An interesting commentary on how the EU appears to be "bending" its rules and principles to provide aid to Eritrea, mainly to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
Link:https://martinplaut.wordpress.com/20...curity-forces/
Principles -v- Migration
An interesting commentary on how the EU appears to be "bending" its rules and principles to provide aid to Eritrea, mainly to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
Link:https://martinplaut.wordpress.com/20...curity-forces/
Last edited by davidbfpo; 02-04-2017 at 07:34 PM. Reason: 37,867v 5k in five months
davidbfpo
...a conflict looming since longer might go active: namely, multiple and usually inter-related tensions between Eritrea and various of its neighbours (except for Ethiopia, of course) are high again.
Since about a week, there are tensions to Sudan:
Sudan shuts border with Eritrea
Sudan declares popular mobilisation on border with Eritrea
Summary: the governor of Kassala State, one of two states declared by President Omar al-Bashir to be in a six-month state of emergency, approved a proposal by the Popular Defence Forces for the militia to set up a mobilsation committee in the state. The PDF is widely believed to be the military arm of the National Congress Party. This comes amid rising tensions including the deployment of other militiamen/Sudanese Defence Forces to the Eritrean border, as well as reports that Egypt has sent reinforcements to one of it's military bases in the region (apparently: Berbera, in Somaliland). Ethiopia has recently accused some Egyptian officials and the government of Eritrea of funding opposition groups.
Mind: UAE - which meanwhile operates one base in Egypt, too - has bases in Eritrea and Somaliland. Unsurprisingly, Egypt is aligning itself with Eritrea.
Last edited by davidbfpo; 06-20-2019 at 10:01 AM. Reason: 64,766v today; 18k up since last post
Understanding Eritrea Inside Africa's Most Repressive State
A new edition of this book and from the publisher's summary:Link:https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book...eid=80d42c7c0aThe most secretive, repressive state in Africa is haemorrhaging its citizens. In some months as many Eritreans as Syrians arrive on European shores, yet the country is not convulsed by civil war. Young men and women risk all to escape. Many do not survive — their bones littering the Sahara; their bodies floating in the Mediterranean.
Still they flee, to avoid permanent military service and a future without hope. As the United Nations reported: ‘Thousands of conscripts are subjected to forced labour that effectively abuses, exploits and enslaves them for years.’ Eritreans fought for their freedom from Ethiopia for thirty years, only to have their revered leader turn on his own people. Independent since 1993, the country has no constitution and no parliament. No budget has ever been published. Elections have never been held and opponents languish in jail. International organisations find it next to impossible to work in the country.
Nor is it just a domestic issue. By supporting armed insurrection in neighbouring states it has destabilised the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is involved in the Yemeni civil war, while the regime backs rebel movements in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti.This book tells the untold story of how this tiny nation became a world pariah.
Last edited by davidbfpo; 08-03-2019 at 08:50 AM. Reason: 65,688v today
davidbfpo
The Most Repressive State You May Have Never Heard Of
A Canadian newspaper Q&A with the author Martin Plaut, the former Africa Editor of the BBC’s World Service, of the updated book (cited above). There's also a 17 min Vice documentary (undated). I note Eritrea's population is 3.6m and in Ethiopia there 600k refugees.
Link:https://theglobepost.com/2019/08/02/...nding-eritrea/
davidbfpo
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