Asmara, 24 May 2011 – The official celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Independence Day was conducted at Asmara Stadium here in the capital with great enthusiasm. The colorful celebrations took place in the presence of Government and PFDJ officials, Army commanders and Sudanese government delegation,  as well as thousands of nationals from inside the country and abroad. 
President Isaias Afwerki delivered a keynote speech on the occasion highlighting the impressive achievements registered in the national development drive and the integrated rebuff waged against external acts of conspiracy. 
The President noted that one of the main manifestations of the externally-engineered conspiracies is the continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories for the past nine years by the surrogate TPLF regime.   This act has occurred in flagrant breach of the final and binding arbitral Award and in contravention of international law through the direct intervention of the US Administration in order to create chronic instability, he elaborated. 
(For details, see full text of the President’s speech)  
Various programs, including military parade, artistic performances and calisthenics show by students, among others featured on the occasion. (Shabait)