The ultimate victorious outcome of war emanating out of an illegal intrusion or attack on a nation, no matter how long it might take, does not depend on the amount of money, ammunition or size of army that the intruder might have at their disposal, but rather more on the courage, determination, selflessness and strong sense of duty and love for country, felt by those who fight back merely to defend their rights and sovereignty, not only confident because truth is on their side, but also because of their strong belief and faith in it, and so, no matter how long it might take, with resilience to achieve justice and victory, would fight to the end, until their last breath, even if they never had the slimmest assurances or guarantee that they would live long enough to witness, enjoy and share the glory of the results of their achievement with their fellow fighters, and with their people. This is how the Eritrean struggle of 30 long years was won.
As the good book, The Christian Bible, says: "There is no greater love than, that a man lay down his life for another." And so, this is the story about our martyred Eritrean sisters and brothers; a story which has given us our freedom and independence, which we Eritreans are proudly enjoying today, always remembering how it was brought about, and always making us, consciously, as well as conscientiously, forever thankful and grateful for the great sacrifice that was made so that the Ertirean people may at last be able to walk tall, remembering always that there was a time when we had no home to go back to. The expulsion of Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin by the woyane in 1998 should be a reality which should always be remembered and never be allowed to ever happen again.
Although much has been achieved since independence, our martyred brothers and sisters would not be pleased with the situation in our region as regards to peace, in its current state, and the effects it is having on Eritrea and her people, especially the situation with our southern neighbour, how it had deceived and betrayed us, causing us unmentionable damage, and how in collaboration with the western powers, who never had raised a finger to help during our struggle, but were rather the cause of it all, are now trying to interfere in our everyday lives, causing us to be in the state of perpetual vigilance, thus slowing us down from achieving our main goals for the successful future of our people and country.
But, on the other hand, our martyred brothers and sisters would certainly be proud of the way Eritrea is confronting the situation by still fighting for the truth and for what is right, in order to maintain her sovereignty and dignity; a sovereignty and dignity which had come at a very high price and a great deal of sacrifice, which is always worth fighting for, even with our very own lives. To that end, our martyred brothers and sisters would surely be proud.
In the same way that we of a certain age never really understood, or could visualize or empathize with our parents, or their peers, when they spoke of the atrocities committed during the Italian occupation era, today's young people as well might not understand the difference between now, and the period before independence, except for the fact that, if they are smart enough, they might want to know the reason behind why so many Eritrean immigrants were scattered in different parts of the world, and why some of them were born in foreign lands, if all had been well back home.
It is encouraging to see that, since independence, many Eritrean families are taking their summer holidays visiting their newly liberated country where they can find a sense of belonging and assimilation, feel identified and proud to be an Eritrean. I also commend the parents who are making it a point to instill the pride of being an Eritrean in their children, the next generation, teaching them that, being an Eritrean is a privilege since we are a very unique people, with an extraordinary psyche of high morals, values and principles which, inherited from our forefathers, flows in our veins, and which has become the envy of some around the world, while we are respected for it by others, to whom we can become role models.
Rest in peace our beloved brothers and sisters, and thank you.
