Achievements are measured by the objectives you outline to reach. The aim of all human beings is similar: improving their livelihood and establishing a peaceful and prosperous life. So as to attain such status in life, human beings have been, since ancient times, living together at family, village, community and national levels. Exerting their physical and psychological resources, they have achieved considerable civilization.

The objective of a nation and society is clear and similar to that of a family. A nation is an entity that organizes all its resources to ensure its interests and achieve development. Saying this, the central aim of any political organization or a government is applying maximum effort to ensure its interests. An effective government, therefore, is identified by the economic, social, political, organizational and cultural changes it makes.

The Eritrean people struggled and paid precious price to establish a free country in order to enable the coming generations lead a peaceful and free life. The Eritrean People’s Front for Democracy and Justice that lead the successful Eritrean Liberation Struggle is still striving to make a better future and prosperous nation for those who sacrificed their lives and those still doing so.

During the first seven years of independence, the Eritrean people, thanks to the responsible leadership they have, were able to rise from the ashes of the struggle and make substantial progress. Registering seven percent growth in every aspect of development, it was able to make a difference in the rehabilitation phase in a short period of time avoiding dependency and the culture of being recipient of foreign aid. Thus, it achieved a development that boosts the policy of self-reliance and that nurtures the culture of work. Had we not encountered the sudden Woyane invasion, it is easy to understand where we would have reached by this time in our development endeavors.

Since we didn’t halt our efforts, despite all the major challenges, our development activities didn’t stop. On the contrary, we were able to build major works for defending the invasion and that facilitated economic interaction; major agricultural projects, as part of our self reliance strategy were implemented in different parts of the country. What we accomplished at that critical situation has now become a symbol of achievement against dual challenges.

After the defeat of the Woyane offensives that was legally addressed in 2002, the Government of Eritrea declared a development campaign to swiftly heal the scars of the war and to boost its development works. The central motto of the Warsay-Yekealo Development Campaign emerges from the basic principle of self reliance that was nurtured by the EPLF during the 30 years long armed struggle. The Campaign has made considerable and fundamental changes in different parts of the country and in various sectors.

In order to multiply the limited national resources and reach the required goal, the economic rehabilitation is being carried out in three phases; first, the public has made substantial contribution in planting trees, soil and water conservation, terracing, and other similar works. Second, members of the defense forces also played a central role in construction activities. They carried out major projects that could not be accomplished by the public. Third, major PFDJ’s and Government owned construction companies such as Segen, Gedem, Roadup, ASBECO, Debeat, Wina, Homib, Mussa Ali, Sawa etc divided Eritrea in four parts—eastern and western lowland and northern and southern highlands---made and are making significant works in major construction projects.

Ensuring food security is the number one priority in the development campaign. The land for cultivation and that for agro industry development was enlarged and is showing results now. Major and strategic dams like, Fanko and Gerset and diversion canals that are able to cultivate a vast land were constructed and others are under construction. Similarly, a number of dams and micro dams were built all over the country and have already contributed to national agricultural production. Big projects of livestock raising, poultry, bee multiplying and others have progressed successfully and as a result milk products and meat and its products’ supply showed promising increase.

Regarding fish resources, delivery infrastructure, storage and other works have been under construction and some have already started production in Gelalo, Edei, Ti’o, Assab, Massawa, Marsa Teklay, Marsa Gulbub, Berasole, and Dahlak. Fish production is a necessity and a good food supply alternative with big potential in Eritrea.

The provision of potable water is another sector with priority that the development campaign focuses on. A number of projects have been carried out in remote areas of the country that once were deprived of this basic necessity. Hundreds of wells, water reservoirs and water distribution centers have been built. Hence, in some Zobas of our country, above 85 percent of our people have access to potable water. The works on improving the sewage and water pipes in the cities, major projects are established in Asmara, Keren, Dekemhare, Dbarwa, Mendefera, Ghindae, Sheb, Wadi-Labka and others.

regarding building residential houses, there are major projects in 12 cities that are expected to solve the major housing problem.

