By Klara Smits
BRUSSELS (IDN) – The political situation around Eritrea is evolving rapidly, in both the Horn of Africa and Europe. Sudan has closed the border with Eritrea and deployed troops amid rising tensions while in the Netherlands, Eritrea’s top diplomat has been declared 'persona non grata' over the country’s practice of enforcing a so-called "diaspora tax" on expatriate Eritreans. Growing protests from the Eritrean diaspora, and even one protest inside of Eritrea, show that the pressure on the Eritrean government is mounting.
When Sudan closed its borders with Eritrea at the beginning of January, it initially announced that the border closing was aimed at stopping trafficking of people and goods. However, deteriorating relations seemed to be playing an equal role.