A new report from The Sentry titled “Power and Plunder” claims to uncover the truth about the Eritrean Defense Forces’ role in the Tigray conflict. But behind the headlines lies a deeply flawed narrative that demands scrutiny.
As Eritrea and Tigray begin a delicate process of reconciliation, this report drops into the international conversation at a suspiciously convenient moment. Families are reuniting. Borders are opening. People-to-people ties are being restored after years of devastating war. And just when there’s real movement toward lifting long-standing sanctions on Eritrea, a dramatic 70-page dossier appears, portraying the Eritrean Defense Forces not just as participants in war, but as central villains.
Setit Media reviewed the report in full. Our conclusion: this is not an objective investigation. It is a politically charged narrative designed to derail regional peace and maintain Eritrea’s diplomatic isolation.
The People Behind The Sentry
The Sentry was co-founded by Hollywood actor George Clooney and John Prendergast, a former adviser to the U.S. National Security Council and State Department. Prendergast is no neutral observer. He played a central role during the Clinton administration in efforts to pressure Eritrea during the 1998 to 2000 war with Ethiopia.
This history matters. It shapes the lens through which Eritrea is viewed. When the same figures who spent years attempting to weaken Eritrea are now producing reports calling for sanctions and criminal investigations, the conflict of interest is too large to ignore.
A One-Sided Narrative
The report accuses the Eritrean Defense Forces of committing atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, looting, and cross-border smuggling. It names individuals, outlines alleged command structures, and recommends targeted sanctions and prosecutions.
What it does not do is place any significant responsibility on the other armed actors involved in the Tigray conflict.
There is minimal discussion of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which launched the war in November 2020, is barely mentioned. There is no serious acknowledgment of the TPLF’s use of child soldiers, attacks on civilians, or its own documented war economy.
This selective focus undermines the credibility of the report. War crimes must be investigated wherever they occur, not only where it is politically convenient.
The “Woyane” Misdirection
One telling example of misrepresentation is the report’s claim that Eritrean officials have used derogatory language toward the Tigrayan people, citing the term “Woyane” as proof.
This is false and misleading.
“Woyane” is the term used by the TPLF itself. It is not an ethnic insult. Eritrean state rhetoric targets the TPLF as a political and military organization, not the people of Tigray. By collapsing this distinction, the report seeks to portray political opposition as ethnic hatred.
This is not a mistake. It is a calculated tactic to frame Eritrea as ethnically hostile, thereby justifying the continued international pressure and sanctions.
Timing and Intent
This report did not emerge in a vacuum. It was released just as momentum builds toward peace between Eritrea and Tigray. Public support for reconciliation is rising on both sides of the border. There is growing international consideration for lifting sanctions on Eritrea.
The report’s timing is deliberate. It seeks to disrupt this progress, to reopen wounds, and to freeze Eritrea’s diplomatic rehabilitation. Rather than supporting peace, it attempts to halt it.
What the Report Ignores
The Sentry’s report avoids critical questions. It does not explore the foreign role in fueling the conflict. It ignores evidence of TPLF involvement in regional smuggling networks. It remains silent on the ENDF’s use of drones and artillery in civilian areas. And it completely omits discussion of Western surveillance or intelligence operations during the war.
This silence is not accidental. It is strategic. It frames the EDF as uniquely violent and criminal, while shielding other actors from equal scrutiny.
Eritrea’s Real Crime: Independence
It must be said plainly. Eritrea’s greatest offense in the eyes of many Western institutions is not what it did in the Tigray conflict. It is the fact that it operates outside of U.S. military influence, rejects AFRICOM presence, and maintains a foreign policy free from dependency.
This independence is treated not as sovereignty, but as defiance. And The Sentry’s report reflects this hostility.
What We Stand For
Setit Media is not here to excuse war crimes or whitewash any side’s actions. If abuses occurred, they must be investigated transparently and fairly.
But we reject one-sided narratives produced by organizations with clear institutional bias, backed by funders who have long opposed Eritrea’s sovereignty.
Accountability must be led by Africans. Peace must be rooted in truth, not manipulation. And justice cannot be built on propaganda.
Final Reflection
The war in Tigray devastated lives. No one comes out untouched. But we must resist attempts to turn that pain into a weapon. The people of Eritrea and Tigray deserve healing. They deserve dialogue. They deserve to tell their own stories, on their own terms.
Reports like The Sentry’s do not help. They distort. They divide. And they delay peace.
We encourage all readers, journalists, diplomats, and concerned citizens to ask the most important question of all:
Who benefits from this narrative, and who is being silenced?
