7/29/2019 CFC In Focus: Eritrea, Repression and the Recent Coup, 19 February 2013

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C I V I L - M I L I T A R Y F U S I O N C E N T R E

M E D I T E R R A N E A N B A S I N T E A M P R E S E N T S

I N F O C U S

Eritrea, Repression and the Recent CoupBy Trista Guertin

This document provides the In Focus excerpt from the MB Weekly 0518 February2013. The In Focus section of the weekly gives our read-ership a more detailed reporting of an event or topic of particular relevance in the Mediterranean Basin and other regions of interest. In

Focus pieces provide hyperlinks to source material highlighted and underlined in the text. For more information on the topics below or other

issues pertaining to the region, please contact the members of the Med Basin Team, or visit our website at www.cimicweb.org.

Comprehensive Information on Complex Crises

On 21 January 2013, Eritrea, an isolated and reclusive country, caught the worlds attention with the announcement of an attempted

coup. Reporters without Borders reported that a group of up to 100 soldiers commandeered the Ministry of Information in the capi-

tal city of Asmara, taking control of the state television channel, Eri -TV. The soldiers reportedly had a list of demands broadcasted

on air which included the enforcement of the 1997 constitutionand the release of political prisoners, before the station was abruptly

taken off the air. This was the first programming interruption since Eri TV began airing in 1993. The events that followed remain

vague, other than the channel resuming broadcasting twelve hours later and the government denying, then reluctantly acquiescing,

that an incident had occurred. Little is known about the fate of the soldiers; it has been reported that they peacefully surrendered and

returned to the barracks, having been granted clemency by President Isaias Afewerki.

What has garnered the attention of the international community, according to Pressenza, is the possibility that the Arab Spring

may be making its way into the Horn of Africa, two years after engulfing countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Associated

Press (AP) reports that, since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has remained relatively reclusive and isolated

from the rest of the world. Afewerki, who has ruled the country since 1993, maintains an authoritarian regime that allows for little

freedom or information sharing. In 2012, Eritrea was described by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as one of the worlds most repres-

sive governments. While the 21 January incident may not have been an official coup dtat as some have speculated, the idea that

the roots of discontent may eventually lead to a real coup have piqued the worlds attention, and highlight some of the issues that the

country continues to face, including repression, dictatorship and poverty. Meanwhile, the government continues to proclaim the

country is stable and not susceptible to being overthrown.

President Afewerki, who also led the fight for independence from Ethiopia in the 1990s, has repressed dissent and established a secu-

rity state that ensures his complete controlof all aspects of Eritrean culture, media, education, judiciary, economy, religion and for-

eign affairs, writes Somaliland Sun. There have been no elections since 1993 and the 1997 constitution has yet to be implemented.

Afewerki reportedly surrounds himself with a close inner circle, maintaining an extremely intimate relationship with military leader-ship. However, the network remains highly secretive and almost unknown both within and outside the country. The president report-

edly harbours a deep sense of mistrust and has established an intricate systemof control so that no one can tell who is second-in-

command, according to Addis Fortune news. According to HRW, abuses are widely reported; estimates ofpolitical prisonersrange

from 5,000 to 10,000. The first signs of discontent became visible in 2012, when a number of high level defections occurred amongst

military and government officials, the most notable of which was the defection of the Minister of Informationin November 2012,

according to Somaliland Sun.

The 21 January incident highlighted governments tight control over the media; weeks after the incident, exact detailsconcerning the

events remain elusive, according to Ethiopian news source Tigrai Online.Reporters Without Borders has labelled the country one of

the worlds most closed countries; the country ranks last in the organisations press freedom index (lower than even North Korea),

has no privately-owned media outlets, is home to the continents largest prison specifically for journalists (holding at least thirty),

and since 2010 has forbidden entry of foreign press correspondents. The 2013 coup attempt was first reported by a Paris -based radio

Excerpted from 19 February 2013

The Civil-Military Fusion Centre (CFC) is an information and knowledge management organisation focused on improving civil-military interaction,

facilitating information sharing and enhancing situational awareness through the CimicWebportal and our weekly and monthly publications.

CFC products link to and are based on open-source information from a wide variety of organisations, research centres and media sources. However, the

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any other organisation.

