LLB | LL.M | International Law. Researcher. Lecturer. Man Utd fan. I was in the crowd, when Rakifi held Simba on top of the mountain. 🇪🇷
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Joined September 2016
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'But what of the Charter itself? It is eighty-one years old this June, and counting. What is its fate?
I do not believe its principles have aged. Sovereign equality, self-determination, and the restraint of force are as sound now as in 1945. What has aged, is the machinery. The United Nations is the agency charged with upholding the Charter, and the agency has much reform to do.'
Read “A Single Door to Freedom: Eritrea and the UN Charter at Eighty-One“ by Munir O. on Medium: medium.com/@eritfalkon/a-sin…
During my Chinese language classes some years ago, I encountered the philosophy of shuōhé (说和), which basically means “speaking peace.” In a nutshell, it means restoring harmony through communication, without sacrificing truth.
Similarly, in Eritrea, we have erqi (ዕርቂ), a tradition of reconciliation that echoes the same principle: peace through justice.
For the People’s Republic of China & Eritrea alike, sovereignty & territorial integrity remain vital and non-negotiable.
That’s a lot of ambition for a lake patrol.
🇪🇹 Ethiopian Navy Says It Is Fully Prepared to Carry Out Maritime, Air and Land Missions
More: fanamc.com/english/ethiopian…
Munir Omer retweeted
President Isaias Afwerki met, at the Denden Guest House in the early evening hours today, Mr. Hu Changchun, China's Special Envoy for Horn of Africa Affairs.
The extensive talks centered on bilateral ties and current developments in the region.
Mr. Hu Changchun reiterated the PRC's position on the imperative of respecting Eritrea's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Blacc Sam, @NipseyHussle's brother,
"You can't have it both ways. If you say Ethiopia was never colonized, by default, Eritrea was not part of Ethiopia because Eritrea was colonized."
Common sense for dummies.
#Eritreaprevails
“Ukraine is sadly a victim and has been scape-goated in their overarching scheme of ‘tightening the noose on Russia’.”
Eritrea’s perspective has always been consistent.
You can find its official statement here:
shabait.com/2022/03/04/ukrai…
You can clearly hear #PIA referring to the WAR in Ukraine as an “invention”, not Ukraine itself as a country.
But yes, given the misinformation this account is spreading, no surprises here.
xitter.gq/MohanadElbalal/status/…
The sleight of hand is treating Abiy’s troop movements as proof of peaceful intent while treating allegations against Eritrea as established fact.
This is advocacy dressed up as analysis. Your credibility buried deep underground @Jawar_Mohammed
Abiy’s Deconfliction Measures Put Isaias to the Test
There has been a divergent but interesting strategic game playing out between Isaias and Abiy over the past couple of weeks. By pulling some Ethiopian forces back from positions near the Eritrean border, Abiy Ahmed has responded to international calls for de-escalation without relinquishing Ethiopia’s right to defend its territory. Separating forces reduces the risk of an unintended military clash. But deconfliction cannot work if only one side changes its military posture.
Ethiopia has also demanded that Eritrea end its military presence inside Ethiopian territory, stop providing sanctuary and material support to armed groups fighting the federal government, and accept credible arrangements to monitor cross-border movements. Without these commitments, a quieter border could simply conceal the same underlying security threats.
Those pressing Ethiopia to avoid another war are now asking what Isaias will do in return. So far, his response has been contrary to what advocates of de-escalation had hoped for.
First, he allowed TPLF’s Army 70 to move from Sudan to the Shiraro front through Eritrean territory. Second, TPLF movements around Rama, and their proximity to Eritrean military positions, raise particular concerns about possible cross-border military assistance.
Third, despite Ethiopia's demand that Eritrea stop supporting rebel groups, the Alliance for Survival's council met in Eritrea a few days ago and announced plans to strengthen cooperation against the Abiy government. This is yet another clear indication that the Eritrean regime has little intention of reciprocating Ethiopia's de-escalatory gestures and appears determined to continue provoking tensions.
Abiy can use these developments to press international partners to scrutinize Eritrea's role in the escalating tensions, rather than allowing the discussion to focus exclusively on Ethiopia's troop deployments.
In short, Isaias is refusing to reciprocate Ethiopia's de-escalatory measures. This allows Abiy to demonstrate that his government has responded to international calls for restraint while its legitimate security concerns remain unaddressed. The Ethiopian troop pullback strengthens Abiy's diplomatic and international case for taking defensive measures if those threats persist.
This article discusses a popular Ethiopian song from last year that lauds Abiy’s controversial ambition to “reconquer” a Red Sea port in Eritrea.
