The head of a U.N. human rights inquiry into Eritrea said an estimated 300,000-400,000 people had been enslaved over the past 25 years in Eritrea’s system of indefinite “national service”. He also said he believed Eritrea was still operating a shoot-to-kill policy on its borders to stop people fleeing from the country, many of them heading to Europe as refugees.

Did You Know?

• Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war.
• Bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti, it occupies a strategic area in the Horn of Africa but remains one of the most secretive states in the world.
• Eritrea is a one-party state, and its 1997 constitution – which provided for the existence of multi-party politics – has never been fully implemented.
• Prolonged periods of conflict and severe drought have adversely affected Eritrea’s agriculture-based economy and it remains one of the poorest countries in Africa.
• Major languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, English
• Major religions: Islam, Christianity
• Life expectancy: 60 years (men), 64 years (women)
• Currency: Nakfa
• Capital : Asmara