Eritrea: Africa’s Newest Nation
They fought 30 years for independence from Ethiopia, mobilizing their diverse population—half Christian, half Muslim—into a force that brought successive US- and Soviet-backed governments to their knees. They went on to make great strides in overcoming poverty and social inequality with little outside help. This led many to call the new state an “African renaissance.” Then came renewed war and, with it, dictatorship and another fight—this time for democracy. Throughout, the American role has not been helpful.
Cape Ann Forum founder Dan Connell has witnessed this epic freedom struggle firsthand over three decades. His reports have been carried by the BBC, Voice of America, AP, Reuters, The Boston Globe, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, The Nation and others. The author of six books, he now lectures in journalism and African politics at Simmons College, Boston.