Sawa, a slavery plantation camp, compelled all #Eritrean youth to undergo what is euphemistically termed “National Service”but is, in reality, a brutal form of military training and enslavement. After finishing a secondary school like every #Eritrean youth, I went to Sawa at age 17 in 2012 for the 26th round, now a decade ago. My year in Sawa was one of the most devastating experiences of my life. Sawa is effectively a concentration camp where severe human rights violations occur regularly. Upon arrival, we faced mentally unstable and sadistic military officers who drugged and divided us into isolated military brigades, units, and divisions. In Sawa not a day passed without beatings or torture. Every activity was dictated by the sound of a whistleblower. I witnessed girls from the female military unit brought in as slaves to serve officers, subjected to rape and torture. These gross violations were perpetrated from the highest-ranking General of Sawa to the lowest-ranking officer. We were coerced into praising and hailing the dictator under threat from military officers. Dictator Isaias' old comrades the key figures of #PFDJ regime like #Eritrea's Ambassador to Japan, Estifanos Afewerki, Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel, Ambassador Sofia Tesfamariam, and other regime cadres deceive the international community with misleading videos and pictures from Sawa. Fearing for our lives, we had no choice but to comply to survive. Many girls aged 16-19 suffered severe distress, with some becoming pregnant after being raped, and others experiencing mental breakdowns. Fortunately, I managed to escape from this nightmarish ordeal and the severe human rights violations perpetrated by the autocratic regime of #Eritrea. I am now in a position to expose the atrocities committed by these criminals both within and outside my country. Since the establishment of Sawa many #Eritrean youths sent to Sawa have lost their lives in the #Ethiopia-#Eritrea border clashes and the recent #Tigray war. Some were shot and killed while attempting to flee the tyranny; others lost their sanity. Some are languishing in prisons, and many perished in the Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean Sea, at the hands of human smugglers, or in the Tekezé River. Sadly, the propaganda and enslavement machine continues to operate, perpetuating gross human rights violations, torture, and abuse. In conclusion, my experience at Sawa stands as a stark testament to the brutality and oppression imposed by the totalitarian #Eritrean regime under the guise of national service. It is urgent that the world acknowledges and confronts these grave human rights violations. The regime must be held accountable for its oppression and violence against #Eritrean youth. My story is a call to action for justice and change. Together, we must stand against tyranny, empower our people, and advocate for a future where freedom and dignity prevail in #Eritrea. #Sawa36 #TransnationalRepression #BlueRevolution #NoMorePFDJPropaganda #NoMorePFDJTerror @hrw @UNHumanRights @freedomhouse @citizenlab @DefendDefenders @UN_SPExperts @martinplaut @mvreisen @KjetilTronvoll

Eritrean troops have reportedly started moving into Ethiopia’s north. Horn of Africa Director @AlanBoswell explains on @AJEnglish the possible consequences and why the conflict is deteriorating.