*Tiffany Haddish is officially a dual citizen with Eritrea, the birthplace of her father, who made the move to the United States as a refugee before the actress was born.
The comedian was born and raised in Los Angeles, but she has publicly identified as American with Eritrean parentage.
She visited Eritrea last year to bury her father, Tsihaye Reda Haddish, and now she’s in the country to celebrate the 28th anniversary of its independence from Ethiopia after a 30-year war.
Photos shared on social media show the “Girls Trip” star draped in the Eritrean flag, while filling out forms with officials present — see below.
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#Asmara: A great moment during our independence week. @TiffanyHaddish applied for an #Eritrean ID card. Congrats! #Eritrea #ErireaShinesAt28 pic.twitter.com/CcVuOp0j9o
— Jonathan Solomon (@JonathanSo91) May 22, 2019
An Eritrean diplomat in the United States, Hadnet Keleta, said Haddish’s citizenship happened at “a very touching moment of our independence week.”
During last year’s Oscars ceremony, she hit the red carpet rocking a zuria gown, a traditional dress worn by women in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Eritreans have shown their support of Haddish’s citizenship on Twitter and many are now hoping she will use her status to speak out against some of the rigid policies and actions.
via CNN:
Eritrea is often described as the “North Korea of Africa” and has never had a national election. There is no free press, and citizens are not allowed to leave without an exit visa issued by the government.
Forced national military service, which is supposed to last 18 months, can last indefinitely.
A Human Rights Watch report from 2017 stated that “physical abuse, including torture” occurs frequently for people taking part in national service, and “so does forced domestic servitude and sexual violence by commanders against female conscripts.”
Keleta said Haddish was granted the citizenship after applying and submitting relevant documents.
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