Published December 24, 2011 | By Kendall Lawrence

Independent from Ethiopia for only two decades, the country continues to have a contentious relationship with its neighbors. Regional aggression has served to distract from the delayed implementation of democratic reforms promised by the government. The country received international condemnation for its provocation of Djibouti by fortifying their shared border, though some progress was made during 2010. UN sanctions imposed in late 2009 for alleged funding of Somali rebels bode ill for the already underdeveloped economy. The country has no independent media, few civil liberties, no political opposition, and regularly denies foreign aid. The country also suffers from chronic food insecurity and has one of the lowest rates of development in the world. Stability in Eritrea is unlikely unless the government commits to serious political and economic reforms. In the last decade Eritrea has become one of the world's most closed nations often called the “African North Korea.”