The Isaias regime is doing all it can to solidify the loyalty of its generals and colonels by giving them a stake in its continuing rule. 

Senior officials of the Isaias Afwerki regime who have been housed at government-owned properties will get an opportunity to buy these homes at a steep discount.

According to the regime’s directive, these "pensions" are a form of compensation for the officers’ long service to the Front.

Those eligible for this entitlement include Generals, Ministers, Colonels, Director Generals and Directors.  The directive covers all officers above the rank of major.

Accordingly, homes estimated at 6 to 7 million nakfas, like the Baratolo Villas or the 600 sq meter homes in the Orota [formerly Eteghe Menen] Hospital neighborhood, are being sold for about half a million nakfas to General Haile “China” Samuel, Dr. Haile Mihtsun, etc.

Given the severe housing shortage in Asmara, the directive has created confusion and many Asmara residents say that these “pensions” are the party’s bribes to maintain the loyalty of its officers.  These homes that are being handed out as gifts are private properties that had been expropriated by the Ethiopian Derg regime--an expropriation that has been continued by the PFDJ, Eritrea's ruling party.  

In stark contrast, the agelgelot [national service] army is required to pay 1,000 Nakfa for registration and uniforms: 1,000 nakfa for the privilege of being conscripted.

Meanwhile, a huge PFDJ delegation led by Yemane Gebreab, General Manjos, Abdella Jaber, Yousef Saiq has been scouring the Darfur area to jump-start a stalled peace treaty between the government of Sudan and Darfur rebels. 

At the same time, the regime’s parastatal conglomerate, Red Sea Trading Corporation, which has established its presence all over Sudan, has decided to export the regime’s cheap labor (courtesy of “Warsay Yeka’alo Inititative”) to Juba, Sudan to work on road construction.  A battalion of Eritrean military conscripts are preparing to be dispatched to Juba.  Similar preparations are being made in Easter Sudan.

In another front, the military mobilization continues with more and more Eritrean conscripts being sent to the Tsorona area bordering Ethiopia.  

Quiet Protest

The people continue to attempt to escape to neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia and, when they can't (due to the high cost associated with the attempt), to register their protest quietly.

In public places like restaurants and bars, patrons chose to ignore the much-publicized interview of Isaias Afwerki which was devoted to highlighting the shortcomings of the Ethiopian government.  Given the heavy presence of spies everywhere, the TV was on; but nobody was watching.  No new information was provided by Isaias Afwerki in the interview--it was the same analysis and prediction he had made two years ago when he forecast the imminent fall of the Ethiopian government.

Similarly, the weekly Bahti Meskerem TV show was attended by children only—and Eri-TV has decided not to air the show until it can mandate adult attendance, particularly clappers whose recordings can then be engineered to synchronize with the taped show.

The Independence Day celebrations were interrupted at least three times by electric power failures.  One of these blackouts occurred while the artist Elsa Kidane was singing—the regime explained that the interruption had nothing to do with power failure but the inappropriateness of Elsa Kidane’s attire.

Meanwhile, the regime keeps issuing new directives or strictly enforcing old ones to control the population.  One such directive requires that if more than five Eritreans are standing together without a police permit, they can be detained.