On the Eve of Eritrean Independence: Remembering the Silenced Voices of Eritrean Journalists

20/05/2026 03:18 AM

On the Eve of Eritrean Independence:
Remembering the Silenced Voices of Eritrean Journalists

By Dr Thomas Araya

On the Eve of Eritrean Independence: Remembering the Silenced Voices of Eritrean Journalists.
Dr Thomas Araya

As Eritreans around the world prepare to commemorate the independence of Eritrea, there is both pride and pain carried in the hearts of many citizens. Independence Day is meant to symbolize freedom, dignity, sacrifice, and the right of a people to determine their own destiny. Yet for many Eritreans, the celebration is incomplete without remembering the journalists who disappeared simply because they fulfilled their professional and moral duty: informing the public.

Independent journalism is not a crime. Asking questions is not treason. Telling the truth should never lead to imprisonment, disappearance, or death. Yet in Eritrea, courageous journalists became targets because they believed the people deserved access to information, accountability, and open dialogue.

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In September 2001, the government of Eritrea shut down the independent press and arrested journalists, editors, and reform-minded citizens. Many were taken without warrants, without trials, and without communication with their families. To this day, the fate of many remains unknown. Some are believed to have died in prison under harsh and inhumane conditions, while others remain disappeared in secret detention centers.

Among those imprisoned was Dawit Isaak, a journalist and writer whose case became internationally recognized as a symbol of the struggle for press freedom in Eritrea. But Dawit Isaak was not alone. Many other Eritrean journalists vanished into silence because they dared to practice independent journalism with integrity and courage.

These journalists did not carry weapons. They carried pens, cameras, notebooks, and ideas. Their mission was not to destroy Eritrea, but to strengthen it through truth and public awareness. Journalism, at its core, exists to serve society by giving voice to citizens, exposing injustice, and preserving transparency. A nation cannot fully prosper when fear replaces dialogue and silence replaces truth.

The disappearance of Eritrean journalists represents more than the imprisonment of individuals; it symbolizes the suppression of an entire society’s right to know, think, question, and participate freely in national life. When journalists are silenced, the public is also silenced.

On this eve of independence, Eritreans must ask an important question: What is the meaning of independence if citizens cannot speak freely, write freely, or seek truth without fear?

True independence is not measured only by territorial sovereignty or national flags. It is measured by the dignity and freedoms enjoyed by the people themselves. A nation becomes stronger—not weaker—when it allows criticism, independent thought, and free expression. Journalists are not enemies of the state; they are guardians of public accountability and historical memory.

Today, as songs of liberation are sung and flags are raised, we must also remember the missing voices—the journalists whose families still wait for answers, whose children grew up without parents, and whose colleagues continue to live in exile or fear.

Their stories must not be forgotten.

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Remembering them is not an act of division; it is an act of conscience. It is a recognition that the struggle for Eritrea did not end with independence in 1991. The struggle for justice, rule of law, human dignity, and freedom of expression continues.

The imprisoned and disappeared journalists of Eritrea deserve recognition not only as victims, but as patriots who believed that truth and accountability are essential pillars of nationhood. History will remember them not for their silence, but for their courage.

As Eritrea marks another year of independence, may we honor those silenced voices by continuing to advocate for justice, transparency, reconciliation, and the fundamental freedoms that every Eritrean deserves.

Because journalism is not a crime.

And truth should never disappear behind prison walls

ሕጋዊ ትካላት፡ ንምህናጽ ጥዑይ ሃገረ-መንግስቲ።
Legal Institutions for a healthy State. (Snitna 01-Feb-2025) P1/4

Part-1 of 4: Part-2 of 4: Part-3 of 4: Part-4 of 4:

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