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In Eritrea, the constitution's nominal provisions for press freedom have been made subject to official interpretation according to the "objective reality of Eritrea." Even under "normal" conditions, Eritrea's president, Isaias Afewerki, and his ruling party maintain strict control of state media. However, since September 2001, the government's interpretation of its national security needs has resulted in a general crackdown on all independent media and political dissent. This included a ban on private ownership of all broadcast media and newspapers, as well as widespread arrests of leading journalists.
As an active member in the U.S.-backed coalition in Iraq, the Eritrean government justifies its treatment of journalists as part of the larger fight against "terrorists" who spread disinformation and endanger the unity of the nation. Africa's foremost jailer of journalists, the Afewerki government has held between a dozen and twenty journalists incommunicado under accusations of espionage and other crimes against the state, while making no effort to formally charge or try them. Since the crackdown, several local journalists have fled abroad, and most foreign correspondents have left. Meanwhile, Afewerki dismisses foreign critics as enemies of Eritrea.
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