In June, Eritrea rejoined the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) after 16 years of political isolation. Eritrea had suspended its membership from IGAD in April 2007 to protest that the regional body was under the firm grip of Ethiopia—with whom Eritrea had unfinished border disputes.
Eritrea argued that it could not stay in an organisation where decisions did not follow the legal procedure and that the organisation was being manipulated by external forces— Western powers,
Soon after in December 2009, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions and arms embargo on Eritrea, travel bans on its leaders, after accusing the Eritrean government of aiding Al-Shabaab in Somalia and reportedly refusing to negotiate border disputes with its neighbours, especially Djibouti.
Subsequently, Eritrea has been facing various sanctions from the US, the European Union and other bilateral sanctions. Recently in 2021, United States imposed sanctions on Eritrea for sending troops into Tigray during the two-year Ethiopian civil war. Here we have to ask the question why sanction Eritrea for defending the unity and sovereignty of a neighbouring country, and defending itself from a rogue entity within Ethiopia? (It is to recalled that this rogue entity didn’t only attack the Ethiopian defence forces but also fired more than 10 rockets to Eritrea at the same time.) Legally Eritrea had the right to respond to such unprovoked attack and defend itself against the aggression.
After the imposition of the sanctions, Eritrea looked inwards with the mining sector, and agriculture being the mainstays of the nation’s economy. The government has implemented policies to cope with limited access to international markets, such as promoting import substitution, diversifying export destinations, and implementing austerity measures.
Of late, Eritrea has been forging close bilateral ties with China and Russia with President Isaias Afewerki travelling to Beijing in May and recently to Moscow. Eritrea has been an important partner for China in Africa, and China has been a major investor in Eritrea, particularly in the sectors of infrastructure and exploitation of natural resources such as mines.
In June, Afwerki visited Moscow at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral ties in the energy, mining, information technology, education and health sectors.
Eritrea recently opposed negative decisions on Russia at the UN General Assembly. It rejected a vote to condemn Russia’s invasion, calls to condemn Moscow’s decision to occupy certain Ukrainian regions and recently voted ‘no’ when the UN General Assembly decided to direct Russia to withdraw from Ukraine in the February 2023 session.
Eritrea believes that the war that is being wages in Ukraine is not a war beween Russia and Ukraine but is a global war waged by the US and Nato to encicle Russia and dominate the World and create a unipolar world order governed by the US and its Western allays, not only against Russia but all the world. Ukraine is only a pawn played by the west for their dominance. Hence the Eritrean Government opposes this war that is waged by US and Nato against Russia and advocates for the creation of a multi-polar world order.
Unique Approach
Eritrea since 1993 had deliberately decided to chart its own path different from the rest of African leaders, by working hard on self-reliance. Eritrea’s approach has been characterised by a cautious and independent stance, influenced by its historical context and determination to maintain its sovereignty.
Eritrea’s resistance to Western influences and interventions can be attributed to its history of colonization, struggle for independence, and the government’s policies aimed at maintaining sovereignty.
What is Eritrea’s modus operandi and what informs its approach in interacting with the rest of the world?
1. Colonial History: Eritrea was under various foreign colonial powers, including the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Italian colonial rule in particular had a lasting impact on Eritrea’s identity and political landscape. This history of foreign dominance laid the foundation for a strong sense of nationalism and desire for self-determination.
2. Struggle for Independence: Eritrea’s fight for independence from Ethiopia, which it was federated with in 1952, played a significant role in resisting Western influence. After years of armed struggle, Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The people’s determination to establish their own sovereign nation was a driving force in resisting external control.
3. Self-Reliance and constructive engagement: After gaining independence, Eritrea’s government under President Isaias Afwerki adopted a policy of self-reliance and constructive engagement with any nation, including Western nations. This approach aimed to reduce dependency on foreign aid and to maintain control over the country’s internal affairs. As a result, Eritrea has been cautious when dealing with Western governments and their institutions. such as the IMF. World Bank and other NGOs.
4. Media and Information Control: The Eritrean government tightly controls media and information flow within the country. Independent media is severely restricted. This control helps in shaping the national narrative and minimizing external cultural and political influences.
5. Noninterventionist: Eritrea has maintained a policy of noninterventionist in international affairs, avoiding taking sides in major geopolitical conflicts. This stance has allowed the country to resist pressures from Western powers and maintain its autonomy.
Finally on the contrary, it is the country’s great economic potential and strategic location and importance that drives western countries to take a negative stance against it and always seeks to destabilise it by utilising nearby proxies against it.Such interferences have occurred throughout the country’s history since independence.Foreign countries always portray Eritrea unfavourably because of its self-reliance policy and policy of independence from foreign influence. Some even referred to it as a bad example to other African countries. Western countries and organisations cannot dictate its economic and political policies or exploit its resources as they see fit.It is the country’s independence that drives western countries to portray it badly and to continually blame Eritrea for everything.
