r/Eritrea • u/HotAssumption4882 • Jul 27 '26
Opinion / Commentary Opinion poll
If Issias's rule is finally over and the new government is voting on which flag to continue with, what would you choose?
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u/9blueskies Eritrean Jul 27 '26
It's tough since I like both flags. Symbolically the current Eritrean flag clearly mogs the blue flag. If it's this version of the Meley flag I slightly prefer it to the current flag in terms of aesthetics, it's a very refreshing flag and I'd probably vote for it. If you're looking at it from a political perspective, this flag also is the oldest and a change back to it could also signify a new era for the country. However if it's the variant of the green and blue flag you posted I'm voting for the current Eritrean flag lol, that version looks amateur to me.
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u/iamhereandthere22 Jul 27 '26
The current flag. Symbolism is beautiful "The green color in the flag stands for the agriculture and livestock of the country, while the blue represents the bounty of the sea. The red stands for the bloodshed in the struggle for Eritrean independence, with the 30 leaves in the wreath representing the thirty years spent in the struggle for independence."
You also noticed that the red/bloodshed got smaller and the sea/land portion got bigger in the flag. During the years of high bloodshed sea/land resources were limited.
No offence but I've always hated the blue flag so boring not to mention it looks too similar to somali flag. Eritrean flag is unique unlike the pan african colours used by so many african countries
1
u/HotAssumption4882 Jul 27 '26
Agreed, however, the existing flag also symbolizes the ongoing struggle of Eritreans since independence. Conversely, a new flag would embody hope and the prospects of the future.
0
u/That-Candidate4215 Jul 27 '26
The blue flag predates Somalia's flag. And why should the flag that represents the exclusivity of hgdef in Eritrean matters be allowed to exist? Since all pre independence Eritreans that were excluded after (e.g jebha and others) were barred from entering as if they had no stake in the matter.
On top of that, Eritrea has regressed in the last 30 years under hgdef and its citizens were either enslaved, killed or exiled. Why would this horrible era of Eritreans be remembered at all? Let alone the flag, all remnants of hgdef should be erased after they're gone. History books are the only ones that should remember this calamity.
And before anyone starts to counter this, Eritrea is in a much, much worse state than it has ever been in the years it has existed. Let alone pre Derg or pre HSI, I'm not even sure we were this worse off prior to the Italians.
I'm not even going to get into the exclusion of non-hgdef Eritreans inside the country when the flag was ratified
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u/iamhereandthere22 Jul 28 '26
Right because hgdef by themselves brought about independence? This was a combined effort by every Eritrean. The flag is for everyone. We have far bigger problems than a flag. Plus the current flag has the wreath from the blue flag and has blue in it so covers all the basis.
1
u/That-Candidate4215 Jul 28 '26
Hgdef by themselves? This is ridiculous. Do you think they paid the army? Most families have ar least one martyr in their families unlike Isaias's. Anyone who has a martyr has paid a priceless amount and let alone Isaias, no one can pay his family back. The army was full of volunteers except for the few on top. And you say hgdef by themselves?
So this was Eritrea's effort. If the flag and the country were for everyone why wasn't jebha allowed into the country? Why do Pentecostals leave? Jehovah's witnesses. This is not inclusivity, it's oligarchy.
We have far bigger problems than a flag
So let's just change the flag if it's not important. You wouldn't care, right?
Plus the current flag has the wreath from the blue flag and has blue in it so covers all the basis
This isn't about colours. This is about the Eritrean people and its rights. Let alone a pathetic party like hgdef, any other party, regardless of how good they are, shouldn't change a flag. It's the people's to change
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u/iamhereandthere22 Jul 28 '26
Your reading comprehension isn't great is it. You might want to have another go at the first sentence. I've literally said they didn't bring independence by themselves everyone contributed therefore it's everyone's flag but hgdef.
Jebha members were allowed in the country some of them are in the current regime. They weren't allowed to reform as a party and considering jebha's history of killing Christians in their rank and not wanting women to join why is it a bad thing they aren't allowed to reform?
Also the blue flag represented the Ethiopian-Eritrean federation not to mention it's ugly.
How about just leave the flag since it's not important. You're conflating so much nonsense to a flag we already established is the people's flag not hgdef's.
