Thirty-five years later, the echoes of that moment resounded not only along the Red Sea but also across German cities, where thousands of Eritreans gathered to remember, reflect, and celebrate. From Frankfurt to Berlin, Germany has emerged as an unlikely but vital epicenter for Eritrean diasporic commemoration, offering both space and significance for a divided community to engage with its past.

Germany is home to one of the largest Eritrean diaspora communities in Europe, estimated at over 75,000 people. For many, the Fenkil Operation is more than a military victory. It represents the high point of a long liberation struggle that led to Eritrea's formal independence in 1993. This year, events across Germany marked the 35th anniversary with music, poetry, exhibitions of war photography, and youth-led cultural performances.

In Munich and Berlin, these commemorations took on added meaning. They were not merely nostalgic gestures, but acts of collective memory, identity formation, and political positioning. Whether inside decorated community centers or in public squares, Eritrean Germans turned out to honor a piece of history that, for many, still defines their relationship to their homeland.

Germany’s contribution to this commemorative culture goes beyond demographics. As a democratic host country, it offers a vital civic space where migrant and refugee communities can safely engage in cultural memory-making. For Eritreans, many of whom fled war, indefinite military conscription, or political repression, Germany provides both freedom of expression and the infrastructure to organize.

By allowing these events to take place in municipal venues and public arenas, German cities offer something rare: a stage on which postcolonial memory can unfold. In Berlin, such gatherings often feature intergenerational dialogues, youth dance troupes trained in diaspora, and even hybrid language performances mixing Tigrinya, German, and English.

This role is not without complications. Eritrean diaspora politics are notoriously fractured, and commemorations like Fenkil can become flashpoints between those aligned with the Eritrean government and opposition groups. German authorities have, at times, had to manage these tensions, balancing free assembly with public safety, particularly after violent clashes in Stuttgart and Giessen in recent years.

Still, the fact remains: Germany has enabled a space where the Eritrean diaspora can perform a living history, one that is as much about shared memory as it is about contesting the present. There is an opportunity in this moment. Germany, through its steady support for cultural autonomy and migrant integration, can help shape a new kind of diasporic remembrance — one that fosters dialogue rather than division. The Fenkil commemorations in 2025 demonstrated that such events can be peaceful, proud, and community-focused when nurtured in a supportive civic environment.

• https://www.ambassade-benin.de/magazin/35-jahre-fenkil-operation-wie-eritreer-in-deutschland-ein-umstrittenes-nationalgedenken-gestalten