Excerpts from an article titled A Call from a Sister written by Zeineb Ali memorializing the events of September 18th 2001

On September 22, 2021, Zeineb Ali wrote an article titled A Call from a Sister to memorialize the events of September 18th 2001, when the nation's most prominent political leadership was detained, and all independent newspapers were banned. The flame of a courageous political initiative launched twenty-four years ago still burns brightly. Let us ensure it continues to blaze. Please see excerpts from the article below:

Our heroes

The detention of our heroes—and I call them heroes for their demonstrated valor and dedication during our struggle for democracy, as they have displayed heroic acts during the war of independence—will not deter us from advancing the cause of freedom. The imprisonment of political opponents is a familiar tactic of repressive regimes seeking to crush the spirit of democracy.

History is filled with examples: Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, as was Kim Dae-jung, the former President of South Korea. The late Corazon Aquino of the Philippines, Lech Walesa of Poland, Václav Havel of Czechoslovakia, and Mahatma Gandhi all endured persecution before ultimately prevailing. Our heroes, too, will prevail because their cause is just.

They will surely reappear on the Eritrean political scene with grace and dignity. They have committed no "crime against the people and nation"; they merely followed a legal and peaceful path to make their voices heard. Their line of thinking is noble, seeking to make the Eritrean people aware of the impending debacle if matters are not set right.

This article is a tribute to you and your noble ideas. Do not give up. Heroes never do.

The independent press

I call them the pioneers of independent thought. They are not dead. They will soon witness their own rebirth, done with grace and majesty. They have already introduced a new culture into the Eritrean body politic: a culture of decency, free flow of information, the exchange of ideas, public awareness, and courage. It is a culture daring enough to shake the foundations of a cowardly and lawless regime.

Nor will their closure deter the tempered will of Eritreans to fight back. Cyberspace stands ready as a substitute, a place to raise their banner high once again. Thank God we are part of the global community. Thank God we can make our voices heard using the technology other human beings have given us.