The current responsibility of the PFDJ, in short is establishing a strong economic democracy and justice, a base for political democracy and justice. This to happen, every section of the society has to have equal access to the basic necessities. Economic infrastructural construction that boosts development is being implemented towards that end.

The Massawa-Assab, Gahtelay-Wadi-Labka, Keren-Tesseney, Serejeka-Shebah, Kieru-Kerkebet, Abrara-Azhara-Meamide, Afabet-Kubkub-Felket Naro, Tsaedakrstian-Mekerka-Mensura…are some of the newly constructed major and important roads. Similarly, asphalting and widening the major streets of Asmara, Keren, Dekemhare, Adi-Keih, Ghindae, Akurdet, Barentu, has been finalized. In order to connect every village in the country with a trade center nearby, hundreds of roads were built and repaired. One of the major achievements in the road construction works is bridge building. Strategic bridges were built and repaired in different parts of the country and especially in the Asmara-Massawa road, Barentu-Tesseney, Gash, Solomuna. Modern airports were also built in Sawa and Massawa and a new one is under construction in Bisha.

The provision of equal access to education and training to citizens; improving and expanding the quality of education; avoiding waste in that sector is another priority of the economic development endeavors. Almost in every part of the country the number of schools has skyrocketed. People are able to attend from kindergarten up to high school in their localities. Colleges of business, agriculture, health, marine biology, social sciences, and a number of technical schools were also established in various parts of the country. The access to higher education that was only in Asmara is now distributed throughout the country: College of Social Sciences in Adikeih, College of Marine Resources in Massawa, College of Agriculture in Hamelmalo, College of Business and Economics in Halhale, College of Health Sciences in Asmara….

Healthy society builds a healthy nation. Since independence, the achievement that Eritrea registered in the health sector is remarkable. Now, we have regional referral hospitals in Asmara, Assab, Barentu, Medefera and Ghindae. Clinics and health centers are built in different villages, towns and cities. Above 90 percent of Eritrean children receive different kinds of vaccines regularly and Eritrea is one of the only five sub Sahara African countries that are expected to meet the development goals on the health sector in child care mortality rate. Thanks to the vigorous effort of the campaign conducted by the Ministry of Health, our people are aware that prevention is better than cure. Accordingly, in order to ensure the well being of the needy, disabled, families of fallen heroes, refugees, the displaced, orphans… the government spends above one billion Nakfa annually.

Improving communications so as to facilitate other development projects plays an important role. Providing mobile services, digitalizing fixed lines and introducing wireless lines are the major projects that have been accomplished and are still on progress.

Similarly, the development of public transportation in cities and villages largely improved through the government and private involvement. The Government imported a number of buses and made fees affordable to many people. Transportation companies such as Transhorn, Harat, Gemel, Lilo, Eri-Traco were established to facilitate public and cargo transportation.

Despite the rise of oil prices at the international level, what we have done on electrification is worthy of note. The rural electrification projects underway enabled many villages to have access to electricity and the development of renewable means of energy s also on the top. Although we have a long way to go on electrification, what we have done is promising.

Mining activities, especially in gold and natural gas, are being conducted in different parts of the country. Some of these have reached a level of production. In Bisha and Zara gold mining will start soon. The marble and granite mining in Gheleb, Gogne, Ghindae etc were established to supply local market as well as for export purposes.

Wheat, sugar, banana and tomato processing, fish and milk processing industries have already started production. Benefiting from the opportunity provided, many citizens have also set various factories in Asmara, Dekemhare, Dbarwa etc.

The work ahead of us, comparing the major challenges we faced in the last 18 years, is easier. Since we have established a strong base for our economic rehabilitation, the years to come are of a better future.

Source: Hidri January 2009, No. 42
By Abiel Solomon