[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 19898-19899]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ARTICLE BY AMBASSADOR ASMEROM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2003

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call to the attention of the House 
of Representatives an article by Girma Asmerom, Ambassador of Eritrea 
to the United States. His article celebrates July 4th, American 
Independence Day, and discusses the challenges of the young independent 
nation of Eritrea. Highlighting Eritrea's developing democratic system 
and successful campaign to stamp out corruption, Ambassador Asmerom 
states that his people seek ``trade and investment, not handouts from 
our partners and taxpayers.'' I thank Ambassador Asmerom for his kind 
words during July, the month we celebrate America's independence, and 
wish the people of Eritrea well in the days ahead.
  I submit the article by Ambassador Asmerom into the Record at this 
point.

                 [From the Metro Herald, July 4, 2003]

                    A Tale of Two Independence Days

                           (By Girma Asmerom)

       When Americans celebrate their Independence Day on July 4, 
     they commemorate 227 years of struggle to create a free and 
     prosperous society. The fruits of that struggle are here 
     around us, to observe and to enjoy.
       America did not emerge from British colonial rule fully 
     formed as a complete, liberal, democratic state. The outcome 
     of the American Revolution was not a foregone conclusion on 
     July 4, 1776, and even after the peace treaty with Britain 
     was signed in 1783, it was unclear whether the 13 colonies 
     along the eastern seaboard would continue to exist in 
     harmony.
       The American Constitution (1789) and the Bill of Rights 
     (1791) laid the foundations for a free society. But bumps 
     along the road were sure to come, and they did. The Alien and 
     Sedition Acts of 1798 threatened the freedoms guaranteed by 
     the First Amendment (freedoms not fully clarified through the 
     judicial process until after World War I!). The War of 1812 
     threatened a loss of independence through invasion by the 
     former colonial power, Great Britain. And although the 
     Declaration of Independence clearly stated that ``all men are 
     created equal,'' slavery did not end until the U.S. Civil War 
     was fought and half a million Americans died in it.
       Every American, no doubt, can relate a favorite story from 
     American history that shows how, through trial and error, the 
     United States has evolved--through blood, sweat, toil, and 
     tears, as Winston Churchill put it in another context--making 
     Independence Day celebrations that much more precious.
       Imagine, then, what it must be like to live in a country 
     that has been independent of foreign domination for only a 
     few years--to be precise, twelve years.
       That is what it is like for my country, Eritrea. After 
     successive colonization by Turkey (1557-1865), Egypt (1865-
     1884), Italy (1890-1941), Britain (1942-1952), and Ethiopia 
     (1952-1991), we commemorated 12 years of independence just a 
     few weeks ago, on May 24.
       For three relentless decades, the Eritrean people fought 
     for independence against Ethiopian occupation and incredible 
     odds without any assistance from governments or outside 
     forces. We achieved self-determination

[[Page 19899]]

     through a U.S.-supervised referendum in 1993. We are 
     developing a democratic system in keeping with the values of 
     our people and with their full support. We have indeed taken 
     measures to protect our national security, as is our right--
     indeed, our obligation to our people. We are proud of the 
     achievements of our country over a little more than a decade.
       In that time, Eritrea has challenged the scourge of 
     developing countries, government corruption, which is, 
     admittedly, endemic in much of Africa. I am happy to report 
     that the U.S. Department of State pointed out in 1998: 
     ``Corruption is not a significant barrier or hindrance to 
     investment or trade in Eritrea.'' The distinguished Canadian 
     journalist, Peter Worthington, added: ``. . . while [Eritrea 
     is] the world's newest independent state (1993) and one of 
     Africa's poorest countries, it's also the safest, least 
     corrupt, most self-reliant.''
       Like the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Eritrea 
     has spent the past dozen years emerging from the 
     strangulation of Soviet-backed Ethiopian occupation. Like the 
     United States in its formative years, six years after its 
     independence, under the pretext of border conflict, Eritrea 
     suffered invasion by its former colonial overlord (Ethiopia), 
     leading to the death of 120,000 Ethiopians and 19,000 
     Eritreans, as well as displacement of countless families. 
     This war also brought massive economic destruction to both 
     countries.
       One of our major challenges is the current unprecedented 
     famine. This is a temporary situation brought about as a 
     consequence of a complete failure of rains last year, in 
     addition to the dislocation resulting from Ethiopia's 
     invasion. To overcome these circumstances, the Government of 
     Eritrea and its people, with the assistance of the 
     international community, are exerting relentless efforts. 
     More can be done, of course, but we are doing the best we can 
     with limited resources.
       Success will come. We have as our model Eritrea's 
     achievements in public health. The U.S. Agency for 
     International Development notes: ``Despite Eritrea's rank as 
     one of the poorest countries in the world, it ranks 31st in 
     healthy life expectancy.'' Eritrea has one of Africa's lowest 
     rates of HIV/AIDS infection, only 2 to 2.5 percent; it has 
     eradicated polio; and in 2002, it reduced malaria in children 
     under five by half.
       Eritreans, dedicated to their tested vision, as a matter of 
     policy refuse to look for foreign economic assistance to 
     bring economic development. We seek trade and investment, not 
     handouts from our partners and taxpayers. Eritrean-Americans 
     living in communities across the United States are natural 
     lines of communication between our two countries and peoples, 
     encouraging further engagement and future U.S.-Eritrean 
     commercial ties.
       Americans have much to celebrate on the Fourth of July. We 
     Eritreans take this opportunity to salute and congratulate 
     the American people on their Independence Day.

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