ERITREA: HOME OF DIVERSITY

ITS INFINITE DIVERSITY SYMBOLIZES THE ELEMENTS THAT CREATE ITS TRUTH & BEAUTY

We all learn about the ancient Egyptians in school, but did you know that Eritrea and the surrounding Horn of Africa is where the origin of human beings began? Archaeological finds show that human evolution can be traced through the region and that the Danakil Depression section of Eritrea could

“document the entire evolution of Homo erectus up to the transition to anatomically modern humans.”

Countless civilizations claimed Eritrea as their home and it is for that reason that Eritrea has such a diverse people and culture. The combination of Nilotic, Kushetic, and Semitic peoples have left Eritrea with nine ethno-linguistic groups – Afar, Bilen, Hedareb, Kunama, Nara, Rashaida, Saho, Tigre, and Tigrinya. The diversity doesn’t end there though.

You can experience “three seasons in a two hour”™ drive all in a country roughly the size of Ohio. How can you travel from a cool autumn climate, to the warmth of spring, and end your journey with a blazing summer heat, all in a twohour
drive, you ask?

The capital of Eritrea, Asmara, rests on a highland plateau and its climate is similar to San Diego, California. As you travel down from Asmara’s mountain peaks towards Massawa’s Red Sea coast, you enter a stunning valley where rainfall and wind patterns conspire to provide a spring-like climate. As you approach Massawa, the largest African port on the Red Sea, the temperature and humidity rise to match those of Mumbai, India, once Massawa’s greatest trading partner. Massawa has one of the highest average annual temperatures IN THE WORLD.
Off the coast of Massawa is the Dahlak Archipelago, which consists of over 200 islands. There are 354 islands scattered throughout the Red Sea, only four of which are inhabited. Coral reefs, diverse wild life (e.g. dolphins, turtle species and sharks), shipwrecks, and volcanic rocks provide an unforgettable diving experience. In addition, Eritrea became the first country to announce that the entire coast would become an environmentally protected area.
There is no official language in Eritrea; however, Arabic and Tigrinya are recognized as the working languages of Eritrea. Even with each of the nine ethno-linguistic groups having vastly different religions, traditions and languages, an estimated 6 million people live in solidarity which has left Eritrea as the safest country in Africa.

Was the purpose of this article to make you want to book your next vacation to Eritrea?

Not at all; however, if you now desire to travel to Eritrea, well then kudos to us for killing two birds with one stone. The main
purpose was to introduce (or reintroduce) you to Eritrea. Over the next several weeks, MYTH will uncover the truth behind Eritrea, from its unique history to the adversity it has faced. READ & TWEET

ERI-THROCYTES

HOW RED IS ERITREA? AS RED AS AN ERYTHROCYTE! CORNY, WE KNOW
Eritrea’s recent history, just as its namesake, has been etched by its inhabitants’ sacrifice. Eritrea’s location in the Horn of Africa has made it home to several civilizations and has contributed to the development of a diverse ancestry and rich bloodlines.
What do Erythrocytes, red blood cells, and Eritrea have in common? Eritreans have been known for being “red-blooded”, but the similarities don’t stop there. Both the words Erythrocytes and Eritrea originate from Greek words referring to the color Red. Erythrocytes come from the Greek word “erythros”, which translates into red, and “cyte”, which translates into cell, hence red (blood) cell. It’s a seemingly appropriate word for blood. Interestingly, only oxidized blood (blood exposed to oxygen) is red; blood within the blood stream is more of a purplish color, but we digress.

Eritrea has a more interesting etymology. As early as the 25th century BC, the area known as Eritrea was referred to as the land of “Punt” by the Ancient Egyptians which translates into “God’s Land.”
Hundreds of centuries later, the Ancient Greeks decided to call the land bordering the Rea Sea, Erythraíā, which translates into Red Land. Apparently, the name stuck so well that during the Italian colonial period, the Italians named their colony Eritrea which is the Latin equivalent for “Red Land.” Eritrea is a small country with a long Red Sea coast stretching over 1100 km. With a population of about 6 million, Eritrea contains 9 different ethno-linguistic groups; all of whom enjoy red hot “bebere”, a characteristic Eritrean spice. Contrary to the name’s denotation, Eritrea isn’t red. Or at least, the entire country isn’t. There are districts, such as “Haz-Haz” (near the capital city, Asmara), that are filled with red soil. This “erythro” color comes from iron deposits. In fact, this is the exact reason why blood, which contains iron, appears red to us!
Eritrea and Erythrocytes have a few more similarities than just common word origins in the hearts and minds of the Eritrean people. Passionate and full of vigor, Eritreans are truly “red-blooded” people! During Eritrea’s 30 year armed struggle for independence, tens of thousands of Eritrean lives were lost.
In remembrance of the gallons of erythrocytes spilled, the Eritrean Flag proudly displays an “Erithros” triangle, beneath a golden crest.
In remembrance of the gallons of erythrocytes spilled, Eritrea’s land is stained red with blood, iron and a passion to continue the fight in honor of the martyrs. In remembrance of the gallons of erythrocytes spilled, Eritrea lives up to its name as the “Red Land.”

WHAT IS MYTH 2013:

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‘Oldest’ African settlement found in Eritrea

History: Article from 2002, The remains of what is thought to be the oldest settled agricultural community in Africa have been discovered on the outskirts of the Eritrean capital, Asmara, the United Nations has said.

According to experts, the sites could change the way the history of the Horn of Africa is viewed.

Archaeologists using evidence collected during preliminary excavations have already pieced together a fascinating picture of life nearly 3,000 years ago.

The settlement’s inhabitants lived in stone houses, ate cows and goats, drank beer, farmed fertile land and wore animal skins.

Tools for tanning and softening hides have been discovered, along with needles, stone implements for punching leather, and bronze buttons.

To conserve heat on the cool highland plateau, houses did not have any doors, they were entered through openings in the roof.

Treasure

For the same reason, according to archaeologists, homes appear to have shared walls. Hundreds of tiny bulls’ heads, carved from stone, and thought to have ritual significance, were found around the sites.

Gold earrings, bracelets and rings, copper and bronze daggers, and multiple-necked pottery jugs were also found in one excavation, which might have been a burial chamber.

A cultural resource specialist with the World Bank, which is funding a survey of the area, said it was essential that local people were adequately informed about their cultural heritage so that they could make their own decisions about how to manage it.

“This is a very exciting find,” she said.

