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When thinking about repressive regimes where people \u201cdisappear\u201d, that work their own people to death and have some seemingly absurd policies, North Korea usually comes to mind first. Much less known is its close runner-up and African counterpart: Eritrea. <\/span><\/p>\n Eritrea is a relatively small and very poor nation located at the eastern coast of Africa with a total population of four and a half million. Having gained independence only in the early 90s, it has been ruled by the same party under the same president ever since – and hasn\u2019t seen a single national election in the 26 years of its existence. Under the ruling – and only – political party (the People\u2019s Front for Democracy and Justice, PFDJ), Eritrea is a highly militarized society. Views that don\u2019t fit to the country are not tolerated, and in September of 2001 all free press was shut down, though conditions were tough prior. In the crackdown, the leading journalists of all independent newspapers were arrested and imprisoned without a trial, and remain in solitary confinement to this day, with former guards having reported that half have died. The government does not recognize the freedoms of assembly and association, and according to Freedom House \u201cRule of law is flouted, arbitrary detention is commonplace, and citizens are required to perform national service, often for their entire working lives.\u201d <\/p>\n Protests in the heart of Asmara!#Eritrea<\/a> \u2014 \u1230\u12cd\u122b \u12a4\u122d\u1275\u122b \u062b\u0648\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0631\u062a\u0631\u064a\u0627 (@Eritrea_Revolt) October 31, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n<\/span>The country ranks at the bottom end of most indices. In the Reporters Without Borders\u2019 annual report on press freedom, Eritrea ranks second to last, only ahead of North Korea. The NGO calls the country \u201ca dictatorship in which the press has no rights\u201d. Freedom House places the country en-par with the DPRK, but also Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The government\u2019s attitude towards any form of freedom in the country is summed up nicely in a quote by president Issayas Afeworki: \u00a0\u201cThose who think there will be democracy in this country can think so in another world\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>The national service is the main reason that drives countless young Eritreans to turn their back on their home country. By law, every Eritrean is required to serve in the military for 18 months, however in reality these terms are often extended indefinitely. The conscripts are frequently used for the completion of government-backed construction projects, agriculture, or ways personally benefiting the generals, commonly without sufficient pay. Abuse, torture, and general arbitrarity are commonplace within the armed forces of Eritrea, as they are in the prisons of the country. So much so that Human Rights Watch warns that the practice of endless conscription may amount to the crime of slavery.
\n<\/span>Those aged between five and 50 years are prohibited from traveling abroad, and anyone trying to leave the country is at risk of arbitrary detentions. A \u201cshoot-to-kill\u201d policy is in place for anyone attempting to cross the border with Ethiopia, which Eritrea seceded from just over a quarter of a decade ago following a bloody civil war. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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\n#\u0627\u0631\u062a\u0631\u064a\u0627<\/a>#\u0627\u0644\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0639_\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a<\/a>#\u064a\u0648\u0645_\u0627\u0644\u063a\u0636\u0628<\/a> #\u12a4\u122d\u1275\u122b<\/a>#ReleaseHajMusa<\/a>#Oct31<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/50x1Hb1FQJ<\/a><\/p>\n