Eritrea's 28th independence day: Reason for Haddish's trip home

Eritrea celebrates its 28th independence day and it is the reason American comedienne Tiffany Haddish is heading back to the Horn of Africa nation to join the celebrations.

“I know everyone is excited, especially me, to be part of something historical and cannot wait to share this with the whole world”

Tiffany Hadish on arrival home (Asmara International Airport) today to participate in the week-long celebrations of 28th Independence Anniversary pic.twitter.com/ILAZpKomQ1

— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) May 17, 2019

The first hint of her journey to Asmara was via an Ethiopian Airlines post on Thursday evening as Tiffany boarded in Washington. On Friday morning, two photos posted by the airline showed Haddish aboard in one and in a group photo with staff in the other.

In a video making the rounds on Twitter, Haddish said: “Hello everyone, it’s me Tiffany Haddish and guess what, I’m going to Asmara for independence day. Hmmm

“I’m expecting good food, fun, camaraderie, see my family, my people; you know… just good times and I can’t wait to go to the island and see if I can get me one of the nice husbands.”

On the occasion of Eritrea’s Independence Day the renowned comedian/actress Tiffany Haddish on her way to Eritrea. #EritreaShinesAt28 pic.twitter.com/Uj0goVTYsm

— Dawit Haile (@DawitHaile91) May 17, 2019

Eritrea was colonized by two European countries – Italy (1889 – 1941) and England (1941 – 1952). It was annexed by Ethiopia in 1961 after the UN declared it an an autonomous region of Ethiopia after the British left in 1952.

In 1991, the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front triumphed in a war of independence, they are said to have had a hand in deposing Ethiopia’s last emperor, Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1974.

Eritrea in 1993 voted for independence from Ethiopia in a UN-backed referendum and subsequently gained international recognition. It is currently a full member of the African Union (A.U.) and of the United Nations (U.N.)

A constitution was promulgated in 1997 but has never been implemented. The last presidential elections were planned for the same year but failed to hold. Nothing has been mooted along those lines since then. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that work on a new draft constitution started in 2014 and continued well into 2016.