Eritrea - Regional Menace in East Africa

Last week Eritrea attacked the armed forces of Djibouti on Ras Doumeira, which is a strategic promontory overlooking the Red Sea. Djiboutin soldiers and civilians were killed in the Eritrean attack, which was recently condemned by the UN Security Council.

Eritrea won its independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after a 30-year independence struggle against Ethiopian forces. Initially it seemed as if Eritrea, with a long coastline and an industrious, motivated populace would become a shining success in Africa. After fighting for 30 years Eritrea could use the advantage of its large exile population to rebuild itself and look forward to a future of democracy and well-being for the Eritrean people.

Instead something else happened. In the fine tradition of African leaders taking power and then refusing to relinquish it President Isiais Afworki decided to put Eritrea on a permanent war footing, meddle in his neighbors internal affairs, crush the democratic opposition in Eritrea and become a force for regional instability.

Here's what the 2007 US State Department Human Rights Report says about Eritrea:

The government's human rights record remained poor, and authorities continued to commit numerous serious abuses. They included: abridgement of citizens' right to change their government through a democratic process; unlawful killings by security forces; torture and beating of prisoners, sometimes resulting in death; arrest and torture of national service evaders, some of whom reportedly died of abuses while in detention; harsh and life threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, including of family members of national service evaders; executive interference in the judiciary and the use of a special court system to limit due process; infringement on privacy rights; and roundups of young men and women for national service. They also included: severe restrictions of basic civil liberties, including the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion, particularly for religious groups not approved by the government; restriction of freedom of movement and travel for diplomats, the personnel of humanitarian and development agencies, and the UN Mission to Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE); and restriction of the activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). There was societal abuse and discrimination against women; widespread practice of female genital mutilation (FGM); governmental and societal discrimination against members of the Kunama ethnic group; widespread societal discrimination based on sexual orientation, and reports of discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS. There were limitations on workers' rights.

Don't believe the State Department? Here's what Amnesty International said about Eritrea:

Several thousand prisoners of conscience were detained incommunicado without charge or trial. Some former government leaders were held in a secret place of detention. The whereabouts of many political or religious prisoners, including journalists, were not known. Many were in effect victims of enforced disappearance. An army general remained held after 14 years, and three religious prisoners were still held after 12 years. Many detainees were tortured. Prison conditions, including being held in underground cells or metal shipping containers, amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Virtually no medical treatment was provided.

Eritrea, besides engaging in the worst form of dictatorial treatment of its own people has also engaged in violations of international law by supporting and arming insurrections in neighboring states - mainly as a form of "proxy" warfare designed to weaken those Eritrea views as enemies.

The government acted as a principal source and conduit for arms to antigovernment, extremist, and insurgent groups in Somalia, according to a June report issued by the UN Munitions Monitoring Group.

From the Economist:

Eritrea seems to have done everything possible to alienate itself from potential allies: its treatment of UNMEE and other UN personnel, and its rocky diplomatic relations with a number of EU countries and the US, has won it few friends.

In addition to its meddling in Somalia Eritrea has been accused of providing armed support for movements operating in the Ogaden province of Ethiopia and for various rebel factions in Darfur and Chad.

So why has Eritrea decided now is the appropriate time to begin aggressive action against Djibouti - a statelet to Eritrea's east which is mainly known as a host to French bases, US antiterrorism forces and as a transshipment point for cattle?

No one knows for sure but Eritrea's leadership is wily and used to playing off one country in the region against another. Unfortunately Eritrea may have bitten off more than it can chew this time because Djibouti has a mutual defense agreement with France  as well as playing host to France's largest foreign military base.

From GlobalSecurity.org:

Djibouti is France's largest foreign military base. Djibouti is host to several thousand French military personnel, including the 13e Démi-Brigade de la Légion Étrangère (13e DBLE - 13th Half-Brigade of the Foreign Legion).

And France is now providing logistical and intelligence support to the armed forces of Djibouti:

Speaking to the government-controlled press agency 'Agence Djiboutienne d'Information' (ADI), French officer Colonel Ducret said troops from France are "providing assistance in logistics, medical but also support in terms of intelligence service to the Djiboutian army."

This information has been confirmed by Paris Ministry of Defence spokesmen, talking to the French press. These sources add, that while French troops have not been involved in the fighting with Eritreans, they have provided aerial surveillance of the border, informing Djibouti's army about Eritrean troop movements. Other assistance had mainly focused on medical aid.

Further, the Ministry of Defence had decided to increase French military presence in Djibouti while the conflict with Eritrea goes on. There exist plans to establish mobile French military bases close to the Eritrean border, which would assure against an Eritrean advance into the small Horn of Africa country, unnamed French Ministry sources revealed to the Paris press.

The United States Embassy in Djibouti has also condemned Eritrea's aggression:

The United States condemns Eritrea’s military aggression against Djibouti in the vicinity of the border between the two countries at Ras Doumeira. These hostilities represent an additional threat to peace and security in the already volatile Horn of Africa. We understand that at least nine Djiboutians have been killed and over 60 injured as a result of the Eritrean attacks.

Note the use of "Military Aggression" in this statement. The US is condemning Eritrea for a violation of the UN charter - military aggression. In combination with the UN Security Council's recent condemnation of Eritrea and the movement of French forces into positions to assist the Djiboutin army the US statement speaks volumes - the world has already determined that Eritrea is acting in an aggressive manner toward Djibouti and France is taking action to halt that aggression if it continues.

The horn of Africa is a desperately poor place not in need of additional violent conflict. Already riven by war in Ethiopia and Somalia the last thing the region needs is another war. Yet Eritrea has decided that in addition to meddling in other state's affairs it should now engage in armed hostilities with a French and American allied state on its border. Eritrea's leadership may think they've made a brilliant move in order to distract from rising food and commodity prices back home, but they may have inadvertently set in motion a chain of events which could lead to their downfall. If this occurs this could prove to be a blessing for not only the Eritrean people but for the entire region at-large.