Eritrea Celebrates Independence 24 May 2023
By Joy Osiagwu
The State of Eritrea occupies a strategic and significant area in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti. With a population of 6.2 million and the capital city in Asmara, the nation won its independence from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993, after a 30-year war.
Tension in the area was extremely high up until 2018 when Ethiopia produced a diplomatic initiative that finally ended the war between both countries. The long years of conflict devastated the economy of the one-party nation and militarized society. The main languages spoken by the people are Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, English, Beja, Kunama, Saho, Bilen, Nara, and Afar. The State is famous as one of the popular port cities in Africa inhabited since the sixth century BC and situated on the Zula Gulf on the Red Sea, close to south Massawa.
Isaias Afwerki is the President of Eritrea. He became President after the State gained independence in 1993. He led the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front to triumph on 24 May 1991 after capturing the Eritrean capital Asmara to form a provisional government and began the process of ending the protracted war, leading to the independence of the State. The Eritrean people voted for independence in 1993.
Current Governance Structure.
Eritrea operates a single-party presidential system. The President is the head of state and head of government.
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The government of Eritrea is working towards eliminating Malaria from the state. Malaria is one of the most common endemic diseases and frequent causes of death in the world, especially the African continent. However, several developed countries have succeeded in eliminating Malaria, while some developing nations have successfully managed to control it.
Although it has shown political will in controlling malaria, Eritrea has not totally come out of the woods. It has therefore intensified efforts and shown interest in applying preventive treatment systems for its people as they march toward total elimination.
The Eritrean National Malaria Control Program in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and related partners has been working together to stop the spread of the disease through various techniques, such as vector control, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying of insecticides, and Larval source management. The World Health Organization (WHO) report for 2023 indicates that Malaria occurs more in tropical and Subtropical nations.
Eritrea -Ottawa Connections
The Eritrean Community Association – Ottawa (ECAO) was founded in 2002. The Association is an independent non-profit, non-political & non-religious organization. ECAO’s goal is to unite all Eritreans and their non-Eritrean friends living within the Greater Ottawa Area, by catering to their social needs through social events such as celebrating national events, setting up picnics, sports events, and many more.
ECAO’s official email: [email protected]. The ECAO has a Facebook page with 146 members.
The Consulate of Eritrea is at 75 Albert Street, Suite 610, K1P5E7 Phone number: 613-234-398
Joy Osiagwu is a Project Officer with Black History Ottawa. She has over two decades of experience as a broadcast journalist in Nigeria and North America. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom, plus a post-graduate diploma in Broadcast Performing Arts from the Columbia Academy, Vancouver, British Columbia.