Financial Crime World

Eritrea’s Organized Crime Landscape

Economic Environment

Eritrea’s economy is largely informal, making it vulnerable to money laundering and illicit financial activities.

  • Lack of Transparency: The state currency, nakfa, is not fully convertible, creating vulnerabilities for illicit financial services.
  • State-Controlled Banks: Banks in the country lack transparency due to their state-controlled nature.

Criminal Justice and Security

Eritrea’s law-enforcement capacity is weak, with corruption and bribery being common issues.

  • Impunity: The lack of an independent judiciary or national assembly allows for impunity to persist.
  • Harsh Prison Conditions: Severe overcrowding is a significant issue in Eritrean prisons.

Leadership and Governance

Eritrea is an authoritarian state controlled by President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since 1991.

  • Lack of Transparency: The government does not publish reliable data on the economy or crime dynamics.
  • Shunning External Support: External efforts to support domestic data gathering have been rejected by the Eritrean government.

Civil Society and Social Protection

There is no evidence of government efforts to identify, protect, or support victims of trafficking.

  • Proactive Victim Identification Mechanisms: Non-existent in Eritrea.
  • Non-Governmental Organizations: Not permitted to operate in the country. Independent media outlets were closed down in 2001.

Transnational Organized Crime

State-embedded actors are involved in transnational organized crime, including human trafficking and smuggling.

  • Eritrean Smugglers: Transnational networks of Eritrean smugglers operate on routes towards Europe.
  • Rashaida Traffickers: Aided by Eritreans, these traffickers operate along the Eritrea-Sudan border and allegedly kidnap individuals for ransom in the Sinai peninsula or Libya.

Conclusion

Eritrea’s situation regarding organized crime is characterized by a lack of transparency, weak law-enforcement capacity, and corruption. The government’s authoritarian nature and limited engagement with external entities on anti-organized crime efforts exacerbate these issues.