“We hope these early projects will provide evidence that cultural assets are very significant and that they should be preserved and enhanced for the economic growth of the country,” she added.

The sites are scattered across a large area of what is considered prime development land to the south and west of the city, much of it already earmarked for new housing.

Crucial evidence

Archaeologists from the University of Asmara are hoping to complete an urgent survey of the area to assess the extent of the find before any building work commences.

The project also plans to build an open-air museum on one of the sites, to provide information to the public and display items found there.

Experts believe the sites provide crucial new evidence that people lived in populated, settled farming communities in the Horn of Africa as early as 800 BC.

“This is one of the richest heritage areas in Africa,” said Professor Peter Schmidt, a specialist in African archaeology and dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Asmara.

“It can be compared to Athens and Rome as it has excellent parallels to those places. There is a remarkable opportunity to use this as a centrepiece of national preservation,” he added.

The potential for tourism revenue from such important prehistoric sites is considerable.

Last year, many tourists visited Ethiopia’s ancient monuments at Aksum.

It is likely that the sites on the outskirts of Asmara, which contain remnants likely to predate the Aksumite period (of the first to the sixth centuries AD) by many centuries, could also attract foreign and domestic tourists.

But archaeologists fear that it may be too late to save some of the sites.

They are seeking funding to erect a fence around one excavation, which has been partly destroyed by bulldozers digging stone for road building.

Another potentially important site has already been broken up by new housing.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2000297.stm

The history of mankind is inherently characterized by a non-stop struggle to liberate oneself from something undesirable. The form of this liberation and hence the challenge that engendered the struggle differ with time, place and context. Early humans’ endeavor to live in a house instead of caves or domesticate animals instead of hunting and the likes are really a long struggle to liberate themselves from the rather uncomfortable life style they had.

On the other hand the nowadays’ venture and achievement in the field of science and technology cannot be seen as having a different motive than early humans’ though the context and the nature might be poles apart. Therefore the search for independence is an innate human characteristic and an ever-present scenario since the early times. But based on our reality, history and background, and context what we want to be free from might be different from place to place and across time. That’s why the challenges and priorities of nations differ greatly. What is constantly the same and does not change, however, is the sacred and magnanimous spirit to achieve and firmly hold on to one’s independence and freedom.
It still remains in the memory of the Eritrean people, as it highlights the pride they have in their national traditions, to protect and hold on to independence and freedom, which many people of different generations sacrificed their lives for. To achieve and protect independence and freedom our people have gone through unimaginable ups and downs. No one thus can deny that the people, more than anyone, desired the right to enjoy independence and freedom, and deeply understand its values. We are therefore in this stage where our immediate task is to preserve and make strong our independence and watch out for any threat, which requires vigilance in our part to clearly define our opportunities and challenges.
In this time of great international economic integration and given the great and important achievements that have been made in the years of renovation, we now face new opportunities and challenges in our efforts to protect national independence and freedom.
It is no wonder that the living standards and economic development level of many countries are much higher than that of Eritrea. Although this comparison is somewhat unjust, as many countries have been developing for hundreds of years and some have never been destroyed by war. As we have so far only lived in peace for handful of years this has put a lot of pressure on society to advance forward as quickly as it can and should.
Since we are also part of the world the fast development of information technology, the trend of globalization and the integration into the regional and world economy is bound to raise a number of new issues in the protection of the national sovereignty and integrity as well as the development goals and path which we have chosen. What we have to do is to comprehensively address national, regional and international interests, while maintaining a balance between na-tional interests and the principles and guidelines of international political economy and also to maintain the social harmony needed for national development. It’s been disclosed time and again that one of the immediate task that stood upfront in the challenge to protect and give meaning to independence is economic emancipation. This needs a realistic approach to reconcile between enjoying the fruits of independence while doing one’s homework.
Such a vast task might naturally entail some challenges and shortcomings in social and economic management; it can also bring about difficulties and confusion around the development process, bureaucracy and corruption.
However, besides those challenges, we also enjoy a number of favorable opportunities that emanate from our natural and traditional value endowment that can be harnessed and galvanized into the vision we all have to our dearly gained nation. And this is bound to ultimately make us desirable partners in development even in regional and international arena. And this in turn creates the right conditions for us to protect our independence and freedom in an interdependent world. Peace, dialogue and cooperation are the dominant factors in international life, however the worlds situation also contains various potential and hidden uncertainties and many un-predictable changes.
Regardless to changes in the international arena, national independence and freedom remains valuable and sacred to every nation in the world because as it has been repeatedly said “all people are born equal, and no one has the right to dominate another. Everyone has the right to live and enjoy freedom and happiness”. Generations of Eritrean people have been patriotic and have shown an iron will to protect national independence and freedom. We have built the nation; we should now protect the nation and make our nation a peaceful, independent and beautiful place to live.

Source: Shabait.com

Eritrea – a young nation, yet possessing evidences of ancient civilization; a heritage that dates back to the creation of human kind gifted with fascinating features of land. Moving colors of culture, a wonderland of pleasure and a magic sea of adventure; a coastal line most suitable to scuba diving, not to mention swimming and rafting; a desert attractive for camel rides in the bright moonlight of the summer night; a fascinating countryside of landscape and vegetation, permanently forest and green; challenging mountains and slopes, risky cliffs and dykes attractive to climbers; an ideal land of explorers, the dreamland of all visitors; an enchanted land that is simply magnificent with a breathtaking highland; refreshing beaches of the tropical paradise; spectacular coral garden of the underworld heaven.

It is a unique country, with a treasure of history, a hospitable people of shared smile, famous for their faith and culture, dancing in harmony with nature and one another; a diverse culture of many colors, yet united as one that no one can disperse. Home to faith and religion, the land of ancient spiritual meditation; the place of grand monuments and unique monasteries; blessed land of impressive churches, yet with history of the first mosque; land of various ethnic groups of different lifestyle and a unique tradition.

As a matter of fact, tourists are welcome to enjoy the attractions. To begin with, lose yourself in the Dahlak Islandsto enjoy the underwater world of a billion creatures. On your way exploring the 350 unspoiled islands, you should never miss to stay a moment in one of the hottest places on earth, the Danakil Depression with 300 feet below sea level.
Hence, to the adventure tourists, there lies one of the majestic volcanoes around Dubbi of Eritrea which was created by the violent underground activity of the African Plate (Nubian) to the west and the Eurasian, Arabian, Indian, and Somalian Plates to the east. These volcanoes along with other large number of volcanoes lie along the Great Rift Valley.

