Freedom of Press, perhaps taken for granted in developed countries, is under severe restriction in most parts of Africa. Eritrea is one of such African countries where there is no private media out, let alone media freedom.
Eritrea is ruled by one party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice. This party has been in power since Eritrea became an independent country in 1993. The country has not held a national election since then. The government does not allow other political parties or opposition groups to have a say in how the country is run. Isaias Afwerki has been in power for around 3 decades.
In a new report by Reporters Without Border (RSF) about Press Freedom, Eritrea has been ranked at 180. Reporters Without Borders ranked 180 countries in terms of press freedom there. RSF shared details of its ranking yesterday on May 3, World Press Freedom Day.
Eritrea is ranked as “Not Free” by Freedom House, scoring just 1 out of 40 on political rights and 2 out of 60 on civil liberties. Citizens face severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and movement.
The media in Eritrea is completely controlled by the government. There are no independent news organizations or journalists who can report freely. Eritrea’s poor human rights record has been criticized by many international organizations and other countries. Groups like Transparency International and Freedom House have ranked Eritrea as one of the least free countries in the world.
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