r/Eritrea2

Hi!

I’m eritrean orthodox christian, born, and still live in Sweden. Within the past couple of years, I’ve noticed some acquaintances (they’re all from Eritrea, don’t know if that’s relevant), that used to be (or still say they are) orthodox christian, say or do some strange things.

These people (those who I know personally happen to be women) started saying things like, women should always cover their hair, not just in church, but in daily life, outside of their homes. Women should not wear pants, only long skirts or dresses. They say that coffee is the devil’s drink. They weren’t like this a few years ago, they were just normal orthodox christian Eritreans. They used to not cover their hair, wear pants and drink coffee (bun). The women I know are between 40-60 years old, and have all lived in Sweden for at least 20 years.

The priest and deacons have all said that it’s not part of our religion, culture, and tradition, and to not listen to them. I obviously agree with this (not that I’m a religious expert, but whatever).

It seems like this is spreading within the Eritrean community in my city. Is this just a thing in Sweden, or in other places too? Is this like a new religion, or just some people within our community that are making things up?

other tigrinya speakers confirm, have you seen another language thats as close in terms of counting than hebrew?

https://reddit.com/link/1uypani/video/f1ewld40vpdh1/player

By now, Eritreans from all corners of the world must understand this clear and undeniable truth regarding our modern geopolitical era. US sanctions on Eritrea are not about "human rights" or "democracy." US sanctions are economic warfare, designed to crush a nation that refuses to bow to empire.

In 2025, US exports to Eritrea dropped by 89.9%. Imports dropped by 79.9%. The US cut Eritrea off from SWIFT, the global banking system, making it nearly impossible for the country to trade with the rest of the world. Only three countries are currently excluded from SWIFT are Russia, North Korea, and Eritrea.

What does this mean?

It means Eritreans cannot buy medicine, construction materials, or machinery. Businesses cannot trade with international partners. Even remittances from the diaspora are nearly impossible to send through legal channels. This is entirely collective punishment at a mass scale.

Sanctions Are Killing People

The US State Department itself admits that sanctions have severely restricted foreign investment, and that "the lack of a commercial code" and "disconnection from the international financial system" have isolated Eritrea.

When medicine, food, and fuel cannot enter, who suffers? The people suffer, such as the patient who cannot get life-saving medication, the family who cannot build a home because materials are blocked, and the worker who cannot earn a living because imports are cut off. The diaspora living in the west that support these measures against our people, or who simply do not understand the full magnitude of sanctions, are fundamentally in support of killing our people.

The Eritrean government has formally argued that sanctions have hindered trade, investment, and social progress. The US does not care. They instead fund opposition groups that promote misinformation about our government’s policies and procedures.

What is the Real Motive of Sanctions?

In 2026, reports emerged that the US was considering lifting sanctions, because the US needed Eritrea's strategic position in the Red Sea. With the Iran crisis and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the US suddenly needed an alternative trade route. Thirteen percent of global oil shipments pass through the Red Sea, right next to Eritrea.

The question we must be asking is, are these sanctions for "humanitarian" reasons? No, when strategy demands it, they drop sanctions in a heartbeat. The sanctions have always been a weapon, rather than about principle. Eritrea's UN ambassador has described the sanctions as a deliberate policy to "impair and disable" our country. They are absolutely correct with this analysis.

The Delusion of "Economic Reforms"

Some people, especially diaspora liberals, love to lecture Eritrea about "economic reforms". They advocate to lift currency controls, allow private construction, open markets, peg the Nakfa to gold, and other exploitative measures. These are not our true solutions. As a mater of fact, they are fantasies disconnected from material reality. You cannot open markets when you have no foreign reserves. You cannot lift import bans when you have no dollars to buy imports. You cannot allow private construction when building materials require foreign currency that sanctions have cut off.

The US State Department itself admits that Eritrea's "disconnection from international financial systems" and "lack of a commercial code" severely limit foreign investment. The "reforms" they propose would only collapse the currency, trigger hyperinflation, and destroy whatever remains of the economy.

The only real solution is the immediate and unconditional lifting of US sanctions.

That is the first step. The second is building genuine partnerships with nations that do not seek to dominate us. China has reaffirmed its commitment to 100% tariff-free treatment for goods from Eritrea. Chinese mining investments are already driving growth in sectors like the Colluli potash project. Russia has approved the creation of a Russian-Eritrean commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation.

Further trade with Russia and China has proven to enhance economic growth. Through mutual beneficial trade and partnership of equals. BRICS offers Eritrea a path to economic integration outside the US-dominated financial system. Eritrea is actively seeking to work with BRICS, and BRICS partners benefit from principles of sovereign equality and strategic cooperation.

The DPRK proves that even under the heaviest sanctions, socialist states can build resilient economies through self-reliance and strategic partnerships. Eritrea shares that same spirit.

The US does not want Eritrea to develop. Instead, they want Eritrea to kneel buy into IMF-style "reforms." When strategic necessity demanded it, like amid the Iran crisis and Strait of Hormuz tensions, Washington suddenly considered lifting sanctions.

Those who are still deluded call Eritrea a "dictatorship" while ignoring the nation that drops bombs every single week. The fundamentally deluded still believe the "human rights" lie while ignoring the sanctions that are killing children in Haiti, Yemen, Gaza, etc.

Eritrea exists and refuses to kneel to Ethiopia nor Washington.

Eritrea will not and must not kneel to Ethiopian nor western imperialism. Eritrea will not die, so long as we remain united just as our martyrs struggled for 30+ years for our self determination. We have been battered, time and time again, yet we still stand. Our economy is wounded for the moment, but it is not broken. Our people are under siege, but they are not defeated. We stand because of the will of a people who refuse to bow to their tormentor. It is our responsibility to stand for what is right. To ensure our long term stability and sovereignty, we cannot sell ourselves to the west. US imperialism is a plague, and it deserves to die. We will be there, standing on its ruins, building the future we deserve. Until then, we cannot give up our revolutionary struggle.

Awet N’Hafash! ✊🏾🇪🇷🔥