Twin Cities, Minnesota radio station Voices of Ethiopia posted on 21 August 2026 a commentary titled "After Isaias: Could Eritrea's Succession Crisis Destabilize the Red Sea?"
Since independence in 1995, Isaias Afwerki has been the center of power in Eritrea. This commentary raises the question whether Eritrea can undergo a transfer of power without triggering a struggle among the military, security establishment, political elite, and competing regional interests--and whether a potential struggle could spill beyond Eritrea's borders. Internal fragmentation, a proxy struggle along the Red Sea, and even normalization of relations with Ethiopia are all possible.
