Managing insecurity through institutionalized militarization: The Eritrean garrison police state model
Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Journal of Asian and African Studies
Publication Date
7-8-2026
Abstract
Eritrea represents a distinctive model of a garrison police state under the personalized totalitarian rule of President Afwerki since 1993. The regime prioritizes executive authority over the rule of law and relies on pervasive surveillance and militarized governance, consistent with Garrison State theory. Unlike conventional garrison or police states, Eritrea lacks strong formal institutions, electoral legitimacy, and ideological mobilization. Instead, repression is institutionalized through mechanisms such as indefinite military conscription, embedding coercive authority within state structures. This study argues that repression serves both governance and the management of insecurity. External efforts to halt Eritrea’s actions have largely failed to alter the regime’s stance.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
Eritrea, forced labor, garrison police state, human rights, insecurity, militarization
Scopus ID
Recommended Citation
Hassan, Hamdy A., "Managing insecurity through institutionalized militarization: The Eritrean garrison police state model" (2026). All Works. 8240.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/8240
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Bronze: This publication is openly available on the publisher’s website but without an open license