By: Hussein Issa Akili (Abu Mahmoud)
A common mistake made by some brothers [and sisters] is to confuse the Eritrean nation as a historical, geographical, and popular entity with the ruling regime represented by the Popular Front (Hagadef – [PFDJ]). This confusion is dangerously reflected when the crimes
and violations committed by the regime against the Eritrean people are projected onto the nation itself. Anger at the tyrannical authority then transforms into a hostile stance toward the nation, its land, its people, and its identity.
Eritrea is a nation founded through immense sacrifices, and its soil is drenched in the blood of martyrs who fought for independence, dignity, and sovereignty. The current regime, however, is merely a passing political phase, no matter how long it lasts, and it cannot reduce the nation to its individual or its policies. It is wrong, indeed unjust, to burden the nation with tyranny. The nation is constant, while the regime is changeable.
More dangerously, some voices have gone too far, supporting or justifying Ethiopian demands to amend Eritrean sovereignty, as if they find in the regime’s crimes a justification for undermining the nation’s borders and status. This, in reality, is a position that neither serves the Eritrean people nor helps them free themselves from tyranny. Rather, it weakens the unity of the national front and provides justification for the enemies of Eritrean sovereignty.
A responsible national stance requires a clear separation between the regime and the nation:
We condemn the regime’s crimes without hesitation and stand with the rights of the Eritrean people, in all their components, including the Afar people of Dankalia, to freedom, democracy, justice, and a dignified life.
At the same time, we adhere to Eritrea’s sovereignty and the unity of its land and people, as a constant that cannot be compromised.
We also believe that the ultimate choice in self-determination must remain the exclusive right of the people, with no guardianship over the people.
Eritrea, as a nation, is greater than any regime and more enduring than any authority. Anyone who attempts to weaken its sovereignty or confuse it with the regime serves the nation’s enemies more than it serves its just cause.
I conclude with what I began my article with: The nation is constant, but the regime is changeable.
September 20, 2025
