20 June. Eritrean martyrs day: women fighters and broken promesies

The June 20 -2015 is the Day of Remembrance of the dead during the war years of Independence Eritrea, that ended in '91.



Since the 60s, the Eritrean "tegadelti" - guerrillas Tigrinya - hundreds participated in a struggle for independence that lasted more than 30 years, one of the longest in Africa. This year I want to commemorate Eritrean women: they were about 30% of the guerrillas. The story of Eritrean women in the last 50 years is littered with war, military service and violations of their human rights.

training of soldier women in the '60

We speak of brave women, strong, who sacrificed their youth alongside their brothers to give the next generations a peaceful existence. They fought for Eritrea where they could be free to study, graduate, dream and live in dignity.

They believed in the cause. Profoundly felt that the fight for a free State from the totalitarian regime Ethiopian DERG was also their task, not only of their husbands and brothers.
Which memory? broken promises

In the last 20 years instead they fled Eritrea in thousands, every month, not to be forced to a life of conscription as soldiers, of forced labour not to be part of a cause to which they do not believe.
The Eritrean who 30 years ago fought for a Free and Democratic Eritrea have been betrayed by the present regime of Isaias Afeworki which memory we commemorate June 20 us Eritreans?

21 century women sodliers and police,none are chosen profession

Never our women 20 years ago would have believed that their daughters and grandchildren would have to pay the price of a new dictatorship. Because this is the life of Eritrean women today: sexism, enslaving military service for decades, sexual violence and rape as a tool of control of women.

21st century young eritrean soldiers conscripted indefinitley

Crimes against humanity in Eritrea: UN report 2015
 
The UN report released on June 8 2015 (over 400 pages in English) shows that in Eritrea there is a systematic violation of human rights and sets out the faults of the government ruling party PFDJ. The inquiry committee has expressed its deep concern and belief that the Eritrean government is committing crimes against humanity.

proud freedom fighter in the'60

But the report is not the only evidence of memory betrayed the guerrillas: in Italy alone, men and women Eritreans arrived from January to May 2015 are 10,000. All asylum seekers, the Eritreans are no longer free and owners of their thought, let alone to decide about their future and their children.


This is to commemorate the memory of a people that has learned from its history to lead a non-violent struggle and peaceful activism to attract the attention of the international community on the violation of human rights that have been going for over 20 years.

Eritrean women soldiers marching graduation day