http://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/uganda-eritrea-idAFL5E7JG0IV20110816?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/uganda-eritrea-idAFL5E7JG0IV20110816?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0http://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttp://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttp://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3dd8aa904.html%20%5baccessed%2019%20February%202013%5dhttp://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3dd8aa904.html%20%5baccessed%2019%20February%202013%5dhttp://www.pressenza.com/2013/01/the-arab-spring-arrives-in-eritrea/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57564977/possible-failed-coup-attempt-in-eritrea/http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/667783/Isaias-Afwerkihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/667783/Isaias-Afwerkihttp://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://indepthafrica.com/ethiopia-eritrean-showdown-coup-or-showbiz/http://indepthafrica.com/ethiopia-eritrean-showdown-coup-or-showbiz/http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://www.tigraionline.com/articles/article130138.htmlhttp://www.tigraionline.com/articles/article130138.htmlhttp://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttp://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttps://www.cimicweb.org/https://www.cimicweb.org/https://www.cimicweb.org/http://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttp://www.tigraionline.com/articles/article130138.htmlhttp://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://indepthafrica.com/ethiopia-eritrean-showdown-coup-or-showbiz/http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/2269-where-is-eritrea-headinghttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/667783/Isaias-Afwerkihttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-eritreahttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57564977/possible-failed-coup-attempt-in-eritrea/http://www.pressenza.com/2013/01/the-arab-spring-arrives-in-eritrea/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3dd8aa904.html%20%5baccessed%2019%20February%202013%5dhttp://en.rsf.org/eritrea-what-really-happened-at-asmara-s-24-01-2013,43947.htmlhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/uganda-eritrea-idAFL5E7JG0IV20110816?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0http://www.cimicweb.org/

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station called Radio Erena, established in 2009 and run by exiled Eritrean journalists. The radio station can be heard in Eritrea de-

spite reported attempts by the government to block the signal. Al Jazeeraalso quickly picked up the story, and the news channel

was subsequently blocked in Eritrea as a result.

The attempted coup was reportedly led by junior military officers, supported by a small number of tanks. The cause of the revolt is

suspected to be a result of widespread dissatisfaction within the military, according to Reporters Without Borders. A US -based web-

siteAwate.com, claims the group of officers was led by army commanderSaleh Osman, a veteran soldier and war hero, who may

have been attempting to reengage the government in the democratisation process that had stalled, reports Al Jazeera. However,

Selam Kidane, an Eritrean human rights activist and director of the organisationRelease Eritrea, points to economic factors. Kidane

said that while details of the events were still unclear, those who participated were not senior personnel, but rather young officersfrustrated with the situation in the country, especially economic hardships. According to Mail & Guardian, the country has main-

tained a strict conscription policysince 1995, which includes a mandatory eighteen month service for both men and women, begin-

ning as young as 12-years-old. This conscription can continue for up to ten years and often includes forced labour in government

departments or party-owned businesses, reportsAl Jazeera. HRW recently published a report documenting the use of conscripts in

the burgeoning mining sector, including gold mines operated by international mining firms. The United Nations High Commission-

er for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that over 1,000 Eritreanscross over to Ethiopia and approximately the same number flee to

Sudan each month to avoid conscription and indefinite military service. According to Sudan Tribune, at least 70,000 Eritrean refu-

geesare currently residing in twelve camps in Sudan. Many of the Eritreans who leave the country become victims of human traf-

fickingin the Sinai Peninsula and Yemen, reports CNN.

Furthermore, according to the Somaliland Sun, the military is constantly reorganised and the authority of senior ranking officers has

gradually been eroded, leading to serious disciplinary problems. Economic challenges that have affected the entire country have led

to corruption and smuggling amongst the ranks. In 2012, a number of officers defected, including two air force pilots in October,

who commandeered the only presidential jet. The Eritrean officers flew to Saudi Arabia and requesting political asylum. Estimates

regarding the size of the military vary but reporting suggests the country has the largest army in sub -Saharan Africa with 200,000 to

300,000 troops, according to Sudan Tribune. However, according to former soldiers the Eritrean Defence Forceunits are only oper-

ating at 25 per cent capacity (or lower). The overall strength of the army may be less than 80,000, reports Mail & Guardian. The

Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization(RSADO) chairman Ibrahim Haron told Sudan Tribune in 2012 that there is a growing di-

vide among political and military leaders following increased corruption in the poorly -funded military. According to Haron, corrup-

tion is motivating some Eritrean soldiers to carry out unprecedented protests against the government.

According to Time, the failed coup could be indicative of apower strugglethat is already underway or forthcoming. On 11 Febru-

ary, President Afewerki addressed the public for the first time since the 21 January incident, attempting to dispel fearsof unrest in

the country. He attributed the attack to bankrupt enemies and said his administration had chosen to remain silent to avoid serving

the ploys of bankrupt enemy quarters. While the president did not elaborate as to who was precisely behind the plot, he indicated

that further details would be released at an appropriate time, reports Reuters. The incident did, however, ignite protests both with-

in and outside the country amongst Eritrean exiles. In Europe, protests were held in London, Rome and in other cities in close prox-imity to Eritrean Embassies in support of the soldiers coup attempt. In Asmara, the members of Freedom Friday Movementposted

flyers around the city on 07 February calling for street protests against the regime and in support of the soldiers of the Forto 2013

movement, referring to the area of town where the Ministry of Information is located in Asmara, according to Indepth Africa. The

group also reportedly made several thousand telephone calls, prompting citizens to take to the streets in protest, promising to contin-

ue the calls until people begin to protest or the demands of Forto 2013 are met. One Asmara -based diplomat stated that this disturb-

ing developmentbelies the governments claim that it represents stability and it is one event among many others in an on-going

process that may already be taking place, writes Somaliland Sun.

19 February 2013

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