Eritrea has criticised Western press for ‘disproportionate negative coverage’ and a ‘longstanding and unwarranted smear campaign.’
- Asmara routinely ranks low on freedom scores for lacking independent media, elections, trade unions, and multipartyism.
- The country has only one party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), and has had the same leader since gaining independence from Ethiopia in the early 1990s.
- Eritrea’s economic growth is largely dependent on mining and services, although recent growth and inflation statistics are non-existent after the government stopped releasing data in 2019.
“For years, the narrative surrounding Eritrea has been rife with distortion and simplification, largely driven by external forces with their agendas. While no country is free from challenges, Eritrea’s defiance of foreign domination and its commitment to self-reliance makes it a target of relentless criticism,” the country’s Ministry of Information said in a statement.
The country shut down all independent media in 2001, and as of 2023, almost 20 journalists still remained in detention, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), as did an unknown number of activists and politicians. It is also highly militarised, with thousands of people fleeing the country to avoid forced conscription every year.
The country’s business environment has also been under the microscope for decades. Most big businesses are controlled by the ruling party, and the country’s overall fiscal and monetary policies make it hard for foreign investments. Some limitations include strict control of capital flows, currency exchange, and foreign investments from the country.
“In addition to geopolitical factors, one of the leading reasons Eritrea is targeted with righteous condemnation is because it has committed the supreme crime: independence and defiance of Western hegemony,” Asmara added in the statement, “It remains proud and unbowed and has long striven to strike a self-reliant path and retain close control of its development agenda.”
In recent years, Eritrea has also been in the news for participating in the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict, which lasted two years until a peace agreement between Ethiopia and the TPLF was signed in Pretoria in November 2022. While the deal between the two held, Eritrean and Amhara forces were still active for months after.
Meanwhile, a bill that would allow Israel to deport Eritreans who support their home government passed an initial reading phase in the Israeli legislature last week. There are 20, 000 Eritreans in the country, many of whom seek asylum for oppression. The large number and intense migrant politics have led to deadly clashes in the capital Tel Aviv, prompting the bill’s drafting to expel pro-regime supporters.
