EU denies claim of funding Eritrea 'forced labour' project

The EU is backing a road-building project as part of its programme to stem migration from Africa into Europe. But it says it will carefully monitor the work to make sure that people are "adequately" paid and treated well. National service recruits will be used and the Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans (FHRE) says conscripts are "trapped for an indefinite period". FHRE has threatened to sue the EU over violating its human rights charter. FHRE director Mulueberhan Temelso has called Eritrea an "open-air prison [where] every person in national service is trapped in extremely harsh conditions".