Conversations with Eritrean Political Prisoners

Conversations with Eritrean Political Prisoners

In 2001, months after a devastating war with Ethiopia, a wide-ranging debate erupted within Eritrea over the conduct of leadership and the content of government policy, particularly around the 1998-2000 Border War with Ethiopia, which many thought could have been averted. Much of the criticism was directed at the president, Isaias Afwerki, who refused to implement a newly ratified Constitution or to permit the formation of political parties or to conduct national elections. This national conversation came to an abrupt halt in September when the government arrested its most prominent critics, shut down the private press, and smothered all public political discussion.
This book revisits that debate through interviews with five criticsâ‚¬"top government officials and former liberation movement leadersâ‚¬"shortly before they disappeared into the Eritrean gulag. Since then, none has been seen, heard from or accounted for. Nor has any been charged with a crime. As these conversations reveal, the speakers knew what was in store for themâ‚¬"arrest and indefinite detention. This is why they spoke with veteran journalist and long-time friend of Eritrea Dan Connell. This book not only opens a critical window onto that seminal moment; it signals the persistence of the dream of a democratic future for a remarkable nation whose promise has yet to be fulfilled.
Country USA
Manufacturer Red Sea Press, Inc.
Binding Paperback
EANs 9781569022351
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Red Sea Press, Inc.
Binding	Paperback
EANs	9781569022351
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Conversations with Eritrean Political Prisoners

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