Also tourists may cruise down the southeastern portion of the coastal plain and enjoy the Denakil Depression, the lowest and hottest place on planet, which is also part of The Great Rift Valley. Again this depression is the site of what is known as the ‘Alid volcano’. Hence, apart from tourist attraction, researchers have assessed that the area of this volcano is a potential for possible geothermal resources, which may be used in the future to produce electricity for the country.

If you happen to have more time, take the pleasure to discover the historical shipwrecks, there exist loads of wreck ships ruined during the Second World War. There also exists a bulk of Ethiopian wreck ships destroyed by the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front during the armed struggle for independence.
Hence, the historical ships in the Eritrean Red Sea are “a dream come true” to the international wreck ship diving tourist divers. Studies have discovered that the Dahlak Kebir Island in the Gubbet Musnefit area harboring some Italian wreck ships from WWII. Some of them include: Nazario Sauro,Urania, promoeteo, Giuseppe Mazzini, Bottego, etc… Moreover, tourists are most attracted
to the sandy beach of the Red Sea enjoying the wide sandy beaches and calm sea waves along the Red Sea coast; these are the safe heavens to nature-loving tourist:

The Gurgusum, Buri Peninsula, Zula Bay, Mersa Gulbub, Mersa Ibrahimand Ras Kuba.

Again, as you cruise back to the capital of the country take the winding route of ‘Filfil Selemuna’ to explore thewildlife of the green belt forest. For this reason, for those bird lovers, and bird hunters, you will need to stay more in Semenawi Bahri (Filfil), a few kilometers from Asmara, is protected area for the county’s national park for it is a region with numerous species of fauna and flora.
Studies have proved that the region is rich in wildlife such as ground hornbill family bird life that includes francolins,sunbird, shrikes, canaries, turacou, serins, starling, green pigeon, oriole, barbet, robin baboon and babblers. Moreover, here and there in the cloudy vegetation of Selemuna, various love-birds, wood dove, coucal, warblers, perinea, cisticola, woodpeckers, cameroptera, crombeck, varieties of parrots, warblers, tit and hornbillare chanting and dancing together with nature. Equally attractive alternative, one may travel along the moving landscape of Nefasit – Arberebue, just through the sweeping fogs and dark clouds in a steam train or a diesel one.

To test ancient archeological site dating back to 400-500 BC, one should travel to the south of the country so as to enjoy the impressive ruins of Kohaito, Tokondae, Keskese, and Belew Kelew and or Metera of Senafe.
Grand monuments and striking ancient structures are still standing high in these sites. These include obeliskswith inscriptions dating back to the 3rd century. Just a few miles drive, one should explore the oldest Christian Monasteries of the country including ‘Debre Libanos’, founded late 5th century by Syrian Missionary Aba Metae or Matewos.
This is sited perched in the edge of a cliff of the Ham Plateau. Eritrea has more to offer to tourists in its cities and towns. The architecture includes a range of style Turkish,Egyptian, and Italian styles. The Neo-Florentine, Neoclassical Art Deco of the 1930s Italian structures is prevalent in the country. One may enjoy these structures just at a glance when strolling down town Asmara, the capital of the country.

The country’s capital itself is most of the times quoted as “the museum piece of architecture.” Asmara is situated on a plateau some 115kms away from the Red Sea port of Massawa. It stands in the cool central, and atop of the eastern escarpments. It was established early in the beginning of the 20th century with the advent of Italian colonialism in Eritrea. The city is connected with the port city of Massawa with an impressive highway zigzagging down from above 2,200 meters to the sea level. It is also linked with the port with one of the World’s most amazing steam locomotive travels. The city is always admired for its majestic building styles. It is unique for it is a complete Art Deco city.
It is believed to have an outstanding architectural heritage possessing the greatest concentration of the most advanced 1930s architecture in the world. It is said that in the 1940s, Asmara was one of the dazzling international cities in the world. The buildings stand a living monument for the 20th century wonderful inventions. Someone strolling down the streets of the city would simply enjoy buildings that look like ships floating in a sea. Some others, such as the Fiat Agliero building look like a flying jet plane. Many others buildings symbolize Guglielmo Marconi’sinvention, the radio receiver. Hence, Asmara is a memory of architectural heritage of the 1920s of the Italian colonial times.

 Additionally, the city is special for its cleanliness and good network of transportation. The hotels or accommodations in the city are suitable for all kinds of pockets; whether it is business trip or a leisurevacation.

The city is active all the nightlong; the various pubs, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs provide tourists with striking native dishes, international delicacies, alcoholic drinks and beverages. More importantly, however, Asmara is loved by many as one of the most peaceful, charming, and civilized cities in the world not only for its climate and setting but also for the calm dignity of its citizens.
This is common throughout the major Eritrean cities in the country. More than anything else the security, and the hospitable citizens of country make tourists feel at home. The people of Eritrea are very friendly; they have the belief that, “a guest at home is god at home.”

A special test for tourists is also the sites of the liberation struggle situated in bleak mountains of the Sahel, northern angle of Eritrea. Hence one must be willing to enjoy the arduous journey across the rough terrain mountains to visit these miraculous EPLF defenses, trenches, bunkers of Nakfa, Himbol and the Roras Plateaus, and the Denden terrains. Most prominently, Eritrea is the land of important historic routes including the following international historic routes: The Holy Grail or Ark of Covenant Trail on which the Ark of the Covenant was allegedly brought from the Middle East into Eritrea; And the Queen of Sheba Triangle that involved stopping over of the Queen in Eritrea and supposedly she gave birth to the son of Solomon in Eritrea Besides,

the Route of Sahaba on which some disciples of Mohammed travelled from Mecca to Massawa and to inland of Eritrea. Hence, the magic in the country is countless; the adventure delightful; the attractions impressive; the people and their culture welcoming; their life bright and cheerful, their diversity colorful; their common factors pride and confidence; their harmony and unity, united in the same wave.

Source: shabait
Author – Seare H. Michael

Eritrean movie documentation about the war strategies of the EPLF during the Indpendence Struggle against the Ethiopian Derg-Regime. More videos @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.

The Eritrean history is a history of struggle for independence, identity and dignity. Since the coming of the Italians as colonizers Eritreans have been deprived their basic right by the successive colonizers and the Eritrean people had never gave from pursuing their right first through peaceful means and later through the barrel of a gun that took thirty years. During the thirty years of armed struggle the Eritrean people had to pay heavy human and material sacrifices.

