Eritrea’s Struggle Against Organized Crime

Challenges in Combating Organized Crime

Eritrea faces significant challenges in its efforts to combat organized crime due to several factors. Here are the main points:

• Lack of Independent Judiciary and Democratic Institutions: The government lacks an independent judiciary and democratic institutions, leading to a climate of impunity for crimes against humanity over the past 25 years.
• Arbitrary Arrest and Detention: Arbitrary arrest and detention are common, with prisoners being held incommunicado for indefinite periods without charge or trial.
• Harsh Prison Conditions: Prison conditions are harsh and overcrowded.

Factors Contributing to Organized Crime

Several factors contribute to the prevalence of organized crime in Eritrea:

• Undemarcated Border with Ethiopia: There is no progress regarding the demarcation of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which could contribute to organized crime.
• Government’s View on Tigray People’s Liberation Front: The government views the Tigray People’s Liberation Front as a threat to their territorial integrity.

Limited Progress in Combating Organized Crime

Despite some efforts to combat organized crime, Eritrea has not made significant progress:

• Low Internet Penetration: Internet penetration in Eritrea is extremely low, making it less vulnerable to cyber-dependent crime.
• Anti-Money Laundering Efforts: Despite enacting anti-money laundering laws, establishing a financial intelligence unit, and endorsing anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policies, Eritrea has not submitted any reports on its AML/CFT endeavors.

Conclusion

While Eritrea has made some efforts to combat organized crime, the country’s lack of democratic institutions, harsh prison conditions, and limited access to justice create a challenging environment for addressing this issue.