In just one year, the Internet has changed the nature as well as the
pace of communications in Eritrea. Since November 2000 when the Internet
was launched, licenses have been granted for thirteen cyber cafes-12
in Asmara and one in Massawa, and the demand grows daily. From the beginning,
new websites offered worldwide reporting on Eritrea, eliciting feedback
and commentary from websurfers. The Internet soon became the medium
of choice for debate on national issues. Drafts of the election law
and political party laws were posted for comment, marking the first
time Eritrean citizens had had access to pending legislation or the
opportunity to voice their views in an anonymous public forum. Lively
debates ensued.
The flowering of the free press accompanied and was accelerated by
this new form of competition for news. Cross-reporting became routine,
spreading the impact of the Internet and the local press even wider.
A group of prominent dissidents chose the Internet to release a critical
letter to the ruling party in May, leading to a more intense discussion
of the issues raised.
Since the government suspended the free press in September 2001, the
Internet has offered Eritreans in country their only access to uncensored
information, a fact noted by the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
The debate continues, and it is clear that many Eritreans intend to
remain engaged in issues of national importance via the Internet.
Internet Provides a Forum for Debate
