Eritrea

List of Eritrea articles

A woman carrying a USAID bag on June 18, 2021 in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region.
A woman carrying a USAID bag on June 18, 2021 in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region.

How Eritrea Could Derail the Ethiopian Peace Deal

The Eritrean president has his own interests in Tigray, and they could undermine Ethiopia’s truce with the TPLF.

A Somali mother and child walk through the Kobe refugee camp near the Ethiopian-Somali border on July 19, 2011.
A Somali mother and child walk through the Kobe refugee camp near the Ethiopian-Somali border on July 19, 2011.

Climate Threats Are Multiplying in the Horn of Africa

In a long overdue step, the U.N. Security Council may finally address climate security.

An Ethiopian Muslim stands in a damaged building at the al-Nejashi Mosque, one of the oldest in Africa and allegedly damaged by Eritrean shelling, in Negash, Ethiopia on March 1.
An Ethiopian Muslim stands in a damaged building at the al-Nejashi Mosque, one of the oldest in Africa and allegedly damaged by Eritrean shelling, in Negash, Ethiopia on March 1.

Why Eritrea Won’t Leave Ethiopia

Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki has long coveted access to Ethiopia’s economy. His alliance with Abiy Ahmed will let him achieve his goals at the expense of Ethiopian sovereignty.

A member of the Amhara special forces and a member of the Amhara militia stand at Ethiopia’s border crossing with Eritrea in Humera, Ethiopia, on Nov. 22, 2020.
A member of the Amhara special forces and a member of the Amhara militia stand at Ethiopia’s border crossing with Eritrea in Humera, Ethiopia, on Nov. 22, 2020.

How Far Will the Ethiopian-Eritrean Alliance Go?

Former foes have found a common enemy in the TPLF. Will it lead beyond battlefield cooperation?

Ethiopian refugees who fled Ethiopia's Tigray conflict
Ethiopian refugees who fled Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

The U.N. Must End the Horrors of Ethiopia’s Tigray War

Recent human rights investigations confirm the atrocities that journalists reported in November. A strong multilateral push can force an Eritrean withdrawal and put the region on the path to peace.

Eritrean soldiers wait in line to cross the border to attend a reopening ceremony with Ethiopia in Serha, Eritrea, on Sept. 11, 2018.
Eritrean soldiers wait in line to cross the border to attend a reopening ceremony with Ethiopia in Serha, Eritrea, on Sept. 11, 2018.

From Pariah to Kingmaker

Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki is fueling bloodshed in Tigray—and offering other regional leaders lessons in authoritarianism.

Members of a military band attend an event to honor Ethiopia’s national defense forces in Addis Ababa, on Nov. 17.
Members of a military band attend an event to honor Ethiopia’s national defense forces in Addis Ababa, on Nov. 17.

Violence in Ethiopia Doesn’t Stay There

Biden should learn from Carter and head off further conflict while he still can.

Members of the Amhara militia
Members of the Amhara militia

Sudan Will Decide the Outcome of the Ethiopian Civil War

As Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed goes to war against Ethiopia’s former rulers—the Tigray People’s Liberation Front—Khartoum’s moves will determine whether the conflict remains a local affair or a regional conflagration.

Children warm themselves around a fire.
Children warm themselves around a fire.

Boris Johnson Is Shutting the Door on Child Refugees

In the name of strengthening its negotiating position after Brexit, the British government is removing internationally recognized protections for unaccompanied children who were once welcomed in the U.K.

A boy living in a derelict building damaged during the Angolan civil war is seen through a hole in Kuito, in Angola’s Bie province, on June 2.
A boy living in a derelict building damaged during the Angolan civil war is seen through a hole in Kuito, in Angola’s Bie province, on June 2.

Africa’s ‘Civil Wars’ Are Regional Nightmares

Long considered domestic issues, the continent’s battles are really international contests for influence and power.

A picture of Nobel laureate Abiy Ahmed on display in Norway.
A picture of Nobel laureate Abiy Ahmed on display in Norway.

Abiy’s Nobel Achievements Are Real but Brittle

Ethiopia is on the right course. But there’s much more to be done.

Members of the army carry a coffin covered with the Ethiopian flag in Addis Ababa on June 25, in preparation for the funeral service of the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Seare Mekonnen, who was assassinated on June 22.
Members of the army carry a coffin covered with the Ethiopian flag in Addis Ababa on June 25, in preparation for the funeral service of the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Seare Mekonnen, who was assassinated on June 22.

Abiy Ahmed’s Reforms Have Unleashed Forces He Can No Longer Control

Ethiopia’s prime minister oversaw the chaotic release of thousands of prisoners, including many ethnonationalist militants. His amnesty may now be coming back to haunt him.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on October 30, 2018 in Berlin.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on October 30, 2018 in Berlin.

Abiy Ahmed Is Not a Populist

The Ethiopian prime minister’s opponents fear that he’s an African Erdogan. His rhetoric and policies suggest he’s more of a liberal democrat.

A picture taken on July 20, shows military tanks and trucks destroyed in the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war are piled as a monument in the Eritrean capital Asmara. (Maheder Haileselassie Tadese/AFP/Getty Images)
A picture taken on July 20, shows military tanks and trucks destroyed in the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war are piled as a monument in the Eritrean capital Asmara. (Maheder Haileselassie Tadese/AFP/Getty Images)

Life in Eritrea’s News Desert

What the country teaches the world about the importance of an independent press.

