Escaping Eritrea — a state ruled by fear, not law

There is no civil war in Eritrea, but why are thousands fleeing the country every month?
There is no civil war in Eritrea, but a pervasive control system used in absolute arbitrariness to keep the population in a state of permanent anxiety forces thousands to flee every month
Reeling under a reign of terror
The east African nation with a population of 6 million is one of the world's poorest
It has been marked by repression and fear since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993
Ultimate power has remained largely in the hands of one man, President Isaias Afewerki
“ Faced with a seemingly hopeless situation they feel powerless to change, hundreds of thousands of Eritreans are fleeing their country. It is not law that rules Eritreans – but fear ” — Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, 2015
Eritreans have no say in governance and little control over many aspects of their own lives
The nation has one party, has never held free elections and has no independent judiciary
People are forced into decades-long military service, then exploited as slave labour for the state
Tens of thousands are arrested, often without charge and tortured for indeterminate periods
Isaias is accused of sponsoring regional rebels including Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Shebab
Eritrea’s state-controlled economy is in the doldrums and Isaias rejects foreign aid
Journey to freedom
Eritrea is the third-largest source of refugees trying to reach Europe, after Syrians and Afghans
Many crawl under razor wires, tiptoe across minefields and sneak past guards in their bid for freedom
They first make the perilous journey into Sudan, then across Libya before setting out to sea to Europe
Eritreans in Europe
40% | |
22% | |
18% | |
7% | |
4% | |
9% |
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