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Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State
The most secretive, repressive state in Africa is hemorrhaging its citizens. In some months as many Eritreans as Syrians arrive on European shores, yet the country is not convulsed by civil war. Young men and women risk all to escape. Many do not survive - their bones littering the Sahara; their bodies floating in the Mediterranean.
Still they flee, to avoid permanent military service and a future without hope. As the United Nations '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. Independent since 1993, the country has no constitution and no parliament. No budget has ever been published. Elections have never been held and opponents languish in jail. International organizations find it next to impossible to work in the country.
Nor is it just a domestic issue. By supporting armed insurrection in neighboring states it has destabilized the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is involved in the Yemeni civil war, while the regime backs rebel movements in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
This book tells the untold story of how this tiny nation became a world pariah.
Still they flee, to avoid permanent military service and a future without hope. As the United Nations '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. Independent since 1993, the country has no constitution and no parliament. No budget has ever been published. Elections have never been held and opponents languish in jail. International organizations find it next to impossible to work in the country.
Nor is it just a domestic issue. By supporting armed insurrection in neighboring states it has destabilized the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is involved in the Yemeni civil war, while the regime backs rebel movements in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
This book tells the untold story of how this tiny nation became a world pariah.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 1, 2017
Martin Plaut is an Institute of Commonwealth Scholar and a former BBC World Service Africa editor. Plaut has written an interesting history of Eritrea.
After a long better war with Ethiopia, Eritrea gained its independence in 1993. The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) lead the fight. It was committed to rejecting ethnic difference, promoting secular socialism and a progressive attitude to women. In 1993 women made up one-third of the EPLF fighters; rape was a capital crime.
How times change. Isaias Afewerki took control in 1993 and there have been no elections. There is no free press. In 2015 a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Eritreans endure “systemic widespread and gross human rights violations” and “a total lack of the rule of law”. It is so bad that 5000 Eritreans risk their lives fleeing the country every month.
The book is well written and researched. Plaut condensed disparate material into tight easy to read prose. The author states that Eritrea is Africa’s most secretive and censored state. Plaut does an excellent job explaining how Eritrea came about, how it works and how it got this way. As a former journalist Plaut writes in that style of easy to read prose. Plaut states that Afewerki is waging war on his own people. If you wish to understand the what, when, where, how and why of Eritrea, this book is for you.
I read “Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa’s Most Repressive State” by Marin Plaut as a hardcover book. It is 264 pages and was published 17 November 2016 by Oxford University Press.
After a long better war with Ethiopia, Eritrea gained its independence in 1993. The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) lead the fight. It was committed to rejecting ethnic difference, promoting secular socialism and a progressive attitude to women. In 1993 women made up one-third of the EPLF fighters; rape was a capital crime.
How times change. Isaias Afewerki took control in 1993 and there have been no elections. There is no free press. In 2015 a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Eritreans endure “systemic widespread and gross human rights violations” and “a total lack of the rule of law”. It is so bad that 5000 Eritreans risk their lives fleeing the country every month.
The book is well written and researched. Plaut condensed disparate material into tight easy to read prose. The author states that Eritrea is Africa’s most secretive and censored state. Plaut does an excellent job explaining how Eritrea came about, how it works and how it got this way. As a former journalist Plaut writes in that style of easy to read prose. Plaut states that Afewerki is waging war on his own people. If you wish to understand the what, when, where, how and why of Eritrea, this book is for you.
I read “Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa’s Most Repressive State” by Marin Plaut as a hardcover book. It is 264 pages and was published 17 November 2016 by Oxford University Press.
February 4, 2024
Great book on understanding the demographics, politics and geopolitics of the Horn of Africa , the migrant routes as well as the Red Sea.
Eritrea with its strategic location with ports at the Red Sea, was first under the Ottomans, then used by the Italians as springboard for attacking Ethiopia as well as under British.
Eritrea has muslims in the western lowlands bordering Sudan and Christians in the mountains at the east which is also a tension generating factor.
There has always been issues with the border demarcation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Tigray population is living in both countries. While the Tigray living in Ethiopia historically wanted more autonomy from Addis Abeba, the ones in Eritrea wanted independence. The two actors worked together until they faced off into a bloody war.
Starting with the 70's Eritrea went through a 30 year long war against Ethiopia for independence.
The central figure that emerged was Isaias Afwerki , the soon to become dictator who is still in control to this day , known to many as leading the most repressive regime in the world, a regime so repressive that it exacts a 2% tax from its diaspora all over the world, in order to keep contact with their families or be provided consulate services !
Eritrea is a country locked in a no-war ,no -peace situation where youth are conscripted to the army for indefinite periods , some serving for 20 years.
Women are raped and treated as slaves.
Every month thousands of Eritreans flee the country , knowing all too well that the border guards have "shoot to kill" orders.
I didn't know that approximately 25% of migrants every year flooding Europe are from Eritrea !
From 157000 illegal migrants arriving in Europe in 2015 , 39000 were Eritreans.
The book does a great job detailing how Eritreans run to Sudan , then cross to Libya , then try to take dingies and get to Greece or Italy. Or they go to Sudan and from there try to get to Sinai and into Israel.
The regime in Eritrea is a destabilizing factor in the horn of Africa , running a covert economy , financing terror groups like Al Shabaab in Somalia in order to destabilize Ethiopia , mingling in interior affairs of Sudan , and even assisting the Emirates and Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Despite numerous attempts by USA , Europe and China to lead the country to a better future Isaias keeps a tight leash to this day on his subjects.
