Tucked away in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is a country with a rich history, diverse culture, and breathtaking landscapes, it’s a nation that fascinates and intrigues. Yet, it’s also a country grappling with political repression, economic struggles, and human rights concerns, earning it the moniker “Africa’s North Korea.”
Bordered by Djibouti to the southeast, Ethiopia to the south, and Sudan to the west, it has a population of around 3.5 million people with nine recognized ethnic groups. The capital and largest city is Asmara, which is known for its well-preserved Italian colonial architecture.
Eritrea’s past is marked by periods of colonization, struggle, and liberation. From Italian occupation to British administration, and finally, a long fight for independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea has emerged as a sovereign state. However, the scars of its tumultuous history still linger.
The country gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after a long struggle, and its history is marked by periods of conflict, including a border war with Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000. Today, Eritrea is a sovereign state with a president, “Hitler” Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since 1993.
Isaias Afwerki was celebrated as a national hero in his country in 1991 after he had led the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) into victory, gaining independence from Ethiopia after 30 years of civil war. He has now become a different leader compared to how he was viewed at during the beginning of his tenure.
Isaias created a system whereby there was no room for dissent, even severely penalizing ministers who stood up to him and criticized him. Religious freedom has also been curtailed: Churches that were active in the country were forcibly closed overnight. As were universities, which were turned into military technical colleges. Under Isiais Afwerki’s leadership, Eritrea has become the most reclusive state in Africa.
The strongest evidence of this can be found in the country’s relationship with free speech: Press freedom under President Isaias has become non-existent, with countless media houses being closed and journalists getting arrested — to this day.
Eritrea’s media landscape is starkly controlled, with all TV and radio stations owned and operated by the government. Private media outlets are nonexistent, and the internet is heavily restricted. This has led to a dearth of independent voices and a lack of freedom of expression.
Last year, Eritrea took up the penultimate position on the RSF World Press Freedom index — one spot above North Korea.
The regime’s repressive methods have also forced many young people to flee the country, driven above all by Eritrea’s mandatory national service, which requires all graduates to join the army — for an unspecified period of time.
The economy, largely dependent on agriculture and remittances, faces significant challenges. Strict controls on foreign exchange and a lack of private enterprise stifle growth. The country’s youth often flee in search of better opportunities, leaving behind an aging population.
Reports of arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture have drawn international condemnation. The government’s grip on power remains tight, with dissenting voices rarely tolerated.
China and Russia remain among the only few allies that Eritrea has — something Isaias Afwerki has been building on recently with a number of foreign visits.
Meanwhile for China, the interest may be mutual: Eritrea’s location on the Red Sea — one of the world’s key shipping corridors with access to both to the Suez Canal and Europe to the north and the Indian Ocean to the southeast — excites China, as the country continues to expand its influence across Africa.
Even after 30 years in power, there is no talk of succession plans for Isaias; in fact, despite being 77 years old, it rather looks like he’s just getting started.
Isaias Afwerki has given Eritrea its independence — a legacy that many still rightfully credit him with. However, in his belief that Eritrean society therefore owes him, Isaias is increasingly finding him is as much isolation as the country he created.
Eritrea has only a few ATMs, and they are not functional, so people rely on cash transactions or use foreign banks. You will need to take cash to Eritrea and you can forget using Visa or Mastercard!
The government has imposed restrictions on the amount of money depositors can withdraw from their bank accounts. Even if they have millions of nakfa, the Eritrean currency, in their account, they can only withdraw 5,000 ($330) a month.
There is an exemption for weddings, which are usually big ceremonies costing more than 5,000 nakfa. If a wedding is coming up, the host has to go to the offices of the local government administration to get officials to write a letter to his bank, saying he should be allowed to withdraw more than 5,000 nakfa.
To get a sim card, one needs to apply through the government-owned telecom company, EriTel, and provide personal details. The service it provides is bad, and tightly controlled by the government.
A report by the International Telecommunication Union says that internet penetration in Eritrea is just above 1 per cent.
Sim cards are like gold dust in Eritrea. Citizens need to apply to the local government administration to get one.
And even if you get a Sim card, you can’t use it to access the internet because there is no mobile data.
People can only access the internet through WiFi, but it is very slow. To get onto social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, people use a virtual private network (VPN) to circumvent government censorship. Because of the huge difficulty in getting Sim cards, people still rely on public pay phones to make calls.
Eritrea has only government-owned media outlets, including television and radio stations. There are no privately owned TV stations.
State-owned Eri-Tv is the only television station based in Eritrea. It is the government’s mouthpiece, but if you have a satellite dish you can watch the BBC and other international channels or Asena TV and ERISAT, run by political exiles.
Isaias Afwerki has given Eritrea its independence — a legacy that many still rightfully credit him with. However, in his belief that Eritrean society therefore owes him, Isaias is increasingly finding him is as much isolation as the country he created.