adminThose Who Cast Doubt on Eritrea’s Independence Risk Undermining Our National Struggle
ANFET EDITORIAL- May 24, 2025
This year, Eritreans across the world have chosen to celebrate Independence Day in a new and purposeful way. Instead of allowing the long-running sovereignty debate to divide us, we are ending it. Independence is not up for negotiation. It is not a topic for revision. It is not a matter of personal interpretation. It is a historical fact- secured through the sacrifice, discipline, and determination of generations. The conversation now must shift to what truly matters: building a democratic future for our people.
That future requires unity- not fragmentation. It requires coordination- not parallel efforts. And it requires a shared platform capable of representing the aspirations of all Eritreans seeking justice, accountability, and democratic change. For this reason, Eritrean communities worldwide are calling for a renewed commitment to unity among the three major opposition fronts: ENCDC, EPF, and ECDC. The time has come to bring these forces together, to speak with one voice, and to build a national platform that reflects the will and dignity of the Eritrean people.
Independence gave us a nation.
Unity will give us a future.
Freedom will give us dignity.
But there is a deeper principle that must be stated clearly- one that every political organization, civic movement, and opposition front already recognizes in its own bylaws:
The first requirement of membership in any Eritrean political organization is the acceptance that Eritrea is an independent, sovereign nation. This is not a symbolic clause. It is the foundation of political legitimacy.
An individual may personally believe Eritrea is not independent. They may even have voted “No” in the 1993 referendum. That is their right. But they cannot claim membership in an organization whose charter is built on the recognition of Eritrean sovereignty. To deny independence while holding membership is not a political opinion- it is a violation of organizational bylaws.
It undermines the credibility, mission, and unity of the movement. And it risks weakening the national struggle for democratic change.
This confusion- often fueled by covert strategies, misinformation, and political manipulation- has caused unnecessary division in the diaspora. It distracts us from the real crisis: the absence of civil liberties in Eritrea. Our people lack freedom of movement, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of faith, and the economic rights that allow a society to prosper. The indefinite national service, which traps our youth in a future without choice, stands as the clearest evidence of a system that has failed its citizens. This Independence Day, Eritreans worldwide are choosing clarity over confusion, unity over fragmentation, and purpose over distraction. We honor the martyrs by defending the truth they died for: Eritrea is independent. We honor the living by fighting for the freedoms they deserve.
Victory to the People!
Eritrea’s Independence Is Eternal
