quala before Adi Ugri |
|
|
HRW interviews |
|
Era Eiro (Eiraeiro) |
Filfil-Selomuna area north of the Asmara-Massawa road |
Secret jail, not acknowledged by the government |
Some of the G15 were reportedly held there |
HRW interviews, awate.com |
|
Gedem |
Gedem, 40 kilometers south of Massawa |
|
The site of forced prison labor for the construction of a naval base |
HRW interviews, awate.com |
|
Ghatelay (Ghatielay) |
About 40 to 45 kilometers northwest of Asmara off main road to Massawa |
Military |
Forced labor camp to build a military base there |
HRW interviews |
|
Halhalas |
Sub-provincial prison 45 kilometers from Asmara (possibly part of Alla) |
|
Specifically for those caught trying to cross the border |
HRW interviews |
|
Kambo Ndafurstale |
In Sanafe town |
Military jail |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Klima |
Near Assab |
|
|
HRW interviews |
|
Mai Daga |
45 kilometers south of Asmara (near Decamhare) |
|
|
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Mai Duma/Dima/Dyma |
South of Asmara off Mendefera Barentu road about 10 kilometers. West of Areza. |
Military |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Mai Srwa |
Outside Asmara |
Political prisoners and Pentecostal pastors |
Shipping containers reported |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, 2005/6 |
|
Mai Temenei |
|
Military prison |
|
Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Metkelabet |
Between Massawa and Asmara |
Military prison belonging to the 32nd division |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Me’eter |
Between Nakfa and the coast |
|
|
HRW interviews |
|
Nakhura Island |
Part of the Dahlak complex of prisons |
Maximum security |
First established as colonial prison in 19th century to incarcerate Eritrean objectors to Italian rule |
HRW interviews |
|
Prima 1+2 |
|
Military prison |
|
HRW interviews |
|
Camp Sawa
In/near Sawa: 6th camp or “Enda Shadushay ” and Abi Masker |
Along Sawa river, in far western Eritrea near the border with Sudan, about 10 kilometers south of road midway between Sebderat and Hawashayt |
Military camp/training center
|
Draft evaders, Pentecostal conscripts, and those trying to flee the country |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International 2004, awate.com |
|
Sembel |
Asmara suburb |
Possibly the normal prison of Sembel town, but also mentioned as a place for political prisoners |
Inmates mixed: civilians, military, and Ethiopians |
HRW interviews, farajat.com |
|
Tehadasso |
|
Military |
Shipping containers reported |
Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Tessenei |
Tessenei |
Military |
|
Amnesty International 2004 |
|
‘Tract B’ |
Asmara |
Military |
A former US storage facility near Asmara airport |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Tsererat |
Asmara |
Military |
Mainly for EPLF veterans, underground cells |
Amnesty International, 2004 |
|
Wi’ya/Wi’a/Wieh Including a particular unit called “Enda commando” |
Red Sea Coast, about 40 kilometers southeast of Massawa, off road to Assab |
Military camp/training center
|
Enda Commando is a zinc unit above ground |
HRW interviews, Amnesty International, US State Dept. Report 2005 |