Before the satellite age, one U.S. military base in East Africa quietly shaped decades of American foreign policy, Kagnew Station in Asmara, Eritrea.

The United States’ strategic dependence on Kagnew Station a massive communications and intelligence hu, led Washington to back Ethiopia’s control of Eritrea for nearly three decades. To protect the base, U.S. policymakers ignored rising local resentment, the loss of Eritrean autonomy, and warnings from diplomats on the ground.

When Ethiopia shifted toward the Soviet Union in the late 1970s, the U.S. was forced to abandon the station, just as satellite technology made it obsolete.

Discover the forgotten story of Cold War geopolitics, local resistance, and the end of America’s influence in Eritrea.

#KagnewStation #Eritrea #Ethiopia #ColdWar #USForeignPolicy #AfricanHistory #IntelligenceHistory #Asmara