Tag: Eritrean Politics
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Widow of the Late Mohammed Ali Alamin Murdered in Her Home
Asmara July 27, 2026 — The mysterious murder of Mrs. Setoum Mousa Naib, the widow of the late Mohammed Ali Alamin, has shocked many Eritreans. She was found brutally killed with an axe inside her home in the Tira Volo neighborhood of Asmara. She is survived by two sons. Setoum, who was in her mid-seventies,…
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Redefining the Mission of the Eritrean Opposition
Abstract This study critically examines the current trajectory and mission of the Eritrean opposition, arguing that its original vision—the establishment of a constitutional, democratic state—has become increasingly unattainable under prevailing circumstances. Through an analysis of the evolution of the opposition’s purpose, the strategies of the regime, and the challenges facing political and civil actors, this…
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Who Owns the Legacy of the Martyrs?
Inspired by a Sufi parable and Dante’s imagery of flickering flames, this episode examines the meaning of sacrifice and political memory. Drawing lessons from Algeria’s civil conflict and Eritrea’s post-independence experience, it explores how ruling elites can appropriate the legacy of martyrs while genuine remembrance belongs to the people who continue to honor their ideals.…
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From center to periphery: Eritrea’s forced disengagement from Ethiopia
Disparate notes on the long and short history of Eritrea Introduction: A great deal is being said and written about Ethiopia’s loud claim of access to the Red Sea. Ever since 2024, the Ethiopian prime minister has on numerous occasions warned his neighboring seacoast countries, namely Eritrea and Somalia, that they ought to allow Ethiopia…
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Deposit Your Money or Else: Eritrea’s Banking Ultimatum
Eritrea’s latest directive orders citizens and businesses to deposit cash into banks by July 31 or face legal action. This analysis examines the official notice, its implications, and what it reveals about state control, banking policy, and citizens’ rights.
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The Gettysburg Lesson Eritrea Never Learned
What separates genuine leadership from the exploitation of sacrifice? Using Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as a historical reference point, this essay examines the moral power of leadership during times of national crisis and contrasts it with Eritrea’s post-independence experience. It explores freedom, citizenship, remembrance, national unity, and the responsibility owed to those who sacrificed their…
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The Extraction of Heroic Capital in Eritrea
Abstract: This essay examines how the Eritrean state converted the moral authority of the armed struggle into a durable political resource. It argues that the category of tegadalay (fighter) flattened unequal wartime experiences into a single claim of equal sacrifice, allowing ruling elites to extract legitimacy from the suffering of ordinary fighters. By separating fighters,…
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A New Political Imagination for Eritrea
A compelling call for a new political imagination in Eritrea, outlining how the opposition can overcome fragmentation through structure, discipline, and a practical roadmap for unity, transition, and national renewal.
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The Merchants of Division: Faith, Fanaticism, and Rationality
For decades we have appealed for national unity, peaceful coexistence, and rational public discourse. Yet fanaticism, intolerance, and hate continue to poison our civic space. Is religion truly the problem—or is it those who misuse it? A personal reflection on faith, reason, and the politics of division
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Eritrea at 35: A Regime Out of Words, Out of Time
A sharp, uncompromising critique of Eritrea’s 35th anniversary narrative, exposing the regime’s empty propaganda, extractive elite, and decades of national stagnation while calling for a new political imagination beyond Isaias Afwerki and the PFDJ.
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Archived Interview With Mohamed Taha Tewekel
Introduction The following interview with Mohamed Taha Tewekel was originally published by Awate.com on Sep 12, 2003, at a time when Eritrean politics, regional alliances, and opposition movements were evolving rapidly. The interview captures Tewekel’s recollections, political assessments, and personal experiences as they were expressed at the time. It reflects the atmosphere, assumptions, debates, and…
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A Regime We Hate, an Opposition We Despise: Why Eritrea Needs a New Political Imagination
Eritrea, Eritrean politics, regime and opposition, political imagination, national service reform, indefinite national service, Eritrean youth, civic renewal, democratic transition, transitional justice, strategic neutrality, Eritrean diaspora, governance reform, authoritarianism, opposition fragmentation, political culture, Haile Gebru, Amanuel Hidrat, Ismail AA, Awate, Eritrean intellectual discourse, national renewal, dignity and pluralism, institutional reconstruction, economic modernization, diaspora capital, Eritrean…
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Eritrea Celebrates — but Its President Is Somewhere Else
I. A Preface of Reluctance and Recognition For more than two decades, I avoided President Isaias Afwerki’s speeches. They were predictable, monotonous, and devoid of substance — exercises in tedium that tested the limits of my patience. His demeanor, too, has always unsettled me: the way he talks, the way he walks, the way he…
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Egypt, Eritrea, and the New Geometry of the Red Sea
Egypt’s and Eritrea’s new maritime transport agreement is not a routine economic gesture. It is a political marker—and a sign that the Red Sea is entering a new phase of strategic competition. The agreement, which launches a shipping line and opens the door to Egyptian expertise in ports, rail, and logistics, is the visible expression…
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Protocol, Power, Policy, and the Urgent Need for Institutions
I. A Visit That Reveals More Than It Intended Eritreans have long relied on Awate’s Regional News link to follow developments across the Horn of Africa, a region where every diplomatic gesture carries weight. This week, one story in particular demanded attention: the visit of Eritrea’s minister of trade and industry, Nasreddin Saleh, accompanied by…
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The Day After: Preparing Eritrea for its Most Dangerous Transition
There comes a moment in the life of every nation when denial becomes a luxury it can no longer afford. Eritrea is approaching such a moment. Tick‑tock. The eventual death of President Isaias Afwerki—whether tomorrow or years from now—is not a political prediction but an unavoidable biological certainty. What follows will determine whether Eritrea survives…
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Endless Cycle Splits, Mergers, and Rebranding in the Eritrean Opposition
Fragmentation Without Disappearance: The Endless Cycle of Splits, Mergers, and Rebranding in the Eritrean Opposition In the middle of last year, I committed to writing about Eritrean national unity—both in its broad historical sense and within the specific context of the diaspora‑based opposition. As I continue gathering information on the latter, I readily acknowledge that…
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Habrengaqa: The Forgotten Line That Almost Divided Eritrea
Many Eritreans do not know the village of Habrengaqa, halfway on the Keren–Asmara road, at the top of the escarpment—a geographical divide between the Eritrean lowlands and highlands. But that is not the source of its fame. Rather, during the turbulent years of the 1940s, the British Military Administration (BMA) of Eritrea had a devilish…
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The Normalization of Self-Censorship in Eritrea
When self-censorship becomes pervasive, a society forfeits more than the right to open dissent; it forfeits the very conditions that make common knowledge possible – the shared awareness of what others know, think, and believe. In such an atmosphere, individuals can no longer reliably gauge the convictions of their peers or distinguish private doubt from…
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National Unity Cannot Be Rebuilt One Community at a Time
Eritreans everywhere recognize the same painful truth: our nation is in deep crisis. Political paralysis, social fragmentation, and the mass flight of our youth have become defining features of our national condition. These burdens do not belong to one region or one religion. They belong to an entire people. My brother, the respected commentator Ismail…