Reports of 14th Eritrean Independence Day Celebrations in Stockholm- Sweden

Stockholm:- Activities commemorating the 14^th independence Day of Eritrea has started on 21^st , May 2005 at 12:00 local time in the city of Stockholm. The scheduled programs were first sports, then, political and cultural programs.

Sports

The games started at 12:00 local time and were completed at 16:00. There were four football teams that matched against one another. There were also basketball and volleyball teams that matched each other. The matches were friendly and was a symbol expressing the unity and mutual respect of Eritreans in diaspora.

Political and cultural programs

At 18:00 local time, the organizers made ready the Hall for celebrations. It was decorated by slogans commemorating, May 24^th with joy and happiness, when their sons entered Asmara and joined their parents, and now being deplored by the sufferings of our people under the tyrant rule of Essayas Afewerki for 14 years since independence. The two Eritrean flags were hanging at the front of the stadium as symbols of dialogue between the Eritrean diversity. The main slogan of the anniversary text read as follows,

Strengthening “Our Alliance” to build a democratic Eritrea

The slogan was written both in Arabic and Tigrinya languages.

14^th Independence Day celebrants started arriving at the place of celebration at six O’clock in the evening. The Eritrean diversity with its various cultural and religious flock together and made the celebration place, Eritrea in miniature. Eritrean Democratic Alliances grass roots and civil society members and all those who support the camp for democratization in Eritrea participated in huge number.

The first schedule of the political programme was the reading of the joint – statement drafted and resolved by the representatives of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance organization members and civil society organizations.( see a separate publication of the joint -statement in the Eritrean websites)

The statement was written in Arabic and Tigrinya and was read by the Organizing Committee. The statement praises the Eritrean peoples struggle and the achieved independence on 24^th May 1991, on one side, but critically condemns the wrong policies of the dictatorial regime and its destructive consequences that affected our people.

The statement bitterly criticised the opposition political organizations in their past misunderstandings between issues of national salvation and organizational interests, but welcomed and promoted the Eritrean Democratic Alliance formation as a an umbrella organization for all political organizations in the opposition camp.

Finally, the statement called all the Eritrean people to support and join the Eritrean Democratic Alliance in order to remove the dictator and free our people to decide their fate in peace and democracy.

Program of politicial comedy and songs

Mr. Yasin Idris has read his two political poems in Arabic language, commemorating the sufferings of our people and those who still suffer in the dungeons of the dictator without no trial. In his second version, he portrayed the past national struggle where our sisters and brothers sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their land and people.

Mr. Abdulkadir Habib presented his entertainment with songs in Swedish, English, Tigrinya , Tigre, Arabic. His songs and speeches were causing laughter and humorous.

Cultural and musical performance

Cultural music and dance has started at 22.00 local time at night. Eritrean musicians and vocalist singers participated. The festivities that has started on Saturday 21^st May concluded at 02.00 O`clock on the morning of Sunday 22^nd May 2005.

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