This book tells the untold story of how this tiny nation became a world pariah. Eritrea is involved in the Yemeni civil war, while the regime backs rebel movements in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti. By supporting armed insurrection in neighboring states it has destabilized the Horn of Africa. International organizations find it next to impossible to work in the country. Elections have never been held and opponents languish in jail. Independent since 1993, the country has no constitution and no parliament. As the United Nations reported: 'Thousands of conscripts are subjected to forced labor that effectively abuses, exploits and enslaves them for years.'Eritreans fought for their freedom from Ethiopia for thirty years, only to have their revered leader turn on his own people. Still they flee, to avoid permanent military service and a future without hope. Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa’s Most Repressive State. Many do not survive - their bones littering the Sahara their bodies floating in the Mediterranean. Martin Plaut reports on the protests and opposition to regime sponsored Eritrean festivals across the world which have been a major source of income and support for the regime over decades. In some months as many Eritreans as Syrians arrive on European shores, yet the country is not convulsed by civil war. ROAPE - SeptemA fierce battle is under way between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government in the diaspora. The most secretive, repressive state in Africa is hemorrhaging its citizens.
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