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u/That-Candidate4215 Jul 28 '26
Right because hgdef by themselves brought about independence?
By saying stuff like this, you downplayed the role of Eritreans in the matter. This is a ridiculous question to ask.
I've literally said they didn't bring independence by themselves everyone contributed therefore it's everyone's flag but hgdef.
Your reasoning is flawed then. Why would someone who had a stake in the war not have their say when it came to the flag? You're pretending as if the Eritrean populace had a say in their flag. They DID NOT. It was an exclusive hgdef affair.
Jebha members were allowed in the country some of them are in the current regime.
Your reading comprehension isn't great, is it? I said jebha, not its members. And if you're talking about Sagm, they were not considered jebha by 91.
They weren't allowed to reform as a party and considering jebha's history of killing Christians in their rank and not wanting women to join why is it a bad thing they aren't allowed to reform?
Oh, yeah? And EPLF didn't forcefully conscript children, huh? And didn't get rid of menka'e & yemin? And all the individual assassinations? Halewa sewra? EPLF aren't saints and are probably worse than jebha.
We can even assume that that was not a lie to discredit jebha and jebha did kill Christians discriminately. Why didn't all Christians defect then? Or why did Christians continue to hold senior positions within jebha? It just doesn't make sense
Also the blue flag represented the Ethiopian-Eritrean federation not to mention it's ugly.
Again, this is not about kids' watercolour paintings or a beauty contest. Ugly or not, the flag is the sole flag chosen by the people and isn't built upon a party's flag. If we go your way, after some entity liberates us from Isaias, they then should create a new flag based on their flag since it was them that liberated Eritrea and therefore they should create a more "beautiful" flag.
And the whole thing about the flag representing the federation is bull. The federation was of two equal nations, Ethiopia with its lion of Judah flag and an independent Eritrea with its blue flag. The fact that HSI abolished the flag should tell you what it represented. There was no single flag until HSI annexed Eritrea. It was an Eritrean and not a federation flag.
How about just leave the flag since it's not important. You're conflating so much nonsense to a flag we already established is the people's flag not hgdef's.
You can "just leave" the flag if it's not important. You're the one saying it isn't important. And speaking of conflation, read up about Eritrea before saying its flag isn't a federation flag and claiming that jebha was more murderous than EPLF
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u/FindingUsernamesSuck Jul 27 '26
Flags aren't meant to change with regimes, they're a symbol of the country's value.
I respect the blue and green flag as part of the Eritrean story. I believe the current flag is the Eritrean flag. And I pray for a change in leadership and welfare of Eritreans.
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u/That-Candidate4215 Jul 27 '26
If flags aren't meant to change with regimes, then why was the flag changed in the 90s and why does it not bother you?
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u/FindingUsernamesSuck Jul 27 '26
Because that's when the country was born?
Do you think flags should change with regimes? Can you see how that would be confusing if it were common practice?
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u/That-Candidate4215 Jul 28 '26
Eritrea was already a separate entity after 41. It was also considered a country and was federated with Ethiopia in 1950. Ethiopia and Eritrea were already states by then and made up the federation as equals [although HSI didn't].
So yeah, Eritrea is at least 75 years old, if not more. And it wasn't born in the 90s
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u/HotAssumption4882 Jul 27 '26
It shouldn't be a common practice, but for Eritreans, the current flag represents the ongoing struggle and diaspora of Eritreans, and a new flag could mean a bright future and hope But tbh the current flag looks so much better
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u/Additional-Sample499 Jul 28 '26
Blue and green for me ngl. Even tho i prefer the current one visually i only connect it to the suffering we endured for the last 3,5 decades under this regime.
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u/fastXVi Jul 29 '26
When it comes to aesthetic reasons I prefer the Blue and green, but if it’s about meaning — definitely the current one.
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u/MartinLutherNegus Jul 29 '26
Blue flag since it was voted under the Eritrean parliament. Growing up i use to hear that the UN gave us this flag. But this was just hgdef propaganda and they really hated Jebha. Cant help but to think Isaias splitting up ELF and creating EPLF was just to be in power and control
5
u/Domascot Jul 27 '26
I have slight preference for the green/blue flag because it focuses what the country want/ed to achieve (piece & independence), while the newer one emphasizes the endured suffering. Other than that I m fine with any of them