Balanced News: Eritrea: 30 years of bitter independence for the diaspora

Eritrea is celebrating 30 years of independence from Ethiopia, but for many in the country’s diaspora, there is nothing to celebrate. The country is led by a totalitarian regime led by President Issaias Afeworki and is nicknamed “African North Korea”. Dissenting voices disappear and civilians are conscripted into the army or forced into forced labour. Eritrea has never had elections, a free press, political opposition or civil society. The country has been placed under sanctions for its interference in regional conflicts, and hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have fled in search of jobs and freedoms.