It was about 10 o’clock in the morning hours. Tsega, our neighbor, told us to listen to the pleading messages transmitted through the Asmara radio made by the second revolutionary army of the Ethiopian regime. The essence of the messages was to urge the Eritrean People Liberation Front to secure the safety of the members of second revolutionary army and their families and Asmara residents stay home. Though, we came to understand that the army was on the verge of collapse, we didn’t expect that independence was within hours. And, it was feared that if the EPLF did not heed the pleading, the Ethiopian army would eventually slaughter the residents cold bloodily.

The heavy noise of the artillery bombardment that was launched from Dekemhare calmed down for awhile. When I heard the radio’s message, with out telling my mom, I left home and went to my friend Negasi. Our neighborhood near Ema Sweater Factory, [adjacent to the present Savanna Hotel] despite being a high traffic area, that day unlike the past, was calm. In an hour time, we saw only one man riding a bicycle. The soldiers, who prevent us to seat in the factory’s area themselves were no where to be seen in their sand-filled containers which they used as a trench.

Suddenly, a frightened soldier came out of the Sweater factory and asked as in Amharic, if there’s a telephone in the area. His general stance was tense and we were too terrified to respond immediately.

“I am talking to you,” he blared out with his eyes wide open.
The frightened Negasi replied that there was a telephone in Ato Tsegay’s house. He went to the house and returned back immediately. “Did you see where my compatriots are headed to,” the soldier asked.

Panicky, we replied negatively and he told us that he would go to Kagnew Station and swiftly headed towards the Niyala Hotel. The general atmosphere, being tense, I decided to return back home. When I turned left toward Ema Sweater Factory, a unit from the Ethiopian soldiers dispatched from the then Ethiopian Naval Base, currently Denden Secondary School, was heading toward the factory. I, frightened, kept some distance for fear of any repercussion; I waited for awhile till they left the area and entered home. When I told my mother my ordeal, she couldn’t control her emotions at all. Earlier I had disregarded her message and that made her furious.

At about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, I heard a weird noise in the area. It was like a noise that a swarm of bees creates. I told my mother about it. Regardless of my information, my mother ordered me and my siblings not to get out of the house and she begun to pray God kneeling down. My little siblings, frightened, climbed to bed and kept silent. I, out of curiosity, felt I should go out again and find out what’s going on. And in no time, I got out of the house and went around Niyala Hotel.

Then, I saw our neighbor Dehab, running and ululating in today’s Semaetat Avenue, holding her child on her chest. Everyone, of every age strata was cheering wildly, hugging each other and reverberating: “Wesede Wedi Ere Beal Sre.”

I met my friends, Negasi and Mussie at the Niyala Hotel entrance. We hugged each other as if we hadn’t met for ages. We instantly climbed to the leave-adorned tank and made our selves a part of the cheering crowd. When we reached around Cinema Roma, I saw Dehab with her bare breast and her child hold by one hand. The child, couldn’t reach out to her mother’s breast, was licking her fingers. Poor her, I said!

When we reached Ambassador Hotel, all those climbed on the tank told to got down for security reasons, we heard gun shots from the public toilet adjacent to Cathedral. The bullets fired by two members of the second revolutionary guard, were seemingly meant to create havoc and cause huge causality in the cheering crowd. As a result two ladies were caught amid the fire and announced dead later. The soldiers were instantly killed by the EPLF fighters. At that time we felt twin emotions. Overjoyed for we liberated from brutal Dergue regime and at the time we felt pity for the loss of the ladies.

For the third time, I saw Dehab her left breast still bared, cheering wildly on the crowd. I wondered whether she totally mesmerized by the joy. I wept wildly out of sheer euphoria.

Friday, 24 of May, 1991 not only did it left a mark on my memory, but on my life as well.

Translated By: Mansour Nouredin
Source: Hidri Magazine
May 2009, Special Issue, Number 46