Eritrea’s armed struggle for freedom and the dignity of the human person as well as for self-determination was launched by our fathers and forefathers 45 years ago on the 1st of September 1961. After nearly 30 years of bitter fighting, we affirmed our right to national sovereignty. Accordingly, in a UN monitored referendum held in the year 1993, we overwhelmingly voted for independence from Ethiopia. We did so, not for the mere fact of becoming an independent nation-state, but also, and most importantly, to ensure that each and every citizen’s basic rights, freedom and dignity were to be safeguarded.

In the years that followed, we were optimistic that we would be able to gradually build a state founded on constitutional supremacy, democracy and the rule of law, which would guarantee every individual’s liberty and dignity. Certainly, we steadfastly positioned ourselves in the face of all our perceived national challenges hoping that one day we would breathe the air of peace, liberty, dignity and prosperity.

The Algiers Peace Agreement signed between Eritrea and Ethiopia in December 2000 was the beginning of a new chapter in the way politics is conducted in Eritrea’s national affairs. Indeed, the bitter three-year border war with Ethiopia had raised a heated but vital political debate among the nation’s leaders within the PFDJ, our country’s sole and ruling political party. One group of these leaders—known as the “reformers” or the G-15—for the first time openly called for “increased democratization and transparency” in our country. They did so in their historic letter addressed to all the PFDJ members, paving the way for a groundbreaking political debate which aims at achieving the very objectives Eritreans fought for decades. At that time, many citizens for the first time discussed the future of our country in public forums, in our independent newspapers, over the Internet and by word of mouth. Surely, that time will be forever recalled as among the brightest moments in the history of Eritrea. Sadly, such promising developments did not last long.

One clique of the nation’s leaders, led by President Isaias Afwerki, would have been wise and courageous to sit down with the reformers to discuss the future of our country in a civilized manner—drawing upon the rich culture we inherited from our forefathers. Instead, beginning on 18 SEPTEMBER 2001, this clique irresponsibly resorted to violence and arbitrarily arrested 11 among the reformers, as well as dozen journalists, elders, business people, religious leaders, and many others who allegedly supported the dissidents’ cause. These events and what followed has tarnished the image of our country and our hope of the future. Therefore, September the 18th marks a historic importance for Eritrean people. Since then, civil liberties and the very dignity of all Eritrean citizens, for which we bitterly struggled for decades and voted for during referendum, remain subverted. This is presently manifested in Eritrea by:

• The continuing restriction of fundamental human freedoms including freedom of expression, religious practice and public association, and the quick and systematic silencing of those who opt to exercise these God-given freedoms;
• The increased militarization of the nation, i.e., the continuing replacement of the civil administration, including education, by the military;
• Continued governance by coercion rather than governance on the basis of the consent of the citizenry;
• The growing perception of the citizenry, especially the youth, that their best future is to be only found in exile;
• The conviction among most Eritreans that under these circumstances, social, cultural, economic and political developments have become unthinkable;

The reformers and thousands of prisoners of conscience remain incarcerated without having a day in a court of law. It has been years since they last saw their family members. Even as we raise the issue today, they all continue to suffer from violations of their liberty and recourse to fair trial. They should have been appreciated for their bold and courageous stance. Instead, they have been perceived erroneously and at times they have been denigrated and demeaned as “traitors and political conspirators” without any substantive proof.

But the time has come for us to ask ourselves what led us to so facilely conclude that our national leaders, who fought for most of their lives for our liberty and self-determination, are nothing but traitors and conspirators. How is it possible for us to become so merciless and inhumane that we so easily dismiss their rights to a free and fair trial and to human dignity? And are we going to continue our complicity with injustice? Or awaken ourselves from this deep, collective sleep and stand up for what is right?

At this point in our history, we all need to act responsibly and in solidarity with courage and compassion so we can make sure that our future and that of our children’s is brighter and full of hope, rather than shrouded in despair and lost opportunities. Certainly, it is time for us to openly and without fear call for:

• An end to all sorts of violence, which include arbitrary arrest, disappearance and the like;
• An immediate release of all prisoners of conscience without any pre-condition and compensation for the suffering they have experienced;
• An immediate kick-start without any precondition of a nation-building process founded on constitutional supremacy and rule of law where civil liberties are fully guaranteed;

These demands have persistently been presented from various segments of the Eritrean public to the government of Isaias Afwerki. Nonetheless, they have received little if any response. Rather, such demands have continually been met with arrogance and at times with harsh measures. On this historic day though, we hope that these demands will be received with an open mind and the right measures will be taken to ensure their realization. Otherwise, we will have to hold a position that the government has relinquished the legal and moral high ground and forfeited its right to rule or to demand our obedience. This means that we have no moral justification to remain cooperative, obedient and submissive to this illegitimate government. Hence, we will be forced to invoke other much stronger measures which impose sanctions upon the government, such as a deliberate withdrawal of all kinds of cooperation, including social, economic and political cooperation, until such time that the suffering of our nation is thoroughly acknowledged, and until such time that our demands receive the necessary attention.

On the occasion of this historic day, we respectfully call upon our fellow citizens, Eritrean civic organizations, political parties and international civic, human rights and humanitarian organizations to join hands around this specific campaign and encourage others to do so in solidarity, with courage and compassion, in order for all of us to have a better future. 

Let justice triumph!!!