Eritrean 18th Independence Day Celebration Reports –Sweden

                                        By Eritrean Civil and Political Organizations

On Saturday 23 of May 2009 hundreds of civil society and political organization members and indivduals gathered in a huge hall at the Omega Restaurant in the city of Stockholm.

On this historical day, celebrants marked the thirty years’ of liberation armed struggle and the end of the Ethiopian occupation and underlined that the struggle from dictatorship to democracy will continue with hopeful future for our people suffering under the tyranny.

The celebrations started on Saturday 23rd of May at five o’clock in the afternoon and ended on Sunday morning at three o’clock .The Hall was decorated by placards and flags of the Eritrean and Swedish nations. The placards contained slogans demanding the release of all consciense and political prisoners, press freedom and some slogans raising the ashameful acts of the supporters of dictator in Eritrea- living in democracy and embracing dictatorship in Eritrea.

People of all age and sex- men women young and old were flocked together entertained by cultural music. Celebration Dinner was prepared at seven o’clock in evening. People made queue to take their dishes. After dinner, the joint committee of the political and civil scoiety organizations addressed the participants by welcome greeings and congratulations. A joint speech was read both in Arabic and Tigrinya languages. A short information on partnership with the social democratic party and EU parliament elections was given by Arhe Hamednaca, member leadership of the Stockholm’s Municipality.

The next program of the celebration was Eritrean Music and Cultural Dance. Our Music Band with its famous and vocalist singers like Temesgwn and Tecle  entertained the whole night without break and the dance floor was full of dancing youngsters of all colours until the end of the festivities.