Page "History of Eritrea" Paragraph 79

Eritrea has been nicknamed as the " North Korea of Africa ," and is among the harshest dictatorships in the world, where limitations on freedom of movement are extreme and punishments severe.

The group ' Doctors Without Borders ' ranks the place 179th among 179 countries when it comes to freedom of expression, even lower than North Korea.

One of the most glaring reflections of the harshness of the regime in Asmara, the Eritrean capital, is the mandatory military service that citizens on average serve from age 18 until they are 55 and which has spurred many to flee.

' Amnesty International ' notes that in a country where the average life expectancy is 61 or 62, this means many spend their entire adult lives in the army, frequently facing hard labor and meager wages.

Women have fled the army because the army bars them from getting pregnant, denying them the opportunity to start a family if they remained in the Eritrean military.

On the other hand, Eritrean army officers have the right to have sex with subordinate female soldiers, as it's not legally considered rape.

Every month about 3, 000 people flee the East African country.

According to a recent United Nations report, more than 84 percent of Eritreans who have sought asylum around the world have been recognized as refugees deserving asylum status.