When Italy claimed Eritrea as its colony on January 1, 1890, Eritreans began to feel the effects of oppression as they faced apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

As Eritreans continued to suffer from the brutality of the Italian colonialism, resistance movements began to sprout across the country. The Italian government began executing those leaders and their followers to control the resistance of the Eritrean people. Their efforts, however, didn’t deter the emerging brave leaders.

Although they were the under dogs, Eritreans persistently continued resisting through out the Italian expansion period in Eritrea. The revolutionaries who were born out of oppression galvanized the people and created a sense of a common identity and destiny; this was instrumental in uniting the people. The desire for a life free of foreign oppression helped build a strong.

Eritrean identity, as well as unite the Eritrean people with strong sense of nationalism-a strength that was necessary for them to prepare for the fight that was to come.

Undoubtedly, the end of the Second World War was a huge step and sigh of relief for anyone. After decades of colonialism, they were finally promised to self-determination! Or so they thought.

Pamphlets promising independence could be found all over Eritrea amongst the debris of the Second World War. When the Italian colonial government finally collapsed in 1941, the Allied forces who gained control over the former Italian colony disagreed on the future of Eritrea. Eritrea was placed under British rule in the interim, and the Eritrean people welcomed the British with open arms as with the British came the possibility of independence and increased social mobility.

Promises of independence had built hope amongst the Eritrean people, resulting in the emergence of several Eritrean nationalist movements that shared the idea of consolidating the country as one.

Once in power, however, the British adopted the Italian administration code and left in effect the racial laws and other discriminatory practices leaving many Eritreans not only unemployed but also devastated by hunger and lack of medical care. To add insult to injury, the US supported Ethiopia’s claim to Eritrea. As a member of the Allied forces, Britain also supported the US and pushed for Eritrea’s union with Ethiopia. In order to persuade Eritreans that they were too weak to survive independently, the British destroyed or sold much of Eritrea’s assets and infrastructure, sending much of it to their colonies in Africa and Asia. They believed the dismantling of Eritrea’s advanced infrastructure would negatively impact the Eritrean economy and would make integration with Ethiopia inevitable.

The British efforts did not impact the will of the Eritrean people-the majority of the Eritrean population continued to push for an independent state, regardless of their political persuasion. Haileselasie and the British tirelessly pressured to destabilize Eritrea and force Ethiopia’s annexation.

In 1950, the United Nations decided to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia as a gesture of appreciation for the Ethiopia’s support of the Allies in WWII. This decision was made despite Eritreans’ repeated calls for independence as noted by US Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles: “From the point of justice, the opinion of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea Basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country (Eritrea) be linked with our ally, Ethiopia”.

Other Italian colonies such as Libya and Somalia were given their independence, however, due to Eritrea’s strategic location on the Red Sea, it was forced to be federated with Ethiopia.

Under the UN resolution, Eritrea was promised to have certain sovereignty and democratic freedoms, some of which included to the right of their flag and control over domestic affairs. However, these promises were soon broken, as Eritreans quickly became marginalized citizens in their own country under Ethiopian occupation.

However, after ten years of federal administration the Haileselasie regime disregarding the UN resolution forcefully annexed the country and banned all the federal laws that were in effect in the country. It also began exercising brutality the Eritrean people have never experience before. The indiscriminate killing of innocent people, burning villages and property were rampant that the Eritrean people found it hard to shoulder.

Moreover, Eritrean were banned from speaking their own languages and forced to learn Amharic, one of the Ethiopian dominant languages. Censorship became the standard; Eritreans were forced to dissolve their political parties, trade unions, and press freedoms were non-existent.

This suffering did not break down the social fabric of Eritrea, but served to fuel their desire for independence. Betrayed once again, Eritreans were left to resist and reclaim their sense of identity. In 1961, Hamid Idris Awate fired the first gun-shot-marking the beginning of Eritrea’s 30 year armed struggle for independence. What followed next demonstrated to the world the strength, perseverance, and unity of the Eritrean people.

The relentless efforts on the part of the Eritrean people to find peaceful solution to the Eritrean case didn’t bear fruit. They even went all the way to New York to present their cases at the United Nations and met with deaf ears. The utter ignorance of the international community to the rightful question of the Eritrean people led to thirty years bloody war compelling the people to dearly pay human and material sacrifices. Sacrifices that began from few months from the beginning of the armed struggle.

The armed struggle for independence that was triggered by Hamid Idris Awate in September 1, 1961, at Adal Mountain did not take long to attract Eritrean youths from all walks of life including those who were living outside the country. The armed struggle which began with eleven fighting men increased double folds by 1962. And then after the Eritrean youths began to flock to the field in large numbers to join the armed struggle and with that the liberation fighters turned into formidable army in few years of time.

By 1966 the Eritrean liberation fighters turned into full fledged combat army and began to challenge the occupation forces. The frustration and terror on the part of the enemy forces intensified year by year and were resorted to mass killings, burning villages and ransacking property. The more atrocity the enemy committed, however, didn’t deter the Eritrean people from joining the armed struggle. In fact the number of Eritrean youths joining the armed struggle grew by the day and inflicts heavy human and material damage on the occupation forces. The more the liberation forces grew in number and combat capacity the more the enemy gets frustrated and takes desperate indiscriminate actions against innocent Eritreans.

Every attack by the liberation forces against the enemy was answered by reprisal, often burning villages, massacring innocent civilians. That resulted women, children and the old to fled their villages and seek refuge in Sudan and some elsewhere in the world. The mass killing of innocent Eritrean at Ona, Weki-Duba, She’ib, and in others villages are examples of the brutality of the Ethiopian occupation forces.

All the atrocities and crimes perpetrated against the Eritrean people and the silence of the international community did not hamper the advance of the Eritrean liberation fighters. In fact every crime of the Ethiopian regimes further emboldened the commitment of the Eritrean people.

The upper hand of the Eritrean liberation fighters, however, was reversed by the interference of the then Soviet Union in 1977. The Soviet Union provided the Derg regime with massive modern weaponry including heavy artillery, naval vessels, and jet fighters. And with that the balance of power shifted towards the Derg regime and the EPLF decided to conduct strategic withdrawal. During that time the Derg regime was observed boasting that the end of the Eritrean revolution is nearing. Still the confidence and determination of the Eritrean people was intact and visionary. They new the strategic withdrawal was in the final analysis to their advantage. And indeed it was.

