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The annual Eritrea Festival in Frankfurt, held between 12 an 14 August 2016, was another success story this year for Eritrean democratic forces struggling for positive change in a country and people who suffered for the past 25 years under the most repressive regime in Africa.

This year's festival brought together some of Eritrea's topmost political figures, intellectuals, and influential media people in addition to representatives of Eritrean political organizations and civic activists. These included well known names like Ambassador Adhanom Ghebremariam (USA); Dr/Ambassador Andebrhan Weldegiorgis (Belgium); Professor Ghirmay Negash (USA); Dr. Almaz Zerai (Germany); Mrs. Asghedet Mehreteab (USA); Dr. Russom Mesfin (Eri-Vision - USA); Mr. Saleh (Gadi) Johar (Awate.com - USA); Mr. Abdurahman Said (Europe); Mr. Tzegai Negash (USA); Mr. Gherezgeher Tewelde (Canada), and young Bereketeab Yohannes (Canada).

All of them could successfully convey timely messages to their audience and the Eritrean people at large. Representatives of German and Swedish parties were also at hand to express their deepest solidarity and sympathies with distressed Eritrea and its people.

The Friday, 12 August, events of the Festival included a well-received presentation by Professor Ghirmai Negash, who was a leading cadre in the days of the liberation struggle and currently a university professor in the United States. Professor Ghirmay talked about how Eritreans should search for "the road leading back to home" and the importance of reviving and incorporating in modern jurisprudence the spirit of Eritrean customary laws and social values. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion that stole time from other events.

The main Festival Panel on Saturday was opened by a welcoming address of Mr. Taddesse Asmelash, chairman of the Eritrean Democratic Association (EDA) which annual organizes the Frankfurt festivals in cooperation with the Europe branches of the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP).

This was followed by solidarity speeches by representatives of the German Green Party and Free Democratic Party while the ruling Christian Democratic Party (CDU) delegate, Herr Thomas Kirchner, had last minute inconvenience from appearing at the Festival podium. The German parties expressed full commitment to support forces of change in Eritrea and encouraged Eritrean refugees also to do their utmost to be integrated in the German society.

Another moving speech-cum-solidarity message was presented by Mr. Thomas Magnuson, a Swedish civil society activist and member of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, who coordinates refugee programs in his country (full text of his speech as well as of the other panelists are being posted in www.harnnet.org).

Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom, chairman of the EPDP, presented the keynote speech at the Festival following solidarity messages that included statements made by Eritrean political organizations, and civil society movements of youth and women. In his speech, presented both in Tigrinia and Arabic, the EPDP chairman explained the worsening situation in Eritrea and the status of the gradually but surely growing opposition camp and the hope of creating a viable umbrella organization for effective work in the struggle for speedy change in Eritrea.

Representatives of the Ad Hoc Committee preparing the second part of the Nairobi conference on National Consultation made an illustrated explanation of the work so far achieved in the effort to bring together all Eritrean justice seekers under a working umbrella. Ad Hoc Committee chairman, Mr. Suleiman Adem, and his colleague, Mr. Tesfai Woldemichael (Degiga) led the discussion on the subject of unity and the prospects ahead.

A round-table discussion for first, second and third generation Eritreans (elders and youths) was organized by the EPDP Youth Affairs Office. The event was well moderated by Ms Feven Ghideon. The issues for discussion included the differences between the old and young generation of Eritreans and the problems the post-independence generation is facing. A heated debate involved by many members of the audience.

Another important round-table discussion involved all the prominent Festival guests mentioned in paragraph two in this article. These were the leading Festival guests who also made rich presentations at a three-day conference on Trust Building among Eritreans which preceded the Eritrea Festival 2016. The round-table discussion, moderated both by Ms Eritrea Alazar, head of the EPDP Office for Women's Affairs, and Ms. Adiam Tefera, EPDP Central Council member, tried to provoke the panelists to summarize in a few words the various papers they presented at the Trust Building Conference.

The rest of the night as of 11pm was left for musicians and folkloric singers who engaged everybody in dancing till the morning.

It is to be noted that among the Eritrean organizations that made or submitted solidarity messages at the Eritrea Festival 2016 included Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP- message read by Mr. Menghesteab Afewerki); Eritrean National Salvation Front, ENSF-Hidri (message presented by Mr. Fessehazion Ghebre); ENSF (submitted by Mr. Mensour Abdulhadi); Eritrean Women's Initiative Association (presented by Mrs. Alganesh Ghebre); Eritrean Revolutionary Democratic Front - Sedege'e (presented by Mr. Kibreab Mesghina); Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change (EYSC - presented by Mr. Wedeb Tedros); Eritrean Youth Movement for Democratic Change (EYMDC - presented by Abdulkadir Shifa), and Eritrean Unity for Democratic Change (submitted by Mr. Ghebrehiwet Kifle).