Eritreans for change have been paying a visit to Eritrean embassies…and not to pay the mandatory 2% but to demand change in the way Eritrea is being governed. Topping their list for change is the resignation of self-declared president, Isaias Afwerki, the release of political prisoners, and replacement of rule …

The “May 24th Movement”, Eritrean youth calling for freedom and democracy in Eritrea, stormed the Eritrean embassy in Cairo, Egypt. A statement from May 24th on the “Eritreans For Action” and “Eritrean Youth for Solidary and Change” pages reads: May24 youth movement are conducting a demo now from 7am cairo …

Eritreans for democracy and human rights demonstrate in front of the Eritrean embassy in Stockholm on January 25, 2013.

On January 28, a representative from the pro-Isaias regime “Eritrean community” in the US made the following “official” announcement at a Paltalk room (Eritrean unity worldwide-EPLF 1).  What follows is a summary of the 9-minute audio presentation in Tigrinya.  Words in brackets are ours. 1. On January 21, at 10:00 …

On January 25, briefing reporters from the Palais des Nations in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming described the dire circumstances in the Shegerab refugee camp of Eastern Sudan, which hosts tens of thousands of refugees, and the “rising incidents of abductions and disappearances of mainly Eritrean refugees.” UNHCR reports that …

The Christian News Network, a US-based news and information provider, reported yesterday that the Eritrean regime has arrested 10 leaders of Christian denominations who were officially banned in 2002.  The report says that the arrests started on Thursday the 17th of January and it quotes a source who explains that …

On Sunday, January 27, a coalition of Eritrean opposition members and sympathizers demonstrate in London in front of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It’s much bigger than we thought. The events of January 21st, the takeover of Eritrea’s Ministry of Information by members of Eritrea’s military for twelve hours, cannot be understood properly unless one has been following Eritrea’s exiled opposition media for the preceding 3-4 months.  These include the Paltalk rooms in …

From Eritrean activists for democracy and human rights in Frankfurt, Germany: “After some heated exchange, the group of activists were asked by police to make their way downstairs into the lobby for a major body search operation (to ensure that the visit had been one of peaceful intent). One activist …

Schadenfreude  (ˈʃaːdənfrɔydə) (noun): “malicious joy in the misfortunes of others,” 1922, from Ger., lit. “damage-joy,” from schaden “damage, harm, injury” (see scathe) + freude, from O.H.G. frewida “joy,” from fro “happy,” lit. “hopping for joy,” from P.Gmc. *frawa- (see frolic). Application: I feel a delicious sense of schadenfreude when Nevsun …

Well, when you say nothing happened, you can’t explain what happened.  But the world knows something happened and you know you can’t go on saying nothing happened.  That’s the quandary of the Eritrean regime.  But it is not its first quandary, and it always stumbles around for an answer.  It …

… our loyal readers, writers, commenters… but that is another story, a much, much smaller story compared to what is going on back home. So that story will have to wait.  gedabnews.com has been re-purposed and, until awate.com returns, it will be our meeting place. 1. To contact us by …

London Calling… Eritreans in the UK occupy the Eritrean embassy in solidarity with Eritrean soldiers who occupied the Eritrean Ministry of Information at Forto in Asmara. They call their campaign “Forto 2013” and, in symbolic move, remove rule by man (Isaias Afwerki’s picture) and replace it with rule of law …

When we last read madote.com, it had told us (on 11/27) that Ali Abdu had returned to Eritrea*. Now, madote.com is saying nothing happened on Monday except that a handful of “terrorists” threatened to kill MoI employees , that the government gave them–the terrorists, that is, safe passage (“they were …

1. As we reported yesterday, while the Eritrean regime publicly downplays the Monday siege of Eritrea’s Ministry of Information (MoI), it has cast a wide net to arrest anyone it suspects of having anything to do with the one-day occupation of the MoI building, aka “Forto” or “enda zena” and …

A day after young soldiers stormed the Ministry of Information and held in captivity the employees of the ministry, resulting in the state television, Eri-TV, to go off-air, Eritreans have more questions than answers. Who were the soldiers? Did they really hold the Ministry of Information employees captive? Who was …

Ali Abdu’s father, brother and daughter have been arrested by Eritrean authorities. His father, Abdu Ahmed Younis (87), his brother Hassen Abdu Ahmed (38) and his daughter Ciham Ali Abdu (15) are all in detention. Abdu Ahmed and Hassen Abdu Ahmed were arrested two days ago and are presumed to …

Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki has asked Qatar to mediate his long-standing feud with “arch-rival” Ethiopia.   This message was communicated to the new Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalgn, by Qatar, while the Ethiopian prime minister was conducting a state visit. Isaias Afwerki has offered to attend mediation talks without any …

After being held in captivity for more than 14 months, Mr. Yohannes Shoba’a, a 90-year old Eritrean, was released last week. The octogenarian was held in a residential building in Addis Ababa by Eritrean abductors believed to be members of an opposition group. Mr. Yohannes Shoba stated that during his …