The EPLF from its trenches in Sahel foiled successive offensives of the Derg regime and immerged victorious. The notable invasion that broke the moral of the Derg and the will power of its army was the six invasion (Keih Kokeb invasion).  The Derg regime took some time to prepare for this invasion with human and material resources. It deployed what it called its best army both in number and training and massive heavy artillery support and air power. It was determined to see the end of the Eritrean revolution and many from the international community believed it. That was, however, short lived.

The defeat of the Derg regime in the six offensive was also a turning point in the history of the Eritrean revolution. The EPLF shifted from defensive into offensive power. One of the big initiatives the EPLF took in its offensive measures was the demise of the Nadew Command. Nadew Command had been stationed there for nine years and was considering itself as an indomitable army. However, with the lightening offensive of the EPLF from 17 to 19 March 1988 the enemy was annihilated. Its main base Afabet was liberated and 18 thousand from the 20 thousand of the enemy soldiers had been killed and, wounded and taken prisoners. And for the first time three Soviet officers, two Colonels and one Lieutenant, were taken prisoners. The military hardware of the enemy including BM 21 rocket launchers and 130 mm canons became the property of the EPLF.

The victory was as the result of the nine years continuous resistance and military confrontation. The enemy trenches that were seemingly un-penetrable until 1988 were demolished within two days. The enemy was unable to defend its position that had been its strong hold for nine years. Its inability to defend its stronghold revealed its diminishing power. To the contrary the EPLF emerged more powerful and increased its capacity with the weaponry it snatched from the enemy. After Nadew the Halhal front was demolished. The new trenches of the EPLF combatants were built on the doors of Keren, in Meshalit. The enemy was forced to retreat from Akordet, Barentu and Tesenei towns. It also brought soldiers from all over Ethiopia and tried, until it gets exhausted, to penetrate the Meshalit, Rora-Mensae, and Reisi-Adi trenches. And it was to no avail except to loose 60 thousand of its forces.

The Derg regime furious from its defeat at Afabet resorted to yet another cruel act of repression against innocent civilians. In 12 May 1988, 400 innocent Eritreans were massacred in Shieb. It continued burning villages and ransacking property in Shebah, Northern Red Sea, Godeiti, Rora-Mensae, etc. That all contributed to its fast demise and emboldening the determination of the Eritrean people.

The renowned British historian and journalist Basil Davidson, who had the chance to witness the meticulously executed Nadew Operation, compared it with the battle of Dien Bien Phu. The battle of Dien Bien Phu was a famous battle of the Indochina war between the French Far East Regiment Corps and Vietnamese Viet Minh communist revolutionary forces between March and May 1954.

The battle was culminated in a huge French defeat and effectively ended French occupation in that part of the world. What Basil Davidson tried to compare Nadew Operation with that of Dien Bien Phu was that the similarity of the severeness of the battles and their end results. Like that of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the Nadew Operation brought about the beginning of the end of the Derge regime’s occupation of Eritrea and for that matter its rule in Ethiopia. Operation Nadew and its success in demolition the enemy’s will of fighting, moral and capacity has been a testimony for excellent planning and execution of the military leaders of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front and the high moral and determination of the liberation fighters to do the job. The EPLF military leaders have proved that their planning and execution quality had out maneuvered the “best” generals of the Derge regime and their Soviet advisors. The calculated operation at Ad-Shirum where the Derge’s tanks were blocked and destroyed is one of the highly thought and executed combat plans of the EPLF military leaders. The operation had taken the world by surprise and the major media outlets of the world began to talk about the operation in particular and the revolution for Eritrean independence in general. With this operation the Derge regime was defeated both militarily and diplomatically for the EPLF became a head line in many media and international forums.

Yet another significant turning point in the history of struggle for independence came in 1990. The famous Operation Fenkil that rooted out the enemy soldiers from the Port city of Massawa and cut its supply route. Fenkil Operation was practically the end of the Derg regime in Eritrea. It was only a matter of time that the Eritrean people become free from the yokes of colonialism once and for all.

Beginning on February 8, 1990 the EPLF forces began combined offensive both from the sea and land by cutting of the critical supply route from the Asmara garrison. The surprise attack stunned the Ethiopian military and by the following afternoon the EPLF forces were in the suburbs of Massawa. On the third day of the offensive, February 10, 1990, the Eritrean forces stormed the naval base annihilating the seemingly huge Ethiopian navy that has been stationed there for years. The capture of Massawa was a milestone for the final assault of the EPLF forces in its advance for the capital Asmara.

May 1991, Friday morning, was the final day of the history of occupation. Asmara saw its sons and daughters entering the capital. Asmara residents realized that its liberation fighters entered Asmara and in a spontaneous outburst of happiness and relief, Asmarinos flung open their doors and rushed into the streets to dance in jubilation and meet their heroes and heroines. The flamboyance continued for weeks.

Finally Eritrea and the Eritrean people got what they deserved and freedom they fought for years and paid dearly.
Happy Independence Day!

Source: Shabait.com

Eritrean movie documentation about The history and meaning of the Eritrean Flag by Eri-TV. More videos @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.

A two-day conference addressing the dynamics and historical perspective of the Eritrean Festival was opened in the morning hours today Thursday June 6, 2013 at the G3 Hall in the Expo grounds.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, HE President Isaias Afwerki stressed the importance of the Eritrean Festival and the role it played during the liberation struggle and after independence.

Noting that it showcased the harmony and unity of Eritreans as well as the socioeconomic, political and cultural values of the Eritrean society, President Isaias stressed on the need to better equip it and organize it for better end results.

Also during the opening ceremony, Mr. Solomon Tsehaye, the Chairperson of the Conference Coordinating Committee, disclosed that the conference stems from an initiative taken over three years ago.

“It plans to evaluate past experiences and propose the adjustments needed to attain the desired standard,” he pointed out.

Entitled “Festival Eritrea: Hither and Thither” the conference features different papers, all prepared in accordance with academic research methods and guidelines.

Topics of papers scheduled to be presented at the conference include among others: “Role of Festivals in Nation building”; “Eritrean Festival during the Ethiopian Colonization”; Eritrean Festival vis-à-vis other Countries’ Experience”; “Role of Festivals on Tourism”; “Oral Traditions at the Eritrean Festival” and other relevant issues.

Question and answer sessions followed every presentation.

Each regional administration also presented its own evaluation of every Eritrean festival held after independence.

The opening ceremony, which was attended by senior Government and PFDJ officials and invited guests, was marked by a musical show reflecting different songs reminiscent of past festivals.

