by Sirak Kifle
The timeless words of Yemane Barya’s iconic song ደላይ ሰላም (In Pursuit of Peace), “ቕንጣብ መሬት ይዀን፡ ዕማኾ ሓመድና፡ ኣሕሊፍና ኣይንህብን ንጣብ ማይ ባሕርና” echo in the heart of every Eritrean. Loosely translated, it means: “A handful of our soil, we shall never surrender. A single drop of our Red Sea water, we shall never give away.”
More than just lyrics, these words embody the soul of a nation. They are a vow to our martyrs, a legacy passed down from one generation to the next, and a solemn duty for every Eritrean child, adult, and elder.
For Eritrea, independence was not gifted — it was earned through decades of sacrifice. We faced Emperor Haile Selassie, backed by the full weight and influence of the United States. We faced Mengistu Hailemariam, armed and sustained by the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies. Against all odds, and through thirty long years of bitter struggle, we prevailed — but at a staggering cost: over 60,000 of our bravest men and women, the very flower of our society, laid down their lives so that Eritrea might live free.
Even after independence, the struggle did not end. In 1998–2000, Eritrea was once again forced to defend its sovereignty against Ethiopia under the EPRDF regime, supported and encouraged by Western powers. This time, another 19,000 of our young sons and daughters gave their lives to ensure that Eritrea’s borders remained intact and its freedom uncompromised.
Three generations of Eritreans — spanning more than 80 years — have borne the weight of resisting Ethiopian aggression and expansionist ambitions.
This continuity of sacrifice has forged one of the most united peoples in Africa and, unquestionably, one of the most resilient and battle-tested armies on the continent. Eritrea’s unity and determination are not abstract ideals; they are realities carved out of pain, blood, and unwavering resolve.
Today, as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recklessly toys with the idea of seizing Eritrea’s sovereign port of Assab, he risks igniting a catastrophe of his own making. Such a miscalculation would not only prove disastrous for Ethiopia, already fragile and fragmented, but could very well hasten its disintegration.
Eritreans, however, remain steadfast and unmoved. For us, the land and the sea are not negotiable commodities. They are sacred inheritance — untouchable, indivisible, and eternal.
The promise of Yemane Barya’s song lives on. Every Eritrean knows it by heart, sings it with pride, and carries its message as an oath: our soil and our sea will never be given away.
ዓወት ንሓፋሽ
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