Eritrea remains an entrenched autocratic system dominated by President Isaias Afewerki, the ruling party, and the military. Political participation is effectively impossible, civil liberties are systematically violated, and the 1997 constitution remains unimplemented. State authority is exercised through surveillance and repression. The continued general military mobilization and the military’s autonomous control over administrative regions further undermine social cohesion.
As the economy is monopolized by the ruling party and the military, market mechanisms are absent, and economic performance is weak. Chronic shortages of electricity, fuel, water, and basic goods persist, alongside widespread poverty and malnutrition. Public welfare does not exist. The population relies heavily on remittances from the diaspora while forced labor, smuggling, contraband trade, and illicit activities involving officials remain central features of economic life.
Governance is highly centralized and militarized. Military actors dominate civilian administration, operate without accountability, and state institutions continue to function primarily as instruments of regime control. Eritrea has maintained a military presence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region despite a peace agreement, contributing to regional instability. Relations with Ethiopia have cooled.
