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Sub Saharan Africa
Eritrea |
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Country information
Area: 121,320 sq km
Population: 4.9 million (2007 estimate)
Capital City: Asmara
People: Tigrinya 50%, Tigre 35%, Afar 4%, Saho 3%, Kunama 3%
Main language(s): Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic and English
Religion(s): 50% Christian (Coptic, Catholic and Protestant), 50% Muslim
Currency: Nakfa (replaced the Ethiopian Birr in 1997) exchange rate 15 to 1US$ (2007)
President: Isaias Afwerki
Foreign Minister: Mr Osman Saleh
Membership of international groupings/organisations: United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (temporarily suspended), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
HEALTH
ECONOMY
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$1,000 million (2005 est)
GNP per capita: US$150
Real GDP Growth: 3.6% (average over last three years)
Exchange Rate:
Major Industries: Food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Major trading partners: Exports – Italy 31.4%, US 11.9%, Belarus 5.9%, France 5.1%, Germany 4.6%, Turkey 4.4.%, UK 4% (2006). Imports - Italy 15.1%, France 11.8%, US 9.5%, Germany 8.6%, Taiwan 7.3 %, India 7%, Ireland 6.1%, Turkey 4.4%, Jordan 4.2%. (NB During 2007 China and Sudan will now feature prominently as Eritrea’s main trading partners).
The economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, which employs 70–80% of the population. Eritrea’s industrial sector accounts for 25.4% of GDP and employed 10% of the workforce, but this will have declined with the halting of trade with Ethiopia since 1998. The private sector has also shrunk dramatically in recent years. Likewise, the ports at Massawa and Assab were major economic assets while they served Ethiopia’s import and export needs but Ethiopian transit trade ceased in 1998. Eritrea’s economic prospects were severely affected by the war and continued military preparedness has resulted in acute shortages of manpower and foreign exchange. Economic growth is officially noted at 3% but a more realistic figure is < 2%. Similarly, official inflation figures stand at 12% but may be more of the order of 20%. Contributions from the diaspora help to keep the economy afloat but these are thought to be diminishing. Efforts are underway to develop the tourist industry around Massawa.
IMF Country Reports: Eritrea
HISTORY
Eritrea came into existence as an Italian colony in 1890. Italy used Eritrea as a jumping off point for its conquest of Ethiopia in 1936. In 1941 British-led forces drove out the Italians and Eritrea was placed under British Military Administration. This lasted until 1950 when the UN General Assembly agreed that Eritrea should be federated with Ethiopia under the sovereignty of the Ethiopian Crown. The federation was abolished in 1962 and Eritrea was absorbed into Ethiopia.
The first Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) formed in 1961. A second, the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF), headed by Isaias Afewerki, developed in the 1970s, boosted by the revolution in Ethiopia. Both were committed to independence for Eritrea. In the early 1980s the EPLF defeated the ELF and drove it into Sudan, where it fragmented. The EPLF went on to form a strategic alliance with an insurgent group in Northern Ethiopia, the Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF). They waged a long and eventually successful guerrilla war against the Mengistu government. In May 1991, the EPLF took control of Eritrea as their TPLF allies (now the EPRDF) entered Addis Ababa. A UN supervised referendum was held in April 1993 in which over 99% voted in favour of independence, on a turnout of over 90%. Ethiopia recognised Eritrea on 2 May 1993. The UK recognised Eritrea on 14 May 1993.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Ethiopia
A dispute over the ill-defined border with Ethiopia flared into military conflict in May 1998. There were an estimated 100,000 casualties. Hostilities concluded with the signing of the Algiers Peace Agreement of December 2000. This established the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) to delimit and demarcate the border and established a 25km Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) between the 2 countries. A UN peacekeeping force (UNMEE) has been deployed along the TSZ since 2001. India, Jordan and Kenya are the major troop contributors, though the size of the force was reduced from 4,000 to 2,300 in early 2006 following restrictions placed on UNMEE activities and staff by the Eritrean Government. In April 2007 UNMEE further reduced its presence from 2,300 to 1,000 military personel. Under the Peace Agreement, UNMEE is to remain in place until the delimitation and demarcation of the border had been completed.
