7 Eritrean Footballers Disappear After Tournament In Uganda

A police search is under way for the players, who are believed to be the latest to defect from one of the most tightly controlled regimes in the world.
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An Eritrean refugee holds a placard depicting Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki during a demonstration in support of a UN report that accused Eritrean leaders of committing crimes against humanity
Amir Cohen / Reuters

Rogers Mulindwa, a spokesman for a body that organised the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, said a police search for the players is continuing.

The players are believed to be the latest to defect from Eritrea, whose government under President Isaias Afwerki has been described by human rights groups as one of the most tightly controlled regimes in the world.

Four members of Eritrea’s under-20 football team sought asylum in Uganda in October.

Many young people fleeing the East African nation oppose its system of indefinite national service and forced military conscription.