INRODUCTION:
Attention: Good Afternoon. My name is X and I will be …
Purpose: discussing the current situation in Eritrea.
Overview: Eritrea is small country on the Horn of Africa country slightly larger than Pennsylvania with a population of around 5.2m. The country of Eritrea started the last century as an Italian colony. After WWII it was handed over to Ethiopia. Ever since then Eritrea has been battling many challenging issues.
Transition: One of these challenges is its relations with the United States.

Body:
Main Point 1: US Relations/ Interest
a. War on Terror / cooperation with
Its relationship with the US is complicated. Up until 2005 the US sent around $60mil a year in assistance to Eritrea until the government told USAID to leave. Eritrea’s location near Somali and Sudan makes it a key ally in the war on terror. However,
b. Possible rouge state designation / lack of cooperation
Recently relations have worsened since an exiled Somali Islamist leader with ties to Al Qaeda was reported to be in the country conducting a conference in the capital city of Asmara. This resulted in the United States to threaten to add Eritrea to the rogue states list with Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and North Korea. This would have lead to crippling sanctions. Eritrea’s cooperation with Somali rebels has continued to be an issue with not only the US but most of the rest of the world.
Transition: As bad as its relationship with the US is Eritrea’s relationship with its neighbors is much worse and has a very negative impact on the rest of the country.

Main Point 2: National Considerations
a. Relations with neighbors / Sudan/ Ethiopia
Eritrea has been in a state of war in some way or another with one or more of its neighbors since its independence. It has fought with Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and most recently Djibouti. From 1961 to 1991 the people of Eritrea fought Ethiopia for independence and then again from 1993 to 2000 over a border dispute. This war resulted in the death of about 100,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians. Although it is not currently at war there is an ongoing border dispute with Djibouti. Eritrea has also been uncooperative with UN peacekeeping troops, restricting movement of troops and imposing fuel restriction.
b. Current lack permanent government/ EIJ Most of these issues can be traced back to the oppressive government. The current transitional government has not held public election since 1993 and does not allow for any other parties aside from the one currently in power. Many of the members of the opposition parties have been jail and never heard from.
c. Media control / total
The government has also eliminated all privately owned news media. In fact in 2010 Reporters Without Borders reported “[they] do nothing but relay the regime's belligerent and ultra-nationalist discourse. ... Not a single [foreign correspondent] now lives in Asmara.” The group also ranked Eritrea 178th in the work for media openness. This is the lowest possible rating even below North Korea at 177. Transition: Due to many of these issues the economy of Eritrea is very poor which.

Main Point 3: Economic Considerations
a. Economy general
Eritrea is on the bottom 10 of the world poorest countries with the average person earning less than $2 a day. The constant state of war has resulted in almost no economic growth and at some point has caused huge losses. For example in 2000 during its war with Ethiopia about $600 million in damages occurred. The caused a 62% drop in the total food output of the country. Despite possible large deposits of gold and oil Eritrea economy is very agriculturally based. Most attempts by foreign companies to work with Eritrea fail. Eritrea has been consistently ranked in the bottom five for ease of doing business with. This has resulted the country importing nearly ten times as much as they export.
b. Government control
As with most issues this also can be traced back to oppressive government control. One problem is the “National service” program where citizens must work for 6 month for the government; however, it is common for workers to never be released from service since it is a significant form of income for the government. The Eritrean government also controls all the banks and has made it illegal to use foreign currency. Even getting foreign aid into the country is difficult as the Government demands private sector investments such as stocks and bonds rather than normal aid programs.
Transition: These issues alone can cause significant dissent within a population.

CONCUSION
Summary: As you can see the people of Eritrea are facing numerous challenges.
Purpose: I hope this has broadened your understanding of situation in the relatively unmentioned country of Eritrea.
Closure: Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes my briefing. Are there any question?