“When we command the rain, it falls; when we call for clear skies, they open,” it runs. “Proud Oromo…move onwards to the Red Sea.”
Here is a song channelling ethnic pride into a call to “move onwards to the Red Sea”, music being used to popularise expansionism. The article reports no arrests of its listeners or raids on its performers’ studios. Instead, the picture it presents is one of tacit acceptance.
Contrast that with Teddy Afro’s “Das Tal”, which gives voice to alienation in one’s own country: “In the town where I grew up I have become a stranger.” The article describes it as a denunciation of violence and repression in Ethiopia. What reportedly followed? Arrests of listeners and a raid on his studio.
The Oromo musical rebuttal to “Das Tal”, meanwhile, shifts the argument from repression to historical identity, attacking Teddy as nostalgic for an empire associated with Oromo subjugation. Again, tacit acceptance.
Music, then, is not only a voice of resistance against the establishment. It can also be used to normalise unlawful ambitions, turning expansionism against a sovereign neighbour into a popular refrain.
To understand African politics, just listen to the music economist.com/interactive/in…
“You gain two, I lose two. You gain 10, I lose 10.”
#PIA calls it a “vicious cycle”. What is a zero-sum world order, & why does Eritrea argue it must change?
My article explores the term’s origins, Eritrea’s perspective & international law.
medium.com/@eritfalkon/you-g…
Respect for the independence, territorial integrity, unity, & sovereignty is a fundamental principle of international law & International relations.
For some leaders to disregard something so basic & then speak of partnership is frankly embarrassing & an insult to the intelligence of the international community.
#PIA revisiting & reminding International Law 101 to some leaders who apparently skipped the introductory class.
While doing some research, I came across this statement by @AbiyAhmedAli, & it made me reflect on the thinking behind it.
“My vision is that one day, the Ethiopian parliament will debate not about receiving aid, but about how much billions of birr to allocate as assistance to our Eastern African neighbors.”
There is nothing wrong with wanting Ethiopia to prosper or be able to support its neighbours. What troubles me is the hierarchy implied in this vision: Ethiopia as the benefactor, with other East African countries cast as recipients.
Why not envision a prosperous East Africa where countries thrive together, rather than frame Ethiopia’s success around becoming the one providing aid?
Tells a lot really.
#Day15 since #Eritrea wrote to the @_AfricanUnion seeking restoration of its representation. Still no reply, at least publicly. At minimum, a clarification is warranted. Acknowledging & addressing a member state’s concerns should be basic institutional diligence. Article 4(m) of the Constitutive Act affirms the rule of law and good governance.
Good governance AU, good governance.
#EritreaPrevails
Munir Omer retweeted
A mature sycamore fig (Ficus sycomorus), known locally in Tigrinya as Da’ero (ዳዕሮ), grows directly from the rock formations near the village of Hebo in Zoba Debub (Southern Region), Eritrea.
Trees of this species are a defining feature of the highland landscape around Segeneiti, where stands of centuries-old Da’ero have long served as shaded gathering places for community assemblies, dispute resolution, and the drafting of customary laws. #Eritrea
While the world struggles to secure even a fragile peace, the environment has slipped down the agenda, yet the Earth is bearing the cost of our reckless wars. That an oil spill becomes news only when beaches close shows how anthropocentric we are. Beneath the surface, marine life is suffering far more.
@undoalos @UN @UNEP
Munir Omer retweeted
United Nations Day: Remarks by Ms. Nahla Valji, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
23 October 2026 | Asmara
Excellencies, Distinguished representatives of the Government of the State of Eritrea, Members of the diplomatic community, Colleagues and friends,
Good evening, and welcome.
It is particularly good to see so many friends and partners of the United Nations here tonight.
UN Day gives us a moment each year to step back from our daily work and reflect on our organization. Because the UN is indeed OUR organization. It belongs to we the peoples, to the Member States who govern it, and to each individual whose life is touched by it.
We meet in challenging times. Conflicts have proliferated, and we are experiencing more extreme climate events than ever before. While the world seems able to find trillions of dollars for war and militarization, resources for development and humanitarian work have become increasingly constrained. The United Nations is being asked difficult but necessary questions about how we work and where we can make the greatest difference.
As we approach the end of our 2022–2026 Cooperation Framework here in Eritrea, it is worth reflecting on what this partnership has contributed to.
Led by Government, our partnership in the past years has contributed to routine immunization coverage remaining above 95 per cent. Facility-based births increased from 81 to 85 per cent. Some 87,000 children received support for inclusive learning and early education, and thousands of children with disabilities received assistive devices or rehabilitation services. We have also seen progress in climate resilience, water access and livelihoods, and in national planning and statistical capacity.
