Eritrea, Xumdo, and the Cost of Choosing Peace: When Independence Becomes the Enemy

In an era of global power shifts, Eritrea has once again made headlines — not for aggression, but for diplomacy. The Xumdo agreement, a groundbreaking reconciliation between the Eritrean government and the Tigrayan people, has ignited controversy across media outlets and social platforms. But instead of being recognized as a step toward healing, it has been turned into a tool of attack — especially by opportunistic content creators and geopolitical actors who benefit from keeping Africa divided.

Why is Eritrea being vilified for choosing peace?

Because in the world of geopolitics, there are no permanent enemies — only permanent interests. And Eritrea’s interest in sovereignty, regional stability, and African self-determination threatens those who have long profited from chaos.

Xumdo: A Bold Leap Toward Reconciliation

The Xumdo initiative represents something rare in modern African politics: a direct peace accord between a government and a historically hostile group — without external mediation. Eritrea and many within the Tigrayan community were recently adversaries in a brutal conflict. This initiative marks a commitment to repair, reconciliation, and shared regional interest.

But many refuse to accept this. Instead of acknowledging the strength it takes to break with past hostilities, critics — particularly those aligned with foreign policy interests — twist this peace as manipulation or conspiracy.

Why? Because it challenges the idea that only the “international community” can broker peace — and reveals that African nations can resolve their issues on their own terms.

Geopolitical Reality: Sovereignty Means Choosing Your Partners

One of the most misunderstood principles in geopolitics is this:

> A sovereign state has the right to engage with any group or actor within another country if it aligns with its national interest.

This is not new — the United States, China, and Russia all do this regularly. Yet when Eritrea engages with marginalized or disaffected groups — such as the Tigrayans disillusioned with the Ethiopian federal government — it is painted as meddling.

In reality, Eritrea is navigating complex regional dynamics with political pragmatism. The Ethiopian regime has been accused of destabilizing the region, conducting internal repression, and stockpiling weapons rather than fostering unity. If segments of that population are seeking alternatives, Eritrea — like any rational state — has the right to build strategic relationships that support peace and regional balance.

This is not betrayal. This is geopolitics.

Selective Condemnation: The Ethiopia Double Standard

While Eritrea pursues diplomacy, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed continues to:

-Build missile and drone facilities

-Expand militarization near the Eritrean border

-Threaten territorial integrity under nationalist rhetoric

And yet, international media remains silent, Western powers stay engaged, and no sanctions are applied.

Meanwhile, Eritrea — despite offering free healthcare, education, and rejecting predatory foreign debt — remains a pariah. Why?

Because Eritrea isn’t playing by the neocolonial rules. It builds African solutions for African problems. And that makes it inconvenient.

YouTube Grifters and the Misinformation Machine

Adding fuel to the fire are YouTubers and online personalities, who exploit the Xumdo agreement for views and influence. They use clickbait titles, out-of-context clips, and emotional manipulation to vilify Eritrea — not based on facts, but on speculation and hearsay.

Their goal isn’t peace or justice — it’s monetization. And in doing so, they become part of a broader narrative war that silences African-led diplomacy and promotes dependency on foreign mediation.

President Isaias Afwerki: A Target for Choosing Self-Reliance

-President Isaias remains one of the few African leaders to:

-Reject U.S. aid

-Avoid IMF/World Bank debt

-Offer universal public healthcare and education

-Maintain a stable currency despite sanctions

-Avoid foreign military bases or influence

Yet he is relentlessly demonized — not for what he’s done wrong, but for what he’s done without permission. Eritrea’s biggest threat to the international order isn’t war — it’s success on its own terms.

Peace Is Resistance When It Comes From Eritrea

The world loves peace — until it comes from those who aren’t supposed to make it. The Xumdo agreement should be celebrated as a turning point in East African diplomacy. Instead, it’s attacked — because it proves that independent African nations can forge peace without Western oversight.

Let’s be clear:

There is nothing wrong with Eritrea working with disillusioned groups to stabilize the region.

There is nothing wrong with Eritrea choosing peace with former adversaries.

There is something deeply wrong with a world that punishes independence and rewards militarism.

In the end, Eritrea’s greatest “crime” is refusing to be controlled — and showing others that they don’t have to be either.

> Peace is not the problem. Independence is.

And in the eyes of empire, Eritrea is guilty of both.