The great Eritrean people can be proud of gaining independence 35 years ago. But shame on the regime which has kept the nation as a prison camp and its citizens without rights. I hope Isaias does open to better US relations; that will speed his downfall. state.gov/releases/office-of…

Keynote Address by President Isaias Afwerki on the Occasion of 35th Independence Anniversary Asmara, 24 May 2026 *"...The establishment of a new global order founded upon fairness and justice must be regarded as one of humanity’s foremost missions and should not be relegated to the side-lines". *"...Last year, I addressed issues in what we call our neighbourhood; specifically, the Nile Basin, the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Gulf, with particular reference to Ethiopia and the Sudan. Because the global vulnerability of the region has worsened, following the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the importance of collective security mechanism based on an agreement and cooperation among the States in the neighbourhood – rather than the normalized interventionist policies of self-proclaimed regional powers and external actors – that we have been advocating for long has, once again, become abundantly clear.  It is high-time that serious efforts are exerted towards this end". *"...As it will be recalled, I had elaborated, during last year’s Independence Day celebrations, on our development programmes and priorities across various sectors. While the concept itself is not new, the short-term objective remains improving our people’s livelihood, with priority to marginalized and underserved regions.  The broader and long-term development programme consists of extricating the country from subsistence economy.  It encompasses strengthening productivity, ensuring sustainable growth in production, laying the foundations for advanced processing and value-added industrial manufacturing, and service sectors. Beyond the economic dimension, these priorities also extend to encompass the diplomatic and informational domains". *"...Road and transportation projects will be expanded according to plan. Extensive housing programmes will also proceed in parallel.  Implementation of projects aimed at expanding electricity and water services will start within this year in spite of potential delays in supply chains.  In the sphere of social services, particular emphasis will be placed on education, beginning from the pre-school level with broad popular participation. Likewise, the expansion of quality healthcare services will be pursued vigorously". *"...Kudos to the dedicated, hardworking, courageous, patient, and steadfast people of Eritrea, along with the ever-present Defense Forces; the kernel, strong shield, and cornerstone of our development programs.   Even if obstacles are encountered, there is no cause for apprehension. Rest assured!" shabait.com/2026/05/24/keyno…

Messages of Congratulations President Donald Trump of the United States, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh of Mongolia, President Hakainde Hichilema of the Republic of Zambia, President Anura Kumara Disanayaka of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have sent messages of congratulations to the people and Government of Eritrea on the occasion of the 35th Independence anniversary. In their messages, sent on behalf of their respective countries and themselves, the leaders conveyed their best wishes for good health to President Isaias Afwerki, as well as peace and prosperity to the Eritrean people. They also expressed their countries’ readiness to enhance mutual relations and cooperation with Eritrea and to work together on issues of mutual interest. In his message, President Donald Trump said that the American people join him in congratulating the people and Government of Eritrea on the 35th anniversary of Eritrea’s independence, May 24. He also expressed respect and admiration for the steadfast spirit and resilience of the Eritrean people, as well as for their dedication to Eritrea’s national sovereignty. President Donald Trump further noted that, consistent with the sentiment he expressed in his letter to President Isaias last year, and with the previous era now behind us, he believes the time is right to move forward and work together on shared peace and prosperity across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. King Charles III also said that Eritrea’s experience in conserving water and protecting its precious natural resources offers valuable lessons as communities everywhere adapt to environmental change. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, for his part, said that at a time when the Horn of Africa and the Middle East are passing through great challenges, Germany desires to work in partnership with Eritrea to ensure peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond. #Eritrea

President Isaias Afwerki received, at the Denden Guest House in the late morning hours today, senior Egyptian delegation composed of Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty; the Minister of Transportation, Lt. General Engineer Kamel Alwazir; and CEO's of several companies involved in the transport, energy and mining sectors. The extensive discussions centered on further enhancement of all-rounded bilateral ties of cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual importance. President Isaias underlined the significance of consolidating the all-rounded ties between Eritrea and Egypt to advance the mutual interests of the Eritrean and Egyptian peoples. In this respect, President Isaias expressed Eritrea's readiness to implement common projects in collaboration with Egyptian economic and trade companies. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for his part, stated that the current visit was a manifestation and expression of the brotherly ties of friendship and cooperation that exist between the peoples of Eritrea and Egypt. The principal purpose of the visit was to further consolidate economic and trade ties between the two countries in accordance with the guidelines charted out by President Isaias Afwerki and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Dr. Badr noted. On the occasion, the two countries signed an Agreement on Marine Transport "for developing cooperation in the sector with a view to contributing to the development of international shipping on the basis of the principles of the freedom of navigation". The Agreement was signed by Eritrea's Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Berhane Tesfaselassie, and Egyptian Minister of Transport, Lt. General Kamel Alwazir.

