Аннотация:The emergence of Eritrea as an independent state in 1993 attracted the attentionof both scholars and policymakers, as it presented a good real-timeopportunity to monitor the initial formation of a state in the postYalta–Potsdamsystem era. It was especially vital to observe this case of ongoingcreation and development of new state institutions in Eritrea with a viewto the worldwide debate on strengths and weaknesses of authoritarian rule ina post-Cold War world and its prospects.For many researchers, the issue of a political regime type in this newlyformed state became a point of divergence. Within the first decade after gainingindependence, paradoxically, it became clear that Eritrea’s choice was forauthoritarianism, and not any other regime type. 2001 witnessed the largestnational and international media shutdown campaign in Eritrea for thewhole period of the country’s independence. In 2016, after 23 years of statebuilding(including the 1998–2000 war with Ethiopia), Eritrea remains stableand yet authoritarian. Thus, a question arises on how and why Eritrea maintainsthis consistency on fighting freedom of the media – both internally andexternally – and whether there are any domestic or international politicalrisks rooted in it.This paper review the 23-year period of developments in both foreign anddomestic policies in Eritrea with a focus on media control and aims to give ageneral overview of the main pillars, as well as discontent and perspectives, ofupholding authoritarian rule in this country, with a view to implications forregional security and development.
