Asmara: As a destabilizing agent of the Horn of Africa, Isaias Afwerki has been involved in conspiracies in neighboring countries to exacerbate regional instability. The state in Asmara is focused on inciting regional destabilization and instability.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, during the 34th Independence Day of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki portrayed himself as a global player. Internally, Eritrea remains one of the world's most repressive states, with no functioning legislature, free press, civil society, or independent judiciary. Since its independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea has not held elections.
Afwerki blamed foreign powers for the region's troubles, obscuring Eritrea's role in fomenting regional instability. Eritrea has played a role in undermining peace and stability by sending insurgents, conducting incursions, and supporting non-state armed groups, actions that go beyond diplomatic norms.
His speech was not a call for peace but an effort to shield his regime from accountability, overlooking Eritrea's record of aggression and repression. Eritrea supports terrorist operatives such as Somali insurgents, including factions linked to Al-Shabaab, and provides support to armed groups in Ethiopia.
For decades, Eritrea has not attempted to meet the socioeconomic and development aspirations of its people and has opposed regional cooperation on economic development. Eritrea's rejection of regional cooperation mechanisms like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development reinforces its isolation.
The Horn of Africa faces challenges that demand trust and cooperation. Eritrea's authoritarian domestic policies mirror its disruptive foreign posture. Without meaningful political reform and engagement with regional partners, Eritrea continues to destabilize the region.
Afwerki's recent speech underscores a strategy of deflection and denial. By misrepresenting regional dynamics and shirking accountability, he perpetuates the instability he claims to oppose. Eritrea remains an obstacle to peace and an agent for destabilization.
Overall, the Horn of Africa is stuck in a cycle of violence and instability, with actors like Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki playing a complicit role through self-interest narratives and destabilizing actions. His recent speech is an example of deflection and denial, concealing Eritrea's central role in regional instability.