In 1993, Eritrea emerged from a brutal 30-year war of independence as Africa's newest nation—a beacon of hope for self-determination. Three decades later, it has become one of the most isolated, repressive states on Earth, often called "the North Korea of Africa." This is the story of Isaias Afwerki, the guerrilla commander who became president and never let go. In this documentary-style analysis, we examine how Afwerki transformed Eritrea from a promising young nation into a totalitarian surveillance state. No national elections in 30 years. No independent press—Eritrea consistently ranks last in global press freedom indexes. No constitution—ratified in 1997, it has never been implemented. Mandatory indefinite military service that has been called "mass enslavement" by human rights organizations. Check out my pure history channel: @HistoryWithStakuyi www.youtube.com/@HistoryWithStakuyi Travel with me to Crete https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/greece/greece-with-steven-bell-jun-02-2027 Travel with me to Slovenia https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/slovenia/slovenia-with-steven-bell-jun-2027 Travel with me on future trips https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/steven Check out my merch https://www.bunkerbranding.com/pages/stakuyi Support me on Patreon for extra content https://www.patreon.com/c/stakuyi For sources: Make sure to check out my Patreon, I will be posting all sources there for future videos for the public BUY MY COFFEE IT’S DELICIOUS https://tablowroastingco.com/products/stakuyi-lewis-dark Subscribe to my channels and let me know what more you would like to see. We organize games through Discord https://discord.com/invite/BJsRA6UpXx Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/stakuyi Podcast https://historyofeverythingpodcast.com/ Check out our sister podcast @MysteryOfEverythingPodcast Find us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/historyofeverythingpod/