Eritrean players defect again

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So the Eritrean team was at a regional tournament in Uganda. And authorities there say that seven players did not make their plane. They say they are looking for them. But a bit later, a group that works with Eritrean refugees said that the seven are not missing, that - they say that the soccer players have defected and that they didn't return home because they will be seeking asylum.

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I've spoken to many Eritreans who are fleeing, and they say that they just don't see a future in that country, and so they're willing to risk their life. Many of them travel through Sudan and Libya, and they get on boats to travel through the Mediterranean. In recent years, Eritrea has lost 10% of its population, and thousands of them have drowned making that journey across the sea.

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I mean, remember; this state of emergency, this forced conscription was instituted because Eritrea was at war with Ethiopia. The government has always said, look; we have to do this because we are at war.

So when the two countries officially ended this cold war, one of the first questions was, will President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power for almost three decades, loosen his grip? And we saw some positive signs. But, you know, the border has once again closed. And I think what these defections tell you is that not much has changed in Eritrea.

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