It’s President Afwerki… Thank You, Eritrea (1)

By Mohammed Abd ElGader

As we neared the residence of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara, I said to my dear friend, Mr. Adel Al-Baz, that Eritrea is a true embodiment of the phrase we often use in the news: “a sovereign state.” Al-Baz, agreeing with me, nodded thoughtfully and added a point that prompted me to find an explanation for Eritrea’s support for Sudan in its war against the Janjaweed.

Unlike some of our other neighbors, Eritrea has taken a strong and supportive stance toward the Sudanese people and their army. It has shown exceptional neighborly conduct, assuring us that Sudan is not alone in its fight against militias, which are being armed by countries exploiting Sudan’s bloodshed by opening their borders for the passage of weapons to murderers. Eritrea, however, has acted differently. As a genuinely sovereign state, it does not yield to external pressures or agendas, nor does it exchange its positions for dollars or dirhams. Eritrea responds only to the dictates of a sincere, independent conscience, guided solely by the ethics of good neighborliness.

In a meeting between a delegation of Sudanese journalists and President Afwerki, the man spoke candidly. He stated that these countries lack true will and even warned them of intervention should they continue to serve as platforms for the transfer of weapons that kill Sudanese people.

Eritrea and President Afwerki deserve the respect and appreciation of the Sudanese people. He has opened his country’s borders to Sudanese refugees without any conditions, allowing some to enter with only a personal ID, a national number, or even vaccination cards. Others were admitted simply by proving they were Sudanese.

Afwerki directed his people to share their food and water with Sudanese refugees, ensuring their safe arrival to Asmara, providing transportation, food, and drink without any expectation of reward or praise. He refused to establish refugee camps for the Sudanese, declaring that Eritrea is their homeland too. Additionally, he declined to accept any financial aid from international organizations in exchange for hosting Sudanese refugees, as Eritrea sees Sudanese as part of its own people.

Afwerki allocated spaces to accommodate Sudanese men and women with open arms, providing them with free lodging, food, and medical care. He instructed Eritrean authorities to grant Sudanese special exemptions in all matters—even police stations were ordered to release Sudanese involved in minor offenses, ensuring, as he put it, “no Sudanese sleeps in a cell in Eritrea.”

Afwerki has supported our army with everything it needs and has stood by it against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He has pledged to protect Sudan’s eastern borders and firmly declared that El Fasher is the front line of this battle. As a seasoned fighter, he understands that targeting this region is an attempt to divide Darfur and take over what remains of Sudan’s land.

Thanks to Afwerki’s clear, uncompromising stance, Eritrea remains free of Janjaweed and remnants of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC). They are neither welcomed nor allowed to enter. In fact, Afwerki gave one individual who sought to discuss the course of the war just 24 hours to leave the country.

President Afwerki has distanced himself from the marketplace of solutions for Sudan’s crisis. His position is firm, singular, and declared: supporting the victory of the Sudanese army is crucial to rebuilding the Sudanese state. This is President Afwerki.