In Geneva, Eritreans Give Voice To Voiceless Compatriots
Last year in June, after Eritreans held the largest rally in the history of the Eritrea’s opposition forces, there were questions if it was a one-time incident that could not be repeated and what...
View ArticleA Reporter’s Guide To (Gov of) Eritrea
Dear Western reporter: You are in Eritrea for a “rare visit.” Actually, it is not so rare anymore but your editor will insist that he put that phrase because it gets viewers/readers/listeners. That or...
View ArticleThe Eritrean “System” is a Monocracy
And in this case, the monocracy is a manocracy. Welcome to the long-running debate between Awatista columnist Amanuel Hidrat and Al-Nahda on whether the regime lording over Eritrea is “a system” (his...
View ArticleIt’s Late, But Not That Late For Bronwyn Bruton
Bronwyn Bruton was one of the three individuals who provided their personal testimonies at the US Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee (Subcommittee on Africa) on September 14, 2016. This fact alone...
View ArticleEritrea: Of Pressure Valves And Self-Inflicted Wounds
Last month, this column offered suggestions to journalists on how to do their job in Eritrea when they are given that “rare” access. There is a reason why the access the Government of Eritrea grants...
View ArticleAtlantic Council: Leaving Eritreans In The Cold
On December 8, the Atlantic Council, an American think-tank, organized a panel discussion on Eritrea. Entitled “Rethinking Eritrea”, the event was moderated by Bronwyn Bruton,the deputy director of the...
View ArticleIsaias Afwerki: We Were Not Chosen
The fiercest critic of the Government of Eritrea, a guy by the name of Isaias Afwerki, was at it again, mercilessly taking down its 25-year-record of utter failure. This is an annual ritual, presented...
View ArticleSanctions on Eritrea: Will They Or Won’t They?
1. It’s sanctions season, and the question is “will they or won’t they?” Will the UN Security Council (UNSC) extend sanctions on the State of Eritrea or will they lift it? We will have more...
View ArticleDear YPFDJ: Understanding PFDJ: Doublethink
Chapter 1: Double Think I have seen your pictures and most of you appear to be the age of my daughter. Clearly, it is impossible for me to be angry at you. What I will try to do is share information...
View ArticleIsaias Afwerki Channels Haile DeruE in Interview With Eri-TV
1. Every time President Isaias Afwerki has an interview with his captive media (Eri-TV), a very large segment of the population take the very sensible decision of ignoring it, leaving a few of us...
View ArticleTo Nobody’s Surprise, Sanctions on Eritrea Renewed
(1) The Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea (SEMG) and to continue the sanctions on Eritrea for another year. (2) The vote was 11 in favor, 4...
View ArticleAl-Diaa: No, It Wasn’t About The Curriculum
Writing for the pro-government website tesfanews.com, a certain Alamin Adam (“Wedi Hajji”) has written an article entitled “Al-Diaa School Incident and the Frenzies[sic] that Ensued” regarding the...
View ArticleOverdue Eritrea Visits ACHPR
“The State of Eritrea presents its initial and combined reports that encompass eight periodic reports overdue since its accession to the Charter.” So begins the first sentence of a 100-page report...
View ArticleA Bored President Prepares People For Change
If this is the part where you wait for me to summarize what President Isaias Afwerki said, I regret to say that I have been scooped by Web 2.0 (again.) A commenter on youtube (Wedi Germen) expressed it...
View ArticleEthiopian PM Abiy Unscrambles The Algiers Agreement
The Algiers Agreement is a peace treaty, which came about after 29 months of bloodshed, displacement and negotiations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Named after the city where it was signed, the...
View ArticleNothing Irreconcilable in Ethiopian-Arab Cultures
Th following is a comment at the Awate Forum in reply to Semere Tesfai’s comment linked here. 1. There is nothing irreconcilable between the “cultures, faiths” of Ethiopia and the Middle East. True,...
View ArticleEritrea: Of Pressure Valves And Self-Inflicted Wounds
Last month, this column offered suggestions to journalists on how to do their job in Eritrea when they are given that “rare” access. There is a reason why the access the Government of Eritrea grants...
View ArticleAtlantic Council: Leaving Eritreans In The Cold
On December 8, the Atlantic Council, an American think-tank, organized a panel discussion on Eritrea. Entitled “Rethinking Eritrea”, the event was moderated by Bronwyn Bruton,the deputy director of the...
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