Dynamics in East Africa have the potential to change dramatically in the near future. After weeks of silence, Eritrea's reclusive president, Isaias Afwerki, finally weighed in on June 5 reports that Ethiopia could give disputed territory to its longtime enemy . During Eritrea's Martyrs Day, Afwerki stated that the recent events in Ethiopia warranted attention and that his country would send a delegation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, to discuss potential cooperation. While seemingly insignificant on the surface, the move from Afwerki is likely borne of desperation. The president has justified his decadeslong grip on power by claiming that Ethiopia wanted to wipe his Red Sea country off the map. Indeed, Eritrea's political and economic systems have largely revolved around the need to maintain a huge military apparatus that is capable of going toe-to-toe with Ethiopia.