Eritrea's political situation and Kofi Annan's concerns over the Kenyan elections

This briefing discusses the political instability and foreign policy of Eritrea, including concerns over President Isaias Afwerki's health and the country's efforts to undermine Ethiopia. It also reports on Kofi Annan's visit to Kenya to assess electoral preparedness for the March 2013 elections.

• There are concerns that the incapacitation of President Isaias Afwerki, who has no obvious successor, could create a power vacuum leading to a military takeover in Eritrea. This could result in an internal struggle for power and the rise of a new, potentially weaker authoritarian leader, which may lead to unstable internal, regional, and international policies.
• Eritrea's economy has been supported by gold revenues from the Bisha mine, operated by the Canadian company Nevsun Resources, which produced between 280,000 and 300,000 ounces of gold worth nearly US$150 million in 2012. This has helped offset a drastic decline in remittances.
• The Eritrean military is suspected of engaging in contraband trade with Yemen and Sudan to obtain hard currency. In Sudan's eastern Kassala State, authorities uncovered a smuggling operation involving approximately 80 vehicles, resulting in the seizure of 142,000 litres of fuel (mostly kerosene), 140 sacks of flour, and 12 sacks of wheat.
• Eritrea is accused of attempting to undermine Ethiopia's security, including supporting opposition elements to trigger a popular uprising. In mid-October 2012, Ethiopian security forces seized 13,000 bullets and 481 pistols at the city of Metema that were intended to be smuggled into Ethiopia via Sudan.
• Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Kenya as part of the AU Panel of Eminent African Personalities to assess electoral preparedness for the March 2013 elections. The visit was marked by tension, as President Emilio Mwai Kibaki did not meet with Annan, and the Party of National Unity (PNU) viewed Annan as being closer to Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

APA

Segui, N. R. (n.d.). Eritrea's political situation and Kofi Annan's concerns over the Kenyan elections. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/eritreas-political-situation-and-kofi-annans-concerns-over-the-kenyan-elections

Chicago

Segui, Neus Ramis. Eritrea's political situation and Kofi Annan's concerns over the Kenyan elections. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/eritreas-political-situation-and-kofi-annans-concerns-over-the-kenyan-elections.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Segui |first1=Neus Ramis |title=Eritrea's political situation and Kofi Annan's concerns over the Kenyan elections |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/eritreas-political-situation-and-kofi-annans-concerns-over-the-kenyan-elections |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{seguinderitreas, author = {Segui, Neus Ramis}, title = {{Eritrea's political situation and Kofi Annan's concerns over the Kenyan elections}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/eritreas-political-situation-and-kofi-annans-concerns-over-the-kenyan-elections}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }