Technology Transfer in Eritrea - Institute for African Development

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The West’s yardstick for measuring the existence of democratic governance is elections and the frequency of elections; the existence of political parties and written constitution; the free expression of opinions, etc. Eritrean President Esaias Afeworki, on September 8, 1997 at Walton Park Conference, West Sussex, UK, said that “the contemporary debate on democracy and the democratization processes in Africa should be much deeper and wider in scope to include other fundamental dimensions and rights that are indispensable for the dignity and full development of every citizen; the respect of his or her individual rights; and for their social and economic welfare.” He outlined several fundamental principles that a robust and participatory democratic system must incorporate. Among them are: 1) The right of every citizen to a fair share of national resources including access to basic necessities and protection from hunger and deprivation; 2) The right to equal opportunity; including education and other services that are essential for personal development; 3) The right for, and provision of, a responsible, transparent, and non-corrupt government to uphold the rule of law and defend the national interest. Demobilization of the army The Eritrean army numbered 100,000 strong after independence. Such an amount, in a time of peace, could not be supported by the government. The government demobilized the army by two-thirds. Because the private sector could not absorb the 60,000 demobilized fighters, the government had to give them start-up money for businesses or farming. National Service Programs A National Service Program was instituted requiring women and men over 18 to undergo six months of military training plus a year working on reconstruction projects. The purpose of this was threefold: 1) to compensate for Eritrea’s lack of capital and to reduce dependence on foreign aid, 2) to continue to weld together the ethnically diverse society by simulating the living and working arrangements of the war years, and 3) to place women and men in conditions of relative gender equality. Return of Refugees 6
A major task of the Eritrean government is to manage the return of the 500,000-600,000 refugees living in the Sudan. Not only repatriation, but rehabilitation and integration will also have to be played. The Challenge of the Economy The performance of the economy is crucial to the development of political stability and harmonious social relations. Eritrea is heavily dependent on economic growth as a means of lifting the majority out of poverty. The Government macro-policy document, the centerpiece of the development strategy is: “the establishment of an efficient, outward looking, private sector-led market economy, with the government playing a pro-active role to stimulate private economic activities.” In the short-term, the new government’s emphasis has been on recovery and rehabilitation through injecting cash into the economy. In the long term, the goal is the creation of modern, technologically advanced and internationally competitive economy within the next two decades. Among the national development objectives, priority is given to human resource development, and for food security through developing irrigation and improving the productivity of peasants, pastoralists and agropastoralists, exportoriented industries and service and truism. This new nation is clearly a work in progress. 7
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Technology Transfer in Eritrea - Institute for African Development

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