To my fellow Eritreans, at home and in the diaspora, who yearn for a free, just, and sovereign nation,
We stand at a critical juncture in our history. The promise of our hard-won independence has been
betrayed. For three decades, our beloved Eritrea has been held hostage by a rouge and predatory
clique masquerading as a government, led by the Mafia boss Isaias Afwerki. This regime, which
operates more like a criminal syndicate than a government, has turned our people’s victory into its
private empire by silencing truth, exiling conscience, and feeding on fear, while systematically
dismantling our societal fabric, plundering our resources, and turning our nation into a pariah state
often dubbed “Africa’s North Korea.” (Plaut, 2016).
The rule of this junta is not just a political failure; it is an existential threat to Eritrea’s sovereignty
and its continuation as an independent nation. Their actions have hollowed out our country, leaving
a generation lost to indefinite conscription, exile, and despair (UN Human Rights Council, 2024). It is
therefore incumbent upon all patriotic Eritreans to unite and eradicate this rogue regime.
This letter is a call to action, clarity, and unity. To succeed, we must be clear-eyed about whom we
must defeat and whom we must persuade to join our righteous cause.
The Fiction of the PFDJ: A Party That Does Not Exist
Let us begin by stating a fundamental truth: the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is,
for all intents and purposes, a defunct organization. A political party is defined by its structures, its
charter, and its ability to convene its members. The PFDJ, which was formed out of the Eritrean
People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) at its third congress in 1994, has failed to hold another congress
since. There have been no legislative meetings since 2002 (U.S. Department of State, 2024).
A party that does not meet, does not elect its leadership, and does not debate policy is not a party
at all, it is a hollow shell, a flag of convenience used by Isaias Afwerki and his military junta to
legitimize their absolute power. The name “PFDJ” is merely a brand for a personal dictatorship that
has held no elections since 1993, has no implemented constitution, no independent judiciary, and
no respect for the rule of law (Freedom House, 2023). Our struggle, therefore, is not against a
legitimate political entity, but against a small, isolated clique ruling by force under a defunct banner.
Whom We Must Defeat
Our struggle is against a specific, entrenched power structure that thrives on conflict and repression.
The individuals and entities that must be removed from power and held accountable include:
- The Mafia boss Isaias Afwerki and his inner circle: The architects of our national tragedy, a
clique that has ruled without a constitution or elections since independence.
- The Security and Military Leadership: The enforcers of the regime’s brutality, who oversee
the system of indefinite national service, likened to slavery by the UN and are responsible for
the arbitrary arrest, torture, and disappearance of thousands, including the G-15 reformists
held incommunicado since 2001 (UN Commission of Inquiry, 2015; Amnesty International,
2025). - Economic Profiteers: A network of individuals and junta-run companies that monopolize the
economy and embezzle public funds (Ogbazghi, 2011). - Diaspora Enablers: Agents and supporters abroad who harass, intimidate, and silence critics
of the regime, effectively exporting the state’s repression (Freedom House, 2024).
Whom We Must Persuade
To build a broad-based movement for change, we must reach out to those who may be misguided,
fearful, or feel they have no other choice. Our goal is to build a national consensus for a new,
democratic Eritrea. The people we must persuade to join our cause include: - Rank-and-File Members of the Military and National Service: The vast majority of those in
uniform are victims of the same system, forced into a life of servitude. Their duty is to the
nation, not the dictator who sends them to fight pointless wars. (Human Rights Watch,
2025). - Civil Servants and Government Employees: Many Eritreans work for the government out of
necessity. We must encourage them to become sources of information and quietly
resist from within. - The Silent Majority at Home: We must reassure our people inside Eritrea that they are
not alone and that a viable alternative to the Isaias junta exists. - Eritreans in the Diaspora: We must engage in a sustained campaign of truth to counter
the regime’s propaganda and persuade supporters that their actions only prolong the
suffering of our people. - Religious and Community Leaders: Thes
Religious and Community Leaders: These influential figures must be encouraged to
speak out against the regime’s injustices.
The Junta’s War on Eritrean Sovereignty
The clique’s greatest deception is its claim to be the guardian of Eritrean sovereignty. In reality,
its actions are the single greatest threat to our nation’s independence. Consider the following:
- Depopulation and Brain Drain: The policy of indefinite national service has forced
hundreds of thousands to flee. A nation that hemorrhages its youth cannot have a secure
future (UNHCR, 2024). - Economic Ruin: The regime’s corruption and mismanagement have led to a collapsed
economy, making Eritrea dependent and fragile (World Bank, 2023). - Perpetual Conflict and Regional Instability: The regime thrives on crisis. Its involvement in
the Tigray war led to horrific human rights abuses (Human Rights Watch, 2023). This new
brinkmanship with Ethiopia continues a pattern of aggression that has isolated Eritrea and
made it a destabilizing force in the Horn of Africa (Council on Foreign Relations, 2025). - Absence of Rule of Law: A sovereign nation is governed by laws, not the whims of a
single man. Without a constitution, judiciary, or legislature, Eritrea is vulnerable to
internal collapse and external manipulation.
A New War on the Horizon: A Pact of Tyrants
As if our internal suffering were not enough, the drums of a destructive new war are beating once
again. The alliance of convenience between the Mafia boss Isaias Afwerki and Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia has fractured. As the International Crisis Group notes, relations have
“nosedived in recent months,” raising fears that the two nations are sliding toward another conflict
(International Crisis Group, 2025).
Let us be clear: this escalating conflict is not about the national interests of Eritrea or Ethiopia. It is
a crisis manufactured from the animosity and political calculations of two leaders who previously
collaborated in the devastating Tigray War. The current hostility is fueled by Abiy Ahmed’s aggressive
rhetoric about Ethiopia’s “geographical prison” and its “existential” need for a port, a stance that
directly threatens Eritrea’s territorial integrity (The Africa Report, 2025). In response, Mafia boss
Isaias has intensified military mobilization along the border, as well as openly supporting internal
Ethiopian destabilization efforts, thereby bringing both countries to the brink of war.
This bellicose posturing serves only the tyrants. For mafia boss Isaias, a state of perpetual conflict is
a tool to justify his iron-fisted rule and demand further sacrifice from a weary population. For Abiy,
it is a dangerous gamble to rally nationalist sentiment and deflect from Ethiopia’s own deep internal
crises (Brookings Institution, 2025). As analysts at Chatham House have warned, this path risks
another humanitarian disaster (Chatham House, 2025). The people of Eritrea and Ethiopia will be
the sole victims, their blood shed to preserve the power of callous leaders. We must unequivocally
reject this march to war.
The Path Forward
The task before us is monumental, but our cause is just and our people are resilient. We must
organize, strategize, and act in unison, using every peaceful means at our disposal, from civil
disobedience to international advocacy, to expose the crimes of the Isaias junta and hasten its
demise.
Let us be the generation that reclaims the promise of our liberation. Let us work together to build a
new Eritrea, a nation where the rule of law prevails, where human rights are respected, where our
youth can build a future at home, and where our sovereignty is secured not by guns and prisons, but
by the will of a free and prosperous people.
The struggle for a free Eritrea is a sacred duty. Let us not waver. Let us not be tired. Victory to the
Eritrean people!
God Bless Eritrea and its people!
A fellow Eritrean committed to freedom and justice for all.
Dr Negassi Hadgu
October 6, 2025
REFERENCES
- The Africa Report. (2025, Jul
