“Never Kneel Down” is the symbol of Eritrean resilience and blood type with an immunity to address any challenge. Unity, self-reliance, equality, rule of law, discipline and creativity hold tight to each other to make up this unbeatable national spirit. Since it is the secret behind all our historical and contemporary victories, we can’t define our identity and imagine our future without it.
We, the Eritrean people have been in a strong resilience against external challenges for centuries, due to our strategic position in the horn of Africa. Inaugurated with the Turkish colonization in the 16th century, we robustly fought against the Egyptian, Italian, British Military Administration and Ethiopian colonization for our freedom. Gradually within these centuries of resilience and search for freedom our golden national norms and values; unity, equality, self-reliance, patriotism, nationalism, creativity and discipline thrived.
Before the arrival of the Italians we suffered the Turkish and Egyptian furious expansion, as well as the looting and raids of Tigray and Amhara war lords. Such political and socio-economic situations prevented us from a strong resistance against the Italian colonization in 1890. To avoid any resistance, the Italians imprisoned many of our feudal lords with their servants and in response unorganized extensive resistance ignited.
When the Italian rule was defeated and replaced by the British Military Administration(BMA), Eritrean askiers had a decisive role history could not forget. The BMA had an agenda to partition us among our neighbouring states, Sudan and Ethiopia, using religion as a tool, however, our resilience threw away the agenda and we remained united.
When the Second World War ended in 1945, the future of our country continued controversially amongst the victorious powers, due to our strategic position. In the end, in 1950, due to US’s strategic interest we were unjustly federated with Ethiopia. When the Ethiopian regime gradually dismantled the federation and annexed Eritrea, our peaceful resistance developed to an armed resistance, on September 1, 1961. In spite of the regimes’ intensive atrocities and campaigns with the heavy support of great powers, our resilience silenced the injustice and won freedom on May 24, 1991.
Post-independence, our free political path traumatized those with the whim to rule the world alone. To kneel us down, countless intensive political and economic campaigns were executed like sanctions and military aggressions. Nevertheless, none of those campaigns were competent to outwit our resilience, thus, we won against all odds and are self-reliantly marching towards our bright future.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, with our organization and mobilization of limited resources, we stood resilient and healthy. History remembers the moment the world was in shock to address this pandemic. On such global crisis our resilience was our vaccine, it enabled us to stay conscious and organized to self-reliantly combat the crisis.
Today, our resilience is changing the clock, when the radiation of our tenacity opens the eyes of the blind powers to witness our victories. Our great achievements in the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), safeguarding of our Sovereignty and other development sectors are the prizes of our resilience. With our limited resources and culture of resilience we are marching towards our vision, changing the challenges to opportunities.
Resilience couldn’t stand alone without sacrifice. When we choose to be resilient, sacrifice is inevitable. They are two intimate values that are holding us strong in the region highlighted with conflicts and natural disaster. The generational sacrifices paid is not easy, however it has carried us closer to the vision where Eritrea becomes peaceful, respected and prospers.
In conclusion, “Never Kneel Down” is the symbol of our resilience. Regardless of our quantity with the spirit of resilience, we are able to ride in the safest route of our national vision with waves of challenges. So as to reach the highest peak of development, we all have to cultivate, narrate and transfer this symbol to the coming generations.
Written by Kidane Shmendi