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In a couple of days Eritrea will celebrate the 24^th anniversary of its hard won independence. This is a day Eritreans celebrate passionately for the hefty price they have paid for freedom and justice. It was in May 1991 that Eritrea’s protracted struggle for independence came to a successful end with the liberation of the country from Ethiopian occupation. The country’s formal independence was declared two years later following the 1993 national referendum in which 99.8% Eritreans voted in favour of independence. In a continent that is ravaged by war, poverty and corruption, for its endurance and some of the achievements it had recorded in the revolution years, an independent Eritrea was hailed to be a symbol for African renaissance.

For Eritreans, the independence of their country signalled the end of a dark era in which their suffering and a prolonged war and its destruction were closed with triumph, Liberation. Many Eritreans assumed that their just cause, tenacity in the revolution years, and their passion for freedom and justice finally paid off. The level of optimism among Eritreans and others was high that the beginning of 1990s was a new kick-off for the emerging nation.

The first decade of Eritrea’s independence was of twofold. In the early years of independence a glimpse of positive signs were noticed. Following independence, the country was facing a huge task of nation building. Rebuilding its war ravaged economy was one of the top priorities. There was also a trend towards a nascent democracy. This was somewhat manifested when a constitution was drafted and ratified by the National Assembly in 1997. An embryonic free press was also evolving allowing the emergence of several private newspapers.

In the dark side of the period, there were cases where public protests - in the events of the 1993 former freedom fighters dissension and the 1994 demonstration of Eritrean disabled fighters - were suppressed by the government. There was also isolated harassment on some Eritrean Muslims which were branded as ‘extremists’ by the government.

The first decade also unfolded Eritrea’s tensions and clashes with three of its neighbours - Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia - in 1994, 1995, and 1998-2000 respectively. The causes of these problems were complex and beyond the scope of this article. But, considering the fact that the country was coming out of a long and destructive war for independence and in terms of its external relations with its neighbours, this was by no means a good beginning.

The border dispute with Ethiopia has had a devastating effect for Eritrea. In the wake of the border clash the Eritrean government began to march on a different path. The few encouraging signs that the country experienced in the first decade of its independence were quickly overturned. The year 2001 unveiled a rampant attack on civil liberties in Eritrea. The dominating nature of the omnipotent President became well-defined and was clearly unmasked when dissidents from within the government circle, the G-15, were arrested and disappeared from public scene once and for all. They were jailed merely for demanding accountability. Many of these were senior figures in the Eritrean government (ministers, army leaders and MP’s) and comrades in arms of the President himself during the war for independence. Simultaneously, the evolving free press was muffled when all private newspapers were banned and the journalists who worked in these papers were thrown into prison never to be seen again. Protesting university students were also banished into desert prisons and few years later Eritrea’s sole university was closed. Ironically, just within ten years of its independence, the once hailed and promising Eritrea was on a swift path to dictatorship.

Beginning in such a way, the second decade of Eritrea’s independence also highlighted boldly the government’s exploitative nature. In 2002, with a pretext of building the war damaged economy, the Warsai-Yikealo campaign was declared to extend the 18 month bound National Service into a lifelong scheme. The standoff with Ethiopia that followed the border dispute is used as an excuse by the government to prolong the compulsory National Service into an indefinite one. The notorious National Service developed into a system where several human rights abuses against young Eritreans were and still are recorded. Ultimately it becomes one of the main driving causes for many to flee the country.

The past fifteen years clearly witnessed how the Eritrean government turned into a despotic regime. Now Eritrea owns a government that exercise total control over its citizens. Every aspect of the citizens’ livelihood is under the scrutiny of the State which made Eritreans to live under continuous anxiety and despair. Today Eritrea is still a single party state ruled by the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). It became a country where no elections were held despite it has 24 years as an independent state. This is an odd case even by African standards. Dissent is unthinkable. The people are rather expected to demonstration complete obedience to the government. Eritrea also becomes a country well-known for its repressiveness, human rights abuses and secrecy. It is now characterised as the most censored country in the world by the Committee to Protect Journalist, even beating the infamous North Korea, which holds second place.[1] The never implemented but ratified constitution of 1997 was recently declared dead by a mere statement of the President in an interview.[2]

A vivid weakness of the government is its mishandling of the country’s unique asset, the Eritrean youth. Thousands of young Eritreans, including some children, are fleeing the country in alarming numbers. Currently Eritrea is making the headlines for the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea. Its citizens are second only to Syrians to arrive into the EU through the seashores of Italy. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) nearly 37,000 Eritreans applied for asylum in EU in the first 10 months of 2014.[3] This is a shocking figure given Eritrean population of around 5 million. A destructive war can justify the Syrians plight but why do Eritreans flee in these high figures undertaking the dangerous journey through the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean? Many lost their life in this perilous journey. Lampedusa was a case in point. In the recent catastrophe in Mediterranean an estimate 350 Eritreans also perished following another boat disaster. Several Eritreans were killed or abused at the hands of human traffickers in Sinai, Libya and elsewhere. Some others became victims of the barbaric act of ISIS in Libya. Having deprived of the chance to live a peaceful life in their country, many Eritreans refugees are still languishing in several African countries and in Israel. This is the end result of the ruthless repression and pervasive state control in Eritrea.

Every year Eritrea celebrates its well-deserved Independence Day. But the objectives and promises made in the struggle for independence and in the immediate thereafter are grossly betrayed. During the liberation struggle Eritreans paid immensely. They fought long and hard not only to create an independent political entity but also to live, as citizens of a nation, an honourable life where peace, justice, democracy and the rule of law prevailed. The state of affairs in current Eritrea is far away from this. Justice hungry Eritreans are fleeing repression in search of freedom, peace and security elsewhere.

Eritrea and Eritreans will breathe freedom only when the government in Asmara chooses to reverse its march from despotism into democracy and build a transparent political system that adheres to accountability and the rule of law. When it is respecting basic human rights of its own citizens. When it is nurturing a political culture in which stable political institutions and independent civil societies can surface. At least this can be the starting point. The build-up on this then will take us on the journey where we can chase our dreams and the dreams of our fallen martyrs and where we want to be as people and a nation. Otherwise, as long as the current trends are not curtailed Eritrea’s predicament is not going to be ceased sooner.

Unquestionably our hard won independence is a big moment we celebrate but our freedom is yet to come.

Happy Independence day Eritrea.

[1] “10 Most Censored Countries” https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries.php

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj1zSt7kQ9Q

[3] “Number of Eritreans Seeking Asylum in Europe Soars over figures for last Year” http://www.unhcr.org/546606286.html