The State of Eritrea’s Ministry of Justice recently conducted a two-day dialogue centered around the theme of “Values and Justice”. The objective was to incorporate Eritrean values into the legal framework. The dialogue commenced at 09:00 hrs on April 29, 2024, with an opening address by H.E. Minister Fawzia Hashim. Following her warm welcome and succinct explanation of the dialogue’s objectives, Professor Makane M. Mbengue delivered a comprehensive presentation lasting one and a half hours. This presentation provided an overview of the reform process of the Eritrean legal framework in the context of sustainable development, including the background, relevance, and aim of the dialogue. The participants offered constructive and in-depth analyses of the presentation.
After a lunch break, the dialogue resumed at 14:00 hrs with presentations by Ato Sium Tekle and Judge Sem Eyasu, moderated by Dr. Senai Woldeab. This one-hour presentation was followed by a discussion among the participants, which then led to another panel discussion titled “African Values in Perspective: Past, Present, and a Decolonized Future”. The panellists included Professor Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad, Professor Macharia Munene, Professor Salvatore Mancuso, Dr. Edgardo Sobenes, Dr. Senai Woldeab, Mr. Ahmed Kaballo, and Mr. Abdirahman M. Ahmed, with Professor Makane M. Mbengue serving as the moderator. After four hours of detailed discussion, the day’s program concluded at 19:30 hrs.
The second day of the dialogue began at 08:30 hrs on April 30, 2024, with a presentation by Professor Mohammed Hassan titled “Characteristics of the Eritrean Revolution: A Comparative Perspective”. This was followed by a keynote speech by Professor Patrick L.O. Lumumba on “African Values and Justice”, with a tea break in between. Both presentations sparked comprehensive and beneficial discussions among the participants. After a lunch break, the program resumed at 13:00 hrs with a panel discussion on the topic “Integration of Eritrean Values in the Legal Framework for Sustainable Development”. The panellists were Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Dr. Edgardo Sobenes, and W/it Luwam Mogos, moderated by Professor Makane M. Mbengue. This panel discussion, along with the participants’ discussion, continued until 15:30.
Following a brief tea break after the panel discussion, H.E. Minister Fawzia Hashim presented the key outcomes of the dialogue and delivered closing remarks. In addition, H.E. Minister Fawzia presented gifts to the foreign experts. The day concluded with an official closing ceremony later that evening.