Eritrea: 16 years after independence.

Medhanie Taib Ansera

Neu Ulm, Germany

23-05-2007

This month on the 24th of May, Eritrea rather the government in Eritrea will be celebrating another ‘Independence Anniversary’. To this end, the government in side the country and abroad is making huge preparations and spending lots of money to celebrate the day Eritrea became ‘free’ from foreign occupation.

As all know when nations celebrate their national/independence days, they do so in order to pay due respect to all those who made that day possible and to renew pledges in order to make the nation prosperous, maintain justice, equality and create conditions conducive for the personal development of all citizens. National days remind nations how much has been achieved and how much efforts need to be exerted in order to reach objectives of walking the long road to freedom.

Eritrea like the rest of world year after year celebrates its ‘Independence Day’. This year on the 24^th of May the country will be celebrating its 16^th anniversary of independence. But what is it that the government is celebrating? Is there anything that deserves celebrating? Did Eritrea really achieve objectives of its long years of liberation struggle?

If we look back at those 16 years which have passed since Eritrea achieved military victory over the Ethiopians and declared its emergence as a new independent state, we can’t say that the country has achieved anything on the road to freedom and liberty to its nationals. Independence is not just replacement of foreign rule. Independence is not birthdays which people celebrate every 360 days and make good wishes for the coming year. Independence is multi-dimensional aspect putting the national/citizen in focus. It is the freedom and independence of citizens which people celebrate on their national days and not how many wars they have fought, how many people they have put in jail, how many people have died in secret detention centres, how many people they have recruited in the army, how many people fled the country and how isolated the country has become in world politics?

The situation in Eritrea today is far from being ripe for national day celebrations. What does the government want to celebrate? What good news will it be telling its citizens on that day? Who will be listening or believing it?

As we all know, there is nothing to celebrate in Eritrea. How can a nation celebrate while it is under siege? How can a nation celebrate when it is under a police state? How can a nation celebrate when its destiny has become a toy in the hands of a dictator? How can a nation celebrate its national independence day while it is suffering from gross human rights violations? How can a nation celebrate its national day while all is has is humiliation, oppression, slavery and injustice?

The list of factors which make Eritrea’s Independence Day incomplete and vacuum is long. The situation in the country in all walks of life is tragic: the nation is at cross roads. Eritrea’s Independence Day has become a moment of regret and sorrow. This painful reality is well known to the entire nation as well as to the world community.

On this occasion I would like to remind my fellow Eritreans and all lovers of peace and freedom that my country is not free yet. It is suffering under the rule of a ruthless dictator who does not care about the well- being and development of nationals of the country he is leading. Accordingly, I call upon all Eritreans and friends of Eritrea and lovers of freedom to unite and direct their efforts to free the nation and enable the Eritrean National reclaim his/her dignity, respect and regain their stolen civil liberties and political rights. I also take this opportunity to call upon all to boycott the coming May 24^th celebration organized by the government Embassies abroad. 

So long our peoples’ civil liberties and political rights are violated our nation is not free.

Long live struggle of the oppressed nations!

Long live Eritrea

Down to dictator Issayas and his gang.