This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchler.

The Horn of Africa, the conflict in Ethiopia spills out over many borders and Eritrea and

the homeland of various factions that live altogether in Ethiopia's governance.

I welcome Gregory Coppoli, the editor-in-publisher of defense and foreign affairs, because Ethiopia

and Eritrea and Somalia, the whole Horn of Africa now have new suitors.

These suitors are well known to you, but there's competition afoot.

China, Russia, Turkey, and Israel, competing for the affection and the opportunity of the

Red Sea Mediterranean corridor.

Gregory, a very good evening to you.

What is fresh to me is a man by the name of Isias Afawerkli.

He is the president of Eritrea, and he's being romance by China and Russia simultaneously.

Why?

Good evening to you.

Good evening, John.

Well, President Isias has always been a key to control of the Red Sea shipping language,

which is perhaps the most crucial shipping lane for global trade.

So it's really an important location.

Eritrea is on the shore, the African shore of the Red Sea, and therefore has the ability

to interdict or to influence the security of sea traffic coming up the Red Sea and

through the shores Canal or down the other way.

And Isias has been in power for almost 30 years or so, essentially, since the collapse

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