To answer Aaron's question, yes, I think the absence of crime in Eritrea stems from something in the culture. Although those crimes that are committed are severely punished, the severity of punishment does not seem to be responsible for the lack of crime. For example, as I have been learning during my research for work, in the aftermath with the war with Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000, chaos reigned in the formerly occupied territories. The police stations had all been looted of supplies, including weaponry, and in many cases were destroyed. Moreover, many of the police had been displaced with the rest of the population. Thus, they were prevented from performing their functions for several months after the end of the war. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of criminal activity during this period of apparent lawlessness. Just compare that to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It's amazing how different the pictures look.

And just to give you an idea about the rarity of violent crime among Eritreans, here is an AP article about a recent murder in Oakland that shocked the Eritrean community in the Bay Area.