Gaim Kibreab Livres

The Eritrean National Service (ENS) significantly influences the country's economy, social services, and politics, with over half the workforce forcibly enrolled. Originally rooted in the pursuit of independence and collective good, it has transformed into a system resembling forced labor. The book critically examines the ENS's historical context, objectives, and its effects on national unity and identity. It also highlights the experiences of conscripts, assessing whether the government's proclaimed goals are being met and the profound impact on their lives.

In Moscow’s ill-fated involvement with Mengistu’s regime, the strategic goals of a superpower were defeated by a concatenation of factors. This book shows how these factors caused the grand design for a Pax Sovietica in the region to founder on a combination of hubris and poor judgement. The attitude of the Soviet Union towards the Eritrean liberation movements, and indeed the twists and turns in its support of the Derg regime, reflects the flawed thinking behind its rush to link states in the region into a confederation under Soviet tutelage. Almost half a century after the ignominious end to the Soviet Union’s plans for Pax Sovietica in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, there are now signs that Moscow is returning to the region.