Eritrea at 24: Celebrating GenuineIndependence by Focusing on Development Through Resilience
By Elias Amare
As Eritrea gears up to celebrate its 24thindependence anniversary on May 24, the emerging contrasts between twocountries of the Horn of Africa could never be starker.
On May 24, Eritreans inside the country as well as allover the world will be celebrating the 24th anniversary of their independence.After 30 years of tenacious national liberation struggle, the Eritrean People'sLiberation Front (EPLF) totally defeated the Ethiopian army of the Dergue --the largest and strongest army in Black Africa -- and triumphantly entered thecapital of Asmara on May 24, 1991. Having concluded the national liberationphase of the struggle successfully, the EPLF held its 3rd congress in thehistorically symbolic town of Nakfa in 1994, and changed its name to thePeople's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) to reflect the next phase ofthe struggle of the post-independence period, with nation-building and developmentas the top priorities. Though the past 24 years have not been easy andsmooth-sailing, the Eritrean people have scored significant achievements thatthey ought to be justly proud about.
Eritrea's independence is not of the neo-colonial type. Itis genuine and meaningful. The Eritrean people have proven themselves to besteadfast and resilient against all types of conspiracies and hostilities ofWestern imperialists, and their African stooges. In short, the Eritrean peoplehave a lot to celebrate, as they have truly become owners and masters of theirdestiny, and no force on earth can take that sense of genuine independence andsovereignty away from them. The late patriotic Eritrean scholar, Prof TekieFessehatzion said it best 15 years ago: "In defiance Eritrea was born; andin defiance Eritrea will forever live free!"
In sharp contrast, the minority regime in Ethiopia underthe Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), will also be marking its 24 yearsin power. During the past 24 years, it has proven itself to be one of the mostcorrupt, tyrannical and subservient regimes in Africa. It has been waginggenocidal wars against the Ethiopian peoples in all corners of the country, aswell as wars of aggression against its neighboring countries. Its ruling elitehave been looting and plundering the resources of the country like the barbarichorde they are. Ethiopia has never witnessed such sheer level of repression andbrutality in its modern history during the past century as it has under theTPLF. After 24 years in power, the TPLF minority regime is still a"liberation front". Liberate whom from what? On May 24, the regimewill be conveniently holding its charade of national elections. It's a foregoneconclusion that these fake elections will be once again stolen from theEthiopian people -- with the blessing of the usual suspects of the West -- toperpetuate the tyranny of a very narrow and frightened minority group over themajority of the Ethiopian peoples. The minority Ethiopian regime has also been illegallyoccupying sovereign Eritrean territories for the past 17 years, andperpetuating a de facto state of waragainst Eritrea.
The contrasts of these two divergent paths betweenEritrea and Ethiopia will come into sharp focus on May 24. Eritreans will becelebrating their 24th independence anniversary and commit themselves to"development through resilience", while at the same time exercisingmaximum restraint not to be dragged into war and be side-tracked from theirdevelopmental project. Looking beyond the current historical glitch of the TPLFregime of tyranny and terror, the Eritrean people will also be extending theirhand for peace and solidarity to the struggling peoples of Ethiopia towards acommon goal of durable peace and good-neighborly cooperation.
Eternal glory to the martyrs of Eritrea, who throughtheir heroic sacrifice brought about Eritrea's independence!
Happy 24th Anniversary, Eritrea!
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"The struggle is a long and difficult one.
Therefore, mask no difficulty, tell no lies
and claim no easy victory."
--Amilcar Cabral
"Telling the truth is always revolutionary."
--Antonio Gramsci
"One must have the pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will."
--Antonio Gramsci
"Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love."
--Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Received on Fri May 08 2015 - 18:15:17 EDT