A great book on Eritrea and Africa !
Eritrea with its strategic location with ports at the Red Sea, was first under the Ottomans, then used by the Italians as springboard for attacking Ethiopia as well as under British.
Eritrea has muslims in the western lowlands bordering Sudan and Christians in the mountains at the east which is also a tension generating factor.
There has always been issues with the border demarcation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Tigray population is living in both countries. While the Tigray living in Ethiopia historically wanted more autonomy from Addis Abeba, the ones in Eritrea wanted independence. The two actors worked together until they faced off into a bloody war.
Starting with the 70's Eritrea went through a 30 year long war against Ethiopia for independence.
The central figure that emerged was Isaias Afwerki , the soon to become dictator who is still in control to this day , known to many as leading the most repressive regime in the world, a regime so repressive that it exacts a 2% tax from its diaspora all over the world, in order to keep contact with their families or be provided consulate services !
Eritrea is a country locked in a no-war ,no -peace situation where youth are conscripted to the army for indefinite periods , some serving for 20 years.
Women are raped and treated as slaves.
Every month thousands of Eritreans flee the country , knowing all too well that the border guards have "shoot to kill" orders.
I didn't know that approximately 25% of migrants every year flooding Europe are from Eritrea !
From 157000 illegal migrants arriving in Europe in 2015 , 39000 were Eritreans.
The book does a great job detailing how Eritreans run to Sudan , then cross to Libya , then try to take dingies and get to Greece or Italy. Or they go to Sudan and from there try to get to Sinai and into Israel.
The regime in Eritrea is a destabilizing factor in the horn of Africa , running a covert economy , financing terror groups like Al Shabaab in Somalia in order to destabilize Ethiopia , mingling in interior affairs of Sudan , and even assisting the Emirates and Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Despite numerous attempts by USA , Europe and China to lead the country to a better future Isaias keeps a tight leash to this day on his subjects.
A great book on Eritrea and Africa !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2020
As an Eritrean who thought she had known the history, it was enlightening to hear the same history from a different perspective. Martin Plaut has done a good job, I would love it if he wrote about how things have been shaping after the 2018 peace deals between the two countries.
November 27, 2019
Great overview of the country from many different angles. The only thing it's missing is what it's like to live as a citizen in day to day life there. Very informative otherwise.
December 2, 2018
Eritrea is an incredible country. Eritrea fought and won wars with Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti in a period of less than two decades as well as apparently sending an expeditionary force in the Congolese Civil War. I really wanted to like this book as the author clearly knows his topic very well and has personally reported on a number of key moments in Eritrean history. I have met several Eritrean defectors in Ethiopia so I came to this topic with some background knowledge. However, I would of preferred either a more narrative driven or episodic style. Though I learned a lot from this book -- and I recommend it to any student of the Horn of Africa -- it could of been much better. If anything the reader will be left struck by how little we truly know about this country. I thought the best part of the book was the description of the Eritrean-Ethiopian war of 1998-2000 and the politics around this event.
January 27, 2019
A good background on how little we know about Eritrea and how fascinating its history is. I felt like something was missing from this (and maybe that’s exactly because we know so little about the country). But I would have liked a look at the flight of Eritreans to Yemen which wasn’t covered and also for it to be properly proof read and edited before publication- it was riddled with minor errors which makes me feel less comfortable with accepting the credibility of the book.
November 8, 2019
Eritrea to the majority of people is most likely associated with war and famine in the Horn of Africa.
For anyone wanting an understanding of the geo-politics of Ethiopia and Eritrea, this book provides a sobering analysis of the state from which people are fleeing in their thousands, only to end up in Europe as refugees.
Martin Plaut's account brings Eritrea into sharp focus and sets out the realities of life for its citizens and how the country has been instrumental in destabilising the whole region.
For anyone wanting an understanding of the geo-politics of Ethiopia and Eritrea, this book provides a sobering analysis of the state from which people are fleeing in their thousands, only to end up in Europe as refugees.
Martin Plaut's account brings Eritrea into sharp focus and sets out the realities of life for its citizens and how the country has been instrumental in destabilising the whole region.
August 15, 2018
Isaias Afwerki - he's the reason most of us know very little about Eritrea. Martin Plaut opens the curtain on one of the most secretive and repressive regimes on our planet. Afwerki's web of spies extends to South Africa and beyond. His actions affect stability in the region, from Somalia to Yemen to Sudan. There are few people capable of putting together a clear portrait of Eritrea today. Martin Plaut is one of those few. Well done.
December 29, 2018
A good introduction to the complex issues of Eritrea and it's secretive government. The book was published before the unexpected peace agreement with Ethiopia and the opening up of the common border. Reading the book and the many instances of rapid changes of policy and direction one can only speculate as to how this new found accommodation with Ethiopia will play out?
June 9, 2020
Thanks Martin this gives an insightful picture of the cruel regime! This country is builder by lies and damaged propaganda once you scratch in it is empty like a hole! Any person who tried to tell the truth will be chased, jailed, killed or humiliated like Matin plait himself! Anybody who wants to study about East African politics should read it!
June 19, 2023
Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State ** Read in Asmara and Massawa, Eritrea (May 2023)
February 10, 2021
This is written by a journalist but don't expect popular narrative nonfiction. This is fairly dense and full of details about the history and politics of a complicated country and region. Some parts were slow but I feel like I had a very good introduction and am glad I read it.
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February 9, 2018963.5072 P721 2016
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews