Dimtsi Hafash Eritrea (Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea) began broadcasting in 1979, transmitting from the field during the Eritrean War of Independence. Originally a revolutionary communication tool, the station has since evolved into a state-run broadcaster under the Eritrean government. As of 2025, Dimtsi Hafash broadcasts on shortwave, medium wave, and satellite, reaching domestic audiences as well as Eritreans abroad. Programming is offered in all major Eritrean languages, including Tigrinya, Arabic, Tigre, Saho, Bilen, Afar, Kunama, and Nara, and also in Amharic and Oromiffa, targeting audiences across the Horn of Africa.
Media assets
Radio: Dimtsi Hafash Eritrea
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Dimtsi Hafash Eritrea is owned and operated by the Eritrean government and falls under the direct authority of the Ministry of Information. The Ministry appoints all managerial personnel and exercises full editorial control. There is no independent governance structure or board overseeing the broadcaster’s operations.
Source of funding and budget
The broadcaster is entirely state-funded, with no public disclosure of its financial accounts. Eritrea’s broader fiscal environment remains opaque, and no recent budget figures for Dimtsi Hafash have been made available as of June 2025. Independent media watchdogs report that the broadcaster’s operations are sustained through undisclosed government allocations, with no significant advertising or commercial income.
Editorial independence
Dimtsi Hafash Eritrea lacks editorial autonomy and functions as a propaganda arm of the state. It does not produce independent journalism or provide space for critical views or political pluralism. All content is shaped by the Ministry of Information and is geared toward reinforcing the government’s narratives both domestically and abroad.
There is no legal statute or regulatory mechanism in Eritrea that ensures or assesses the editorial independence of Dimtsi Hafash. Eritrea remains one of the world’s most repressive environments for media, with no independent press and no space for civil society oversight. In the 2025 edition of the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Eritrea once again ranked among the bottom three globally.
In recent years, Dimtsi Hafash has expanded its diaspora outreach, mirroring the government’s broader strategy of projecting influence among Eritrean expatriates, especially in Europe, North America, and parts of East Africa.
June 2025