Four years have passed since we lost Professor Aaron Berhane, co-founder of Setit Newspaper and the unwavering voice behind our struggle for justice, truth, and a democratic Eritrea. His departure on May 1st, 2021, still feels like a fresh wound. But today, as we remember him, we do so not in mourning, but in gratitude—for a life lived with conviction, for a legacy etched in resistance, and for a torch that continues to burn in all of us.
Aaron’s journey began early. Born in Asmara on October 6, 1969, he joined the armed struggle for Eritrea’s liberation at just nine years old. By the age of 14, he was already teaching in the liberated areas, contributing to the historic campaign against illiteracy. His sense of purpose was not manufactured by politics or circumstance—it was embedded in his soul.
In 1997, together with courageous colleagues, Aaron co-founded Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper. Setit quickly became a pillar of open dialogue, critical thought, and civic responsibility in a nation hungry for democratic expression. That spirit was violently silenced in the 2001 government crackdown, when Eritrea’s independent press was dismantled, and many of Aaron’s comrades were imprisoned without due process—some of them still behind bars to this day, two decades later.
Aaron escaped, but he never left the struggle behind.
In exile in Canada, while raising a family and pursuing education, he founded Meftih magazine, a new platform for truth-telling and civic engagement. His work earned him national recognition, including an award from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, presented by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But accolades never changed him. He remained Aaron—compassionate, grounded, visionary. A teacher, a brother, a father, and a mentor.
In 2020, in the final chapter of his remarkable life, he helped relaunch Setit Media in the diaspora. With the same unwavering principles that guided him since 1997, he became our board president and advisor. His hand, his heart, his voice—were part of every step we took. His dream was not just to speak truth to power, but to build a culture where justice, dialogue, and dignity define Eritrea’s future.
Today, we pledge to carry his fight forward.
We reaffirm our commitment to Aaron’s lifelong cause: to demand justice and due process for the journalists, leaders, and ordinary citizens imprisoned since 2001; to hold power accountable without fear or favor; and to give voice to the voiceless, wherever they may be.
We pledge to continue building Setit Media—not only as a platform for news and ideas, but as a movement for truth, unity, and democratic transformation. Our mission is clear: we will not forget those who paid the price for speaking out. We will not normalize the silencing of free thought. And we will not accept a future for Eritrea that is anything less than free, just, and inclusive.
Setit was never just a newspaper—it was a spark. And Aaron was never just a journalist—he was a flame that lit the path forward. That flame did not die with him. It lives on in every word we write, in every voice we amplify, in every Eritrean who dares to dream of a better tomorrow.
Professor Aaron Berhane, we honor you. We miss you. And we promise this: we will not stop.
