Relationship dossier
Eritrea
Sweden
Relationship assessment
A persistent dispute over Dawit Isaak has strained Eritrea–Sweden relations.
Eritrea toward Sweden
-20Eritrean authorities have continued to imprison Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak, detained in 2001, and Sweden has sought access to him and his release. The case has been a sustained source of bilateral tension.
Sweden toward Eritrea
+5The Swedish government has pursued Dawit Isaak’s release and sought consular access to him through diplomatic engagement with Eritrea. The case has been a central feature of Sweden’s policy toward Eritrea.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship has a persistent adversarial feature in the imprisonment of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak and Sweden’s efforts to secure his release and access. Diplomatic engagement has continued, but the extent of broader cooperation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have been shaped by the prolonged imprisonment in Eritrea of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak and Sweden’s efforts to secure his release and consular access. The case has been a persistent source of tension, while Sweden has continued diplomatic engagement. The scope of other bilateral cooperation is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Dawit Isaak’s imprisonment in Eritrea and Sweden’s requests for his release and consular access.
Key developments
Eritrean authorities detained Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak; his imprisonment became a long-running bilateral concern.
Sweden pursued Dawit Isaak’s release and sought consular access through diplomatic engagement with Eritrea.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Eritrean government engagement with Swedish requests concerning Dawit Isaak is unclear.
- The scope and continuity of other bilateral cooperation are unclear.