The defamation campaign against Eritrea has spiked in the past few weeks for rather obvious and predictable reasons and underlying motives. This campaign, which has been going on for almost two decades now in the aftermath of the border conflict with Ethiopia, could not have gained traction in the first place without the support of certain countries. The playbook is boringly the same; utilize, for reasons of outward credibility, spurious and coordinated "testimonies" of handpicked Special Rapporteurs within the UNHRC platform; some obscure NGO's; and other narrow interest groups who have never set foot and are generally clueless about the country. As intimated above, the defamatory agenda is being resuscitated these days with more outlandish accusations and manufactured narratives. Obvious aim is to continue the unwarranted harassment of Eritrea through the UNHRC and its ilk. "እቶም ኣኽላባት ይነብሑ፥ ገመል ይመርሽ!" እዩ እቲ ነገሩ። x.com/ERMedia91/status/20539…

Press Statement The Backdrop of Unwarranted Sanctions Ministry of Information Asmara, 6 May 2026 "There are reports these days that the illegal and unilateral US sanctions will soon be lifted. We earnestly hope that this act will indeed herald an enduring rectification of misguided policies to ensure justice, legality and fairness". shabait.com/2026/05/06/the-b…

President Isaias Afwerki received, at the Denden Guest House this evening, Ambassador Dr. Emmaneul Bulukani, who delivered a message to him from his Zimbabwean counterpart, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. In the meeting, President Isaias underlined the imperative for Africa to embark on expansive ventures of value-addition for processing its vast natural resources which will, in turn, enable the Continent to assume its rightful place in the global order as well as enhance and accelerate mutual partnerships and cooperation between all the African countries. In a press statement to the Eritrean News Agency, Ambassador Bulukani expressed Zimbabawe's readiness to cultivate and work out concrete programmes of bilateral cooperation with Eritrea and further consolidate coordination and alignment of their respective positions at multilateral forums such as the AU and the UN.

President Isaias Afwerki received, at the Denden Guest House in the early evening hours today, credentials of the Ambassadors of Japan and India (both Resident); and, the Ambassadors of Brazil, Slovakia, Canada, Thailand and Armenia (Non-Resident) respectively. The Ambassadors conveyed messages of goodwill from their Heads of State and Government to President Isaias Afwerki and expressed the readiness of their countries to enhance all-rounded ties of bilateral cooperation. In statements to the Eritrean News Agency, the Ambassadors of India and Canada emphasized the commitment of their respective countries to promote and consolidate development cooperation and partnership with Eritrea in various sectors.

Eritrea's senior delegation met today Lieutenant General Kamel El-Wazir, the Minister of Transport; Mr. Mahmoud Esmat, the Minister of Electricity and Renewal Energy; Mr. Alaa Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; as well as officials of the Egyptian Drug Authority and CEO's of other companies and institutions. Themes discussed in these meetings include: opportunities and prospects of effective cooperation between the two countries in transport, and especially sea transport; exchange of best practices and collaboration on renewable energy; cooperation on food-processing; and, overall enhancement of trade in several areas.

Eritrea's senior delegation composed of Mr. Hagos Gebrehiwet, Head of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Nesredin Saleh, the Minister of Trade and Industry, met yesterday evening in Cairo, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdelatty and Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, for extensive discussions on enhancement of bilateral economic ties. The Eritrean delegation is scheduled to meet with several Ministers and business enterprises during its three-day official visit.

President Isaias Afwerki met, at the Denden Guest House in the late afternoon hours today, Ambassador Hu Changchun, China's Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa. President Isaias Afwerki re-iterated Eritrea's readiness to consolidate its constructive engagement with the People's Republic of China, stressing the imperative for a more prominent role of China in various global and regional matters in these tumultuous times of heightened turmoil and instability. President Isaias further alluded to Africa's immense natural and human endowments and underlined the invaluable role that China is expected to play in the development and enhancement of these resources. Ambassador Hu Changchun, for his part, expressed China's readiness to work with Eritrea to deepen the existing bilateral strategic partnership for mutual benefit as well as leverage synergetic development strategies for the joint promotion of peace and stability across the Horn of Africa.

#Eid Mubarak; Eid al-Fitr celebrated at Asmara's Bahti Meskerem Square in the early morning hours today in the presence of Government officials, members of the diplomatic community, & the faithful. Keynote address & blessings delivered by the Mufti, Sheikh Salim Ibrahim Al Mukhtar. The event was broadcast Live on Eri-Tv and Radio Dimtsi Hafash. Similar celebrations held all over the nation.