The conference is being held under the theme “Our Festivals: Bridges across Heritages” and will conclude with a dinner banquet on Friday June 7, 2013.

Source: Shabait, Meron A.

The Eritrean struggle for independence was one of the longest and toughest wars on the globe. The Eritrean liberation fighters had not only to fight against the immediate colonizer but also against its supporters and allies. The Ethiopian regime did any thing in its disposal to convince some super powers that the Eritrean people’s struggle was a struggle of separatist and sometimes they claimed that it was inspired by the Arabs for their interest. These and other allegations against the just struggle of the Eritrean people assisted the Ethiopian regimes to get supporters and sympathizers.

With all odds that was encountered by the Eritrean people has never deterred even for a minuet the commitment of the people and to the contrary hardened their will power to carry on the struggle until independence. It was, however, with heavy human and material losses.

The Ethiopian army that was considered the strongest army in Sub-Sahara with logistical and intelligence support of many has never created the upper hand of the enemy. The crimes and indiscriminate killing of innocents by the day hardened the fighting spirit of the people. One death was revenged my many fold of the enemy personnel and material.

Every liberation fighter was willing and ready to pay his/her life before his/her comrades. This imaginable readiness to pay life is a gesture of moral highness and courage. One could proudly claim that such willingness to sacrifice for one’s country and people is rarely found any where else. That is why every living Eritrean has a profound respect on our martyrs.

Though, our martyrs are living memory of every Eritrean every day, June 20 is indeed a special day. June 20 is dedicated to our martyrs to honor and remember their heroic deeds to free our country from the yokes of colonialism. The ultimate sacrifice one could pay is giving life for a cause. Our martyrs paid their dear life for us so that we live in peace. It is the day that no Eritrean would afford to put away from his heart. It is the day were we remind our selves that we have paid more than we can afford to be free and suffered beyond limits to end suffering. June 20 is the day where we remember the heroes who spared their life- the most precious asset they own as humans, to end the plight of the Eritrean people.

The candle light that we lit every year on June 19 is to symbolize that our martyrs paid their life to give us light. A candle gives light while burning itself; likewise our martyrs burned themselves to give us light. What an enormous gift! June 20 is also a day in which we renew our commitment to live up to their expectations. To build developed and prosperous Eritrea in which its people live in peace and harmony. To fulfill their ideals, vision and preserve their values. Moreover, we have the obligation to transfer their history, courage, dedication to the coming generation.

Source: shabait.com

12 May 1988 She’eb witnessed a brutal carnage of its inhabitants. Tanks of Ethiopian forces mercilessly crashed a number of people. It was a no way out situation where no one could escape from the shelling of fires which targeted innocent civilians. A number of people were shot in an attempt to escape the bloody scene and thus 400 civilians were massacred by the wicked and blood thirst soldiers. There was no proper burial; the corpses became just meals to the greedy and scavenging hyenas of that particular area. Miraculously, MS. Amna Mohammed Shumblay along six children survived hiding among the corpses and covering themselves with blood smeared pieces of clothes. She took the six children to liberated areas after traveling for about 40 kilometers. Two of the six children were her sons and two of the four children who remain parentless due to the hideous massacre were severely wounded. Sculptures depicting this and such like events of massacre have been staged in an open area in front of the Ministry of Education.
Artist Ghidey Ghebremichael has been making studies of the atrocities committed by the colonial powers and thus continues to translate them through sculptures so as to give a pictorial depiction of the pitiless acts that befall upon innocent Eritreans. The sculptures staged each year in front of the Ministry of Education depict visions of incidents which refuse to be shake off from the memories of every Eritrean who witnessed such brutal acts.
MS. Amina was fortunate enough to survive and share memories of a terrible past after 25 years. Artist Ghidey visited her in She’eb and gave her a chance to inaugurate his sculpture works titled “25 years after the Massacre of She’eb” that pictorially depict shocking incidents happened during the struggle for independence.

This patriotic mother saved six lives but one of her surviving brother who was then a 10 years old boy was martyred in the post-independence period in safeguarding his nation from vultures who launched war against Eritrea under the pretext of boarder dispute.
The sculpture shows staged every year in the Harnet Avenue are always to remind every Eritrean the cost of freedom and the huge gap between yesterday’s colonialism and today’s independence. To make them recall the flood of bloodsheds for the very national cause.
In this year’s commemoration of Martyrs Day, Ghidey has staged three works. The massacre of Weki-duba which happened in January 1975, the rescue mission of the EPLF in freeing the people of Anbori who were under enemy’s torture, and as mentioned earlier the massacre of She’eb in 1988. All the inhabitants of Anbori were seeking mercy from the heavens, and the merciless enemy forces were surrounding them to shoot and stab with knifes as were cattle but not humans. Hot tear mingled with hot blood has already drained from the victims who were in what seem endless nightmare. But, the gloomy situation of colonialism was once and forever overwhelmed with rejoice with the approaching of EPLF forces which was indeed a miracle and lifesaving incident to the inhabitants of Anbori.
The inhabitants of Weki-Duba also witnessed a hideous murder in 1975. Everybody including those who took sanctuary in the village’s church were shot dead. The enemy forced some of the inhabitants to make prayers outside of the church so as to have a clear target where they could easily shoot without missing. This way a number of people were killed including priests.
All the incidents included in the sculpture has not presented all the atrocities committed in its entirety. As regards this, Mr. Ghidey said “let alone to include some exaggerations and add-ons, the real incidents have not yet represented.” He is indeed right. The vastness of what really happened on the ground could not be covered in such pieces of artistic works.
All the artistic works of Ghidey staged every year in commemorationof Martyrs Day -June 20 have a lasting impact not only in documenting history but also in bequeathing national values.
With the elapse of time and with lack of documentation there would be great possibility for a huge historical incident to be depreciated in to a tiny one. There are enormous historical events in the history of the Eritrean people most of which, however, not yet documented.
In retaliation to every defeat on the battle fields, the enemy forces were victimizing defenseless and non-armed innocent civilians.

Eternal glory to all martyred Eritreans!!.

Source: shabait.com

The victory over the Nadew Command is considered by the historian Basil Davidson to be the most significant victory for any liberation movement since the Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu. It has also been described as the largest battle in Africa since El Alamein. Revealing this heroic victory of the EPLF over the Derg regime, historian Basil Davidson, wrote an article titled ‘Eritrea: hope of the horn’ back in 1988 after the demise of the Nadew command. On the occasion of the silver jubilee of the demise of the Nadew command and the liberation of the town of Afabet, Eritrea profile is publishing the full text of the article published in periodicals of Basil Davidson. Full text of the article follows:

 The big Mercedes trucks, piled with food, bucket plunge by night across northern Eritrea through canyons that might be to the mountains of the moon.