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed (R) walks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (C) as an Eritrean delegation arrives for peace talks with Ethiopia at the international airport in Addis Ababa on June 26, 2018.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed (R) walks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (C) as an Eritrean delegation arrives for peace talks with Ethiopia at the international airport in Addis Ababa on June 26, 2018.

Ethiopia and Eritrea Have a Common Enemy

Abiy Ahmed and Isaias Afwerki are racing toward peace because they both face the same threat: hard-liners in the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front.

Asylum seekers in a demo against the deportations to Rwanda in from of Rwanda embassy in Herzelia
Asylum seekers in a demo against the deportations to Rwanda in from of Rwanda embassy in Herzelia

For Once We Were Strangers

In Israel, thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum-seekers are stuck in limbo. Photographer Kobi Wolf documents a national crisis.

ZALA ANBESSA, ETHIOPIA:  An Ethiopian soldier mans an observation post facing the Temporary Security Zone on the Eritrean border at the northern town of Zala Anbessa in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 19 November 2005. The United Nations mission to the Horn of Africa on Friday reported increasing movement of troops along the tense border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. UN Mission spokeswoman Gail Bindley-Taylor-Sainte said the situation along the frontier "remains tense and potentially volatile." AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI  (Photo credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)
ZALA ANBESSA, ETHIOPIA: An Ethiopian soldier mans an observation post facing the Temporary Security Zone on the Eritrean border at the northern town of Zala Anbessa in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, 19 November 2005. The United Nations mission to the Horn of Africa on Friday reported increasing movement of troops along the tense border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. UN Mission spokeswoman Gail Bindley-Taylor-Sainte said the situation along the frontier "remains tense and potentially volatile." AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI (Photo credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

The Rehabilitation of Africa’s Most Isolated Dictatorship

Eritrea is coming in from the cold. Could that spark a shooting war with Ethiopia?

AMARA, ERITREA:  Eritrean children play 07 June 1991 on an Ethiopian army tank. The roadside was destroyed by Eritrean Liberation Front (EPLF) rebels in the battle for Amara, the capital city of Eritrea, that fell 20 May to EPLF rebels after 17 years of war. (Photo credit should read )
AMARA, ERITREA: Eritrean children play 07 June 1991 on an Ethiopian army tank. The roadside was destroyed by Eritrean Liberation Front (EPLF) rebels in the battle for Amara, the capital city of Eritrea, that fell 20 May to EPLF rebels after 17 years of war. (Photo credit should read )

Africa’s Hottest Frozen Border Boils Over

Hundreds of soldiers just died in the worst flare-up between Ethiopia and Eritrea since their 1998-2000 war. Could a return to open conflict be around the corner?

Moroccan protesters hold placards and shout slogans in the capital Rabat, on March 13, 2016, during a demonstration against statements made by the United Nations chief earlier in the week regarding the Western Sahara, a disputed territory between Morocco and the Polisario Front, following his visit to a camp for refugees from the territory.
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Rabat to protest against UN chief Ban Ki-moon's "lack of neutrality" over Western Sahara. The UN has been trying to oversee an independence referendum for Western Sahara since 1992 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco sent its forces to the former Spanish territory in 1975. The Algerian-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence for the territory, a demand ruled out by Morocco which argues for a broad autonomy for the territory under its sovereignty. Earlier this month Ban visited a camp in Algeria for refugees from Western Sahara as part of a regional tour and spoke of a "human tragedy". He also announced plans to re-launch UN-sponsored talks between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

On March 8, the Moroccan government, in a statement issued by the foreign ministry, accused Ban of speaking out of line and of allegedly using the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara. / AFP / FADEL SENNA        (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)
Moroccan protesters hold placards and shout slogans in the capital Rabat, on March 13, 2016, during a demonstration against statements made by the United Nations chief earlier in the week regarding the Western Sahara, a disputed territory between Morocco and the Polisario Front, following his visit to a camp for refugees from the territory. Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Rabat to protest against UN chief Ban Ki-moon's "lack of neutrality" over Western Sahara. The UN has been trying to oversee an independence referendum for Western Sahara since 1992 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco sent its forces to the former Spanish territory in 1975. The Algerian-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence for the territory, a demand ruled out by Morocco which argues for a broad autonomy for the territory under its sovereignty. Earlier this month Ban visited a camp in Algeria for refugees from Western Sahara as part of a regional tour and spoke of a "human tragedy". He also announced plans to re-launch UN-sponsored talks between Rabat and the Polisario Front. On March 8, the Moroccan government, in a statement issued by the foreign ministry, accused Ban of speaking out of line and of allegedly using the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara. / AFP / FADEL SENNA (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)

Just Say No to Another Failed State in Africa

It is never a good idea to make broad generalizations about Africa.

Load 10 More Articles
Loading graphics

Welcome to a world of insight.

Make the most of FP.

Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. Explore the benefits included in your subscription.

Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below.

Choose a few newsletters that interest you. Get more insight in your inbox.

Here are some we think you might like. Update your newsletter preferences.

  • World Brief thumbnail
  • Africa Brief thumbnail
  • Latin America Brief thumbnail
  • China Brief thumbnail
  • South Asia Brief thumbnail
  • Situation Report thumbnail

Keep up with the world without stopping yours. Keep up with the world without stopping yours.

Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere.

Download on the App Store
  • Read the magazine
  • Save articles (and read offline)
  • Customize your feed
  • Listen to FP podcasts
Download on the Apple App Store
Download on the Google Play Store

Analyze the world’s biggest events. Analyze the world’s biggest events.

Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with

See what’s trending. See what’s trending.

Most popular articles on FP right now. Most popular articles on FP right now.