Addis Ababa, August 23, 2026 (FMC) — The Eritrean regime has fueled conflicts across the Horn of Africa and backed opposition forces in neighboring countries as part of a strategy to preserve its grip on power, Eritrean Blue Revolution Front (EBRF) Central Committee member Dawit Teferi said.
Speaking to local news agency ENA, Dawit said Eritrea’s leadership has pursued an adversarial approach toward neighboring countries for decades, relying on external threats and regional conflicts to sustain its political control.
He said the pattern extends beyond Ethiopia, pointing to Eritrea’s involvement in conflicts and political affairs involving Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia. According to Dawit, the leadership in Asmara has consistently sought to maintain a role in regional conflicts, aggravating instability across the Horn of Africa.
He described the Eritrean government as an “antenna for conflicts,” saying its continued interference in the affairs of neighboring countries has made the region increasingly vulnerable to instability.
Dawit also accused the Eritrean regime of directing national resources toward Ethiopian opposition groups, describing its support for such forces as a major factor aggravating Ethiopia’s security situation.
“The aggravating factor is the Eritrean government,” he said, arguing that the regime’s involvement with Ethiopian opposition forces has made efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Horn of Africa more difficult.
Dawit linked Eritrea’s regional posture directly to its system of governance at home, saying the leadership’s militarized background has shaped both its domestic and foreign policies.
He said the Eritrean government has militarized society and turned national service into a mechanism of population control. According to him, the indefinite nature of national service is closely linked to the leadership’s efforts to maintain permanent mobilization and political control.
Dawit also identified the 2001 detention of members of the G-15, a group of senior Eritrean officials who publicly called for political reform, as a major turning point in Eritrea’s political development.
He said the detention of the G-15 paved the way for the consolidation of power by the most repressive elements of the ruling leadership and further narrowed the space for political reform.
Dawit further argued that political repression has been accompanied by economic stagnation, saying the leadership failed to establish a clear economic vision following independence and subsequently developed a highly centralized economic system.
According to him, the combination of political repression, militarization and economic stagnation has reinforced the regime’s dependence on maintaining an atmosphere of insecurity and confrontation.
Turning to current regional developments, Dawit said the renewed relationship between the Eritrean leadership and the illegal Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) should also be viewed in the context of the regime’s concerns over opposition movements and its efforts to rebuild previous political alliances.
He said the developments are particularly concerning amid existing conflicts and political tensions across the Horn of Africa, warning that continued involvement by the Eritrean government could further complicate efforts to establish lasting regional peace.
Dawit maintained that political change in Eritrea is therefore important not only for the Eritrean people but also for Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa, arguing that a more stable and politically open Eritrea would contribute to greater regional stability.
Eritrea’s regional role has long been shaped by its difficult relations with neighboring countries and the wider security dynamics of the Horn of Africa.
Eritrea has been involved in a series of military confrontations and regional disputes, including the 1998–2000 Ethiopia-Eritrea war, the 2008 conflict with Djibouti, and tensions involving Somalia and Sudan since its split.
Eritrea also became involved in the Somali conflict, while its relations with Sudan and Djibouti were periodically marked by military and political tensions.