Behind my car and ahead I can see their headlights glare and skid along the knife edge fall of steeps and gorges. In these March weeks, I travel some 400 of the 1250 odd miles of new and necessary roadway carved through Eritrea’s fantastic landscape of engineers of the EPLF and its army. No other movement of national resistance that I have known since 1943 has achieved anything like this.

The Eritrean relief association, which is the self-helped arm of the EPLF, tells me that during 1987, they bought in some 68,000 tones of food from the Sudan. About one fifth could be distributed in the central southern areas still under threat from the Ethiopian armed forces. The reminder has ensured no famine in the drought-ridden northern Eritrea where the EPLF is in full control. But the need grows, and will continue as long as the war. And this war, as long as wars go, is ferocious.

It ferocity can be glimpsed even along the old “Front lines” south of the little town of Nakfa. Now an utterly roofless ruin where I sleep in an underground shelter, for Ethiopian MIGs and Antonovs have spared nothing then could see. From last December, these positions are empty and silent, the Eritrean army having driven three of Dergs best divisions far to the southward before finally destroying them big ruining battle and Eritrean encirclement of March 17-19. Yet, the sorrow of war is still present, not least in the skulls and bones of last year’s attacking Ethiopian dead, unburied where they fell in the field of fire and picked white by kites and other creatures.

Only in 1987, on Eritrean army figures which may be fairly believable as such countings go, the national army killed some 12.000 Ethiopian troops and added about 1.300 prisoners to the 6.000-odd already held in the camps to the north. (They would like to return these prisoners, but the Dergue refuses to have them back). Eritrean casualties will have been smaller, as one would expect from the well-designed encirclement battle of this March and yet painful too.

Why, must this horrific war continue, and for how long? Wisdom has to begin by recognizing that this Eritrean national resistance, building through a quarter of a century to its present dimensions of a more or less total “people’s war” is neither civil war nor rebellion in a province of Ethiopia.

It is war of anti-colonial or anti imperial nationalism, moreover against a ruthless enemy, which is as solidly based in local loyalty as any major such resistance we have known in Asia, Africa, or our own Nazi-occupied Europe. It will not go away because it is inconvenient. It began with the illegal Ethiopian annexation of the one-time Italian colony of Eritrea in 1962, and it will continue until this Ethiopian occupation is ended.

What is centrally unusual is that the colonizing empire has been Africa and not European. For the Ethiopian that we vaguely know is an empire state formed in the 1890s by the late Emperor Menelik, enlarged by Haile Selassie, and now prolonged by a new “emperor”, Soviet –clad, who is Mengistu Haile Mariam. Ethiopia’s now very partial occupation of Eritrea remains as unlawful, in any juridical or moral sense, as South Africa’s continued occupation of Nambia.

Unwilling as yet proclaim a national government and sovereignty, the EPLF has concentrated on destroying the occupying forces of the Derg, and on reinforcing its politics of mass participation. Its leaders say that they look forward to a multi-party system in the wake of the war, and appear to possess the self-confidence to await whatever may unfold.

In what has become a rapidly evolving shift of the military balance in Eritrean favor, these leaders confront an evidently demoralized Ethiopian army, patently nearing the last of its resources in military manpower, and “pre-Gorbachev” Soviet-crafted regime under a dictator who appears able to offer nothing but renewed violence. The scale of this demoralization became grimly evident during the battles of March 17-19, the beginning of which I lived through in the safe but instructive headquarters of the Eritrean command, when the Eritreans somewhat to their own surprise, were able not only to destroy an army corps and capture all its armament, but also to clear the occupied town of Afabet. That town it will not itself garrison, having no air cover, but the war booty was said to be “mountainous”. This debacle of Mengistu and his Dergue, the size of which I found no reason to doubt, must probably be seen as the beginning of the end of the dictatorship. But not as yet the end of it, Eritrean army sources compute Mengistu’s remaining troops in Eritrea this month as being no more than 30,000 most of them being judged incapable of serious initiatives. But Mengistu still has 60,000 other troops or more, with much armor and artillery, in the rest of his realm.

What follows? I asked EPLF secretary-general, Isaias Afwerki, a lean hard man with a nicely saving sense of humor and a careful modesty of style, I found him in his “base” canyon, equipped with good communications but otherwise living the same spare life as everyone else in these mountains. “What we now expect” he said, “Is that Mengistu will collect whatever forces he can, and throw them into another major offensive against us. I think that will be a desperate act. But it will be decisive, and we shall be ready for it.”

With abounding morale in its ranks and renewed supplies of cannon, tanks, and ammunition, the Eritrean leadership says that it will certainly win that coming battle. And then? “Eritrea will present no problem for peace and stability,” Afwerki continued, “but Ethiopia is another matter.” A breakdown in Addis must signal renewed uprisings by large minorities which already rejected the “traditional” Amharic supremacy represented now by Mengistu and his Dergue. “So this will also be a signal to the outside world, urgently, to come in al last with a real contribution to peace. That has to mean the democratization of the Ethiopian empire-state, no doubt by radical devolution in side it. As for us in Eritrea, we have no least intention of working for any disintegration of the territorial integrity of a democratized Ethiopia.”

At this point one moves into ‘anyone’s guess” terrain. Will Moscow begin to recognize that it has backed a loser in Mengistu, and seek military disengagement? Yet another big defeat for Mengistu and his Soviet “advisers” still seems likely to be necessary first. If so, then may it come soon; and, for the sake of everyone in these harried lands, may it be complete.

Source: shabait.com

Eritrean movie documentation: Eritrea for Eritreans – Idris Awate – Aboy Woldeab Woldemariam – Ras Woldemikael – Ras Tesema Asmerom. More videos @ www.eritrea-chat.com.

Eritrean movie documentation about the History of Eritrea in Northern Red Sea Museum by Sewarit Camera in High Quality from Eri-TV. More Videos on www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.

Eritrean movie documentation: Eritrea is after Egypt the second place in “Historical Attraction” by Eri-TV.

Eritrean english movie documentation about the History of the city in the Debub Region of Mendefera (Men eyu Defiruya nesia Gereb – Agrab) and Adi Ugri(The Mountain Guy) by Eri-TV. More videos @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.