Behind these numbers are health workers keeping services running, teachers working with children, farmers adapting to difficult conditions and communities leading change. This progress belongs first and foremost to Eritrea. The role of the United Nations has been to accompany it.
We have also learned that working together makes a difference. By the end of 2025, 992 villages, more than one-third of villages in Eritrea, had been recognised as free from female genital mutilation. That took years, and it took communities, leadership, national institutions, international partners, and many parts of the UN system working together.
Before the end of this year, the UN and Government will sign the next Cooperation Framework. The draft reflects the Government's ambition and vision for the next five years of development in this country, and it builds on what we have learned together. Resources will continue to be a challenge. We will need to be disciplined about where the UN can make a meaningful contribution, work as one system, and help Eritrea widen access to financing, expertise and partnership in a way that respects national ownership and the country's longstanding emphasis on self-reliance.
There is a great deal still to do, and a strong foundation on which to build. Many of you saw some of that foundation in the Innovation Corridor as you arrived. Later this evening you will be the judges in our very own ‘Trashion Show’ showcasing creativity and sustainability. And if you look around this evening you will see the incredible work of artist Dawit Berhane. We are truly surrounded by talent tonight.
As part of our UN Day events, a discussion was held last week on artificial intelligence, and an important point surfaced: innovation has to begin with real needs, and technology matters only when people can shape and use it in ways that work for them. The young people with us tonight show there is no shortage of ideas or creativity in Eritrea.
I would like to give a special word of thanks to Salah Ahmedin, Chairman of NUEYS, and his team, whose partnership carried this initiative beyond Asmara to young people across all six regions of Eritrea.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in this moment all of us hope for peace and stability across our region, and for the conditions that allow countries and their people to focus on development and opportunity.
Let me end on a personal note. This is my last UN Day in Eritrea. There are still some months to go, so this is not a goodbye, but I do want to take this moment to say thank you.
To the Government of the State of Eritrea, thank you for your leadership and partnership throughout.
To our diplomatic and development partners, thank you for your engagement and support.
To my colleagues across the UN Country Team, resident and non-resident, thank you for continuing to find ways to work together and deliver. This has been a difficult year for parts of our UN family. Budget cuts have closed offices and cost some colleagues their jobs. These are real consequences for people who have given sometimes a lifetime of commitment and expertise to this work. To those colleagues, thank you for your work and your commitment to the values of the UN. And lastly a special thanks to my Resident Coordinators Office team who work tirelessly every day.
I feel deeply proud of the partnership we have built here, with the Government, with our partners and across the UN system. It has taken trust and a shared commitment to finding practical ways to support Eritrea's development, and I am confident we have put in place a strong foundation for the next five years.
Let me conclude by quoting our United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who in his message for UN Day said ‘humanity’s future depends on our capacity to advance peace, development, and human rights together’
So, tonight, let us celebrate the partnership we have built, the people who make it possible, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Thank you for being here, and I wish you all a very happy United Nations Day.
Eritrea’s historical relationship with the @UN is one of sophistication & injustice: a people that argued its case through the Charter’s own institutions, only to see its people's aspirations subordinated to geopolitical interests in 1950.
Yet Eritrea’s relationship with the UN cannot be understood through that injustice alone. After Eritreans had secured de facto independence through their own struggle in 1991, the UN played a constructive role in observing & verifying the April 1993 independence referendum. This helped give international credibility to the overwhelming expression of the Eritrean people’s will. The referendum did not win Eritrea’s freedom, it affirmed that freedom through a popular mandate.
Eritrea continues to regard the UN Charter’s common cause as relevant and indispensable.
As H.E. Foreign Minister Osman Saleh asks: “Does the United Nations remain an effective guardian of the sovereign equality of nations, or is its founding promise increasingly subordinated to the strategic interests of the powerful?”
This question, as globally relevant as it is, is currently particularly consequential in the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopian expansionist rhetoric & threat to use force threatens the sovereignty & territorial integrity of neighbouring states & raises serious concerns under the UN Charter.
The principles are clear. The evidence must be examined. The question is whether the United Nations will uphold those principles consistently, or whether strategic interests will once again prevail over international law.
'But what of the Charter itself? It is eighty-one years old this June, and counting. What is its fate?
I do not believe its principles have aged. Sovereign equality, self-determination, and the restraint of force are as sound now as in 1945. What has aged, is the machinery. The United Nations is the agency charged with upholding the Charter, and the agency has much reform to do.'
Read “A Single Door to Freedom: Eritrea and the UN Charter at Eighty-One“ by Munir O. on Medium: medium.com/@eritfalkon/a-sin…