The EEBC announced its decision on the border on 13 April 2002. Demarcation was due to follow in 2003. However, when it became clear that the town of Badme (where the hostilities started) had been awarded to Eritrea, Ethiopia challenged the EEBC's conclusions. In November 2004 Ethiopia announced its acceptance "in principle" of the EEBC ruling but progress on demarcation remains stalled. The international community continues its efforts to keep the peace process on track by underlining that the EEBC decision is final and binding and by urging both governments to engage in political dialogue. Following an inconclusive EEBC meeting at The Hague in September 2007, the EEBC stated that it would go ahead with a ‘paper’ demarcation at the end of November 2007, regardless of progress on the ground. In recent months there has been a sharp military escalation at the border, and a growing fear within the international community that there will renewed war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
ERITREA'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK
Diplomatic Representation
UK representation in Eritrea: Ambassador: Mr Nick Astbury
Eritrean representation in the UK: Ambassador Tesfamicael Gerahtu Ogbaghiorghis
Visits
There have been few official visits in recent years. The last were:
- Visits to UK: Eritrean Foreign Minister, Ali Said Abdella, visited London in December 2003
- Visits to Eritrea: Chris Mullin, former Minister for Africa, visited Eritrea in January 2004.
Cultural Relations
The British Council is the focal point for cultural relations between Britain and Eritrea.
British Council, Eritrea
Policy
For recent statements of UK government policy towards Eritrea visit the Hansard website and enter Eritrea in the search engine.
GEOGRAPHY
Eritrea lies on the West Coast of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Sudan to the west, Djibouti to the east and Ethiopia to the south.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
Trade and Investment
UK exports to Eritrea totalled £2.01 million in 2006 and £5.68 million in 2005. UK imports from Eritrea totalled £189,000 in 2006 and £274,000 in 2005.
Development
Eritrea is a very poor country, ranking at 156 out of 177 on the UN human development index. Life expectancy is 51 years. HIV prevalence is below 3%. Eritrea faces perennial food security problems but in recent years it has rejected much foreign assistance. Recent statistics are difficult to find but in 2003 about 70% of the population depended on foreign assistance for all or part of their food supply, and 66% of the population were living below the poverty line, rising to 80% in rural areas. Despite efforts by the government has put substantial effort into improving health and education provision, conditions may have worsened due to Eritrea’s increasing international isolation.
The UK provides substantial humanitarian support. Between 2001 and 2006 the UK have provided £10.2 million of humanitarian assistance, channelled through the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Dutch Inter-Church Aid/Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation. The DFID development budget for Eritrea is £4.8 million for 2007/8.
DFID Country Profile: Eritrea
United Nations Development Programme
POLITICS
Isaias Afewerki was elected President by the National Assembly in 1993. The EPLF renamed itself the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) and has continued to run the country. They embarked upon a 4-year transitional period in preparation for national elections but political development has been arrested by the renewal of conflict with Ethiopia. A draft constitution was ratified by the National Assembly in 1997, but most of its provisions have yet to be passed into law. There is no provision for alternative political parties.
In 2001 there was criticism of the leadership within the PFJD. President Isaias responded by arresting 11 senior government figures, who are still being detained without trial. At the same time the fledgling private press was closed down and 9 journalists and numerous students detained. National elections were scheduled for 2001 but have been delayed indefinitely. Local elections were held in 2003 (village level) and 2004 (regional level).
BBC News Country Profile: Eritrea
UN Information Service - IRIN
HUMAN RIGHTS
The human rights situation in Eritrea is very poor. Detention without charge is common. Freedom of expression is severely restricted and political critics and journalists have been held for long periods. National elections have never been held and alternative political parties are not permitted. Religious freedom is also restricted: although Eritrea is a secular state only the 4 major established religions (Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Catholic and Lutherans) are able to meet freely. Smaller religious groups, especially Evangelicals and Jehovah Witnesses, face restrictions on their activities and some have been arrested.