Different kinds of mines, mine detectors, heavy and light artilleries of different sorts, photographic exhibition, utensils which rather seem useless materials among others were items staged in a pavilion which stayed open for about a week as part of the programs organized to colorfully celebrate Eritrea’s 22nd Independence Day anniversary. Saving lives as much as possible was the primary goal of mine detection, destruction and deactivation activities that were carried out by the EPLF. The livelihood of freedom fighters and the weapons they used to have from the more primitive type to a modern one were displayed in the temporary pavilion just next to the building complex of Central region administration.

A large Eritrea’s geographical area was turned into mines field during the Ethiopian colonial era. Destruction and deactivation of mines as well as placing mines in key positions to hinder destructive movements of the enemy was then a routine activity of the freedom fighters. Mines to be placed under asphalted routes within the enemy quarters was done with utmost care by digging a hole and paving in a way the enemy could recognize without leaving any trace. All the activities that were conducted by trained freedom fighters makes one admire their creative ability. All these activities and others has so much to tell which otherwise words could not express.

For there was hardly any advanced mine detecting device, successful demining tasks were conducted only through traditional methods by just using thin metal rods and by piercing the ground here and there. It is important to notice that there were of course new tactics they developed while conducting regular mining and demining activities.  In the latter times, however, the EPLF started to use mine detecting device. This less accurate and outdated mine detecting devices along landmines of different type and some advanced devices was showcased in the exhibition. It is not hard to see the huge differences between the modern and the outdated equipment.

Any observer could not miss a photograph that depict a demining activity conducted by two freedom fighter some 28 years ago. It is surprising enough to learn that the one who was engaging in placing and clearing mines is giving awareness raising briefings to the observers of the exhibition.

It is likely to find different landmines still buried in different fields. Some of the landmines that were discovered by farmers during the course of plaguing were among the items displayed in the pavilion of the struggle for Eritrea’s independence.

While making tours, one could see a wooden artillery box with its base smeared with dough and to one’s surprise the wooden box was used as baking utensil. Huge shrapnel and others remnants of air bombardments were then used as water tanks. Any large enough shrapnel was also modified into any useful utensils.

Rifles, machine guns, heavy weapons, and photographs that depict the livelihood of the freedom fighters, the harsh war times, the unyielding and can do sprit of Eritreans is what makes the pavilion a worth visiting site.

What makes the placing of and clearing off mines from different parts of Eritrea during the period of the struggle for independence difficult was that in addition to the regular arms, any freedom fighter who engaged in such activities had to carry a landmine that weighs about 15 kilograms for a number of kilometers.

The display of different mines and other equipment as well as the awareness raising briefings given to the observers of the exhibition was very instructive. Such exhibitions do not only tell about the past, but are informative about the extra care that needs to be done during an encounter with such destructive mines that are not yet cleared.

What one could see in the pavilion is creative ability of Eritrea’s freedom fighters. Despite the shortcomings they had, they were willing to make anything that see impossible-possible. With far traditional equipment the freedom fighters managed to service even the no way out situations and also saved lives of a number of civilians who would become victims of landmines.

Source: shabait.com

Eritrean movie Documentation about the history of Eritrean Festival and Expon – Eritrea TV in High Quality. More Videos on www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.

“Free like a bird”, is what the people of Eritrea has been reciting for the last 22 years of independence. A bird flies to the skies without any hindrance and travels to different corners of the world as it wishes. Thanks to independence, Eritreans are enjoying a full-fledged freedom. They travel and work in any corner of the country as they wish. They are making use of any possible opportunity independence grants them. Even though they started to live happily ever since the very Independence Day, Eritreans inside the country and from overseas altogether have annually been enjoying a week-long celebrations of Independence Day anniversary which  always add relish to their day-to-day living.

Every year, Eritreans from abroad flock to their home land to experience the ultimate joy they could have by being among cheerful people. They just want to be in their homeland with fellow Eritreans to receive worm accompaniment to any joyful moment. Mrs. Birchiko Kassa, who came to Eritrea after 27 years of stay abroad said: “It is very unique to be in your homeland, to be part of the Independence Day celebrations and to personally witness any piece of merriment.”

Every Eritrean wants to personally participate in every event of Independence Day anniversary, to make strolls at ease in the streets and thus to observe music shows, carnivals, exhibitions, community gatherings, dramas performances and other sorts of entertainment programs.

The exhibition staged in an open area situated at a place between Justice Ministry’s building complex and Central region’s administration building complex is all about the life style of freedom fighters during the struggle for independence. As regards the aim of staging such a show, Mr. Asefaw Tewelde, chairperson of association of freedom fighters, said that the program for staging such show emanates from the very idea of presenting to the young generation how bitter and harsh the struggle for independence was and how the difficulties were surmounted.

In this year’s Independence Day anniversary, carnival shows in which 13 administrative areas and a total of 41 institutions took part depicted the overall economic progress Eritrea has been registering, its future prospects of all-round growth, cultural values and sprit of resilience of its people. The carnival continued for two consecutive days from 21-to-22 May.

Carnival show of May 21, started from around Bar Zilli and it marched from Sematat Street through Harnet Avenue in the presence and accompaniment of Mr. Weldemichael Ghebremariam, Minister of Regional Administration and other officials. Similarly, carnival shows of May 22 marched along the streets of Sematat through Harnet Avenue to Bahtimeskerem square. The second phase of carnival show started with the inaugural of Mr. Kahsay Ghebrihiwet, Administrator of the Central region. A number of people flocked to down town to observe the impressive shows.

Apart from the carnival shows, communal gatherings of each administrative area of the central region have made necessary preparations to colorfully celebrate Independence Day anniversary. Yesterday 23rd May 2013, all administrative areas have celebrated Independence Day anniversary in a total of 164 communal gathering tents.

People from all walks of life flocked to the main streets of Asmara, such cheerful people attract ones attention and makes one forget everything and prompt to be engrossed and happily see every movement. Open music shows, different dramas and other artistic shows staged at Cinema Roma, Karaoke and giving rendition to patriotic songs produced during the struggle for independence and other entertainment shows broadcasted on Eri-TV are among the programs which added color to the 22nd Independence Day anniversary. This year’s Independence Day is commemorated on Friday the same as the very independence day of May 24, 1991 and everybody is as cheerful and overwhelmed with feelings of happiness the same as that very day of 1991.

Eritrean movie documentation: Beautiful Historical Attraction in Eritrea – May Mine by Eri-TV. More videos of Eritrea Television @ www.eritrea-chat.com or www.blip.tv/eritvenglish.