Eritrea: What is independence, when there is no freedom?

What is independence, when there is no freedom?

Help One Day Seyoum and Arbi Harenet encourage Eritreans to show resistance at Fenkil day 2015.

Fenkil day is a milestone in Eritrean history. The victory in the battle of Massawa was the beginning of an end that no one ever thought was coming. After 30 years of struggle, Eritrea was going to be independent.

Petros Solomon led the troops that liberated Massawa. When the war was won, he expected not only independence, but also democracy. Today, he has been imprisoned for more than 13 years. Seyoum Tsehaye filmed the liberation of Massawa and made one of the best documentary from the war, “Kibtzet”. like Petros Solomon; he expected democracy when independence finally came. Today he has been imprisoned for more than 13 years. This day symbolizes liberation from oppression, supremacy and then, when the future still was unknown, it might have been worth celebrating but today, it wouldn't be right. 

Today, we see a country in despair. More than 4,000 people are fleeing every month. The Eritrean government is one of the most repressive and authoritarian in the world. We can’t celebrate a day that was supposed to give us a freedom that never came.

That is why this year OneDay Seyoum and Arbi Harnet have decided to encourage the Eritrean people to not celebrate Fenkil day together with their oppressors. Through a message recorded by me, Vanessa Berhe, the niece of Seyoum Tsehaye we are going to make calls to remind the people about the real meaning of Fenkil day. 

We now desperately need you help to finance these calls so that our message can spread to as many people as possible. Help us finance our calls to Eritrea to remind the people how ironic it is that the freedom that this day is supposed to represent instead has been imprisoned for 13 years. Any Fenkil celebrations without real freedom, democracy and our true heroes is just propaganda. 1 dollar is enough for 3 calls. Our goal is to make 10 000 calls.

Through our message, we are hoping to encourage them to show any kind of resistance and to remind them that the change we all want to see in the country needs to start from us. Because what is the purpose with celebrating sovereignty, when our people rather would risk their lives and flee than to stay?

What is the purpose with celebrating independence, when there is no freedom? 

Vanessa Berhe

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