North Korea's Kim Dynasty is known all over the world, but the African continent is also home to the country where dictatorship is imminent. One such country has earned the scary nickname “North Korea of Africa” on the Red Sea coast.
Located on the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is adjacent to Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. This is one of the most developed countries in the world and has never had a national election, and there is a Unitary One Party Presidential Republic. In fact, since Eritrea's official independence in 1993, Isayas Afelki has served as president. However, recent tourists to Eritrea say he has no experience he would expect and instead describes it as “Africa Italy.”
YouTuber Joe Hattab visited Eritrea in December 2024.
When he arrived in the capital Asmara, he said it “feels like time is frozen (…) it feels as if you stepped into 1930s Italy.”
“Spaghetti and pizza are everywhere: macchiato, gelato, fiat cars,” he said. “This is not Italy.”
Fiat Tagliero Gas Station is the most famous landmark in Asmara, and local guides call it the “Eiffel Tower” in Eritrea. It was built in 1938 during the colonial period.
“Are we in Italy now in 1950?” the YouTuber asked. “Yes, Italy in the 1930s,” replied the guide.
However, the country is far from the Mediterranean. “You feel that the country is almost empty,” the YouTuber said as he walked down the street, “as if people were leaving and no one left here.”
The current Eritrea boundary was established during the African scramble The late 19th century to the early 20th century. Italy colonized Eritrea in 1890 and held it until it was defeated in the Second World War in Britain. He ruled the government.
According to Human Rights Watch, Eritrea has one of the worst government human rights records in the world. However, the government dismissed these allegations as politically motivated. Free speech, press, assembly and associations are limited. Those who practice “unregistered” religions, try to escape the country, or escape military duty will be arrested and placed in prison.
Mandatory military service was established in 1995. Officially, conscriptions (men and women) provide services for a minimum of 18 months. The service includes six months of military training and 12 months of the regular grade to complete the last year of high school. However, in a study of 200 escaped conscriptions, the average service was 6.5 years, some serving for over 12 years.
Failure to join the military or refuse to carry out military service will be punished by imprisonment of six months to five years and up to ten years, respectively.
