Eritrean professionals and intellectuals in December 2018 convened to discuss the implications of Eritrea and Ethiopia peace rapprochement and developments for peace in the region and specifically for Eritrea from a civil society perspective. Is this yet again just the peace between two leaders? What are the pitfalls of a “rushed peace” devoid of specifics and public participation? And what are the prospects for change in Eritrea?

Over the 6 months which followed the workshop, participants engaged in intense consultations and decided to publish their critical reflections in the paper “The State of the Nation” just a day ahead of Eritrea’s Independence Day on 24 May 2019.