In 1991 Eritrea became independent after 30 years of war with Ethiopia under the most punishing conditions. Unlike most other African former colonies where newly independent governments took over functioning, and in many cases, relatively prosperous states, Eritrea became independent in the midst of a drought, a war-ruined infrastructure while hundreds of thousands of its citizens were internally displaced, interned in refugee camps in Sudan or scattered in a worldwide Diaspora, driven out by the war. One of the poorest countries in the world was starting from ground zero.

The new Provisional Government was determined to create a society of national unity and social justice. They saw what had taken place in many former colonies, independent for a generation, where local elites replaced European colonial elites, often looted the resources of the country, while the vast majority of the population remained in perpetual poverty. They were determined this would not happen in Eritrea.

During the War of Independence (1961 – 1991) the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front had proven that with self-confidence and self-reliance, significant improvements could be made in the lives of ordinary people, even in the middle of war and famine. Although much remains to be done, numerous countries, independent for generations, with a thousand times the resources of Eritrea, have not even come close to what Eritrea has achieved in 26 years. There is much to learn from the Eritrean Journey.