THE HEROINE

In 1979, a young Eritrean woman made a choice.

She left her university studies.
She left comfort.
She left certainty.

She joined the liberation movement.

Her name is Aster Yohannes.

She was part of a generation that believed freedom was worth sacrifice.
Like many young Eritrean women of the 1970s, she joined the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front.
Life in Sahel was harsh. There were shortages, danger, and uncertainty.
But there was belief — belief that independence would bring justice and dignity.

In 1991, Eritrea achieved independence.
For Aster and her generation, it was the fulfillment of a dream.

During the struggle, Aster met fellow fighter Petros Solomon.
After independence, he served as Minister of Defense and later Minister of Fisheries.
Together, they built a family.
They had four children together..

In 2000, Aster traveled to the United States to pursue graduate studies.
It was meant to be a temporary chapter in her life.

Then history intervened.

In September 2001, Petros Solomon was detained along with members of the group later known as the G-15.
No public trial followed.
No charges were presented.

Their children were suddenly without their father.
And their mother was thousands of miles away in the United States.

For two years, Aster remained separated from her children while their father remained in detention.

In December 2003, she made a decision rooted in motherhood.

She left the United States.
She returned to Eritrea to be with her children — who at that time were without both parents at home.

Her children waited for her at Asmara International Airport.
They brought flowers.

She never came through the arrival gate.

She was detained upon arrival.

Since December 2003, Aster Yohannes has not appeared in public.
Her family has received no official updates regarding her condition.
More than two decades have passed.

The woman who joined the struggle in 1979…
Who sacrificed her youth in the mountains of Sahel…
Who returned home for her children…

Remains absent.

Her children grew up without both parents.
They graduated.
They built lives.
They became adults in exile.

Aster and Petros are now grandparents — something they may not even know.

Now, on March 8 — International Women’s Day — we remember.

Today is March 8.
International Women’s Day.

A day to honor women’s strength.
A day to recognize their sacrifice.
A day to remember their stories.

Aster Yohannes is one of those women.

In 1979, she joined the liberation struggle.
She gave her youth to the cause of freedom.
She became a mother.
She helped build a nation.

And today, her name lives in silence.

On this March 8, we remember her.
We honor her.

And we remember all Eritrean women —
Those who fought in the mountains of Sahel.
Those who raised children with courage and resilience.
Those who have endured hardship quietly.
Those who continue to wait with hope.

March 8 is not only a day of remembrance.
It is a day of vision.
A day of hope.

Hope that the stories of Eritrean women
Will never be erased.
Will never be forgotten.

Aster Yohannes —
Freedom fighter.
Mother.
Grandmother.

She lives in our memory.
She lives in our history.
She lives in our hope.

Happy International Women’s Day.

And her story is not over.

Saba Tesfayohannes