On November 25, 2021, Eritrea became the 50th African country to sign a memorandum of understanding to join the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But the relationship between China and Eritrea is an old one that can be traced back to 220 AD when ancient imperial China imported hippopotamus, turtle, and elephant tooth from Adulis port. In the 1960s, China welcomed…

Despite being a UN Human Rights Council member, Eritrea persistently failed to engage with international human rights mechanisms. It did not respond to requests for country visits from the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, a mandate established in 2012, or legislate for the protection of human rights in line with the human rights treaties it had ratified….