Eritrea’s position is clear: bilateral and multilateral relations should be based on mutual respect, political equality, reciprocity, and recognition of each state’s independence.
The current hetoric directed at Eritrea raises a broader question about political consistency. The accusation that Eritrea is acting as a subordinate or proxy can also be viewed as an attempt to project onto Eritrea the very dynamics that critics associate with their own political relationships and external alignments.
That is where the charge of duplicity enters the debate.
Eritrea has consistently placed sovereignty and independent decision making at the centre of its foreign policy. Whether one agrees with every aspect of that policy or not, Eritrea’s position is that its national interests cannot be defined by another government, political party, or external power.
This principle is particularly important in the Horn of Africa, where political relationships have frequently been shaped by competing regional interests and external involvement. Cooperation between states is legitimate and necessary, but cooperation does not remove the political independence of the parties involved.
For Eritrea, the issue is therefore not whether it should cooperate with others. The issue is the terms on which that cooperation takes place.
A relationship based on mutual recognition allows both sides to maintain their political agency. A relationship in which one side expects compliance from the other creates a fundamentally different dynamic.
Eritrea’s insistence on sovereignty should therefore be understood within that context. Its refusal to accept political direction from outside is part of a broader position that national decisions should remain the responsibility of the Eritrean state.
The same standard should apply to every country and every political actor in the region.
If sovereignty is considered legitimate for one state, it cannot be treated as conditional for another.
For Eritrea, sovereignty is not a negotiating position. It is the basis from which its external relationships are approached.