New Delhi: Eritrea is a country situated in the Horn of Africa and is considered to be one of the least developed places in the world. Bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south and Djibouti in the southeast, Eritrea is a country that has reportedly thrown human rights and all kinds of fundamental rights out of the window, making the lives of the common people miserable. So much so that is often compared to North Korea, the Asian country which is known for its extremely dictatorial regime led by its supreme leader Kim Jong Un. But, how bad is the situation in Eritrea?
Eritrea: Is it the ‘North Korea of Africa’?
A one-party presidential republic
The supreme leader of Eritrea is Isaias Afwerki, who was elected as the country’s President in 1993 by the national assembly. Notably, Eritrea gained de jure independence from Ethiopia in the same year after an independence referendum. Also, the country reportedly has only one political party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, which is the lone party to have been permitted to exist there.
Lack of election in Eritrea
While voting is one of the fundamental rights in any democracy, in Eritrea, there have never been any national legislative and presidential elections. As per the reports of Human Rights Watch, its government’s human rights record is among the worst in the world and in reply, the government of Eritrea has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated.
How is the press freedom in Eritrea?
Freedom of the press is an important metric to determine the degree of democracy that exists in any country and in Eritrea, the government has limited press freedom to a great extent. So much so that the World Press Freedom Index has consistently ranked it as one of the least free countries and Reporters Without Borders, till 2022, have considered the country to be among those with the least press freedom.
Are common people oppressed in Eritrea?
Reportedly, yes. Several countries have accused its government of random arrests and detentions. It is said that the government has detained an unknown number of people without charge for their political activism and same-sex relationships of any kind have been declared illegal. In September 2001, the government arrested a prominent group of 15 Eritreans which included three cabinet members for publishing an open letter to President Afewerki calling for democratic dialogue.
Those who practice religions that are ‘unregistered’, escape military duty or the nation are arrested and imprisoned. The country has widespread, systematic torture and extrajudicial killings and it does not even spare the children and old people. In June 2016, the UN Human Rights Council published a 500-page report accusing the government of extrajudicial executions and torture and also sexual harassment and rape on a massive scale.
However, according to Eritrea, such claims by the Western media are contextualized and often fabricated to bring about the downfall of the regime. It has cited the country’s non-conformation to the ‘West’s agenda towards African countries’ as the reason like the times it has declined to accept humanitarian aid from foreign nations to become ‘self-reliant’.
Eritrea is a country that has reportedly thrown human rights and all kinds of fundamental rights out of the window, making the lives of the common people miserable. So much so that is often compared to North Korea which is known for its extremely dictatorial regime. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
