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May 24, 2025, marks the 34th year since our country attained its sovereignty. Thousands of patriotic Eritreans wished to see this precious day but were not fortunate enough to witness it. Hundreds of thousands sacrificed their precious lives for the independence and freedom of our people. Thanks to their noble sacrifice, our country Eritrea has had its sovereignty recognized and has become a member of the United Nations. On this occasion, I extend congratulations to all our people, both at home and abroad.

However, because our country has fallen under a dictatorial regime, our people's rights have been violated, their freedoms stripped, and through indefinite, unpaid national service, their youth's potential has been extinguished, and it has become their fate to live a life of servitude. With one radio, one TV, one newspaper, and "Network 03," the dictatorial regime has been spreading confusing false information, numbing the minds of the people, and has been and continues to exploit our country's resources, and primarily our people, at its whim. The question that needs an answer is: How did we fall into this situation? And how can we overthrow the dictatorship and become free?

The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (later the People's Front for Democracy and Justice - PFDJ), which took control of Eritrea promising to establish constitutional governance allowing a multi-party system in a free Eritrea and to establish social justice, betrayed its promises. By terrorizing the people and imprisoning leaders and members of the EPLF (and its own ranks) whom it considered opponents, it spread the tentacles of dictatorship. And because the people took this abnormal situation as normal, stopped saying "enough" despite witnessing blatant oppression, and, whether out of fear or for personal gain, became complicit in the spread of an unjust culture; and because the opposition camp has been unable to be represented by one body and one voice, the life of the dictatorship has been prolonged, and the daily life of our people is going from bad to worse.

Because the dictatorial regime's hands are washed in blood, it is unthinkable that it will reform itself. As the saying goes, "The stick is in your hand, the snake is at your feet" – the solution, our people, is in your hands. There is no power that can rule you without your consent. The answer is: No to dictatorship! Yes to freedom!

Stand up for your rights! The martyrs did not sacrifice themselves for you to live cowering and hiding on Independence Day, fearing being snatched away, but for you to walk with your head held high in your country. Yes, they gave their precious lives for you to believe, think, express, organize, move, learn, farm, herd, and work as you wish; in short, for your general freedoms to be respected and for you to be governed by law and a constitution. Your duty is to protect the sovereign country they handed over to you through noble sacrifice and to reclaim your stripped rights.

On this occasion, I also call upon the opposition camp to make the necessary compromises to achieve, without delay, the unity that this current stage demands. There is no doubt that this is a step that will give hope to our people and accelerate the downfall of the dictatorship.

Gerezgiher Tewolde
Chairman of the Political Forces of Eritrea (EPF)

Victory to the just struggle of our people!!
Downfall to the dictatorial regime!!
Eternal memory to our martyrs!
Through Unity to Freedom!!